Guatemalan Last Names

These Guatemalan last names include Spanish family names like López, García and Morales alongside Maya surnames such as Batz, Coc, Tzul and Choc. Each is listed A to Z with its meaning and the language or region it comes from.

171 real surnames with meanings, A to Z.

A

Aguilar

Place of eagles

Spanish
Ajanel

Possibly from K'iche' ajanel, carpenter

Maya
Ajpop

From K'iche' ajpop, lord of the mat or ruler

Maya
Ajú

Maya surname with the aj- prefix for a person; meaning uncertain

Maya
Aldana

Basque place-name surname

Spanish
Alonzo

Son of Alonso; noble and ready

Spanish
Alvarado

From a place name in Spain

Spanish
Arana

Basque place name; valley or plum tree

Spanish
Arévalo

From Arévalo, a town in Ávila

Spanish
Arriaga

Basque for stony place

Spanish
Arzú

Basque place-name surname

Spanish
Ávila

From the Spanish city of Ávila

Spanish

B

Barillas

Possibly from Barillas, a town in Navarre

Spanish
Barrios

Neighborhoods; from a place name

Spanish
Batres

From Batres, a village near Madrid

Spanish
Batz

From K'iche' b'atz', howler monkey, a calendar day

Maya
Bautista

Baptist; from John the Baptist

Spanish
Bol

Q'eqchi' surname of Alta Verapaz; meaning uncertain

Maya
Botzoc

Q'eqchi' surname; meaning uncertain

Maya

C

Caal

Common Q'eqchi' surname of Alta Verapaz; meaning uncertain

Maya
Cabrera

Place of goats

Spanish
Cac

Q'eqchi' surname; meaning uncertain

Maya
Canel

Kaqchikel surname; meaning uncertain

Maya
Carrillo

Cheek; or small cart

Spanish
Castañeda

Chestnut grove; from a Cantabrian place

Spanish
Castellanos

Castilians; people from Castile

Spanish
Castillo

Castle; one who lived near a castle

Spanish
Castro

Hillfort; from Latin castrum

Spanish
Chacón

Old Spanish surname; meaning uncertain

Spanish
Chanchavac

K'iche' surname of Totonicapán; meaning uncertain

Maya
Chavarría

Basque for new house

Spanish
Chávez

Keys; possibly from the Portuguese town of Chaves

Spanish
Chen

Possibly from Maya ch'en, well or cave

Maya
Chinchilla

From Chinchilla, a town in Albacete

Spanish
Chiquín

Maya surname; meaning uncertain

Maya
Chiroy

Kaqchikel surname; meaning uncertain

Maya
Choc

Q'eqchi' surname; possibly from Q'eqchi' for cloud

Maya
Chub

Q'eqchi' surname of Alta Verapaz; meaning uncertain

Maya
Chumil

From Kaqchikel ch'umil, star

Maya
Chun

Q'eqchi' surname; meaning uncertain

Maya
Cifuentes

Hundred springs; from a town in Guadalajara

Spanish
Coc

Q'eqchi' surname; meaning uncertain

Maya
Cojulún

Possibly from K'iche' koj, puma

Maya
Contreras

From Contreras, a place name in Castile

Spanish
Cordón

Cord or rope

Spanish
Coronado

Crowned; also a tonsured cleric

Spanish
Cotí

Kaqchikel surname; meaning uncertain

Maya
Coyoy

K'iche' surname of Quetzaltenango; meaning uncertain

Maya
Cruz

Cross; a devotional name

Spanish
Cuc

Possibly from Maya kuk, squirrel

Maya
Cucul

Q'eqchi' surname of Alta Verapaz; meaning uncertain

Maya
Cumes

Kaqchikel surname; meaning uncertain

Maya
Cutzal

Kaqchikel surname; meaning uncertain

Maya
Cux

Maya surname of the western highlands; meaning uncertain

Maya

D

Díaz

Son of Diego

Spanish
Dieseldorff

German habitational name; prominent Cobán coffee family

German

E

Escobar

Field of broom plants

Spanish
Estrada

Paved road; one who lived by it

Spanish

F

Figueroa

Galician for fig tree grove

Spanish
Flores

Flowers; possibly son of Froila

Spanish
Fuentes

Springs or fountains

Spanish

G

Galindo

From an old Aragonese given name

Spanish
García

Possibly from Basque for young or bear

Spanish
Garrido

Handsome or elegant

Spanish
Girón

Strip of cloth or banner

Spanish
Gómez

Son of Gome, possibly from Gothic guma, man

Spanish
González

Son of Gonzalo; Germanic for battle

Spanish
Guarcax

Kaqchikel surname; meaning uncertain

Maya
Guerra

War; a nickname for a fighter

Spanish
Gutiérrez

Son of Gutierre; Germanic for army ruler

Spanish
Guzmán

From Guzmán, a place in Burgos, Spain

Spanish

H

Hernández

Son of Hernando; Germanic for bold journey

Spanish
Herrera

Forge or ironworks; place of iron

Spanish

I

Ical

Q'eqchi' surname of Alta Verapaz; meaning uncertain

Maya
Imox

From Imox, a day of the Maya calendar

Maya
Ixcot

K'iche' surname with the female ix- prefix; meaning uncertain

Maya
Ixcoy

K'iche' surname with the female ix- prefix; meaning uncertain

Maya

J

Jiménez

Son of Jimeno; possibly a form of Simeon

Spanish
Juárez

Variant of Suárez; son of Suero

Spanish

K

Klee

German for clover

German

L

Lara

From Lara de los Infantes in Burgos

Spanish
Leiva

From Leiva, a town in La Rioja

