This list includes 82 Spanish last names that start with C, from “Caballero” to “Córdova”. Many of these surnames come from occupations, places, or descriptive nicknames. They are useful for genealogy, character naming, and cultural research.
Spanish last names that start with C are family names common in Spain and Latin America. Many reflect occupations, places, or religious themes, and some spread widely during colonial migration.
Below you’ll find the table with Surname, Meaning / Origin, Notable people, Region / Frequency.
Surname: The actual family name as listed; you can use it to search records, register characters, or compare variants.
Meaning / Origin: Brief note on etymology or literal meaning, helping you understand geographic or occupational roots of the surname.
Notable people: One or two example bearers with a short descriptor, so you see historical or modern usage and prominence.
Region / Frequency: Where the name is common and how frequent it is, letting you target searches or compare regional popularity.
Spanish last names that start with C
| Surname | Estimated bearers | Primary country/region | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabrera | 400,000 | Spain, Latin America | Goatherd; goat farm |
| Caballero | 350,000 | Spain, Mexico | Horseman; knight |
| Cabello | 60,000 | Cuba, Spain, Latin America | Hair |
| Cadena | 80,000 | Mexico, Spain | Chain |
| Caicedo | 120,000 | Colombia, Ecuador | Indigenous toponym (Caycedo variant) |
| Cañas | 60,000 | Central America, Spain | Reeds; sugarcane |
| Cañete | 40,000 | Spain, Peru | From small valley or place name |
| Cantú | 70,000 | Mexico, Texas (USA) | From the Cantu noble family (Llano) |
| Cano | 300,000 | Spain, Colombia, Mexico | Dipper; canoe |
| Cárdenas | 250,000 | Mexico, Spain | From “cárdeno” (bluish, purplish) |
| Cáceres | 90,000 | Spain, Paraguay, Latin America | From the city of Cáceres |
| Calderón | 150,000 | Spain, Mexico | Cauldron maker |
| Calvo | 120,000 | Spain, Latin America | Bald |
| Campos | 600,000 | Mexico, Spain, Brazil | Fields |
| Canales | 110,000 | Spain, Mexico | Channels; small canals |
| Capdevila | 35,000 | Catalonia (Spain) | Head of the town (Catalan) |
| Carbonell | 75,000 | Spain, Catalonia, Latin America | Charcoal maker |
| Carbonero | 25,000 | Spain, Latin America | Charcoal seller |
| Cardozo | 60,000 | Paraguay, Argentina, Spain | From “thistle” |
| Cardona | 40,000 | Spain, Colombia | Toponymic from Cardona (Catalonia) |
| Cárdenas | duplicate entry omitted | unknown | unknown |
| Caro | 90,000 | Spain, Chile | Expensive; beloved |
| Carvajal | 95,000 | Spain, Mexico, Peru | From “carballo” (oak) |
| Carrasco | 180,000 | Spain, Mexico, Chile | Thicket of shrubs |
| Carranza | 120,000 | Mexico | Place name; valley |
| Carrera | 50,000 | Spain, Chile | Race; roadway |
| Carreras | 40,000 | Spain, Argentina | Races; runner |
| Carrillo | 200,000 | Spain, Mexico | Small cart; toponymic |
| Carrión | 70,000 | Spain, Peru | From River Carrión (Spain) |
| Casado | 65,000 | Spain, Latin America | Married |
| Casares | 30,000 | Argentina, Spain | From “house” or small estate |
| Casas | 220,000 | Spain, Mexico | Houses |
| Casillas | 160,000 | Spain, Mexico | Small houses |
| Castañeda | 100,000 | Mexico, Spain | Place of chestnut trees |
| Castaño | 200,000 | Spain, Colombia | Chestnut-colored; chestnut tree |
| Castillo | 1,200,000 | Latin America, Spain | Castle |
| Castro | 900,000 | Spain, Latin America | Fortified place; castle |
| Catalán | 60,000 | Spain (Catalonia), Latin America | From Catalonia |
| Ceballos | 140,000 | Spain, Mexico | From “ceballo” (horse fodder area) |
| Cedeño | 55,000 | Venezuela, Ecuador | Likely Basque toponym |
| Cervantes | 50,000 | Spain, Latin America | From “cervo” (stag) or place |
| Céspedes | 75,000 | Cuba, Spain | From “césped” (lawn) |
