Aldana
A Spanish surname most likely tied to a place-name, with roots in the Iberian naming tradition.
The #3,448 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 29,796 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Aldana is generally treated as a Spanish surname formed from a place-name rather than from a descriptive word or occupation. The first element may be the old Iberian place-name element al- often found in Spanish toponyms, but the exact original meaning is not certain from the surviving evidence. In surname use, it simply identifies someone who came from, or was connected with, a place called Aldana.
History
The surname is established in Spain and later spread to the Americas through Spanish migration and colonial-era movement. It is also found as a toponymic family name in Hispanic records, where such surnames often became hereditary relatively early. The excerpt provided lists Aldana among Spanish surnames, which supports its traditional placement in the Spanish naming stock.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Aldana is one of many Spanish surnames that survive today chiefly because a medieval place-name became a family name.
From the historical record
“bear, Albeniz, Alberola, Albiñana, Albistur, Al- bolafia, Albuerne, Alcacer, Alcalá, Alcántara, Alca- raz. Alcázar, Alcoba, Alcocer, Alcover, Aldana, Aldaz, Aledo, Alegría, Alenza, Aleson, Alfaro, Alfonsin, Algar, Algarra, Alhama, Alhambra, Al- hamilla, ^Vliaga, Alique, Almagro, xUmansa, Al-”
— Ensayo histórico etimológico filológico sobre los apellidos castellanos