Spanish
Lemus

From Lemos, a Galician district

Spanish
De León

From the city or kingdom of León

Spanish
Letona

Basque place-name surname

Spanish
López

Son of Lope; wolf

Spanish

M

Maldonado

Ill-favored; old nickname

Spanish
Maquín

Q'eqchi' surname of Alta Verapaz; meaning uncertain

Maya
Marroquín

Moroccan; one from Morocco

Spanish
Martínez

Son of Martín; dedicated to Mars

Spanish
Mazariegos

From Mazariegos, a village in Palencia

Spanish
Mejía

Possibly from Messiah or a Galician place name

Spanish
Menchú

K'iche' surname of Nobel laureate Rigoberta Menchú

Maya
Méndez

Son of Mendo

Spanish
Mendoza

Basque for cold mountain

Spanish
Mérida

From the city of Mérida

Spanish
Monterroso

From Monterroso, a place in Galicia; possibly red mountain

Spanish
Monzón

From Monzón, a town in Aragón

Spanish
Morales

Mulberry trees; from a place with mulberries

Spanish
Morán

Possibly from a Galician place name; meaning uncertain

Spanish

N

Nottebohm

Low German for nut tree; Guatemalan coffee family

German

O

Ochoa

Basque for wolf

Spanish
Oliva

Olive; one who grew or sold olives

Spanish
Orellana

From Orellana, towns in Extremadura

Spanish
Ortiz

Son of Orti or Fortún; fortunate

Spanish
Ovalle

From a Spanish place name; the valley

Spanish

P

Pacay

Q'eqchi' surname; also a name for the inga tree

Maya
Palma

Palm tree; also Palm Sunday

Spanish
Paz

Peace; from Our Lady of Peace

Spanish
Pérez

Son of Pedro; rock

Spanish
Pineda

Pine grove; from a place name

Spanish
Pinto

Painted or spotted

Spanish
Polanco

From Polanco, a place in Cantabria

Spanish
Pop

From Maya pop, woven mat, a symbol of rule

Maya
Portillo

Small mountain pass

Spanish

Q

Quej

From Maya kej, deer, a day of the calendar

Maya
Quiej

From K'iche' kej, deer, a calendar day

Maya
Quiñónez

From quiñones, shares of common land

Spanish

R

Ramírez

Son of Ramiro; famed counsel

Spanish
Ramos

Branches; from Palm Sunday

Spanish
Recinos

Enclosures or grounds

Spanish
Reyes

Kings; from the feast of the Three Kings

Spanish
Rivas

Riverbanks; one who lived by a river

Spanish
Rivera

Riverbank; one who lived by a river

Spanish
Rodríguez

Son of Rodrigo; famous ruler

Spanish
Rosales

Rose gardens; from a place name

Spanish
Ruiz

Son of Ruy, short for Rodrigo

Spanish

S

Sac

From Maya sak, white

Maya
Sacul

Q'eqchi' surname; meaning uncertain

Maya
Salazar

Basque place name; old manor house

Spanish
Salguero

Willow grove dweller

Spanish
Samayoa

Possibly a Basque place-name surname; common in Guatemala

Spanish
Sánchez

Son of Sancho; holy

Spanish
Sandoval

From a place in Burgos

Spanish
Santos

Saints; a devotional name

Spanish
Sapper

German surname; Alta Verapaz coffee planters

German
Sarg

German; possibly coffin maker; early Cobán settlers

German
Sical

Maya surname; meaning uncertain

Maya
Sicán

Kaqchikel surname; meaning uncertain

Maya
Sipac

Maya surname; meaning uncertain

Maya
Solís

From Solís, a place in Asturias

Spanish
Solórzano

From a Cantabrian place name

Spanish
Sosa

From Sousa, a place in Portugal

Spanish
Soto

Grove or thicket

Spanish
Stein

German for stone

German

T

Tecú

Maya surname of the central highlands; meaning uncertain

Maya
Tello

From the old given name Tello

Spanish
Thomae

German patronymic from Thomas

German
Tiul

Q'eqchi' surname of Alta Verapaz; meaning uncertain

Maya
Tobar

Variant of Tovar; a place in Burgos

Spanish
Tum

K'iche' surname; meaning uncertain

Maya
Tuyuc

Kaqchikel surname; meaning uncertain

Maya
Tzoc

Maya surname of the western highlands; meaning uncertain

Maya
Tzoy

K'iche' surname; meaning uncertain

Maya
Tzul

K'iche' surname of Totonicapán; meaning uncertain

Maya
Tzunún

From K'iche' tz'unun, hummingbird

Maya

V

Valdez

From a place name meaning valley

Spanish
Vásquez

Son of Vasco; the Basque

Spanish
Velásquez

Son of Velasco; little crow

Spanish
Vicente

From the given name Vicente; conquering

Spanish
Villatoro

From Villatoro, a village in Ávila

Spanish

W

Wellmann

German; possibly one who lived by a spring

German

X

Xicay

Kaqchikel surname; meaning uncertain

Maya
Xiloj

K'iche' surname; meaning uncertain

Maya
Xitumul

Achi Maya surname of Rabinal; meaning uncertain

Maya
Xoc

Possibly from Maya xok, to count

Maya
Xol

Q'eqchi' surname of Alta Verapaz; meaning uncertain

Maya
Xuc

Maya surname; meaning uncertain

Maya

Y

Yax

From Maya yax, green or blue-green

Maya

Z

Zamora

From the Spanish city of Zamora

Spanish
Zepeda

Possibly from cepa, vine stock; a place name

Spanish

