This list includes 39 Spanish last names that start with H, from “Haro” to “Híjar”. These surnames range from common family names to regional and historical variants, useful for genealogy, writing, and cultural research.
Spanish last names that start with H are family names found across Spain and Latin America. They often come from places, occupations, or ancestral nicknames; “Haro” is a medieval place-name example.
Below you’ll find the table with Name, Meaning, and Notable people.
Name: The surname as written, including accents and variants, so you can find exact spellings for records and searches.
Meaning: A brief one-line origin or meaning to help you understand linguistic roots and likely geographic or occupational connections.
Notable people: One or two notable bearers with a short descriptor, which helps you place the surname historically or culturally.
Spanish last names that start with H
Surname
Meaning
Origin/Region
Frequency/Notes
Hernández
Son of Hernán (patronymic)
Spain — nationwide; Latin America
common
Hidalgo
Nobleman
Spain — Castile; Mexico
common
Herrera
Ironworker; place with ironworks
Spain — Andalusia, Extremadura; Latin America
common
Herrero
Blacksmith
Spain — Castile; Latin America
common
Herranz
From “Herrán” or variant of Herrera
Spain — central Spain
regional
Herreros
Family of blacksmiths; plural form
Spain — Madrid, Castile
regional
Heredia
From place Heredia; “inheritance” debated
Spain — Basque Country (Álava); Latin America
regional
Haro
From the town/family of Haro
Spain — La Rioja, Castile
regional/uncommon
Hidalguez
Diminutive/form of Hidalgo
Spain — Castile
uncommon
Holguín
Unclear; toponymic from Galicia/León
Spain — Galicia/León; Colombia, Cuba
regional
Higuera
Fig tree
Spain — Andalusia; Mexico
regional
Higueras
Place of fig trees (plural)
Spain — Andalusia; Latin America
regional
Hinojosa
Place of fennel; from “hinojo”
Spain — Castile, Andalusia; Latin America
regional
Hinojos
Places named for fennel (plural)
Spain — Andalusia
uncommon
Huerta
Orchard; cultivated land
Spain — Castile; Mexico
common
Huertas
Orchards (plural)
Spain — Castile; Latin America
regional
Hurtado
Shorn (haircut) or stolen? (uncertain medieval nickname)
Spain — Andalusia; Latin America
common
Hoyos
Hollows; “holes” in landscape
Spain — Extremadura; Colombia
regional
Huarte
Place name; “island” (Basque Uharte)
Spain — Navarre, Basque Country
regional
Hualde
Basque toponymic
Spain — Navarre, Basque Country
regional
Holgado
Comfortable, ample; nickname
Spain — Castile
uncommon
Hervás
From Hervás (place) or Visigothic personal name
Spain — Extremadura (Cáceres)
regional
Híjar
From Híjar (town); noble house
Spain — Aragon
regional
Hoz
Scythe; ravine/ditch
Spain — Cantabria, Castile
regional
Hierro
Iron
Spain — Canary Islands; Castile
regional/uncommon
Horna
Kiln or baker’s oven (regional)
Peru; Spain (ancestral)
regional
Hortelano
Gardener, market gardener
Spain — Castile; Madrid
regional
Hortel
Variant of Hortelano or place-based
Spain — Valencia, Catalonia
uncommon
Huízar
Possibly toponymic (Spanish/Mexican)
Mexico — central Mexico
regional
Huamán
Quechua origin “hawk”; used in Spanish contexts
Peru; Andean region
regional
Hita
From Hita (town) or place-name
Spain — Guadalajara, Castile-La Mancha
regional
Hevia
Probably Asturian toponymic
Spain — Asturias; Cuba
regional
Heras
From “era” (threshing floor) or place name
Spain — Castile-León
regional
Honrubia
Place name “red honeysuckle” or “rubia”
Spain — Castilla-La Mancha
regional
Huidobro
Toponymic from “Huidobro” (place)
Spain — Cantabria; Chile
regional
Henao
Basque toponymic (Enao→Henao)
Colombia (Antioquia), Spain
regional
Hinojosas
Plural/variant of Hinojosa
Spain — Andalusia
uncommon
Huesca
Toponymic from Huesca (city/province)
Spain — Aragón
regional
Huidobro
(duplicate removed if present)
Descriptions
Hernández
A widespread patronymic meaning “son of Hernán”; variants include Fernández; notable: Javier Hernández (1988– ), Mexican footballer “Chicharito”.
