This list includes 41 Spanish last names that start with R, from “Ramos” to “Ríos”. Use it for genealogy, choosing a character name, family research, or classroom study.
Spanish last names that start with R are family names used across Spain and Latin America. Many come from place names, occupations, or descriptive nicknames; “Ramos” is a common example.
Below you’ll find the table with Surname, Meaning, Notable person, and Region.
Surname: The family name as written, which you use to find entries and compare spellings or diacritical variants.
Meaning / Origin: Shows a concise meaning or origin note, helping you understand the name’s linguistic or historical background quickly.
Notable person: Lists one or two well-known individuals with the surname, giving you cultural or historical context for the name.
Region: Indicates countries or regions where the surname is common, which you can use to infer geographic or migratory links.
Spanish last names that start with R
| Surname | Meaning | Origin | Notable bearers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rodríguez | Son of Rodrigo | Patronymic (Iberian, Spanish) | Michelle Rodríguez (born 1978), actress |
| Ramírez | Son of Ramiro | Patronymic (Iberian, Spanish) | Sergio Ramírez (born 1942), Nicaraguan writer & politician |
| Ruiz | Son of Ruy/Rui | Patronymic (Iberian, Spanish) | Carlos Ruiz (born 1979), Guatemalan footballer |
| Romero | Pilgrim to Rome; olive tree keeper | Occupational/toponymic (Castilian) | Pedro Romero (1754–1839), Spanish bullfighter |
| Ramos | Branches | Toponymic/descriptor (Spanish) | Sergio Ramos (born 1986), Spanish footballer |
| Rojas | Red-haired; red | Descriptive/toponymic (Spanish) | Gonzalo Rojas (1916–2011), Chilean poet |
| Reyes | Kings | Religious/ceremonial (Spanish) | José Reyes (born 1983), Dominican baseball player |
| Rey | King | Descriptive/occupational (Catalan/Spanish) | Alberto Rey (born 1960), Cuban-American artist |
| Rivera | Riverbank | Toponymic (Spanish) | Diego Rivera (1886–1957), Mexican painter |
| Rubio | Blond; fair-haired | Descriptive (Spanish) | Paulina Rubio (born 1971), Mexican singer |
| Ríos | Rivers | Toponymic (Spanish) | Miguel Ríos (born 1944), Spanish singer |
| Rivas | Near the riverbank | Toponymic (Spanish) | Óscar Rivas (born 1987), Colombian boxer |
| Robles | Oak trees | Toponymic/descriptive (Spanish) | Margarita Robles (born 1956), Spanish politician & judge |
| Rojo | Red | Descriptive (Spanish) | Manuel Rojo (1708–1764), Spanish colonial official |
| Roldán | Renowned land | Germanic (Visigothic origin) | Juan Roldán (1957–2006), Argentine boxer |
| Rincón | Corner; small nook | Toponymic (Spanish) | Antonio Rincón (various), public figures |
| Rico | Wealthy; rich | Descriptive (Spanish) | Diego Rico (born 1993), Spanish footballer |
| Ribera | Riverbank | Toponymic (Spanish) | Jusepe de Ribera (1591–1652), painter |
| Ribas | Riverside (Catalan) | Toponymic (Catalan/Spanish) | Xavier Ribas (born 1976), Spanish athlete |
| Riera | Stream; small river (Catalan) | Toponymic (Catalan) | Marta Riera (various), public figures |
| Riquelme | Diminutive of Rique/Ric | Iberian medieval/Patronymic | Juan Román Riquelme (born 1978), Argentine footballer |
| Rentería | From Rentería (place) | Basque/Spanish toponymic | Édgar Rentería (born 1975), Colombian baseball player |
| Reséndez | From Resende (place) | Toponymic (Iberian/Portuguese origin) | Andrés Reséndez (born 1960), historian |
| Reinoso | Kingdom-like place | Toponymic (Spanish) | Diego de Reinoso (various), historical figures |
| Requejo | From Requejo (place) | Toponymic (Spanish) | Mariano Requejo (various), politicians |
| Rebolledo | From place of oak trees | Toponymic (Spanish) | Esteban Rebolledo (various), historical figures |
| Rebollo | Small oak | Toponymic/descriptive (Spanish) | José Rebollo (various), public figures |
| Riaño | From small riverbank | Toponymic (Spanish) | Carlos Riaño (various), public figures |
| Riofrío | Cold river | Toponymic (Spanish) | Mariano Riofrío (various), local figures |
| Reina | Queen | Descriptive/occupational (Spanish) | Pepe Reina (José Manuel Reina, born 1982), Spanish goalkeeper |
| Rubiales | Little Rubin/Ruby; from Rubio | Diminutive/derivative (Spanish) | Luis Rubiales (born 1977), Spanish football official |
| Roig | Red-haired (Catalan) | Descriptive (Catalan) | Xavier Roig (various), Catalan public figures |
| Roca | Rock; boulder | Toponymic (Catalan/Spanish) | Francesc Roca (various), Catalan figures |
| Rosales | Rose gardens | Toponymic/descriptive (Spanish) | Ángel Rosales (various), public figures |
| Rosas | Roses | Toponymic/descriptive (Spanish) | Juan Manuel de Rosas (1793–1877), Argentine caudillo |
| Roa | From Roa (place) | Toponymic (Spanish) | Alfonso Roa (various), public figures |
| Rangel | Toponymic (Portuguese/Spanish) | Toponymic (Iberian) | Eduardo Rangel (various), public figures |
| Rendón | Famed; from Randón | Basque/Spanish medieval | León Rendón (various), public figures |
| Regalado | Graceful; adorned | Descriptive (Spanish) | Vicente Regalado (various), historical figures |
| Rovira | From the oak grove | Catalan toponymic | Ramon Rovira (various), Catalan figures |
| Roque | Rock; saint’s name | Religious/toponymic (Spanish) | San Roque (name used in place names), various bearers |
Descriptions
Rodríguez
One of the most common Spanish surnames; patronymic from Rodrigo. Very frequent across Spain and Latin America; variants include Rodríguez de and Rodrigáñez.
