This list of Hispanic surnames starting with A is based on the U.S. census in 2010.
We have only included surnames where 60% or more holders declared that they were Hispanic.
We’ve got the historic origins and meanings of the most common names in our lists. We also take a look at the Mexican census of 1930 and show comparisons with the United States.
Notes About Our List
The U.S. census of 2010 included a question that asked if the person was “Spanish / Hispanic/ Latino”. This means that our list is based on the self-declaration of heritage.
We used a cutoff of 60% to be more sure that the last names were typically Hispanic.
Columns
The table shows you the number of people of this surname who declared on the census that they were Hispanic.
The second column shows the total number of people with the name in the United States.
The next column is the percentage that declared Hispanic.
Most Common Hispanic Last Names Beginning With A
These were the three most common Hispanic surnames starting with A in the 2010 census.
- Alvarez
- Aguilar
- Alvarado
You’ll find the census numbers in our tables in the next section. Here, I’ll give the historic origins and meanings of these names.
Alvarez
The name Alvarez means “son of Alvaro”.
Historically, Alvaro is a family name that the dates back to rule of the Visigoths over Spanish territories from the fifth to eighth centuries.
Aguilar
There are many towns in Spain called Aguilar.
The meaning derives from a Latin phrase that means “the place of the Eagles”.
Historically, the earliest bearers of the name came from a town or place with that name.
Alvarado
Alvarado is also a habitational name. That means that the early bearers adopted the surname from the place that they were born or lived in.
There is a place called Alvarado in the Spanish province of Badajoz. It’s near the border with Portugal.
List Of Hispanic Last Names Starting With A
Let’s start with a list of names from Abarca to Acuna.
The most common U.S. name within this section is Abundiz, which ranked in the top thousand surnames in the 2010 U.S. census. It’s also a popular name in Mexico.
The origins of the name stem from the Latin word for “abundant”.
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Abarca | 8,830 | 9,363 | 94% |
| Abeyta | 4,731 | 6,046 | 78% |
| Abila | 1,190 | 1,379 | 86% |
| Aboytes | 872 | 921 | 95% |
| Abrego | 7,060 | 7,702 | 92% |
| Abreu | 14,935 | 17,998 | 83% |
| Abril | 1,861 | 2,379 | 78% |
| Abundis | 1,692 | 1,796 | 94% |
| Abundiz | 758 | 786 | 96% |
| Aburto | 2,553 | 2,663 | 96% |
Acebedo is another common name in this section. It has origins in the old Spanish word for the holly bush.
The early families with this name would have lived in regions rich with holly.
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Acebedo | 731 | 926 | 79% |
| Acedo | 1,080 | 1,236 | 87% |
| Aceituno | 947 | 1,026 | 92% |
| Acero | 1,557 | 1,735 | 90% |
| Acevedo | 48,034 | 51,351 | 94% |
| Aceves | 9,351 | 9,854 | 95% |
| Acosta | 92,538 | 103,418 | 89% |
| Acuna | 14,726 | 16,683 | 88% |
Hispanic names from Adame to Alarid
I gave the origins of the name Aguilar in the earlier section on the most common names.
Here, I’ll look at the name Aguirre. Historically, this is a Basque name.
It’s also what’s known as a topographical name. That means that the name comes from landscape features of the places that early bearers lived in.
The meaning comes from the Basque words for a pasture or an open space.
