Particularly with patronymic surnames. All Rights Reserved. I have been researching them for years. It will be easy to discover the meaning of these last names, but the origin of how these names ended up on the island is a genealogical mystery! Locations with an asterisk* can also be found listed above as actual location names. Still, while the vast majority of Puerto Rican surnames can be found in one list or another because of the various languages, there are some that will be quite difficult to uncover the history of. After the semicolon, I included the etymology of the word if known.For further information of names that come to Spanish via German, see the page, Place Surnames(location)People were also named after places where they lived, either past or present. Zoneur is a website that writes about many topics of interest to you, a blog that shares knowledge and insights useful to everyone in many fields. * You will find that many names will reveal the medieval origins of your ancestors (e.g.Ochoa- Basque nickname meaning "wolf";Alfaro- city in La Rioja, Spain;Picasso Catalan word for magpie.) Patronymic surnames are taken from the father's first name. First, because it is easy to track a person over periods of time in various documents. The origin of both names is not known from any published book on the origin of surnames. In some cases, the surname may end in -etti instead of -i which indicates the diminutivemeaning 'little.' This began the use of bynames. Since Puerto Rico was inhabited by people from countries other than Spain, I will include lists of Puerto Rican surnames that are also of French, Italian, German, and English origin.You can see the identifier in the Germanic Long before the arrival of the Romans, the VisigothsI sworeand other Germanic peoples lived on the Iberian Peninsula. While the vast majority of Puerto Rican surnames can be found in one list or another due to the different languages, there are some whose history will be quite difficult to discover. (Video) How Do Spanish Surnames Work? For instance,Pieretto, is the diminutiveof Piero similar to howManuelito is diminutive of Manuel in Spanish.In (parenthesis), I included an English equivalent if applicable. It can also reveal a little bit more about the founding of the town in Puerto Rico. Sadly, our indigenous and African names will forever remain a mystery, but DNA can help determine it.Surnames can also reveal a little more about the founding of cities in Puerto Rico. So someone calledVacamight have been big and slow like a cow.Upon investigating the names below, one may read into them various ways. This started with the use of nicknames. - from any of the places found in Leon, Lugo, La Corua, Orense, Pontevedra, Valencia, Aleria, Alicante; - from various places in Spain; cherry orchard, - commune in Haute-Sane, Bourgogne-Franche-Comt, France, - variant of Chiaramonti a comune in Sassari, Sardinia, Italy, - Castilianized form of Ziordia, Navarre; elderberry, villagein Tierra de Campos,Palencia, in the northern part of Castile and Len; of the swan, - from either places in Lugo and Pontevedra in Galicia, - variant of Corsino, someone from Corsica , villagein Tierra de Pinares, Segovia,Castile-Leo, Lestre is a French commune , located in the department of Manche in the Normandy, - former Swiss municipality in Ticino, Leventina, Switzerland , - from Dei, Sierra de Tramontana, Mallorca , - possibly from Doxat, a municipality in Greece , - Castilianized from Etxauri, Navarre; town of the houses, town in Trasmiera, Cantabria; escalating, climbing, from Eskoriatza, Guipzcoa, Basque Country; the place of the black earth. )Upon marriage, a Puerto Rican woman could choose to add her husband's last name by adding the word demeaning 'of' before her husband's first last name. - city of Aragon with ancient Roman name, Another form of place naming occurs when people are named after a geographic or. Now that you've discovered naming practices and how easy it is to find your ancestors in documents, you might be curious to know where the names came from and what they mean or mean about your family. The language didn't survive the infusion of Latin except for given names. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. from village Rucandio, Burgos, Castilla y Len, Spain; entanglement of leaves. I have recently added an English surname and will add to the list upon request. The language didn't survive the infusion of Latin except for given names. However, there are cases where the words differ by language or region. Puerto Rican surnames can reveal location in Spain or Portugal or anywhere else in the world where different parts of your family have their origins. *Puerto Rican Surnames:Agosto - variation of the personal name Augusto; sacred, venerable Aldamuy - possiblyfrom Aldemunde, Carballo, Bergantios, Galicia Arrigoitia- fromErrigoiti, village in Busturialdea, Bizkaia, Basque Country BeniquezBithorn - possibly from Bathoorn or religious - see above-Bracetti - probably an accidental mixup of Brassetti and Braccianti, both variants with same meaning ; little armsBrignoni - possibly from Brignone from Brignon, village in FranceDieppa -Italian form of Dieppe, a villagein Normandy, FranceDauhajreEsqulin - possibly from L'Esquilino,one of the celebrated Seven Hillson which Rome was foundedFebus -Garced - variant of