Argentinian Last Names – The roots of most of the common surnames are Spanish or Native Argentinian, though those are rarer.
This is because the Spanish colonized the land currently known as Argentina in the sixteenth century.
Before the Spanish arrived, there were some very rich indigenous societies. Presently, there are numerous Argentinians who hold their local language, traditions, and names closely.
Top Popular Argentinian Last Names
People started using last names around the twelfth century, as the population developed and it became important to have the option of distinguishing one family from another. During the colonization of Argentina, Spain imported its family naming conventions into Argentine names. Some of Argentina’s most common surnames or last names are listed below.
Argentinian Last Names With Meanings
- Rodriguez – “son of Rodrigo”
- Gomez – “man”
- Fernandez – “son of Fernando”
- Martinez – “son of Martin”
- Gonzalez – “son of Gonzalo”
- Diaz – “son of Diego”
- Alvarez – “son of Alvaro”
- Lopez – “son of Lope”
- Perez – “son of Pero”
- Romero – “pilgrim to Rome”
- Sanz – “holy”
- Castro – “castle”
- Vargas – “dweller by the sandy hill”
- Mendoza – “cold mountain”
- Quiroga – “pastureland”
- Funes – “merry, funny”
- Villalobos – “wolf town”
- Caro – “dear”
- Correa – “belt, strap”
- Miranda – “admirable, worthy of admiration”
- Sosa – “from Sosa”
- Acevedo – “oak forest”
- Peralta – “high slope”
- Cardozo – “reed bed”
- Acosta – “slope, hillside”
- Godoy – “son of Godoi”
- Ocampo – “field, countryside”
- Toledo – “a person from Toledo, Spain”
- Zavala – “a person from Zavala, Spain”
- Aguirre – “a person from Aguirre, Spain”
- Barrios – “neighborhood”
- Bravo – “brave”
- Caceres – “a person from Caceres, Spain”
- Campos – “fields”
- Duran – “enduring”
- Escobar – “hurdle, obstacle”
- Galvez – “a person from Galvez, Spain”
- Garay – “a person from Garay, Spain”
- Herrera – “a person from Herrera, Spain”
- Irigoyen – “willow grove”
- Ibanez – “son of Ibanez”
- Lamas – “priest”
- Montenegro – “black mountain”
- Navarro – “a person from Navarra, Spain”
- Nuñez – “son of Nuno”
- Ortega – “fortified place”
- Palacios – “palace”
- Pardo – “brown”
- Perea – “pear tree”
- Pineda – “pine grove”
- Quintana – “fifth”
- Quiñones – “oak grove”
- Ramirez – “son of Ramiro”
- Rios – “rivers”
- Salazar – “old hall”
- Sandoval – “sandy valley”
- Sarmiento – “sapling”
- Silva – “forest”
- Torres – “towers”
- Urrutia – “round hill”
- Valencia – “a person from Valencia, Spain”
- Valenzuela – “fertile valley”
- Vera – “truth”
- Videla – “vineyard”
- Yanez – “son of Juan”
- Zelaya – “beach”
- Zorrilla – “little fox”
- Alderete – “the person who covers the bed”
- Arce – “maple”
- Balcarce – “battlefield”
- Benitez – “son of Benedict”
- Bernal – “a person from Bernal, Spain”
- Blanco – “white”
- Caballero – “gentleman, knight”
- Calvo – “bald”
- Carranza – “a person from Carranza, Spain”
- Casanova – “new house”
- Castañeda – “chestnut grove”
- Ceballos – “onion fields”
- Cervantes – “deer hunter”
- Chaves – “keys”
- Colombo – “dove”
- Contreras – “against the slopes”
- Cordoba – “a person from Cordoba, Spain”
- Cortez – “courteous”
- Cotto – “cottager”
- Delgado – “thin”
- Dominguez – “son of Domingo”
- Duarte – “son of Eduardo”
- Echeverria – “new house on the flatland”
- Elizondo – “new house by the river”
- Esquivel – “narrow path”
- Estevez – “star”
- Figueroa – “fig tree grove”
- Flores – “flowers”
- Galarza – “a person from Galarza, Spain”
- Gallo – “rooster”
- Garmendia – “stone cairn”
- Gaytan – “famous warrior”
- Gil – “bright oath”
- Guevara – “a person from Guevara, Spain”
- Hermida – “hermitage”
- Ibarra – “river valley”
- Iturbe – “old house”
- Jimenez – “son of Jimeno”
- Lanza – “spear”
- Leiva – “a person from Leiva, Spain”
- Lemus – “lion”
- Linares – “a person from Linares, Spain”
- Lombardo – “long beard”
- Lucero – “morning star”
- Macias – “son of Maceo”
- Marquez – “son of Marcos”
- Medrano – “middle of the plain”
- Mejia – “son of Mejico”
- Melendez – “honorable”
- Menendez – “son of Mendo”
- Merino – “sheep herder”
- Mieres – “town by the water”
- Molina – “mill”
- Monroy – “Royal Mount”
- Morales – “mulberry trees”
- Moreira – “mulberry tree grove”
- Nava – “plain”
- Nieves – “snows”
- Ojeda – “son of Ojeda”
- Oliva – “olive tree”
- Ordoñez – “son of Ordoño”
- Orozco – “Bear Hill”
- Otero – “mountain ridge”
- Pacheco – “a person from Pacheco, Spain”
- Paez – “son of Payo”
- Parga – “a person from Parga, Spain”
- Pastor – “shepherd”
- Peña – “rocky hill”
- Pinedo – “pine forest”
- Plaza – “square”
- Ponce – “fifth”
- Portillo – “small port”
- Posada – “inn”
- Prado – “meadow”
- Prieto – “dark”
- Quintero – “quintain, training post”
- Rivas – “river banks”
Argentinian Surnames With Meanings
Acosta (Spanish origin) means “coast”.