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Adame | 14,996 | 16,193 | 93% |
| Adames | 4,122 | 4,604 | 90% |
| Adorno | 3,197 | 3,783 | 85% |
| Afanador | 726 | 808 | 90% |
| Agosto | 4,845 | 5,619 | 86% |
| Agramonte | 871 | 975 | 89% |
| Agredano | 1,016 | 1,056 | 96% |
| Aguado | 2,029 | 2,371 | 86% |
| Aguas | 960 | 1,440 | 67% |
| Aguayo | 12,239 | 12,876 | 95% |
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Agudelo | 2,417 | 2,622 | 92% |
| Agudo | 697 | 921 | 76% |
| Aguero | 5,796 | 6,402 | 91% |
| Aguila | 4,772 | 6,103 | 78% |
| Aguilar | 174,053 | 186,512 | 93% |
| Aguilera | 29,866 | 31,581 | 95% |
| Aguillar | 725 | 762 | 95% |
| Aguillon | 2,828 | 3,076 | 92% |
| Aguinaga | 4,520 | 4,818 | 94% |
| Aguiniga | 919 | 980 | 94% |
| Aguirre | 73,903 | 79,517 | 93% |
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Ahumada | 4,598 | 4,937 | 93% |
| Aispuro | 1,953 | 2,019 | 97% |
| Alameda | 1,141 | 1,809 | 63% |
| Alamilla | 1,298 | 1,402 | 93% |
| Alamillo | 2,074 | 2,219 | 93% |
| Alamo | 2,807 | 3,448 | 81% |
| Alanis | 10,422 | 11,029 | 95% |
| Alaniz | 15,325 | 16,596 | 92% |
| Alarcon | 17,139 | 18,805 | 91% |
| Alarid | 786 | 1,055 | 75% |
Hispanic names from Alas to Aldrete
Alcala is the most common name in this section.
This name is Arabic in origin, coming from the historic Moorish occupation of Spain. It means a “fortress” or “fortified town”.
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Alas | 4,030 | 4,358 | 92% |
| Alatorre | 4,535 | 4,759 | 95% |
| Alavez | 1,046 | 1,065 | 98% |
| Alba | 10,666 | 13,347 | 80% |
| Albarado | 1,879 | 2,716 | 69% |
| Albarez | 684 | 777 | 88% |
| Albarran | 6,078 | 6,366 | 95% |
| Alberto | 4,759 | 6,528 | 73% |
| Albino | 2,301 | 3,453 | 67% |
| Albor | 1,031 | 1,093 | 94% |
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Alcala | 16,277 | 17,758 | 92% |
| Alcantar | 12,389 | 12,919 | 96% |
| Alcantara | 9,469 | 12,636 | 75% |
| Alcaraz | 10,776 | 11,616 | 93% |
| Alcazar | 3,795 | 4,219 | 90% |
| Alcocer | 3,418 | 3,693 | 93% |
| Alcorta | 1,429 | 1,561 | 92% |
| Alcoser | 871 | 976 | 89% |
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Aldaba | 893 | 963 | 93% |
| Aldaco | 2,818 | 2,953 | 95% |
| Aldama | 1,733 | 1,845 | 94% |
| Aldana | 9,302 | 10,362 | 90% |
| Aldape | 1,958 | 2,151 | 91% |
| Aldaz | 971 | 1,044 | 93% |
| Alderete | 3,545 | 3,903 | 91% |
| Aldrete | 1,610 | 1,830 | 88% |
Hispanic names from Alegria to Almodovar
Within this section, Alfaro is the most common. It fell within the top thousand names in the 2010 U.S. Census.
There is a town of that name in the Logrono province. The origins are Arabic and refers to a lighthouse or beacon.
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Alegria | 5,664 | 6,200 | 91% |
| Alejandre | 4,376 | 4,528 | 97% |
| Alejandro | 6,539 | 7,770 | 84% |
| Alejo | 5,305 | 6,339 | 84% |
| Alejos | 1,750 | 1,908 | 92% |
| Aleman | 20,907 | 22,927 | 91% |
| Alers | 845 | 1,147 | 74% |
| Alfaro | 33,317 | 35,725 | 93% |
| Alferez | 889 | 1,033 | 86% |
| Alfonso | 8,253 | 12,246 | 67% |
| Algarin | 1,546 | 1,768 | 87% |
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Aliaga | 829 | 926 | 90% |
| Alicea | 11,088 | 12,287 | 90% |
| Allende | 1,624 | 1,760 | 92% |
| Almada | 958 | 1,265 | 76% |
| Almaguer | 5,655 | 6,023 | 94% |
| Almanza | 13,940 | 14,708 | 95% |
| Almanzar | 3,855 | 4,095 | 94% |
| Almaraz | 8,021 | 8,404 | 95% |
| Almazan | 5,220 | 6,265 | 83% |
| Almendarez | 4,059 | 4,415 | 92% |
| Almodovar | 3,713 | 4,112 | 90% |
Hispanic names from Almonte to Amigon
I covered the meaning of Alvarado and Alvarez in the earlier section on the most common “A” Hispanic names.
