🔥 200+ Dominican Last Names With Meanings (2026 Updated List)

Dominican last names carry much historical and cultural significance that stem from a rich blend of Spanish, African, and Indigenous Taíno lineage.

Many Dominican surnames originated in Spain, carried over from that country during the colonial period; those that arose through migration, local influences, and events in history may have some other trajectory.

Whether researching your family’s genealogy or just being curious about the way common Dominican surnames came into being, this guide will explore their origins, meanings, and unique stories.

Dominican Last Names

Fernández – “Son of Fernando,” meaning “brave traveler” or “adventurous.”

González – “Son of Gonzalo,” meaning “battle warrior.”

Rodríguez – “Son of Rodrigo,” meaning “famous ruler.”

Pérez – “Son of Pedro,” meaning “rock” or “stone.”

Martínez – “Son of Martín,” meaning “warlike” or “dedicated to Mars.”

López – “Son of Lope,” meaning “wolf.”

Sánchez – “Son of Sancho,” meaning “holy” or “blessed.”

Ramírez – “Son of Ramiro,” meaning “wise and famous.”

Torres – Means “towers,” often indicating someone who lived near a tower.

Díaz – “Son of Diego,” meaning “supplanter” or “teacher.”

Reyes – Means “kings” or “royalty.”

Castillo – Means “castle” or “fortress,” often signifying nobility.

Ramos – Means “branches” or “bouquets,” symbolizing strength and growth.

Cruz – Means “cross,” often linked to religious devotion.

Ortiz – “Son of Orti,” possibly meaning “fortunate” or “brave.”

Mendoza – Means “cold mountain” in Basque.

Peña – Means “rock” or “cliff,” referring to someone from a rocky area.

Hernández – “Son of Hernando,” meaning “bold voyager.”

Jiménez – “Son of Jimeno,” meaning “listener” or “he who hears well.”

Acosta – Means “by the coast” or “seaside.”

Morales – Means “mulberry trees” or “moorland.”

Rosa – Means “rose,” symbolizing beauty and nobility.

Mejía – Of Basque origin, possibly meaning “middle” or “between rivers.”

Guerrero – Means “warrior.”

Peralta – Means “high rock” or “steep cliff.”

Báez – Of Hebrew origin, possibly meaning “falcon” or “prophet.”

De la Cruz – Means “of the cross,” often a religious reference.

Guzmán – Possibly means “good man” or “noble warrior.”

Cabrera – Means “place of goats” or “goat herder.”

Delgado – Means “slender” or “thin.”

Valdez – “Son of Baldo,” meaning “bold” or “courageous.”

Pimentel – Means “pepper field” or “spice grower.”

Silva – Means “forest” or “woods.”

Figueroa – Means “fig tree.”

Vásquez – “Son of Vasco,” meaning “crow” or “raven.”

Almonte – Means “from the hill” or “high mountain.”

Burgos – Refers to the Spanish city of Burgos, meaning “fortified town.”

Montilla – Means “little mountain.”

Matos – Means “thicket” or “bushes.”

Espinal – Means “thorny bush” or “spiny place.”

Nova – Possibly means “new” or “from a new place.”

Cedano – Possibly of Galician origin, meaning “place of cedars.”

Geraldo – From Germanic origins, meaning “rule of the spear.”

Infante – Means “prince” or “young noble.”

Taveras – Of Portuguese origin, possibly meaning “place of travelers.”

Quezada – Means “cheese maker” or “curdled milk.”

Mojica – Possibly of Arabic origin, meaning “one who is free.”

Tejada – Means “roof tile maker” or “from the tiled place.”

Madera – Means “wood” or “timber.”

Sepúlveda – Means “deep valley” or “ravine.”

Arroyo – Means “stream” or “brook,” often indicating someone who lived near water.

Batista – Derived from “Baptist,” linked to religious devotion.

Beltré – Possibly of French origin, meaning “beautiful” or “noble.”

Brito – Originates from Portugal, meaning “from Brittany.”

Calderón – Means “large cauldron” or “kettle,” possibly referring to metalworkers.

Campos – Means “fields” or “countryside.”

Cáceres – Refers to a city in Spain, meaning “fortress.”

Carvajal – Means “oak forest” or “thicket.”

Castaño – Means “chestnut tree” or “brown-haired.”