Aguirre (Basque origin) means “prominent”.
Alvarez (Spanish origin) means “son of Álvaro”, a popular surname. One of the most common last names.
Arias (Spanish origin) means “skill”.
Benitez (Spanish origin) means “son of Benito”, a popular family surname from the 19th century.
Cabrera (Spanish origin) means “goatherd”. Famous last name bearer: Spanish baseball player Al Cabrera. One of the most common last names.
Caceres (Spanish origin) means “from the city of Cáceres”.
Cardozo (Spanish origin) means “thistle”, a famous and top family surname.
Carrizo (Spanish origin) means “cheek”.
Castillo (Spanish origin) means “castle”. Famous last name bearer: American professional baseball player Frank Castillo. One of the most common last names.
Castro (Latin origin) means “a castle or Fort”. Another of the top Argentina names.
Coronel (Spanish origin) means “column of troops”.
Diaz (Spanish origin) means “son of Diego”. Famous name bearer: Cameron Diaz. Also, one of the top Argentinian names.
Dominguez (Spanish origin) means “son of Dominic”.
Fernandez (Germanic origin) means “son of Fernando”. One of the most common last names.
Ferreyra (Indian origin) means “blacksmith”.
Flores (Spanish origin) means “flower”.
Garcia (Germanic origin) means “bear”. Famous last name bearer: Australian actor Adam Garcia. One of the most common last names.
Gimenez (Basque origin) means “son”.
Godoy (French origin) means “ruler”.
Gomez (Spanish origin) means “man”. Another of the top Argentinian names.
Gonzalez (Spanish origin) means “war hall”.
Gutierrez (Spanish origin) means “son of Gutierre”. Famous last name bearer: Mexican Formula One racing and Mercedes test driver Esteban Manuel Gutiérrez.
Herrera (Spanish origin) means “ironworks”. Makes it to the famous surnames.
Juarez (Spanish origin) means “serious”.
Ledesma (Spanish origin) means “broad” or “wide”.
Lopez (Spanish origin) means “son of Lope”. Famous last name bearer: American actress and pop singer Jennifer Lopez. One of the top last names.
Luna (Spanish origin) means “moon”. Such last names can also be used as the first name in many families and cultures.
Martinez (Spanish origin) means “son of Martín”. One of the top common surnames.
Medina (Hebrew origin) means “from the city”.
Molina (Latin origin) means “mill”.
Morales (Spanish origin) means “mulberry tree”. One of the top common surnames
Moreno (Spanish origin) means “moor”. For a century, such last names have been use by aristocrats and members of royal upbringing.
Muñoz (Spanish origin) means “son of Muño”. One of the top common surnames
Navarro (Basque origin) means “plain next to mountains”. Famous last name bearer: Venezuelan singer Aida Navarro.
Nuñez (Spanish origin) means “grandfather”. One of the top common surnames
Ojeda (Spanish origin) means “leaves”.
Ortiz (Spanish origin) means “son of Orti”.
Peralta (Latin origin) means “high rock”.
Pereyra (Spanish origin) means “pear”.
Perez (Spanish origin) means “son of Pero”. One of the top common surnames
Ponce (Greek origin) means “ocean”.
Quiroga (Roman origin) means “a Roman citizen”.
Ramirez (Germanic origin) means “son of Ramiro”. One of the top common surnames
Ramos (Spanish origin) means “branches”.
Rios (Spanish origin) means “river”.
Rodriguez (Spanish origin) means “son of”. A very famous and top surnames.
Rojas (Spanish origin) means “red”.
Romero (Spanish origin) means “someone who is on a religious journey”.