Ramírez
Widespread patronymic surname from the given name Ramiro. Common in Spain and the Americas; variants Ramiro, Ramirés in old records.
Ruiz
Common Castilian patronymic from Ruy/Rui (Rodrigo form). Very frequent in Spain and Latin America; variants Ruis in historical texts.
Romero
Used across Spain and Latin America; can mean pilgrim or maker/keeper of rosemary/rockrose. Regional frequency in Andalusia and Castile.
Ramos
Common surname from the word for “branches” or a place name. Frequent in southern Spain and Latin America; related forms include Del Ramos.
Rojas
Widespread descriptive surname (from rojo “red”). Common in Spain and throughout Latin America; variants include Rojas de and Rozas (regional).
Reyes
Often linked to Epiphany (Día de los Reyes) or devotion to the Magi. Common across Spanish-speaking countries; sometimes found as Del Reyes.
Rey
Short surname meaning “king.” Found in Castilian and Catalan areas; sometimes appears as Del Rey or Reyes in related families.
Rivera
Toponymic from rivera (“riverbank”). Common in Spain and especially in Latin America; related to Ribera and Rivera variants.
Rubio
Descriptive surname meaning “blond.” Common in Spain and Latin America; variants include Rubín and Rubiá.
Ríos
Plural of río (“river”), a common toponymic surname. Frequent in Galicia, Asturias and much of Latin America; variants include del Río/del Ríos.
Rivas
Derived from riva (“riverbank”) or plural areas. Common in Central and South America and Spain; may derive from many local place names.
Robles
From robles (“oaks”), used for families near oak groves. Common in Castile and Andalusia; variants include Robledo and Robledo/Robleda.
Rojo
From rojo (“red”), likely nicknames for hair or complexion. Found throughout Spain and Spanish America; variants: Rojas.
Roldán
Derived from the medieval given name Roldán/Roland. Present in Spain since the Middle Ages; notable in both military and literary contexts.
Rincón
Toponymic surname from rincón (“corner”). Commonly found in Castile and Andalusia and across Latin America; many local place-name origins.
Rico
From rico (“rich”), originally a nickname. Present across Spain; variants include Ricos, Ricozábal in older records.
Ribera
Variant of Rivera, from ribera (“riverbank”). Common in eastern Spain and Catalonia; often linked to maritime or riverside locales.
Ribas
Catalan variant of Ribera or Rivera, common in Catalonia and Balearic Islands; spelled Ribas or Rivas in Castilian areas.
Riera
Catalan surname from riera (“stream”). Concentrated in Catalonia and Valencia; related to Ribera, Ribas.
Riquelme
Distinctive Spanish surname with medieval roots. Common in Spain and Argentina; notable in sports and politics.
Rentería
Originally toponymic from Errenteria area (Basque Country) or adopted in the Americas. Common in Colombia and Central America.
Reséndez
Derived from the Portuguese Resende or Spanish place-names; found in northern Spain and widespread in Mexico and the U.S. Southwest.
Reinoso
Toponymic surname from Reinoso place names; occurs in Castile and León. Often associated with landholding families.
Requejo
Toponymic from small localities named Requejo. Found in Castile and León; less common but established in Spain and Latin America.
Rebolledo
Derived from rebollo (“small oak”) place-names. Present in Castilla and Andalusia; variants include Rebollo and Rebolleda.
Rebollo
From rebollo (“oak”), used for families near oak groves. Regional in central Spain; related to Robles and Rebolledo.
Riaño
Toponymic from places called Riaño (Cantabria, León). Concentrated in northern Spain; diasporic in Latin America.
Riofrío
Compound toponymic (río frío). Found as a surname from several Spanish villages named Riofrío; localized and toponym-specific.
Reina
Derived from reina (“queen”) or place-names. Used across Spain; also appears as Del Rey/Reyes in related lines.
Rubiales
Less common derivative of Rubio/Rubio-like roots. Seen in Spain, notably Andalusia and Extremadura.
Roig
Catalan equivalent of Rubio or Rojo, meaning “red.” Concentrated in Catalonia and Balearics; variants include Roigs.
Roca
Toponymic from rocca/roca (“rock”). Common in Catalonia and Valencia; many place-name derivatives and historical nobility connections.
Rosales
From rosales (“rose bushes”) or place-names. Common surname in Spain and Latin America; often ornamental or toponymic.
Rosas
Plural of rosa (“rose”), used as ornamental or toponymic surname. Notable in Argentina; variants include de las Rosas.
Roa
Toponymic from Roa (Burgos) and similar places. Historical in Castile, present across Spain and former colonies.
Rangel
Of Portuguese/Spanish origin (place-name). Common in Latin America, especially Mexico and Central America; often of colonial origin.
Rendón
Likely from medieval personal names (Randón). Found in Colombia, Venezuela and Spain; variants include Rendon (no accent).
Regalado
Derived from regalado (“given as a gift” or “graceful”). Present in Spain and strong presence in the Philippines and Latin America.
Rovira
Catalan surname from roura/rovira (“oak grove”). Common in Catalonia and eastern Spain; variants include Rovires.
Roque
Used as surname and given-name-derived family name; common in Spain and former colonies with Christian saint associations.