Celestino – From Latin, meaning “heavenly” or “celestial.”

Cepeda – Means “abundant with cedar trees.”

Colón – Refers to Christopher Columbus (Cristóbal Colón) and means “dove” in some origins.

Cordero – Means “lamb,” often symbolizing peace or sacrifice.

Crespo – Means “curly-haired.”

De León – Means “of the lion,” symbolizing strength and bravery.

Del Rosario – Means “of the rosary,” linked to religious devotion.

Domínguez – “Son of Domingo,” meaning “belonging to the Lord.”

Durán – Means “steadfast” or “enduring.”

Estévez – “Son of Esteban,” meaning “crown” or “garland.”

Febles – Of Canary Islands origin, meaning “humble” or “frail.”

Feliz – Means “happy” or “fortunate.”

Franco – Means “free” or “frank.”

Galván – Means “spark” or “shiny metal.”

Garrido – Means “handsome” or “elegant.”

Hidalgo – Means “nobleman” or “gentleman.”

Hierro – Means “iron,” possibly referring to blacksmiths.

Iglesias – Means “churches,” indicating religious ties.

Javier – Of Basque origin, meaning “new house.”

Lara – Refers to a region in Spain, meaning “famous warrior.”

León – Means “lion,” symbolizing courage.

Liriano – Possibly derived from “Lirio,” meaning “lily” or purity.

Lora – Could be linked to “laurel” or a place name.

Marmolejos – Of Galician origin, meaning “marble quarry.”

Matías – Derived from Hebrew, meaning “gift of God.”

Montero – Means “hunter” or “mountain man.”

Montás – Of Catalan origin, related to mountains.

Moronta – Possibly of Galician origin, meaning “hilltop” or “elevated place.”

Núñez – “Son of Nuño,” meaning “advisor” or “protector.”

Olivo – Means “olive tree,” symbolizing peace.

Orozco – Of Basque origin, meaning “place of holly trees.”

Paniagua – Means “bread and water,” indicating humble origins.

Peguero – Possibly linked to a place or occupation.

Piña – Means “pineapple” or “pine tree.”

Plasencia – Refers to a Spanish city, meaning “pleasant place.”

Quevedo – Means “watchful” or “one who sees well.”

Quintana – Means “farmstead” or “country house.”

Rivera – Means “riverbank.”

Santos – Means “saints” or “holy.”

Tineo – Refers to a place in Spain, possibly meaning “dark forest.”

Villar – Means “small village” or “settlement.”

Abreu – Spanish locational surname from a place near Lisbon.

Acevedo – From Spanish acevedo (grove of holm oaks).

Alarcón – Spanish locational from a fortified place.

Alcalá – Spanish locational meaning “castle” or “fortified place.”

Alfau – Iberian surname of ancient origin, possibly linked to farm lands.

Ariza – Spanish surname from ariza (field of arid land or gullies).

Artiles – Spanish surname from artil (field boundary).

Arias – Spanish occupational/call name (military or archer).

Asencio – Derived from Ascencio (religious/Christian root).

Aut Rafa – Rare surname in Dominican records of French origin.

Barrios – Spanish locational referring to “multiple neighborhoods.”

Bautista – From Spanish bautista meaning “baptist,” religious origin.

Benítez – Patronymic meaning “son of Benito.”

Brache – French-derived name used in DR families.

Bracho – Variant of Brache, also of French origin.

Brizuela – Spanish locational surname, old Castilian roots.

Brito – Spanish/Portuguese surname meaning “Briton” or “foreigner.”

Bueno – From Spanish bueno meaning “good.”

Cadet – French origin, short for military youth, used in DR.

Cajigas – Spanish surname linked to an old locale name.

Candelario – From Spanish candela (candle), symbolizing light.

Cardona – Spanish locational, town name in Catalonia.

Cepeda – Spanish locational surname from Cepeda region.

Chaves – Spanish surname meaning “keys” (symbolic or occupational).

Colón – Spanish form of Columbus, meaning “dove.”

Cornejo – Spanish from cornejo (dogwood tree).

Coronado – Spanish surname meaning “crowned.”

Cordero – Spanish for “lamb,” often symbolic of innocence.

Cortez / Cortés – Spanish meaning “courteous” or “courtesy.”

Cruz – Spanish for “cross,” common in Catholic regions.