So, I’ll look at another name in this section.
Historically, Amaya is a Basque name. The earliest bearers would have come from the town of Amaya in the Burgos province in Spain.
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Almonte | 10,981 | 12,128 | 91% |
| Alonso | 27,927 | 30,389 | 92% |
| Alonzo | 16,239 | 20,367 | 80% |
| Alpizar | 1,326 | 1,429 | 93% |
| Altamirano | 11,564 | 12,296 | 94% |
| Alva | 5,091 | 6,026 | 84% |
| Alvarado | 126,052 | 133,501 | 94% |
| Alvardo | 1,595 | 1,735 | 92% |
| Alvarenga | 7,503 | 7,973 | 94% |
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Alvares | 3,403 | 3,789 | 90% |
| Alvarez | 216,317 | 233,983 | 92% |
| Alvear | 1,565 | 1,781 | 88% |
| Alverio | 749 | 843 | 89% |
| Alvidrez | 2,466 | 2,634 | 94% |
| Alvira | 656 | 733 | 90% |
| Alvizo | 1,692 | 1,773 | 95% |
| Alzate | 1,647 | 1,800 | 92% |
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Amador | 20,070 | 22,370 | 90% |
| Amarillas | 887 | 960 | 92% |
| Amaro | 10,074 | 11,769 | 86% |
| Amaya | 31,275 | 33,218 | 94% |
| Ambriz | 10,119 | 10,445 | 97% |
| Ambrocio | 1,449 | 1,645 | 88% |
| Amesquita | 739 | 799 | 92% |
| Amezcua | 6,978 | 7,206 | 97% |
| Amezquita | 4,385 | 4,544 | 97% |
| Amigon | 669 | 682 | 98% |
Hispanic names from Amparan to Anzures
Historically, Andrade was a habitational name. There are several villages and towns in Spain and Portugal of that name.
Ninety-four percent of people named Amaya in the U.S. declared that they were Hispanic.
As the name is also found in Japan, some of the other six percent may have been of Japanese origin.
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Amparan | 1,202 | 1,319 | 91% |
| Amparo | 1,240 | 1,553 | 80% |
| Anaya | 22,216 | 24,017 | 93% |
| Anchondo | 2,826 | 3,003 | 94% |
| Ancira | 783 | 894 | 88% |
| Andazola | 797 | 870 | 92% |
| Andino | 6,149 | 6,866 | 90% |
| Andrade | 50,852 | 65,037 | 78% |
| Andrades | 866 | 973 | 89% |
| Andujar | 3,410 | 3,773 | 90% |
| Andujo | 693 | 736 | 94% |
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Angeles | 9,675 | 14,128 | 68% |
| Anguiano | 15,764 | 16,479 | 96% |
| Angulo | 11,830 | 12,714 | 93% |
| Antigua | 667 | 743 | 90% |
| Antillon | 1,247 | 1,367 | 91% |
| Antuna | 1,270 | 1,413 | 90% |
| Antunez | 5,469 | 5,808 | 94% |
| Anzaldo | 709 | 849 | 84% |
| Anzaldua | 2,050 | 2,317 | 88% |
| Anzures | 1,265 | 1,411 | 90% |
Hispanic names from Aparicio to Arceo
Aragon is the most common name in this section.
Historically, the origins come from the Kingdom of Aragon which existed from 1035 to 1479. The region is now part of Spain. There is a river of that name running through it.
