This list includes 60 Spanish last names that start with M, from “Macías” to “Méndez”. Many are patronymic, toponymic, or occupational names common across Spain and Latin America.
Spanish last names that start with M are family names originating in Spanish-speaking regions, often reflecting ancestry or place. Many have long histories tied to medieval Spain and to migration throughout the Americas.
Below you’ll find the table with [COLUMN_NAMES].
Surname: This column lists each last name so you can scan spellings and pick names quickly.
Meaning: Shows a brief one-line meaning or origin so you understand the name’s literal or cultural background.
Region: Indicates places where the surname is common, helping you match names to likely countries or regions.
Notable people: Lists one or two well-known bearers, with short descriptors, so you see historical or cultural connections.
Variants: Notes common spelling variants and diacritics, so you can locate related forms across records.
Spanish last names that start with M
| Surname | Meaning | Region / Origin | Notable person(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martínez | Son of Martín (patronymic) | Spain, widespread Latin America | Pedro Martínez, 1971 — Dominican baseball pitcher |
| Martín | Of Mars or “warlike”; from Martinus | Spain, Catalonia, Latin America | Ricky Martin, 1971 — Puerto Rican singer |
| Moreno | Dark-haired or “brown-skinned” | Spain, Latin America | |
| Muñoz | Son of Muño (patronymic) | Spain, Latin America | |
| Mendoza | Cold mountain or Basque origin (“cold stone”) | Basque Country, Spain; Latin America | |
| Méndez | Son of Mendo (patronymic) | Spain, Latin America | |
| Márquez | Son of Marco/Marcos | Spain, Latin America | Gabriel García Márquez, 1927–2014 — Colombian novelist |
| Molina | Mill or “miller” | Spain, Latin America | |
| Morales | Mulberry trees; place with mulberries | Spain, Latin America | |
| Medina | City (from Arabic madīna) | Spain, widespread Latin America | |
| Montoya | From the mountain meadow (Basque/Navarre origin) | Northern Spain, Latin America | |
| Montiel | Little mountain or place-name | Spain (Castile-La Mancha) | |
| Montero | Hunter or “mountain man” | Spain, Latin America | |
| Miranda | Admirable view or place-name | Spain, Latin America | |
| Mena | From the mine or toponymic | Spain (Andalucía), Latin America | |
| Moya | From Moya (place-name) | Spain (Castilla-La Mancha, Canary Islands) | |
| Merino | Steward, bailiff (medieval official) | Spain, Latin America | |
| Marín | Of the sea or from Latin Marianus | Spain, Latin America | |
| Macías | Possibly from a medieval personal name | Galicia, Spain; Latin America | Juan Macías, 1585–1645 — Spanish Dominican lay brother (saint) |
| Manrique | Famous; warrior (Visigothic roots) | Spain (Castile), Latin America | |
| Manzano | Apple tree or orchard-place | Spain, Latin America | |
| Maldonado | Badly given (nickname) or toponymic | Spain, Latin America | |
| Mejía | Possibly from medieval personal name “Sumayya” (Arabic influence) | Spain, Latin America | |
| Menéndez | Son of Menendo (patronymic) | Spain (Asturias, Galicia) | |
| Mesa | Table or plateau (topographic) | Spain, Latin America | |
| Molinero | Miller (occupational) | Spain, Latin America | |
| Moliner | Miller (regional form) | Spain (Valencia, Aragón) | |
| Molano | Likely regional form of Molina | Colombia, Spain | |
| Monroy | Round mountain or place-name | Spain (Extremadura), Latin America | |
| Moncada | From place Montcada (Catalonia) | Catalonia, Spain; Latin America | |
| Montes | Mountains or toponymic plural | Spain, Latin America | |
| Montesinos | Little mountains or place-name | Spain (Castile), Latin America | |
| Montalbán | White mountain or toponymic | Spain, Latin America | Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, 1939–2003 — Spanish writer |
| Montoro | Mountain pass or toponymic | Spain (Andalucía, Castilla) | |
