Guatemalan Surnames

Main contributor: Elena De León

Guatemalan surnames are those carried by people born in the country of Guatemala, as well as in the Guatemalan diaspora in Mexico, Canada, Belize and especially the United States; they reflect the country's layered identity—from Maya and Spanish heritage to Afro-descendant communities, as well as more recent immigration patterns.

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History of Guatemalan surnamesHistory of Guatemalan surnames

Guatemala boasts a rich indigenous heritage, with a significant number of surnames having Mayan origins, reflecting the cultural history of the land before the Spanish arrival; however, these were not used as family names back then. During the colonial era, Spanish priests and authorities often assigned Spanish surnames to indigenous people during baptisms to integrate them into the colonial society and Christianize them.

Guatemalan surnames naming conventionsGuatemalan surnames naming conventions

Guatemalans follow the standard Hispanic naming convention: [Given Name] + [Father’s Surname] + [Mother’s Surname]. For example: Ana María Tecún Gómez. In everyday life, people usually only use one surname, usually the paternal one, even though this entire name is used for official and legal purposes. This dual-surname structure reflects both paternal and maternal lineages. In many Indigenous communities, ancestral names, clan affiliations, or ceremonial names may also exist alongside Spanish surnames. Married women usually keep their maiden name and add their husband's surname after the possessive "de" (of) to indicate their married status, as it is customary in other places of Latin America.^[1]

Types of Guatemalan surnamesTypes of Guatemalan surnames

Guatemalan surnames of patronymic originGuatemalan surnames of patronymic origin

These surnames are common across Latin America and come from male given names, often with the -ez suffix, meaning “son of”. These surnames often reflect colonial-era naming assignments or Spanish ancestry.

González – from Gonzalo
Rodríguez – from Rodrigo
Martínez – from Martín
Hernández – from Hernando
Ramírez, Álvarez, Vásquez, Benítez, De León – widespread across all social classes
Pérez, López, Díaz – frequent in both urban and rural Guatemala

Guatemalan surnames of toponymic originGuatemalan surnames of toponymic origin

Toponymic surnames derive from towns, regions, or geographic features—either from Spain or local Guatemalan references:

Escuintla, Solórzano, Antigua, Sanabria – may derive from towns or departments
Méndez, Campos, Montes, Ríos, Valle – from terrain features or locations in Spain
Chimaltenango, Sacatepéquez – rarely used as surnames but may appear in compound names
Marroquí – "Moroccan"
Ydígoras – based on the Basque word "idigar," meaning "to arise" or "on the summit"

Guatemalan surnames of occupational originGuatemalan surnames of occupational origin

These are rarer but still present, especially in urban areas or among families of colonial Spanish descent.

Herrera – blacksmith
Molina – miller
Pastor – shepherd
Carvajal – related to wagon-making or transport
Mercado – market
Sastre – tailor

Guatemalan surnames of descriptive originGuatemalan surnames of descriptive origin

These may describe physical traits or qualities, passed down from nicknames or historical contexts. These surnames were often given during the colonial period or adopted from Spanish practices.

Bravo – brave
Moreno – dark-skinned
Blanco – fair-skinned
Rubio – blonde (rarer)
Rojo – red-haired or ruddy
Bueno – good

Guatemalan surnames of Mayan originGuatemalan surnames of Mayan origin

Although their naming practices were different from those of the Europeans, the ancient Mayans used names that were inherited; for instance, people who resided in the snake kingdom, or Kaan domain, were referred to as Kaanul, usually rendered today as Canul. The Pech tribe of the Yucatán Pensinsula provided the stone masons who carved the buildings of Chichen Itza, and they used a tiny tick on the reverse of the stones to stamp them as tribute -the word 'pech" means 'tick' in Yucatec Maya. These Maya names could include a given name based on the day a person was born, the father's tribal name, and a combined parental name, with both being considered a surname. Today, Guatemala is home to more than 20 Mayan ethnolinguistic groups (e.g., K’iche’, Q’eqchi’, Kaqchikel, Mam, Ixil), and many surnames derive from these heritages. Some of these Mayan surnames are still used in their indigenous form, while others have been modified slightly in spelling to align with Spanish conventions.

