Higuera
A Spanish surname from the word for a fig tree, originally a name for someone who lived by or worked with figs.
The #7,812 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 72,852 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Higuera is the Spanish word for a fig tree, ultimately from Latin ficaria/ficus, the fig. As a surname, it most likely began as a topographic or locational name for someone who lived near a fig tree or a place known by that tree. Older Spanish usage also applied higuera to the tree itself, sometimes with poetic or descriptive overtones.
History
The surname is found in Spanish-speaking areas and was carried to the Americas through Spanish settlement and migration. The excerpts also show it listed among Spanish surnames in 19th-century onomastic works, consistent with its long-standing Iberian use. It remains relatively uncommon in the United States compared with major Hispanic surnames.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In classical and medieval Spanish writing, higuera could refer not just to any fig tree but also to a wild fig tree, which gave the word a slightly more specific botanical feel.
From the historical record
“lejio. (Diccionario de Legislacion ¿ Furisprudencia). Higuera. Arbol cuyo tronco es corto i torcido.—HIGUE- RA. Ficus ruminalis, higuera silvestre, bajo la cual Rómu- lo i Remo, segun la tradicion, fueron criados por una lo- ba; ruminal deriva de teta. La higuera rumina) estaba. en medio del Foro romano,”
— Diccionario de los apellidos