Barajas
A Spanish surname most likely linked to a place-name, especially the village of Barajas near Madrid.
The #763 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 6,838 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Barajas is a Spanish surname of locational origin, referring to someone who came from a place called Barajas. The best-known source is Barajas, the district and former village near Madrid, though the name may ultimately go back to an older local place word rather than a transparent modern Spanish noun. In surname use, it simply means a person identified by that place-name.
History
The surname is well established in Spain and later spread widely across the Spanish-speaking world. Its presence in modern U.S. records reflects immigration from Mexico and other Latin American countries, where the name is especially common. Historical surname lists from Spain include Barajas among many regional family names, supporting its long-standing use as a Spanish hereditary surname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Barajas is also the name of Madrid’s major airport area, which helped keep the surname and place-name familiar far beyond Spain.
From the historical record
“ños, Bañiielos, Baquedano, Barahona , Baraibar Barajas, Baranda, Baraya, Ijarba, Barbadillo, Bár- bara, Barbudo, Barca, Barcena, Barcenas (Las), Barcia, Barcones, Bardon, Barinaga, Baro, Baroja, Barzanallana, Barra, Barrachina, Barrantes, Bar- reda, Barreiro, Barrera (La), Barreras, Barrientos, Barriga…”
— Ensayo histórico etimológico filológico sobre los apellidos castellanos