Briones
A Spanish surname most likely taken from the place-name Briones, especially the town in La Rioja, Spain.
The #2,403 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 20,449 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Briones is best understood as a habitational surname: it identifies someone who came from a place called Briones. The most famous bearer of that name is the town of Briones in La Rioja, Spain, and surnames of this type were commonly formed when people moved away from their home village. The deeper origin of the place-name is uncertain, but the surname itself is transparently locational in Spanish usage.
History
The surname is found in Spanish-speaking records and later spread widely through the Spanish-speaking world. In modern times it is especially associated with Spain and Latin America, and it is common enough to appear in U.S. records through immigration from those regions. The historical excerpt provided lists Briones among other Spanish surnames and place-based family names, supporting a locational reading.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Briones is also the name of a well-known wine-producing village in La Rioja, which likely helped keep the surname's place-based origin visible over time.
From the historical record
“Pedro 2.” Pinto Ernesto Briones Alejandro Avila Colchagiiino Ricardo Frias Humberto Vaccaro Luis Troncoso”
— Diccionario de los apellidos