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Aparicio | 12,757 | 13,437 | 95% |
| Apodaca | 9,593 | 11,280 | 85% |
| Apolinar | 1,823 | 2,052 | 89% |
| Aponte | 14,339 | 15,828 | 91% |
| Aquilar | 958 | 1,064 | 90% |
| Aracena | 1,002 | 1,049 | 96% |
| Aragon | 21,557 | 25,801 | 84% |
| Araiza | 6,705 | 7,095 | 95% |
| Arambula | 5,299 | 5,668 | 93% |
| Aramburo | 896 | 955 | 94% |
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Arana | 8,571 | 10,698 | 80% |
| Aranda | 17,519 | 19,298 | 91% |
| Arango | 6,355 | 6,998 | 91% |
| Araujo | 12,933 | 18,856 | 69% |
| Arauz | 2,012 | 2,156 | 93% |
| Arballo | 1,090 | 1,207 | 90% |
| Arbelaez | 1,015 | 1,103 | 92% |
| Arboleda | 1,695 | 2,157 | 79% |
| Arce | 17,068 | 19,464 | 88% |
| Arceo | 3,209 | 4,265 | 75% |
Hispanic names from Archibeque to Aristizabal
Arias is the most common name within this section. This name has multiple reported origins in different regions of the world.
In Hispanic areas, it’s considered to refer historically to a farmer or someone who resided or worked on farmland.
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Archibeque | 1,169 | 1,496 | 78% |
| Archila | 1,465 | 1,554 | 94% |
| Archuleta | 10,649 | 13,248 | 80% |
| Arcia | 765 | 891 | 86% |
| Arciga | 1,538 | 1,636 | 94% |
| Arcila | 1,040 | 1,096 | 95% |
| Arciniega | 3,302 | 3,478 | 95% |
| Arcos | 3,931 | 4,132 | 95% |
| Ardila | 829 | 912 | 91% |
| Ardon | 2,507 | 2,870 | 87% |
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Arebalo | 913 | 1,043 | 88% |
| Arechiga | 3,110 | 3,306 | 94% |
| Arellanes | 1,981 | 2,154 | 92% |
| Arellano | 46,156 | 50,104 | 92% |
| Arenas | 10,467 | 11,809 | 89% |
| Arencibia | 1,319 | 1,443 | 91% |
| Arevalo | 22,055 | 23,895 | 92% |
| Arevalos | 983 | 1,044 | 94% |
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Argote | 743 | 791 | 94% |
| Arguelles | 3,964 | 4,837 | 82% |
| Arguello | 7,729 | 8,518 | 91% |
| Argueta | 16,866 | 17,540 | 96% |
| Arguijo | 1,155 | 1,280 | 90% |
| Argumedo | 1,160 | 1,192 | 97% |
| Arias | 53,494 | 57,477 | 93% |
| Arispe | 1,886 | 2,108 | 89% |
| Arista | 1,155 | 1,315 | 88% |
| Aristizabal | 1,118 | 1,229 | 91% |
Hispanic names from Arita to Arreola
Arredondo is one of the more common names in this section.
The early bearers came from a town in Cantabria in northern Spain. The town was built on a rounded hill.
The origins may come from the word for “round” (redondo).
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Arita | 1,225 | 1,673 | 73% |
| Ariza | 3,039 | 3,316 | 92% |
| Arizaga | 1,111 | 1,144 | 97% |
| Arizmendi | 3,236 | 3,432 | 94% |
| Arizpe | 1,283 | 1,359 | 94% |
| Arjona | 1,221 | 1,388 | 88% |
| Armas | 4,987 | 6,002 | 83% |
| Armendarez | 683 | 755 | 90% |
| Armendariz | 11,680 | 12,423 | 94% |
| Armenta | 13,647 | 15,078 | 91% |
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Armijo | 7,036 | 8,372 | 84% |
| Arocha | 1,456 | 1,670 | 87% |
| Arocho | 2,495 | 2,703 | 92% |
| Aros | 667 | 885 | 75% |
| Arrazola | 727 | 778 | 93% |
| Arreaga | 1,293 | 1,362 | 95% |
| Arredondo | 27,528 | 29,173 | 94% |
| Arreguin | 6,155 | 6,501 | 95% |
| Arrellano | 905 | 988 | 92% |
| Arreola | 20,506 | 21,540 | 95% |
Hispanic names from Arriaga to Atilano
Arroyo is the most common name in this section, and falls within the top thousand names in the 2010 U.S. census.