Ruiz (Spanish origin) means “son of Roderick”.
Sanchez (Spanish origin) means “son of Sancho”. Makes it to the famous surnames.
Silva (Portuguese origin) means “forest, woodland, or jungle”. Makes it to the famous surnames.
Sosa (Portuguese origin) means “from the salt water”.
Suarez (Spanish origin) means “son of Soeiro”.
Torres (Spanish origin) means “towers”.
Vargas (Spanish origin) means “steep slope”. Makes it to the famous surnames.
Vazquez (Spanish origin) means “son of Vasco”.
Vega (Spanish origin) means “one who lives on the plain”. Makes it to the famous surnames.
Vera (Russian origin) means “truth or faith”.
Villalba (Spanish origin) means “farmstead”.
Last names of famous/notable people from Argentina
In Spanish culture, the child may use the last names of both of their parents. The middle name – or first family name – is often the one used by the father, while the second name, or last name, is usually the mother’s family name. Did You Know: The most common last name in South America is Garcia and the most common last name in Argentina is Gonzalez?
Peron: María Eva Duarte, or as known as María Eva Duarte de Perón, was the first lady of Argentina. She was married to President Juan Perón and died in 1952.
Maradona: Diego Armando Maradona is a former Argentine football player and is currently the coach of a famous Argentinian football club. He is one of the best football players to ever grace the Spanish football field.
Messi: Lionel Andrés Messi is the name of an Argentine footballer who is a fan favorite, He is known for his footwork and is a forward and skipper in both the Spanish club Barcelona and the Argentina public group.
Darin: One could be excused for imagining that Ricardo Darin is maybe the main entertainer in Argentina, given the amount he multiplies in Argentine film. He comes from a long queue of entertainers and made his performance center introduction at ten years old with his folks. Darin has featured in a stunning number of what is viewed as a portion of Argentina’s best movies.
Mortensen: Viggo Mortensen of the ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie acclaimed may not be Argentine, however. He did live in Argentina for various years as a kid and talks a familiar portion of Spanish, something which may astonish a significant number of his fans. Mortensen is a superstar Hollywood entertainer, yet he is likewise an artist, photographer, painter, and essayist.
Francis: Pope Francis is the name of the 266th pope of the Catholic Church and is known for this religious administration in Rome. He is the sovereign of the Vatican City State and the Jesuit pope. He is the first person from America to become a pope as well as the first one from the Southern Hemisphere to hold the office since Syrian Gregory III.
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands: Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti is the current sovereign of the Netherlands. She was born in Buenos Aires in 1971.
Rare Argentinian Surnames
Understanding family names and surnames can help you locate and identify your ancestors in Argentine records. People in Argentina use Argentine names that are inspired by Latin American surnames, South American surnames, Central American last names, and many other origins.
Acuña (Latin origin) meaning “wedge”. This is one of the earliest Spanish surnames recorded in the New World.
Aguero (Old Latin origin) means “well-watered (settlement)”. This Latin surname is one of the simple names.
Arce ( Spanish origin) means “stony place”. One of the most rare last names.
Avila (Spanish origin) means “from Davila, a topographic name for someone from a town or village, da vila”.
Ayala (Hebrew origin) means “female deer”, or “hillside or pasture”.
Barrios (Spanish origin) means “outlying suburb” or “dependent village”.
Blanco (Spanish origin) means “white”. Another of the rare last names.
Bravo (Spanish and Portuguese origin) means “fierce”, “violent”, or “courageous”.
Bustos (Spanish origin) meaning “meadow”, or “willow”.
Campos (Spanish and Portuguese origin) means “fields”. One of the uncommon last names.
Chavez (Ancient Portuguese origin) means “keys”.
Cruz (Iberian origin) means “cross”. The surname name also refers to either the Christian cross or the figure of transecting lines or ways.
Delgado (Spanish origin) means “thin and skinny”. One of the rare last names.
Duarte (Old English origin) means “rich guard”, or “guardian of his property”.
Escobar (Spanish origin) means “someone who lived in a place overgrown with a broom”.
Farias (Portuguese and Spanish origin) meaning “beacon”, or “lighthouse”.
Franco (Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish origin) means “frank”.
Guzman (Spanish origin) means “good man”.
Hernandez (Spanish origin) meaning “son of Hernán”.
Ibañez (Old Hebrew origin) means “God’s mercy”.
Leguizamon (Spanish origin) means “not “known”.
Leiva ( Spanish and French origin) means “great”.
Lucero (Spanish origin) means “light”, or “star”.
Maidana (Spanish origin) means “a history that has originated from an unknown background”.
Mansilla (Latin origin) means “mansion”.
Martin (Roman origin) means “of Mars”.
