Alcazar
A Spanish surname from a place-name meaning a castle or fortress, originally linked to Arabic al-qaṣr, “the palace” or “the fort.”
The #7,847 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 73,180 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Alcázar is a Spanish surname taken from a place-name or house-sign referring to an alcázar, a castle, fortress, or palace. The Spanish word comes from Arabic al-qaṣr, meaning “the palace” or “the fort,” and appears in many Iberian place names. As a surname, it most likely began as a locational name for someone from a place called Alcázar or from a house or landmark bearing that name.
History
The form is especially associated with Spain and the Spanish-speaking world, where place-names containing Alcázar are common. In English-language records it often appears without the accent mark, as Alcazar. The surname is relatively uncommon in the United States but is clearly established through Hispanic and Spanish heritage lines.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same Arabic root gave Spanish many place-names and even the famous word alcázar for a fortress or royal residence.
From the historical record
“Prado, Merida, Villareal, Castroverde, Alcantara, Saragossa, Barcelona, Malaga, Astorga, Alameda, Alcazar, Montserrat, Ebro, Gaudiana, Almazor, Rounceval (Ronoevalles), Mancha, Lamantia.”
— A Grammar of American Surnames