65 Mexican Last Names Passed Down Through the Ages
Along with their meanings!
Last names can tell us a lot about where someone is from, their culture, and their history. (Or sometimes it’s just something you pick up when you get married.) Mexico has an incredibly rich history, going back to ancient civilizations like the Aztecs, Olmecs, and Mayans. It was then colonized by the Spanish. Today, the country is made up of 31 states and one federal district, and has a population of more than 100 million people. Mexican last names include influences from the indigenous populations, as well as the Spanish colonizers. And frequently, Mexican people have two (or more) last names: the first is typically the father’s last name and the second is the mother’s last name.
If you have a Mexican last name or are curious about them in general, here are some of the most popular Mexican last names and what they mean. You can also check out our pages on French last names, Portuguese last names, Brazilian last names, and more.
Mexican Last Names
1. Aguirre
Meaning: Prominent or exposed place
2. Aguilar
Meaning: Describing a person from the region of Aguilar, in the Castile region of Spain.
3. Ayla
Meaning: Hillside slope or pasture
4. Barrera
Meaning: Barrier; referring to people who lived by a gate or fence.
5. Bernal
Meaning: Spanish variant of the name “Baruch,” which means “blessed” in Hebrew.
6. Becerra
Meaning: Young cow
7. Beltran
Meaning: Bright raven (and it actually has Germanic roots)
8. Bravo
Meaning: From the Spanish and Portuguese words meaning “rough,” “wild,” or “courageous.”
9. Cano
Meaning: White or gray-haired
10. Cardenas
Meaning: Purplish-blue; its root is from the Spanish word “Cardeno.”
11. Carrillo
Meaning: Cheek, Spanish
12. Castaneda
Meaning: Chestnut
13. Castro
Meaning: Castle
14. Cuautli
Meaning: Eagle
15. Cisneros
Meaning: Swan
16. Cocolotl
Meaning: Angry
17. Cortes
Meaning: Civil or polite
18. Coyopotl
Meaning: Thick coyote
19. de Leon
Meaning: Lion
20. Espinoza
Meaning: Thorny
21. Franco
Meaning: Frank or free
22. Gallardo
Meaning: Gallant or dashing
23. García
Meaning: “descendant or son of Garcia”
24. Herrera
Meaning: Blacksmith
25. Hernandez
Meaning: Daring or brave
26. Ibarra
Meaning: Valley
27. Jimenez
Meaning: Son of Jimeno, a variant of Simon
28. Lara
Meaning: From the village called Lara de Los Infantes in Spain
29. Leon
Meaning: Lion
30. Lopez
Meaning: Wolf
31. Lozano
Meaning: Profuse, lush, or exuberant
32. Luna
Meaning: Moon
33. Macias
Meaning: Derived from the name “Matthew,” which means “gift of God”
34. Mata
Meaning: Bush or shrubs
35. Marin
Meaning: Of the sea
36. Marquez
Meaning: God of Mars
37. Medina
Meaning: It could refer to the multiple cities in Spain named Medina. It’s also a surname in Saudi Arabia.
38. Mendez
Meaning: Complete sacrifice
39. Miranda
Meaning: Lovely or wondrous
40. Montoya
Meaning: Mountain
41. Mora
Meaning: Since the word is typically used to refer to blackberries or mulberries, most believe this was used as a surname for fruit farmers.
42. Navarro
Meaning: Valley or plain of people
43. Olivares
Meaning: Olive grove
44. Osorio
Meaning: Wolfhunter
45. Pacheco
Meaning: Possibly related to “pequeño,” which means “short” or “little.”
46. Parra
Meaning: Vine
47. Quinteiro
Meaning: Yard or farmstead
48. Ramirez
Meaning: Famed judge
49. Ramos
Meaning: Branch
50. Rangel
Meaning: Curved or bent
51. Rios
Meaning: River
52. Robles
Meaning: Oak tree
53. Rosas
Meaning: Rose
54. Salgado
Meaning: Salty
55. Sandoval
Meaning: Most likely derived from “saltus,” which means “forest” and “novalis” (“unploughed land”)
56. Seguar
Meaning: Safe or secure
57. Silva
Meaning: Forest
58. Tellez
Meaning: Earth or land
59. Torres
Meaning: People who inhabited a region around a tower or a fort
60. Vasquez
Meaning: Crow or raven
61. Velasco
Meaning: Crow or raven
62. Vera
Meaning: Edge, border, or shore
63. Zarate
Meaning: Someone who lived near the opening of the forest
64. Zavala
Meaning: Broad or extensive
65. Zuniga
Meaning: Channel or strait
This article was originally published on
