The 60 most common surnames in Argentina (and their origin)

Argentina is one of the countries most defined by the mixture of cultures, because among its inhabitants there are so many descendants of Amerindian peoples such as, above all, of Spanish origin and, to a lesser extent, Italian and German.

For this reason, the characteristic surnames of the families that inhabit the Argentine nation reflect this cultural complexity associated above all with Europe, and specifically with the lineages originating from Spain.

Below you will find a list of the most common surnames in Argentina, explaining their meaning and the family origin of these words.

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What are the most common surnames in Argentina?

In the same way that happens in other Latin American countries, the majority of surnames in Argentina have Spanish origin, due to colonization.

In this way, it will not be surprising to see that the most frequent Argentine surnames are also common in the speaking countries. Hispanic in general, and that they come on many occasions from Latin although we also find a lot of influence from Basque.

1. Gonzalez

The first place goes to González, a very common last name in Spanish-speaking countries. Its origin is located in the Iberian Peninsula, when the Visigoths lived thereWhat is not so clear or is not known for sure is which specific region of Spain it comes from, since different possibilities have been presented, such as Castilla, Huesca or Asturias.

As with other surnames, the suffix "ez" indicates that it has patronymic origin. This means which comes from the father's name, in this case it would be Gonzalo's son, which means "willing to struggle''.

2. Rodriguez

The origin of the Rodríguez surname dates back to the Middle Ages, before the 11th century. In this case we find again the suffix "ez" which means "son of" and therefore would be the son of Rodrigo, which is a name of Germanic origin that means "rich in glory" or "surname of Kings''.

The suffix "ez" is believed to come from the Basque language and that it was Queen Elizabeth II who kept it as a tribute to the Kingdom of Navarra.

3. Gomez

The surname Gómez comes from the name of Germanic origin Gome, which was widely used by the Goths and means man.

4. Fernandez

Fernández, of also patronymic origin, it means "son of Fernado"; in turn, this name is of German origin and translates as "peace". This is a very common surname both in Spain and in America, having therefore many family branches with this surname, not related to each other.

5. Lopez

The surname López is also patronymic, formed by the suffix "ez" and the masculine proper name Lope who It derives from the Latin Lupus which means "thirsty for blood", a nickname that was given to the warriors more reckless.

6. Diaz

The last name Díaz refers to “son of Diego” which comes from the Hebrew and means “held by the heel”. It is believed to have originated in the kingdoms of Castilla y León on the Iberian Peninsula.

7. Martinez

It is believed that the surname Martinez may come from the Spanish autonomous communities of Galicia and Asturias, since it is from where there are older records of this surname. As it is a patronymic surname, we know that it means son of Martin, the name Martin is of Romanesque-French origin and derives from the Latin Martinus, which means “warrior man”.

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8. Perez

Pérez means "son of Peter" which comes from the Latin Petrus which means "stone". It is believed that it was popular in the northern regions of the Iberian Peninsula, from which point it later spread to the rest of the communities.

9. Garcia

Although in this case the ending “ez” does not appear, it is also a patronymic surname that is believed to have a very ancient, pre-Roman origin and derive from a language similar to Euskera. It is said that the meaning could be "bear".

10. Sanchez

Sánchez which means "son of Sancho", and it is not known with certainty if it derives from Latin or Basque. It is a very widespread surname, which means that its origin is not known with certainty, although there were many kings, especially from the north of the Iberian Peninsula, who were called Sancho.

11. Rosemary

The origin of the Romero surname is located in the regions near the Mediterranean Sea. It is believed that it was the name given by the citizens of the Byzantine Empire to the pilgrims who came from Rome.

This surname is also related to the plant, which receives the same name "rosemary" and which has Latin origin and means "sea spray".

12. bland

The surname Sosa is believed to have both Portuguese and Castilian origin. Despite being in different regions of Spain where there are more individuals with this surname is in the Canary Islands.

13. towers

The surname Torres is of toponymic origin, this term means that it refers to a place, in this case it comes from the Latin word turris which means tower. Its origin is very old, having records from the 11th century in the region of Castilla, in the Iberian Peninsula.

14. Alvarez

Álvarez tells us "son of Álvaro", which means protector. Although no single origin is known, the oldest record is in Asturias.

15. Ruiz

Ruiz is a patronymic surname that refers to the fact that he is a descendant of Rodrigo, a German name that means "rich in glory or money". The origin of it is located in the Iberian Peninsula during medieval times, although the region where it comes from is not specifically known, it is believed that it would be from the north of Spain.

16. Ramirez

The surname Ramírez indicates the son of Ramiro, which is a Germanic name that means "illustrious warrior." It is thought that it may have a Gothic origin, although since it is so widespread it cannot be known with precision.

17. flowers

The last name Flores is of Asturian origin, being the origin of the Latin Florus, the Castilian name Flórez or the medieval name Froylez.

18. Benitez

The patronymic surname Benitez refers to “the son of Benito” which in turn comes from the Latin meaning “blessed”, it places its origin in Asturias although it is difficult to know when it appeared.

19. Acosta

Acosta is a surname of Spanish and Portuguese origin that referred to the people who lived near the river.

20. Medina

Medina is a toponymic surname that comes from the Arabic "madina" which means "city".

21. Herrera

The toponymic surname Herrera refers to blacksmithing, also being linked to the Latin word ferrum, which means “iron”. The oldest records of this surname are in Palencia, Spain.

22. Suarez

Suárez is a patronymic surname that is believed to be derived from the proper name Serum used during the Middle Ages or from the Basque word "suar" which in Basque means fiery.