There are many places in Spain called Arroyo. The origins of the word refer to a channel of water, often for farming e.g. irrigation.
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Arriaga | 18,263 | 19,236 | 95% |
| Arriaza | 1,331 | 1,387 | 96% |
| Arrieta | 4,437 | 5,053 | 88% |
| Arriola | 6,289 | 7,877 | 80% |
| Arroyave | 787 | 852 | 92% |
| Arroyo | 47,228 | 50,614 | 93% |
| Arroyos | 811 | 861 | 94% |
| Arteaga | 18,556 | 19,410 | 96% |
| Artiaga | 1,175 | 1,398 | 84% |
| Artiga | 1,451 | 1,504 | 96% |
| Artiles | 921 | 988 | 93% |
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Arvelo | 1,065 | 1,180 | 90% |
| Arvizo | 1,154 | 1,262 | 91% |
| Arvizu | 5,735 | 6,130 | 94% |
| Arzate | 4,751 | 4,906 | 97% |
| Arzola | 4,420 | 4,669 | 95% |
| Arzu | 750 | 1,140 | 66% |
| Ascencio | 7,510 | 7,832 | 96% |
| Asencio | 2,734 | 3,006 | 91% |
| Astacio | 1,326 | 1,457 | 91% |
| Astorga | 4,088 | 4,481 | 91% |
| Astudillo | 2,619 | 2,849 | 92% |
| Atencio | 3,319 | 4,456 | 74% |
| Atilano | 2,443 | 2,665 | 92% |
Hispanic names from Avalos to Azua
The name of Avila is the most common surname in this section.
There is an area of the same name in the Castile region of Spain. The ultimate origin may stem from the Spanish word for a village.
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Avalos | 35,382 | 36,922 | 96% |
| Avelar | 6,835 | 7,564 | 90% |
| Avelino | 997 | 1,525 | 65% |
| Avellaneda | 2,004 | 2,090 | 96% |
| Avendano | 5,631 | 6,086 | 93% |
| Avila | 88,517 | 97,314 | 91% |
| Aviles | 23,733 | 25,716 | 92% |
| Avilez | 3,457 | 3,771 | 92% |
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Avina | 8,434 | 9,122 | 92% |
| Avitia | 3,624 | 3,745 | 97% |
| Ayala | 87,146 | 92,463 | 94% |
| Aybar | 1,547 | 1,733 | 89% |
| Ayon | 4,650 | 4,937 | 94% |
| Azcona | 1,139 | 1,242 | 92% |
| Azpeitia | 990 | 1,053 | 94% |
| Azua | 1,237 | 1,309 | 95% |
Common Mexican Last Names Starting With A
The Mexican government doesn’t release data from recent censuses. However, the 1930 Mexican census is available.
Let’s compare the numbers from 1930 Mexico with the names I’ve already discussed.
You can see that they don’t exactly align in terms of how common they are in the two different countries. But with one glaring exception, the order is pretty close.
| Last Name | Mexico 1930 | U.S. 2010 |
| Alvarez | 35,353 | 233,983 |
| Aguilar | 73,121 | 186,512 |
| Alvarado | 26,645 | 133,501 |
| Acosta | 24,714 | 103,418 |
| Avila | 24,305 | 97,314 |
| Ayala | 16,954 | 92,463 |
| Aguirre | 20,236 | 79,517 |
| Andrade | 15,923 | 65,037 |
| Arias | 13,623 | 57,477 |
| Acevedo | 5,969 | 51,351 |
The exception is Alvarez, which was proportionally far less common in Mexico back then than it is now in the United States.
Related Lists
If you want to review all U.S. surnames, check out our general list of all last names beginning with A (regardless of race).
You can also use our surname ranking tool to see how a specific name ranked in the 2000 and 2010 censuses.
