Fuentes
A Spanish surname meaning “springs” or “fountains,” originally referring to someone who lived by one or more water sources.
The #394 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 3,811 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Fuentes is the plural of Spanish fuente, meaning “spring,” “fountain,” or “water source.” The word goes back to Latin fons, fontis, “spring” or “source of water,” and the surname would originally have marked someone who lived near such a place. Because it is a common place-word, Fuentes could arise independently in many different towns and regions.
History
The surname is common across Spain and the Spanish-speaking world, and it often reflects a local place-name rather than a single family origin. Many surnames of this type became hereditary in the Middle Ages when people were identified by where they lived or came from. Its wide distribution in the Americas reflects Spanish migration and later settlement patterns.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Fuentes can also appear in many Spanish place names, so the same surname may point to different ancestral villages or districts in different lines.
From the historical record
“plaza. Plato grande. Fuentes. Plural dal anterior. Fuerte. Lo que ticne fuerza i resistencia. Robusto, cor- 66 DICCIONARIO”
— Diccionario de los apellidos