Borrego
A Spanish surname originally meaning “young sheep” or “lamb,” often arising as a nickname or occupational byname.
The #5,167 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 45,591 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Borrego is a Spanish word for a young sheep, especially a lamb or yearling. It comes from Late Latin and Vulgar Latin forms connected with sheep-raising vocabulary, and the surname likely began as a nickname for someone thought gentle, docile, or sheep-like, or for someone associated with sheep. In some cases it may also have been applied to a shepherd or person involved in livestock.
History
The surname is found in Spain and across the Spanish-speaking world, including Latin America and communities in the southwestern United States. Like many Spanish surnames based on animals, it probably arose independently in more than one place. Its modern spread reflects Spanish and later colonial migration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Borrego is still a common Spanish noun for a lamb or yearling sheep, so the surname preserves an everyday rural word rather than a lost medieval form.