| Cerezo | 30,000 | Spain | Place of cherry trees |
| Chacón | 220,000 | Central America, Spain | Place with oaks; habitational |
| Chávez | 600,000 | Mexico, Venezuela, Peru | From “chaves” (keys) or place |
| Chirinos | 40,000 | Venezuela | Indigenous/toponymic origins |
| Chocano | 25,000 | Peru | Toponymic; region name |
| Cienfuegos | 22,000 | Cuba, Spain | Hundred fires |
| Cifuentes | 50,000 | Spain, Colombia | From “five fountains” (place name) |
| Cisneros | 60,000 | Spain, Latin America | From place Cisneros (Palencia) |
| Clemente | 45,000 | Spain, Latin America | Merciful; mild |
| Cobo | 40,000 | Spain, Latin America | From “coba”/place name |
| Cobos | 30,000 | Spain | Variant of Cobo; toponymic |
| Colón | 35,000 | Puerto Rico, Spain | Colonist; from “Columbus” |
| Colmenares | 40,000 | Venezuela, Colombia | Beehives; apiary |
| Coloma | 18,000 | Spain, Philippines | Toponymic; noble family |
| Comas | 25,000 | Peru, Spain | Hill; valley (Catalan) |
| Concepción | 20,000 | Philippines, Spain, Latin America | Immaculate Conception (religious) |
| Conde | 70,000 | Spain, Latin America | Count (noble title) |
| Contreras | 500,000 | Mexico, Chile, Spain | From “contra” (opposite) place |
| Córdoba | 85,000 | Spain, Argentina, Colombia | From the city Córdoba |
| Cornejo | 95,000 | Chile, Peru, Spain | Little horn; topographic |
| Correa | 350,000 | Ecuador, Colombia, Spain | Leather worker; belt maker |
| Corral | 90,000 | Spain, Mexico | Enclosure for livestock |
| Corrales | 70,000 | Spain, Mexico | Small corrals; plural form |
| Coronad o | 130,000 | Spain, Mexico, Philippines | Crowned |
| Coronel | 80,000 | Chile, Argentina, Spain | Colonel (military rank) |
| Cortés | 200,000 | Spain, Mexico | Cut; courageous |
| Costa | 250,000 | Spain, Latin America | Coast |
| Crespo | 80,000 | Spain, Argentina | Curly-haired |
| Cruz | 2,500,000 | Mexico, Philippines, Puerto Rico | Cross |
| Cuéllar | 120,000 | Spain, Mexico | From town Cuéllar (Segovia) |
| Cuevas | 150,000 | Mexico, Spain | Caves |
| Cuesta | 110,000 | Spain, Latin America | Slope; hillside |
| Curiel | 30,000 | Spain, Mexico | From place Curiel (Valladolid) |
| Cordero | 200,000 | Spain, Latin America | Lamb |
| Córdova | 85,000 | Mexico, Spain | Variant of Córdoba |
| Cifuentes | duplicate entry omitted | unknown | unknown |
| Cipriano | 15,000 | Spain, Philippines | Follower of Cyprian; from given name |
| Cañada | 20,000 | Spain, Mexico | Small valley |
| Cañedo | 18,000 | Mexico, Spain | From “caña” grove |
| Curro | not a standard surname | unknown | unknown |
Descriptions
Cabrera
Toponymic of rural origin from “cabra” (goat); variants Cabrero. Notable: Miguel Cabrera (1983–), Venezuelan baseball star.
Caballero
Originally a title for horsemen/gentlemen; common across Spanish-speaking world. Variants: Caballeros. Notable: José Caballero (b. 1996), Spanish baseball player.
Cabello
Likely nickname-based surname; found in Cuba and Spain. Notable: Camila Cabello (1997–), Cuban-American singer.
Cadena
Occupational or nickname surname; widespread in Mexico and Spain. Variants: Cadenas. Notable: Rafael Cadena (b. 1940), Mexican composer.
Caicedo
Common in Andean regions; likely from indigenous place-name. Notable: Carlos Caicedo (b. 1990), Colombian footballer.
Cañas
Toponymic or occupational from “caña” (reed, cane); common in Central America. Notable: Óscar Cañas (b. 1972), Salvadoran athlete.
Cañete
Toponymic from places called Cañete in Spain; carried to Latin America. Notable: Andrés Cañete (b. 1986), Peruvian footballer.
Cantú
Common in northeastern Mexico (Tam.); variant Cantù in Italy. Notable: Ricardo Cantú (b. 1971), Mexican politician.
Cano
Nickname or occupational origin; widespread in Spain and Latin America. Notable: Carlos Cano (1946–2000), Spanish singer.
