Understanding how Mexican surnames are passed down through families, as well as which ones are the most common within Mexico, can help you learn more about your roots.
Take a look at these Mexican surnames and meanings to find out where your last name comes from or what it might say about your family’s history.
History of Mexican Last Names
Most Mexican last names are derived from the Spanish language or originated in the country of Spain. Due to Spanish colonialism, many Indigenous Peoples in Mexico took on Spanish surnames, particularly as children were baptized by Spanish priests.
However, before Spanish colonization, Mexican surnames were quite different. People belonging to Indigenous communities such as theAztecs, the Maya, the Toltecs, the Mixtecs, the Zapotecs, and the Olmecs often had just two names (unlike the Spanish tradition of having three names), one of which was a first name and the second was a surname.
Examples of common Maya surnames are Canek (meaning sky star) and Balam (meaning jaguar). It was common for these last names to be based on animals, nature, or constellations.Both names are still used today, Canek in Yucatán and Balam in Belize.
Why Do Mexicans Have Two Last Names?
Today, a vast majority of the population in Mexico has adopted the Spanish surname convention of having two last names. Traditionally, the first surname comes from the father’s first surname and the second surname comes from the mother’s first surname. Ultimately, this means that the paternal name on both sides of the family gets passed down through generations.
Do Married Mexican Women Take Their Husbands’ Last Names?
Typically, Mexican women do not change their last names to match their husbands’. In some cases, a married woman might add her husband’s first surname to her ownlast name following a “de”. For example, Carmen Isabella García Martínez might marry Diego José Hernández Pérez. To adopt her husband’s surname, Carmen might change her name to Carmen Isabella García Martínez de Hernández.
Popular Mexican Last Names
Common Mexican last names reflect both the first and second surnames of the individual.These are the 10most common Mexican surnames within Mexico:
- Hernández
- García
- Martínez
- López
- González
- Pérez
- Rodríguez
- Sánchez
- Ramírez
- Cruz
Interestingly, three of the names in the top 5 are also in the top 5 most common last names in Spain (García, González, and López).
Out of 1,000 last names from Mexico, the rarest ones are Moguel, Collazo, and Cabral. Data from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography indicates that the rarest name in the entire country is Zugasti, a Basque surname belonging to only around 20 people. This name translates to “grove of elm trees” in English.
The Meanings of Common Surnames in Mexico
Many common Mexican surnames of Spanish origin are patronymic, which means they come from a person’s father. Common surnames in Mexico have unique meanings and history that could help you learn more about your family:
- García: Garcia is a name with patronymic origins in Spain. Because it is an Iberian name that was very common as a man’s first name during medieval times, people with the last name García will likely be able to trace their roots back to a Spanish relative whose first name was García.
- Martínez: Martinez is a common surname in both Mexico and Spain. It is also a patronymic name, which is indicated by the “ez” ending. It means “son of Martin.” A person with this last name passed down through generations will be able to trace their heritage back to an ancestor with the first name Martin.
- Hernández: This is another patronymic surname that means “son of Hernando” or “son of Fernando.” The German version of the name Fernando, which is Ferdinand, means “bold voyager.”
- López: This is a Spanish patronymic surname, derived from a person’s father, meaning “son of Lope.” The word lope comes from the Latin word “lupus,” which means wolf.
- Amador: This is a Spanish and Portuguese surname of Latin origin that means “to love,” “lover,” or “sweetheart.”
Finding Your Mexican Ancestors
By knowing the origin of your name, you can better target your search when building a family tree to look for relatives with a specific name or from a certain part of the world.Once you know where you’re from, you can connect with your heritage and learn the real story of how your ancestors passed their traditions from generation to generation.
Learn more about your Mexican family history, the nuances of your family tree, and the meaning of your surname with Ancestry. Find out where your last name will lead you with a free trial.