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Cucul

Q'eqchi' surname of Alta Verapaz; meaning uncertain
Cordón

Cord or rope

Spanish
Villatoro

From Villatoro, a village in Ávila

Spanish
Imox

From Imox, a day of the Maya calendar
Mérida

From the city of Mérida

Spanish
Orellana

From Orellana, towns in Extremadura

Spanish

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Maya roots in Guatemalan last names

Guatemala is home to more than twenty Maya languages, and many families carry surnames drawn from them. Q'eqchi' speakers in Alta Verapaz often bear names like Caal, Choc, Coc, Pop, Xol and Tiul, while K'iche' communities around Quetzaltenango and Totonicapán include names like Tzul and Tzoc. Kaqchikel families near Chimaltenango and Sololá carry names such as Cumes. Many of these names are short, single syllable words with meanings rooted in nature and the calendar.

Several Maya surnames match the day signs of the sacred 260-day calendar. Batz comes from B'atz', the howler monkey, and Quej from Kej, the deer. Coc is often translated as turtle and Pop as woven mat, while Imox and Quiej are further names linked to day signs. These meanings connect families to a calendar still kept by Maya daykeepers today. Some families have adopted modern Maya spellings with apostrophes, such as B'atz', while others keep the older Spanish-style forms on their documents.

Spanish names and the two-surname system

Most Guatemalans carry Spanish surnames, including many Maya families. López, García, Pérez, Hernández, González, Morales and Rodríguez are among the most familiar, along with names like Barrios, Cifuentes, Monzón and Orellana that feel especially at home in Guatemala. Many Maya families received Spanish names through baptism in the colonial period, so a Spanish surname does not mean a family lacks Indigenous roots. Both kinds of names often appear side by side in one person's full name.

Guatemala follows the Spanish system of two surnames, the father's first and the mother's second. Rigoberta Menchú Tum, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, carries Menchú from her father and Tum from her mother, both K'iche' names. In daily life people often use only the first surname. A married woman may add de and her husband's surname, as in Ana López de Morales, but this is optional, and her own two surnames remain her legal name.

Regions, migration and researching a family

Region matters when you read the list. Maya surnames are most common in the western highlands and Alta Verapaz, while the capital, the Pacific coast and the east use mostly Spanish names. German coffee planters settled in Alta Verapaz in the late 1800s, which is why names like Dieseldorff and Sapper appear in local history. Garífuna communities on the Caribbean coast around Livingston carry their own mix of Spanish, English and French surnames.

Many Guatemalans have migrated to the United States, especially to Los Angeles, Houston and the East Coast, so Maya names now appear in cities far from the highlands. For family research, civil registration in Guatemala began in the late 1870s, and older records are kept in Catholic parish books, many indexed by FamilySearch. Record both surnames of every ancestor, and check spelling variants such as Coc and Cok or Quej and Kej.

Frequently asked questions

What are common Guatemalan last names?

Spanish names such as López, García, Pérez, Hernández, González and Morales are widespread. Maya surnames such as Caal, Choc, Coc, Pop, Xol, Batz and Tzul are common in Alta Verapaz and the western highlands. Many people combine a Spanish and a Maya surname through the two-surname system.

Which Maya names come from the calendar?

Batz, from B'atz', the howler monkey, and Quej, from Kej, the deer, share their names with day signs of the Maya calendar. Other surnames describe animals or objects, such as Coc, turtle, and Pop, woven mat. These names link families to traditions that are still alive in Guatemala.

Why do some Maya names use apostrophes?

Maya languages have ejective consonants, sounds made with a small catch in the throat, and modern spelling marks them with an apostrophe. The Academy of Mayan Languages of Guatemala promotes these spellings, so B'atz' and Batz, or K'iche' and Quiché, refer to the same thing.

Does a Spanish family name mean a family is not Maya?

No. Many Maya families were given Spanish surnames through baptism, and many others combine a Spanish name with a Maya one. Identity depends on language, community and family history, not on a surname alone, so treat a name as only one clue among many.