Cárdenas
Toponymic and descriptive; prominent in Mexico. Notable: Lázaro Cárdenas (1895–1970), Mexican president.
Cáceres
Toponymic from the Extremaduran city; common in Spain and former colonies. Notable: Francisco de Cáceres (16th c.), explorer.
Calderón
Occupational from “caldera” (cauldron); literary and political notables. Notable: Pedro Calderón de la Barca (1600–1681), dramatist; Felipe Calderón (b. 1962), Mexican president.
Calvo
Nickname meaning “bald”; old and widespread. Notable: Andrea Calvo (b. 1985), Spanish athlete.
Campos
Toponymic from “campo” (field); very common. Notable: Ana Camps (b. 1970), cultural figure.
Canales
Toponymic or occupational; seen in Spain and Latin America. Notable: Gilbert Canales (b. 1988), athlete.
Capdevila
Catalan-origin surname common in Catalonia; variants Capdeville. Notable: Joan Capdevila (b. 1978), Spanish footballer.
Carbonell
Occupational surname from “carbón”; Catalan and Valencian presence. Notable: Rafael Carbonell (b. 1943), Cuban boxer.
Carbonero
Related to Carbonell; occupational. Notable: Marta Carbonero (b. 1995), Spanish public figure.
Cardozo
Iberian surname with medieval roots; common in Paraguay/Argentina as Cardozo. Notable: José Cardozo (b. 1971), Paraguayan footballer.
Cardona
Noble toponymic; Catalan origin. Notable: Ramón Cardona (b. 1960), public figure.
Cárdenas
unknown
Caro
Nickname-based surname; found across Spain and Chile. Notable: Mauricio Caro (b. 1985), Chilean actor.
Carvajal
Toponymic from places named Carballal/Carvajal; military and noble history. Notable: Francisco de Carvajal (1464–1549), conquistador.
Carrasco
Toponymic from “carrasca” (holm oak); used in Spain and Latin America. Notable: Antonio Carrasco (b. 1985), various athletes.
Carranza
Toponymic; famous in Mexico. Notable: Venustiano Carranza (1859–1920), Mexican revolutionary leader.
Carrera
Occupational/toponymic; variants Carreras. Notable: José Miguel Carrera (1785–1821), Chilean leader.
Carreras
Variant of Carrera; Catalan/Spanish. Notable: José Carreras (b. 1946), Spanish tenor.
Carrillo
Old Castilian surname widespread in Spain and Mexico. Notable: Pedro Carrillo (b. 1970), politician.
Carrión
Toponymic; accent often used. Notable: Manuel Carrión (1900s), Peruvian figure.
Casado
Nickname meaning “married”; documented since medieval times. Notable: Pablo Casado (b. 1981), Spanish politician.
Casares
Toponymic; used in Spain and Argentina. Notable: Adolfo Bioy Casares (1914–1999), Argentine writer.
Casas
Toponymic or occupational; very common in Spanish-speaking countries. Notable: Vicente Casas (b. 1980), cultural figure.
Casillas
Diminutive of “casas”; common in Spain and Mexico. Notable: Iker Casillas (1981–), Spanish footballer.
Castañeda
Toponymic from “castaño” (chestnut tree). Notable: Carlos Castañeda (1925–1998), author (Mexican-American).
Castaño
Descriptive or toponymic; common in Spain and Latin America. Notable: Blanca Castaño (b. 1970), cultural figure.
Castillo
Toponymic from “castillo” (castle); extremely widespread. Notable: Humberto Castillo (b. 1960), public figures.
Castro
Toponymic from “castro” (fort); famous globally. Notable: Fidel Castro (1926–2016), Cuban leader; Rosario Castro (b. 1950), cultural figure.
Catalán
Regional origin indicating Catalan roots. Notable: Alejandro Catalán (b. 1970), artist.
Ceballos
Toponymic; variants Cevallos. Notable: Leandro Ceballos (b. 1983), footballer.
Cedeño
Frequent in Andean countries. Notable: Juan Cedeño (b. 1986), athlete.
Cervantes
Famous literary surname. Notable: Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616), author of Don Quixote.
Céspedes
Toponymic/nickname; notable in Cuba. Notable: Carlos Manuel de Céspedes (1819–1874), Cuban independence leader.
Cerezo
Toponymic from “cerezo” (cherry tree). Notable: Pedro Cerezo (b. 1950), public figure.
Chacón
Widespread in Central America and Spain. Notable: Gloria Chacón (b. 1965), artist.