23. Aguirre

The surname Aguirre is of Basque origin, linked to the Basque nobility. Derived from the word "ageri" which means manifest, patent or discovered.

24. Gimenez

The surname Giménez, which indicates "son of Gimeno", does not have a clear origin, it is believed that it may come from the name Ximeone which in turn derives from the name Simón, it is also thought that it can be linked to the root "seme" which means "son" in Basque "or to have a Baltic origin from the words" Eximenonis "and "Ixemenones".

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25. Gutierrez

Of Germanic origin, the surname Gutiérrez derives from the name “Gutierre” or “Gutier”. It is believed that the specific origin in Spain could be Cantabria.

26. Pereyra

Pereyra is a toponymic surname of Galician origin that comes from the word Pereira which means "pear tree".

27. Red

Rojas is a toponymic surname that refers to the municipality of Rojas in the province of Burgos, in Castilla y León, Spain.

28. Molina

The last name Molina has its origin in the High Middle Ages and refers to a profession, a person who works with the mill.

29. Castro

Castro is a toponymic surname that derives from the Latin word "castrum" which means "fortified camp". Its origin is located mainly in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, such as the regions of Galicia and Castilla y León.

30. Ortiz

Ortiz is a surname of Basque origin, being one of the oldest in Castile. Despite not being clear about the origin, it has been suggested that it may come from: the lineage of Dukes of Normandy; from the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the year 700 from Floriencio Ochoa Ortiz, a combatant from the Battle of Guadalete or from an Italian family.

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31. Silva

The surname Silva of Portuguese and Spanish origin is a toponymic surname that comes from the Latin word "silva" which means jungle or forest.

32. Nunez

It is believed that the surname Núñez is of pre-Roman origin and means son of Nuño, a proper name that comes from the Latin word "Nonius", for this reason we will say that it is translated as "the ninth son".

33. Moon

The last name Luna is of Aragonese origin and the oldest records of it date back to the 11th century.

34. Juarez

It is believed that the surname Juárez may be derived from the surname Suárez.

35. Cabrera

The last name Cabrera is related to the office of goatherd and is believed to have its origin in ancient Goth monarchs.

36. Rivers

The origin of the surname Ríos is also uncertain, it is believed that it could be used in some of the Spanish towns that carry the name of Ríos such as those located in Jaén, Orense or Badajoz, although there is also the possibility that it derives from the surname River.

37. Morales

Morales is a toponymic surname that has its origin in Cantabria, Spain.

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38. Godoy

Godoy is a surname of Galician origin that comes from the Germanic "godo" or "gund" which means famous.

39. dark

The surname Morena comes from the nickname given to the Andalusian, Extremaduran and Levantines who were darker in skin after the reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula by the Spanish people.

40. Ferreyra

The surname Ferreyra is of Portuguese origin and derives from the surname Ferreira, which comes from the Latin root "ferraruis" which means blacksmith.

41. Dominguez

The surname Domínguez indicates that he is the son of Domingo, which comes from the Latin “dominicus” which means “the man of the Lord”. It is a very widespread surname in Spain, a fact that makes it difficult to know the origin since there are different families in different regions that are not related to each other.

42. Reed

The surname Carrizo is of Basque origin and refers to a type of plant that grows in very humid places.

43. Peralta

Peralta is a surname originally from Navarra and of noble lineage.

44. Castle

The surname Castillo is of noble origin that originated in the formerly called “Santander mountain”.

45. Ledesma

The surname Ledesma is of Castilian origin from the town of Ledesma located in the province of Salamanca.

46. Quiroga

The surname Quiroga has its origin in Galicia, an autonomous community of Spain.

47. Vega

The surname Vega is of Castilian origin, more specifically it is believed that it comes from the region of Tierra de Campos located between the provinces of Valladolid, Palencia and León.

48. Vera

Vera's last name is of Roman origin and it is believed that it could be related to Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome.

49. Muñoz

The surname Muñoz does not have a specific origin since different possibilities have been raised, it is believed that it could come from a Roman gentleman named Lucio Nurio; Another possibility is that it has its origin in the Royal House of Scotland and finally it may derive from Count Muñon Rodriguez who lived in the year 750.

50. Ojeda

The surname Ojeda is of toponymic origin linked to the town of Ojeda, located in the province of Burgos.

51. Ponce

The Ponce surname is of French origin, coming from the Porcelet lineage, descendant of the kings of Burgundy.

52. Villalba

Villalba is a toponymic surname from different populations in Spain. It derives from the Latin "vila alba" which translates as "white villa".

53. Cardozo

The surname Cardozo is of Asturian origin although it is believed that it could also come from the Santillana region in Santander.

54. Navarrese

Navarro is a toponymic surname that indicates that it comes from Navarra, which in turn means forest or grove.

55. Colonel

The surname Coronel has Spanish origin although it has also been seen that one of its branches is of Jewish origin.

56. Vazquez

The surname Váquez is of Galician origin, specifically from Bayona, a municipality in the province of Pontevedra.

57. Bouquets

The surname Ramos is a toponym, that is, it refers to the place to which the first person with this surname belonged., in this case it refers to several places in Spain. Coming from the Latin word "ramus" which refers to a set of flowers.

58. Vargas

The Castilian surname Vargas originates from the year 1085 during the reconquest of Madrid, where Juan de Vargas, who belonged to the side of King Alfonso VI, had an important participation.

59. Cáceres

The surname Cáceres is a toponym that indicates that it belongs to the municipality of Cáceres in the province of Extremadura, Spain.

60. Arias

The surname Arias is of Galician origin, also having a patronymic origin that derives from the name Arias.