French surname Garcet; little guyGraniela - variant of Italian surnameGranillo; little grain- used to describe someone who had pockmarks or other blemishesJiminianJusino - variant of Justino which is diminutive of Justo; just, fairLaboy - possibly from Lamboy or LavoieLaracuente/ Larracuente- possibly from French name Laracontre or from La RoquetteOcasio - believed to befrom Spanish 'ocasin,' 'time; occasionOlique - from Alique, a small village in Guadalajara, Castile-La ManchaPijemPomales -Rieckehoff- variant of German surname Reichhoff; rich + hopeTosado - variant of Italian surname Tosato; shearedVivoni- fromVivonafrom Bivona, Sicily, ItalyVlckers- variant of German personal name, Volker; people + army, Puerto Rico used the Spanish practice of using the last names of both parents. Name Meanings by Gender. Corozal (1:11) 4. Dutch Surnames Because of this, the languages look very similar in spelling and the root origins of words are often the same. A child born would be given a first and middle name and then the first last name of the father followed by the first last name of the mother. Spanish surnames started being used in medieval times when populations were growing and it became necessary to distinguish between individuals with the same given name. It will be easy to discover the meaning of these last names, but the origin of how these names ended up on the island is a genealogical mystery! If you are looking through the Puerto Rican censuses, you will see that outside of the metropolitan areas (San Juan, Santurce, Ponce, Bayamon) the homes do not have addresses. However, a vast many Italian surnames remained permanently pluralized and end with "i". There are areas in Puerto Rico that are known for certain groups that form communities. Religious surnames reflect offices, places, and elements related to the Catholic Church. Particularly with patronymic surnames. WebSuch nicknames sometimes became hereditary and were passed down as surnames onto further generations. Naming conventions in Portugual are unique and quite different from the standard American three-name system: first, middle, and last name. History of Puerto Rico for English-Speaking Puerto Ricans / Feliz Da de la Hispanidad, 6. First, many immigrants came to Puerto Rico who were not from Spain. So, if a village had two people named Martin in it, then one might be Martin son of Rodrigo (Martin Rodriguez) and the other might be Martin son of Lope (Martin Lopez). Finnish Surnames Hidden in these surnames are references to the ancient Germanic tribes of Spain. Chinese immigration to Puerto Rico , (El partido revolucionario puertorriqueo), How to describe a smile in different ways, Six of Victor Hugo's most famous poems with their English translations, Why does my right hand ring finger itch? WebIt is the official language of Andorra, and a co-official language of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and Valencia (where the language is known as Valencian). An example of this are two surnames in my ancestry, Both are not very common on the island and are rarely found (no links to PR). They lived in communities that were small enough that it was unlikely people would have the same given name. It can be used by people who belong to a place or by anyone to describe people who live in a specific place. Bordered by Spain and the Atlantic Ocean, its possessions include the Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira. Possibly originally from the ancient and current town of Garcia in Tarragona, Catalonia, - a city in the Corredor de la Plata, Seville, Andalusia, Spain, - Village in Alt neu, Pallars Sobir, Catalonia, City in the autonomous community of Madrid, Spain, Camargo town, Santander, Cantabria, Spain, Spanish form of Uitzi, Larraun, Navarra, Basque Country, - aus Ilarratza, lava, Basque Country, Spain, - probably from Lmer, Indre-et-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire, France, Dorf Bembrive, Vigo, Pontevedra, Galicien, Spanien, City on the east coast, Cantabria; Redondela village, Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain, Possibly from Vilanava de Laton from Villeneuve-du-Latou, Arieja, Occitania, France, City of Salamanca, Castile and Leon, Spain, - probably from Liac, a town in Midi-Pyrnes, France, City of Sierra Morena, Jan, Andalusia, Spain; from 'linen': flax, flax, - City of Llaur, Ribera Baja, Valencian Community, Spain , - Parish of Parres, Oriente, Asturias, Spain, - Town in Badajoz, Extremadura that had a large Jewish population, em Wallonien, Chimay, Hainaut, Belgien , - Parish of Salvatierra de Mio, Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain, - City in Crdoba, Andalusia, Spain, founded by Jews ; God save us, - Kastellform von Laesin Oliveira de Azemis, Zwischen Douro und Vouga - Metropolregion von Porto. It is surprisingly easier to trace later generations when the mother's name is already known. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. It was originally a patronymic, meaning "Son of Lope", Lope itself being a Spanish given name deriving from Latin lupus, meaning "wolf". There is a list of Puerto Rican surnames that are of non-Spanish origin. Japanese Surnames Create your own unique website with customizable templates. Another purpose of researching Puerto Rican surnames is that they provide insight into your deeper past.