Gordillo
A Spanish surname from a nickname based on gordo, originally referring to someone sturdy or plump.
The #7,232 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 66,886 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Gordillo is a Spanish surname formed as a diminutive of gordo, a word meaning “fat,” “plump,” or “stout.” In surname use, that kind of nickname often began as a descriptive label for a person’s build and later became hereditary. The ending -illo is a common Spanish diminutive, so the name can be understood literally as “little plump one” or “somewhat stout one.”
History
The surname is found in Spain and throughout the Spanish-speaking world, carried by later migration into the Americas. Like many nickname surnames, it probably began independently in more than one place. It remains a relatively uncommon surname, though it is established in both Spain and Hispanic America.
Origin
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Fun fact
The source excerpt explicitly glosses Gordillo as a diminutive of gordo, which fits a very common pattern in Spanish surname formation.
From the historical record
“ficultad indisoluble. Gordillo. Diminutivo de gordo. Gordon. Aumentativo de gordo. Gozar. Tener o poseer alguna cosa. Tener gusto, com- placencia i alegria de alguna cosa.”
— Diccionario de los apellidos