Calvillo
A Spanish surname probably tied to the nickname Calvo, meaning “bald,” with Calvillo as a diminutive or derivative form.
The #3,557 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 30,776 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The name is usually connected with Spanish calvo, meaning “bald,” from Latin calvus. Calvillo appears to be a diminutive or extended surname form built on that base, so the original sense was likely something like “little bald one” or “descendant of Calvo.” The old source excerpt groups it with a family of related Calv- surnames, which supports this broad derivation, though the exact path is not certain.
History
The excerpt places Calvillo among several surnames apparently derived from Calvo, suggesting it developed as one of several regional or familial variants in the Spanish-speaking world. It is now found notably in Spain and across Latin America, including the United States through Hispanic migration. Because the source is brief and incidental, the precise historical route from nickname to hereditary surname is uncertain.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Calvillo belongs to a large cluster of Spanish surnames built on calv-, the same root behind the everyday adjective calvo, “bald.”
From the historical record
“bre : Don Kalvo, ó bien Ego Calvo confirmo; su prole de derivados es numerosa : Calvucio, Ccd- viello, Calvillo, Cálvente, Calvete, Ccdveton, Cal- vache , Calvacho, Calcino, Calvin. Yo creo que el apellido Cabello es alteración de la forma gallega craso , para que se haya vulgarizado como apellido , i>ero me parece…”
— Ensayo histórico etimológico filológico sobre los apellidos castellanos