Mendez (Spanish origin) means “son of Mendo, Menendo, or Mem”.
Mendoza (Basque origin) meaning “cold mountain”
Miranda (Spanish and Portuguese origin) means “worthy of admiration”.
Montenegro (Spanish and Portuguese origin) means “black mountain”.
Moyano (Spanish origin) means “habitational name for someone from Moya”.
Olivera (Catalan, Portuguese, and Spanish origin) means “olive tree”.
Paez (Portuguese origin) means “a Chibchan people of Colombia in the north-western part of South America”
Roldan (German origin) means “fame and success”.
Soria (Spanish and Jewish origin) means “a habitational name from the city of Soria in Castile”.
Soto (Latin origin) means “small wood”.
Toledo (Spanish and Jewish origin) means “a finely tempered sword of a kind made in Toledo, Spain”.
Valdez (Spanish origin) meaning “son of Valdo/Waldo”.
Velazquez (Spanish origin) meaning “son of Velasco”.
Top 20 Argentinian last names female
Here are 20 common Argentinian last names for females, along with their meanings and associated zodiac signs:
Fernandez – This last name means “son of Fernando” and is associated with the zodiac sign Aries.
Gonzalez – This surname means “son of Gonzalo” and is associated with the zodiac sign Scorpio.
Rodriguez – This last name means “son of Rodrigo” and is associated with the zodiac sign Aquarius.
Martinez – This surname means “son of Martin” and is associated with the zodiac sign Taurus.
Diaz – This last name means “son of Diego” and is associated with the zodiac sign Cancer.
Garcia – This surname means “son of Garcia” and is associated with the zodiac sign Capricorn.
Perez – This last name means “son of Pedro” and is associated with the zodiac sign Pisces.
Sanchez – This surname means “son of Sancho” and is associated with the zodiac sign Virgo.
Flores – This last name means “flowers” and is associated with the zodiac sign Libra.
Romero – This surname means “pilgrim” and is associated with the zodiac sign Sagittarius.
Caruso – This last name means “chariot” and is associated with the zodiac sign Leo.
Costa – This surname means “coast” and is associated with the zodiac sign Cancer.
Vega – This last name means “meadow” and is associated with the zodiac sign Scorpio.
Molina – This surname means “mill” and is associated with the zodiac sign Taurus.
Acosta – This last name means “coast” and is associated with the zodiac sign Cancer.
Gomez – This surname means “son of Gome” and is associated with the zodiac sign Leo.
Peralta – This last name means “high hill” and is associated with the zodiac sign Capricorn.
Herrera – This surname means “blacksmith” and is associated with the zodiac sign Scorpio.
Castro – This last name means “castle” and is associated with the zodiac sign Pisces.
Vega – This surname means “meadow” and is associated with the zodiac sign Scorpio.
Top 20 Argentinian last names male
Here are 20 common Argentinian last names for males, along with their meanings and associated zodiac signs:
Rodriguez – This last name means “son of Rodrigo” and is associated with the zodiac sign Aquarius.
Gonzalez – This surname means “son of Gonzalo” and is associated with the zodiac sign Scorpio.
Martinez – This last name means “son of Martin” and is associated with the zodiac sign Taurus.
Fernandez – This last name means “son of Fernando” and is associated with the zodiac sign Aries.
Garcia – This surname means “son of Garcia” and is associated with the zodiac sign Capricorn.
Diaz – This last name means “son of Diego” and is associated with the zodiac sign Cancer.
Lopez – This surname means “son of Lope” and is associated with the zodiac sign Gemini.
Perez – This last name means “son of Pedro” and is associated with the zodiac sign Pisces.
Gomez – This surname means “son of Gome” and is associated with the zodiac sign Leo.
Flores – This last name means “flowers” and is associated with the zodiac sign Libra.
Gonzalez – This surname means “son of Gonzalo” and is associated with the zodiac sign Scorpio.
Castro – This last name means “castle” and is associated with the zodiac sign Pisces.
Ruiz – This last name means “red-haired” and is associated with the zodiac sign Virgo.
Acosta – This surname means “coast” and is associated with the zodiac sign Cancer.
Romero – This last name means “pilgrim” and is associated with the zodiac sign Sagittarius.
Silva – This surname means “forest” and is associated with the zodiac sign Scorpio.
Ortiz – This last name means “son of Orti” and is associated with the zodiac sign Leo.
Sosa – This surname means “reed” and is associated with the zodiac sign Capricorn.
Medina – This last name means “city” and is associated with the zodiac sign Sagittarius.
Carrasco – This surname means “thicket” and is associated with the zodiac sign Pisces.
Name Origins has lots of great name articles to inspire you. If you liked our suggestions for Argentinian last names then why not take a look at Spain last names, or for something different take a look at Russian last names.