Chávez
Very common across Latin America; variants Chaves. Notable: Hugo Chávez (1954–2013), Venezuelan president.
Chirinos
Common Venezuelan surname. Notable: José Chirinos (b. 1970), Venezuelan sportsman.
Chocano
Peruvian surname; notable in literature. Notable: José Santos Chocano (1875–1934), Peruvian poet.
Cienfuegos
Toponymic from Spanish place name; distinctive surname. Notable: Camilo Cienfuegos (1932–1959), Cuban revolutionary.
Cifuentes
Toponymic from several Spanish towns called Cifuentes. Notable: Antonio Cifuentes (b. 1960), Spanish politician.
Cisneros
Old Castilian noble family. Notable: Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros (1436–1517), cardinal.
Clemente
Originally a given name adopted as surname. Notable: Javier Clemente (b. 1950), Spanish football coach.
Cobo
Toponymic surname; present in Spain and colonies. Notable: María Cobo (b. 1965), cultural figure.
Cobos
Common in Castile; variants Cobos/Cobo. Notable: Roberto Cobos (b. 1978), public figure.
Colón
Spanish form of Columbus; toponymic and historic. Notable: Cristóbal Colón (1451–1506), explorer (Christopher Columbus).
Colmenares
Toponymic from “colmena” (beehive). Notable: Andrés Colmenares (b. 1984), athlete.
Coloma
Old noble surname from Catalonia/Valencia. Notable: Miguel Coloma (b. 1960), historical figure.
Comas
Catalan/Spanish surname found in Peru and Spain. Notable: Ramón Comas (b. 1950), public figure.
Concepción
Surname from religious devotion; used in Spanish-speaking areas and Philippines. Notable: Rita Concepción (b. 1975), cultural figure.
Conde
Toponymic or nickname related to nobility; common in Iberia. Notable: Santiago Conde (b. 1960), politician.
Contreras
Toponymic from estates named Contreras; very common. Notable: Óscar Contreras (b. 1987), athlete.
Córdoba
Toponymic from Andalusian city; variants Córdova/Cordova. Notable: Luis de Córdoba (b. 1950), musician.
Cornejo
Toponymic or descriptive; common in Chile and Peru. Notable: Pablo Cornejo (b. 1975), athlete.
Correa
Occupational surname (makers of straps/belts). Notable: Rafael Correa (b. 1963), Ecuadorian president.
Corral
Toponymic or occupational; variants Corrales. Notable: Ángel Corral (b. 1970), public figure.
Corrales
Variant/derivative of Corral; common in Mexico. Notable: Mariana Corrales (b. 1988), artist.
Coronad o
Toponymic or honorific; historic presence. Notable: Pedro Coronado (b. 1950), public figure.
Coronel
Derived from military title used as surname. Notable: Nicanor Coronel (b. 1940), historic figure.
Cortés
Toponymic/nickname; famous conquistador family. Notable: Hernán Cortés (1485–1547), conqueror.
Costa
Toponymic; widespread across Iberia and Latin America. Notable: Pepe Costa (b. 1970), public figure.
Crespo
Nickname meaning “curly”; common. Notable: César Crespo (b. 1979), athlete.
Cruz
Religious and very common surname; widespread across the Spanish-speaking world. Notable: Penélope Cruz (1974–), Spanish actress; Celia Cruz (1925–2003), Cuban singer.
Cuéllar
Toponymic from Segovian town; variants Cuellar. Notable: Diego Cuéllar (b. 1988), public figure.
Cuevas
Toponymic from “cueva” (cave); common across Spanish-speaking countries. Notable: Ana Cuevas (b. 1975), artist.
Cuesta
Toponymic from terrain (“cuesta”); common in Spain. Notable: José Cuesta (b. 1960), public figure.
Curiel
Toponymic with medieval roots. Notable: Andrés Curiel (b. 1970), cultural figure.
Cordero
Nickname or occupational; common in Spain and Latin America. Notable: Miguel Cordero (b. 1980), athlete.
Córdova
Variant spelling of Córdoba; found in Latin America. Notable: José de Córdova (b. 1970), public figure.
Cifuentes
unknown
Cipriano
Used as surname derived from the given name Cipriano. Notable: Carlos Cipriano (b. 1965), cultural figure.
Cañada
Toponymic from “cañada” (glen). Notable: Luis Cañada (b. 1972), public figure.
Cañedo
Toponymic and regional surname. Notable: Francisco Cañedo (b. 1968), local politician.
Curro
Excluded: Curro is chiefly a nickname/first name and not listed here