Carvajal
A Spanish surname most likely tied to a place name or landscape feature, traditionally linked with oak groves or wooded ground.
The #3,999 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 34,757 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Carvajal is a Spanish surname that likely began as a place-name or topographic byname. The excerpted 1907 source glosses it as a "site or hill covered with carvallos," and connects that word to a kind of oak found in northern Spain, especially Galicia. In other words, the name probably referred to someone who lived near a place with oak trees or came from a locality so named.
History
The surname is well established in Spain and later spread widely through Spanish-speaking countries. Historical records show several spelling variants, including Carvajal and Caravajal, reflecting older and less standardized spelling. Because the provided sources are incidental rather than full dictionary entries, the exact local root should be treated cautiously.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The family name is often associated with the same broad Iberian naming pattern as many surnames formed from landscape features such as hills, woods, and groves.
From the historical record
“Cartujano. Relativo a la Cartuja. Cartuja. Carvajal. Sitio o monte poblado de carvallos. Carvallo. Especie de roble, aunque mas pequeño, que tiene las hojas ásperas. Llámase asi en las provincias se- céentrionales, en (ralicia.”
— Diccionario de los apellidosNotable people named Carvajal
- Dani Carvajal (b. 1992)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.