Choc, Pop, Tzoy, Toj, Calel, Tzunún – common across the highlands
Cux, Yax, Pacay, Quiché, Ixmucané – may reflect personal, clan, or geographic origins
Cojtí, Xiloj, Sicán, Xicay – often retained despite Catholic naming pressures
Tecún – from Tecún Umán, a famous K’iche’ hero
Ajanel, Batz, Chajón, Ajpop, Tum – surnames tied to Mayan noble classes or ceremonial roles

Guatemalan surnames of Afro-Guatemalan originGuatemalan surnames of Afro-Guatemalan origin

Afro-Guatemalans (especially in Livingston and the Caribbean Garifuna community) carry surnames reflecting colonial, Anglophone, or African influences:

Ramírez, Castillo, Andino, Flores – common among Afro-descendants
Martínez, Cruz, Pineda – often inherited via colonial slave registries
Cayetano, Enríquez, Figueroa, Reyes – reflect both Hispanic and Garifuna heritage

Guatemalan origin of aristocratic originGuatemalan origin of aristocratic origin

While Guatemala lacked a formal nobility, some surnames are tied to colonial aristocracy, liberal revolutionaries, or prominent national families:

Aycinena – powerful colonial family
Barrios, Ubico, Arzú – presidential and political lineages
Méndez, Montenegro, Carrera, Fuentes – associated with independence or civil war periods
Mazariegos, Morales, Estrada – elite or ruling families over centuries

Guatemalan surnames of foreign originGuatemalan surnames of foreign origin

Guatemala saw modest immigration from the 19th century onward:

German
- Sapper, Thomae, Wer, Giesemann, Dieseldorff – linked to coffee plantations and business elites
Arab (Lebanese/Syrian)
- Arafa, Zebede, Zeid, Turjman, Abularach – found in commerce, especially in Guatemala City and eastern regions
Jewish
- Weinstein, Goldberg, Levi, Russ, Lichtenstein – small but influential community

Most common Guatemalan surnamesMost common Guatemalan surnames

Celebrities with Guatemalan surnamesCelebrities with Guatemalan surnames

Edgar Ricardo Arjona Morales, known as Ricardo Arjona - Guatemalan singer and songwriter. He is one of the most successful and best-selling Latin American artists of all time, with more than 20 million records sold.
Luis von Ahn - Guatemalan-American entrepreneur and software developer. He is the founder of the company reCAPTCHA, which was sold to Google in 2009, and the co-founder and CEO of Duolingo
María Mercedes Coroy - Guatemalan actress of Kaqchikel Maya descent. She is known for her roles in Ixcanul, La Llorona, Bel Canto, Malinche, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Miguel Ángel Asturias Rosales - Guatemalan poet-diplomat, novelist, playwright and journalist. Winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1967, his work helped bring attention to the importance of indigenous cultures, especially those of his native Guatemala
Rigoberta Menchú Tum - K'iche' Guatemalan human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Menchú has dedicated her life to publicizing the rights of Guatemala's Indigenous peoples during and after the Guatemalan Civil War.
Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada, better known as Oscar Isaac - Guatemalan-American actor, better known for his roles as the main character of the film X-Men: Apocalypse and Poe Dameron in the Star Wars sequel trilogy

Explore more about Guatemalan surnamesExplore more about Guatemalan surnames

Discover the origin of your last name at MyHeritage
Guatemala - Collection Catalog at MyHeritage
Spanish Names: the Origins of Spanish Given Names and Surnames on the MyHeritage blog
Endangered Tribes and Genealogy: A conversation with Survival International on the MyHeritage blog

References

↑ Nij Guamuch, Eusebio Adolfo. ANÁLISIS JURÍDICO SOBRE LAS DIFICULTADES QUE LE CREA A LAS MUJERES HACER USO DEL APELLIDO DE CASADA Y LOS PROBLEMAS QUE AFRONTAN. San Carlos de Guatemala University, 2012.
↑ Most Common Last Names In Guatemala. Forebears.io

[1] Nij Guamuch, Eusebio Adolfo. ANÁLISIS JURÍDICO SOBRE LAS DIFICULTADES QUE LE CREA A LAS MUJERES HACER USO DEL APELLIDO DE CASADA Y LOS PROBLEMAS QUE AFRONTAN. San Carlos de Guatemala University, 2012.

[2] Most Common Last Names In Guatemala. Forebears.io

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