| Muñiz | Son of Muño (variant patronymic) | Spain, Latin America | |
| Murillo | Little wall or place-name | Spain, Latin America | Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, 1617–1682 — Spanish painter |
| Marrero | Possibly occupational/place from Moorish origin | Canary Islands, Caribbean | |
| Marroquín | From Morocco (toponymic/ethnic) | Spain, Guatemala, Latin America | |
| Magallanes | Variant of Magellan (sea navigator) | Spain (Galicia), Philippines, Latin America | Fernando de Magallanes, c.1480–1521 — explorer |
| Magán | Toponymic (from Magán, Toledo) | Spain (Castile-La Mancha) | |
| Manzanero | Apple orchard or place-name | Spain, Mexico | Armando Manzanero, 1935–2020 — Mexican composer |
| Mata | Bush or small wood; topographic” | Spain, Latin America | |
| Marchena | From Marchena (Seville) place-name | Spain (Andalucía) | |
| Monasterio | Monastery (occupational/place) | Spain, Latin America | |
| Mijares | From place Mijares (Aragón) | Spain, Latin America | Manuel Mijares, 1958 — Mexican singer |
| Millán | From Latin Aemilianus; variant of Emiliano | Spain, Latin America | José Millán Astray, 1879–1954 — Spanish army officer |
| Meseguer | Occupational/toponymic (Valencian) | Valencia, Spain | |
| Moreira | Big moor or toponymic (Galician/Portuguese) | Galicia, Portugal, Latin America | |
| Morejón | Probably Galician/Spanish regional surname | Cuba, Spain | |
| Monreal | Round mountain or place-name | Spain (Navarra, Aragón) | |
| Mora | Blackberry or from “maura” (Moorish)” | Spain, Latin America | |
| Morán | Small Moor or patronymic | Spain, Latin America | |
| Morillo | Little Moor or topographic” | Spain, Latin America | |
| Morcillo | Small Moor or nickname” | Spain | |
| Miró | Catalan form of “Miró” (watchful) | Catalonia, Spain; Latin America | Joan Miró, 1893–1983 — Catalan painter |
| Miralles | Catalan/Valencian toponymic | Catalonia, Valencia, Spain | |
| Miramontes | Look at the mountain or toponymic | Spain, Mexico | |
| Mirabal | Unclear (possibly toponymic); Caribbean usage | Dominican Republic, Caribbean | Minerva Mirabal, 1926–1960 — Dominican activist |
| Moctezuma | Nahuatl origin (“he who frowns like a lord”) | Mexico | Moctezuma II, c.1466–1520 — Aztec emperor |
| Mederos | Toponymic or patronymic (Canary Islands) | Canary Islands, Cuba |
Descriptions
Martínez
One of the most frequent Spanish surnames; patronymic from Martín. Variants: Martínez de, Martín. Very common in Spain and Latin America.
Martín
Common both as given name and surname; Catalan form Martí also exists. Found across Spanish-speaking countries.
Moreno
Descriptive surname used across Iberia and the Americas. Variants: Morenos, de Moreno. Very common in urban and rural records.
Muñoz
Widespread Castilian patronymic with medieval roots. Variants: Muñiz (related). Very common in Mexico, Chile, Spain.
Mendoza
Noble medieval lineage from Álava/Basque Country; many branches across Spain and colonies.
Méndez
Common patronymic; variant Mendo and Menéndez are related. Frequent in Spain and Hispanic America.
Márquez
Patronymic of Marcos; widespread in Spain and Latin America. Variants: Márquez de.
Molina
Occupational surname from molina/molino. Very common; variants include Molinero, Moliner.
Morales
Topographic name for someone near mulberry trees (moral). Frequent in many countries.
Medina
Arabic-origin place-name used as surname; many bearers across Spain and former colonies.
Montoya
Toponymic surname from Navarra/Álava; common in Colombia, Mexico. Variants include de Montoya.
Montiel
Toponymic; documented since medieval Castile. Present in Spain and Latin America.
Montero
Occupational/topographic surname; found widely in Iberia and the Americas.
Miranda
Toponymic; many distinct origins in Spain. Also used as compound surnames.
Mena
Short toponymic surname with medieval attestations in Andalusia and Extremadura.