Hidalgo
Originally a status name meaning “nobleman”; strongly associated with Mexico’s independence (Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, 1753–1811).
Herrera
Topographic/occupational name from “herrera” (ironworks/forge); variants: de la Herrera; notable: Francisco Herrera el Viejo (1576–1656), Spanish painter.
Herrero
Occupational surname from “herrero” (blacksmith); common in Spain and former colonies; notable: Antonio Herrero (1951–1998), Spanish journalist.
Herranz
A regional variant related to Herrera/Herrán; found in Castile and Madrid areas; occasional modern bearers in politics and sports.
Herreros
Pluralized occupational surname related to Herrero; appears in central Spain and Latin America as a family name.
Heredia
Toponymic surname from the Álava locality; spread to the Americas with conquistadors; notable: Pedro de Heredia (d.1554), founder of Cartagena de Indias.
Haro
Medieval noble surname (Lords of Haro) tied to Rioja and Castile; historically important in medieval Spain.
Hidalguez
A less common derivative of Hidalgo indicating “little noble” or familial form; documented historically in central Spain.
Holguín
Spanish toponymic surname that became prominent in Latin America; notable: María Ángela Holguín (1963– ), Colombian diplomat.
Higuera
Topographic name for someone living by a fig tree; common in southern Spain and Mexico; variants: Higuera(s).
Higueras
Plural/topographic form of Higuera, found regionally in Spain and the Americas.
Hinojosa
Toponymic from localities named for fennel; frequent in Spain and Mexico; variant: Hinojos; notable bearers appear in colonial records.
Hinojos
Variant/neighboring-place surname related to Hinojosa; concentrated in southern Spain.
Huerta
Topographic/occupational name meaning “orchard”; widespread across Spain and Latin America; notable: Victoriano Huerta (1850–1916), Mexican general and president.
Huertas
Plural form of Huerta, used as a family name; common in Spain and parts of Latin America.
Hurtado
Medieval descriptive surname with early noble bearers; common in Spain and the Americas; notable: Diego Hurtado de Mendoza (1503–1575), Spanish writer/diplomat.
Hoyos
Topographic surname from “hoyo/hoyos” (pits/hollows); notable Spanish and colonial families bear the name.
Huarte
Basque toponymic (Uharte→Huarte) meaning “between rivers/island”; common in Navarre; variant Uharte.
Hualde
Basque surname from local place-names, silent H in pronunciation; found in Navarre and the Basque region.
Holgado
Nickname-derived surname meaning “loose/comfortable”; documented in central Spain.
Hervás
Toponymic surname tied to the town of Hervás in Cáceres; regional presence in Extremadura.
Híjar
Aragonese toponymic and aristocratic surname (House of Híjar), associated with medieval nobility and ducal title.
Hoz
Topographic or occupational name (tool or landscape feature); often appears as de la Hoz in surnames.
Hierro
Occupational or nickname from “iron”; famously borne by Fernando Hierro (1968– ), Spanish footballer and coach.
Horna
Surname common in Peru and coastal Andean states, with Spanish colonial roots and local diffusion; notable Peruvian bearers in sports and culture.
Hortelano
Occupational surname from “hortelano” (gardener); used in Spain with cultural bearers in arts and literature.
Hortel
Regional variant/short form related to horticulture; occurs in eastern Spain.
Huízar
Mexican surname of Spanish colonial usage (Huízar/Huizar); appears in Mexican politics and culture.
Huamán
Indigenous Quechua surname widely used in Peru and Bolivia in Spanish-language contexts; common in Andean populations.
Hita
Toponymic surname from the medieval town of Hita; appears in medieval literature and local families.
Hevia
Asturian surname that migrated to the Americas, notably Cuba; bearers include Cuban politicians and artists.
Heras
Topographic surname tied to agricultural landscapes (eras); recorded in north-central Spain.
Honrubia
Toponymic surname from towns named Honrubia; found in central Spain and colonial records.
Huidobro
Cantabrian toponymic surname brought to the Americas; notable: Vicente Huidobro (1893–1948), Chilean poet (surname used in Spanish contexts).
Henao
Basque-origin surname concentrated in Colombia, especially Antioquia, from the Spanish Basque family Henao.
Hinojosas
Less common pluralized form of Hinojosa; regional distribution in southern Spain.
Huesca
Surname derived from the Aragonese city/province of Huesca; rare but historically attested as family name.
Huidobro
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