Dávila – Locational surname from de Ávila (people from Ávila).

Del Rosario – Religious surname meaning “of the Rosary.”

Díaz – Spanish patronymic meaning “son of Diego.”

Diez – Spanish for the number “ten,” sometimes numeric heritage.

Domínguez – Patronymic meaning “son of Domingo.”

Encarnación – Spanish religious surname meaning “incarnation.”

Espinoza / Espinosa – From espino (thorny bush).

Estévez – Patronymic meaning “son of Esteban.”

Eusebio – From Greek eusebios meaning “devout.”

Feliciano – From Latin felix meaning “happy” or “fortunate.”

Galarza – Spanish origin, possibly locational from a place name.

Galván – Spanish surname meaning “sparrowhawk.”

García – Spanish for “bear,” one of the most ancient Iberian surnames.

Garrido – Derived from Spanish garrido meaning “elegant” or “graceful.”

Gil – Spanish patronymic from the given name Gil.

Gisbert – Spanish and Catalan surname meaning “hostage of honor.”

Gómez – Patronymic meaning “son of Gome / Gomo.”

González – Patronymic meaning “son of Gonzalo.”

Granados – Spanish for “pomegranate trees,” locational.

Guerrero – Spanish for “warrior.”

Gutiérrez – Patronymic meaning “son of Gutierre.”

Hernando/Hernández – Patronymic meaning “son of Hernando.”

Holguín – Spanish locational surname with medieval roots.

Iglesias – Spanish for “churches,” locational or symbolic.

Iraheta – Basque origin, found in Dominican records.

Jaramillo – Spanish locational surname meaning “from Jaramillo region.”

Jiménez – Patronymic meaning “son of Jimeno.”

Lara – Spanish surname tied to a family estate or place name.

León – Spanish for “lion,” symbolizing courage.

Linares – Spanish locational surname meaning “from the flaxen fields.”

Lizardo – Spanish given name turned surname, meaning “from the lizard family.”

Lorente – Spanish variant of “Lorenzo.”

Lora – Spanish for “lark,” a bird, symbolic.

Macedo – Portuguese/Spanish surname meaning “thicket of oaks.”

Madrigal – Spanish locational from a place near a meadow.

Mancini – Italian origin found among Dominicans of mixed heritage.

Manuel – Patronymic from given name Manuel (God with us).

Marín – Spanish for “of the sea,” locational.

Martínez – Patronymic meaning “son of Martín.”

Matos – Spanish for “bushes” or “woods.”

Medina – Spanish locational surname meaning “from the city.”

Méndez – Patronymic meaning “son of Mendo.”

Mojica – Spanish surname with locational origins.

Montalvo – Spanish locational name meaning “mountain valley.”

Morales – Spanish for “mulberry trees,” locational.

Mora – Spanish for “blackberry,” nature-derived.

Muñoz – Patronymic meaning “son of Muño.”

Navarro – Spanish locational meaning “from Navarre.”

Núñez – Patronymic meaning “son of Nuño.”

Ocampo – Spanish locational surname meaning “from the field.”

Ochoa – Basque origin meaning “wolf.”

Ortega – Spanish locational, meaning from a place known for nettles or herbs.

Osorio – Spanish aristocratic surname of old lineage.

Pacheco – Spanish or Portuguese surname meaning “peacock,” symbolic.

Padilla – Spanish locational, likely from place names tied to river plains.

Paredes – Spanish for “walls,” locational.

Perdomo – Spanish locational name used in the Canary Islands, prevalent in DR.

Pimentel – Spanish locational meaning “pepper field.”

Plaza – Spanish for “square” or “marketplace.”

Quiñones – Spanish aristocratic surname, locational/honorific.

Ramírez – Patronymic meaning “son of Ramiro.”

Reyes – Spanish for “kings,” symbolic.

Rico – Spanish for “rich” or “wealthy.”

Rivera – Spanish for “riverbank.”

Rocha – Portuguese surname meaning “rock” or “cliff.”

Rodríguez – Patronymic meaning “son of Rodrigo.”

Salazar – Spanish locational surname meaning “old hall by the forest.”

Santana – Spanish religious surname tied to Saint Anne.

Santos – Spanish for “saints,” religious origin.

Tejada – Spanish surname from tejado, meaning “roof tile” or “tile maker.”