Moya
Toponymic with several Spanish origins; frequent in the Canary Islands and Latin America.
Merino
Occupational surname from a medieval office; common in Castile and abroad.
Marín
Coastal and inland usage; Catalan/Valencian variants exist. Also a given name-based surname.
Macías
Galician origin; spread to Latin America. Variants: Macia.
Manrique
Noble medieval surname with prominent Castilian branches; still common in Spanish records.
Manzano
Topographic surname from orchards or apple trees (manzano). Variants: Manzanares.
Maldonado
Established surname of medieval origin; prominent families in Spain and the Americas.
Mejía
Common in Latin America; variant Mejías. Frequent in Central America and the Caribbean.
Menéndez
Patronymic common in the north of Spain; variant Menéndez de Luarca in noble lines.
Mesa
Topographic name for someone living on a mesa/plateau. Present in Spain and Hispanic America.
Molinero
Occupational variant of Molina, often regional (Aragón, Castilla). Forms: Molinero, Molino.
Moliner
Regional variant of Miller-type surnames; documented in Catalonia and Aragon.
Molano
Common in Colombia; probably a regional evolution of Molina/Molano.
Monroy
Toponymic with noble medieval branches; present in Central America and Mexico.
Moncada
Noble Catalan origin (House of Montcada); brought to the Americas during colonization.
Montes
Topographic plural surname; variants include Los Montes and del Monte.
Montesinos
Literary and historical presence; used across Spain and former colonies.
Montalbán
Toponymic surname; notable literary and noble associations in Spain.
Montoro
Toponymic with regional clusters in Andalusia and Castilla. Present in Latin America.
Muñiz
Variant of Muñoz; common in Spain and Hispanic America. Spelling often Muñiz.
Murillo
Well-known Spanish surname with artistic and colonial bearers; variants Murillo de.
Marrero
Common in the Canaries and Caribbean (Puerto Rico, Cuba). Likely Sephardic or Moorish topographic roots.
Marroquín
Surname indicating ancestral links or trade with Morocco; common in Guatemala elite families.
Magallanes
Galician-origin surname; linked to the explorer known worldwide as Magellan.
Magán
Local surname from Toledo province. Found in Spain and former colonies.
Manzanero
Surname used in Spain and Mexico; notable for composer Armando Manzanero.
Mata
Short topographic surname common in Andalusia and the Americas. Variants: de la Mata.
Marchena
Toponymic surname tied to Seville province; documented since the Middle Ages.
Monasterio
Toponymic/occupational surname for someone living near a monastery. Present in Spain and Latin America.
Mijares
Toponymic surname with presence in Spain and Mexico; used as stage surname by singer Mijares.
Millán
Common in Spain; Millán appears with accent and without, regionally variable.
Meseguer
Valencian surname recorded since medieval times; less common outside eastern Spain.
Moreira
Galician-Portuguese surname present in Galicia and parts of Latin America; sometimes spelled Moreyra.
Morejón
Notable in Cuba and the Caribbean; likely Galician roots.
Monreal
Toponymic surname with medieval attestations; common in northern Spain and Mexico.
Mora
Short descriptive or toponymic surname; frequent in Andalusia and Latin American records.
Morán
Variant of Mora/Moreno family groups; accent often present (Morán). Common in Spain and Latin America.
Morillo
Diminutive form of Mora/Moro; regional clusters in Andalusia and the Caribbean.
Morcillo
Less common diminutive surname, medieval roots in central Spain; occasional modern bearers.
Miró
Catalan surname that appears in Spanish-language contexts; variants Miró, Miro.
Miralles
Regional Catalan surname; found in Catalonia and Valencian Community, and among emigrants to Latin America.
Miramontes
Compound toponymic surname found in Spain and Mexico. Several historic noble families bear it.
Mirabal
Famous from the Mirabal sisters in Dominican history; present in Caribbean Spanish contexts.
Moctezuma
Indigenous Nahuatl name adopted as Spanish-language surname in Mexico; historically significant.
Mederos
Common in the Canaries and among Canary-descended Caribbean families. Variant Mederos de.