Articles

Surnames of Arabic origin

Posted on by FUNCI
14
Mar

Article author: Ainara García - FUNCI

Date of publication of the article: 03/12/2024

Year of publication: 2024

Article theme: , , , .

The Arab legacy in the Iberian Peninsula can be seen through multiple and diverse aspects, such as language. Spanish, as it is known today, originated in the medieval kingdom of Castile, when the Arabic-speaking presence in the territory was very influential. As a result, in the everyday use of Spanish, it is possible to appreciate a large number of Arabisms, words originating from Arabic. More specifically, it is estimated that around 4,000 words, which is equivalent to 8% of the total number of words in the Spanish lexicon, are Arabisms[1].

Some of the most common are: aceite, almohada, arroz, baño, barrio, hazaña, jarabe, jirafa, jirafa, limón, noria, ojalá, rincón, sandía, zanahoria, and a long etcetera. This influence is also latent in Spanish names and surnames, including the most common of all: García, which in Spain is the first and second surname of 1,449,647 and 1,469,697 people, respectively[2]. Among the most common surnames in Spain and Latin America with Arabic origins, the following also stand out: Aguilar, Almeida, Castillo, Cortés, Guerra, Herrera, Lara, Martínez, Molina, Morales, Pérez or Torres.

A study by MyHeritage, a platform for genealogical analysis, published a list of surnames that come from Arabic[3]. Some of them are easily identifiable by etymology, such as the prefix “Al-” or the suffix “-ez”, however in others it is more difficult to ensure the origin, and it is done in a categorical way. Below is the list, published by MyHeritage, of surnames with possible Arabic origin.

 

A

  1. Abdo
  2. Abedrapo
  3. Abencerraje
  4. Abengoa
  5. Avengoa
  6. Abraham
  7. Abril
  8. Abufhele
  9. Abufom
  10. Abuhadba
  11. Abusada
  12. Adauy
  13. Aguad
  14. Aguilar
  15. Akel
  16. Alam
  17. Alamar
  18. Alamo
  19. Alaue
  20. Albarracín
  21. Alcalá
  22. Alcántara
  23. Alcazar
  24. Alguacil
  25. Albaja
  26. Aliatar
  27. Alicante
  28. Almaden
  29. Almansa
  30. Almeida
  31. Ali
  32. Amed
  33. Ananias
  34. Aranda
  35. Ascalante
  36. Atala
  37. Atwan
  38. Auad

B

  1. Bandrés
  2. Barahona
  3. Barjuán
  4. Barroso
  5. Benarrocha
  6. Benarroch
  7. Benavides
  8. Benegas
  9. Benjumea
  10. Benjumeda
  11. Bermejo
  12. Bichara
  13. Bitar
  14. Bono
  15. Buendia

C

  1. Cabrero
  2. Cattan
  3. Castillo
  4. Cebrian
  5. Chacur
  6. Chalhub
  7. Chauriye
  8. Chible
  9. Chijany
  10. Cid
  11. Chocair
  12. Cobaise
  13. Cordobés
  14. Cortés

D

  1. Dagach
  2. Dahdal
  3. De Sorbas
  4. Derderián
  5. Dib
  6. Dip
  7. Duk

E

  1. Elias
  2. El de Ubeda
  3. Eltit

F

  1. Facuse
  2. Fajuri
  3. Farran
  4. Feres
  5. Fualuan

G

  1. García
  2. Galvez
  3. Gazul
  4. Gazules
  5. Giacaman
  6. Gidi
  7. Granadino
  8. Guerra

H

  1. Haddad
  2. Hamad
  3. Hamdan
  4. Hana
  5. Herrera
  6. Hasbun
  7. Hawila
  8. Hazbun
  9. Hechem
  10. Heleyley
  11. Herrera
  12. Hirmas

I

  1. Ides

J

  1. Jadue
  2. Jaen
  3. Jalifa
  4. Jalilie
  5. Jattar
  6. Jorrat
  7. Jose
  8. Juriye
  9. Jury

K

  1. Kattan
  2. Kurbag

L

  1. Lahsen
  2. Laibe
  3. Lama
  4. Lara
  5. Latif
  6. Leibe
  7. Lucas

M

  1. Majluf
  2. Manoli
  3. Manzur
  4. Maraver
  5. Martínez
  6. Melej
  7. Méndez
  8. Mendoza
  9. Miguel
  10. Mohanna
  11. Mohor
  12. Molina
  13. Morales
  14. Morón
  15. Muley
  16. Murube
  17. Muhy
  18. Musalem

N

  1. Nafel
  2. Nazal
  3. Nazer
  4. Nebot
  5. Nevot
  6. Nicolas
  7. Nustas

P

  1. Paez
  2. Palacios
  3. Palomeque
  4. Pascual
  5. Perez
  6. Picó
  7. Pinto
  8. Pomar
  9. Ponce
  10. Paluan

R

  1. Rabah
  2. Rahal
  3. Rasi
  4. Repeina
  5. Rizik
  6. Roelas
  7. Rumie

S

  1. Saade
  2. Saadi
  3. Sabag
  4. Sabaj
  5. Sabbag
  6. Sabella
  7. Sady
  8. Sahlie
  9. Saieh
  10. Salama
  11. Salame
  12. Salas
  13. Salem
  14. Salipa
  15. Salomon
  16. Salvador
  17. Sammur
  18. Samur
  19. Saporia
  20. Seda
  21. Seleibe
  22. Sellan
  23. Sfeir
  24. Sordo
  25. Solís
  26. Sufan

T

  1. Tala
  2. Talgie
  3. Talhuk
  4. Tame
  5. Tamuz
  6. Telchie
  7. Torres

V

  1. Velaxco
  2. Valenciano
  3. Venegas

Y

  1. Yagnam
  2. Yamal
  3. Yamblat
  4. Yarur
  5. Yeber
  6. Yoma

Z

  1. Zaid
  2. Zalaquett
  3. Zaror
  4. Zegri
  5. Zerene
  6. Zgeib
  7. Ziade

 

The large number of surnames that come from Arabic, as well as the plurality of Arabisms in Spanish, are a reminder of the common and shared history and culture of the Iberian Peninsula, which still endures in our time and is part of our identity.

 

Notes

[1] Cano Aguilar, R. (1988) El español a través de los tiempos. Arco Libros: Madrid.

[2] INE (2022). Apellidos y nombres más frecuentes. Available in: https://www.ine.es/dyngs/INEbase/es/operacion.htm?c=Estadistica_C&cid=1254736177009&menu=resultados&idp=1254734710990

[3] Meza, S. (2022): “Apellido de origen Árabe ¿Es tu caso?”, MyHeritage Blog, 27 de julio de 2022. Disponible en: https://blog.myheritage.es/2022/07/apellido-de-origen-arabe-es-tu-caso/

 

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