Iglesias
A Spanish surname meaning “churches,” originally referring to someone who lived near, worked for, or was connected with a church.
The #3,387 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 29,276 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Iglesias is the plural of Spanish iglesia, “church,” from Latin ecclesia, “assembly” or “church.” As a surname, it most likely began as a locational or topographic name for someone who lived by one or more churches, or as an identifying name for someone associated with church lands or church service. The plural form can also suggest a family connected with a place called Las Iglesias or a cluster of churches.
History
The surname is found widely in the Spanish-speaking world, especially in Spain and across Latin America. It has also spread through migration to the United States and other countries. Like many Spanish surnames, it is inherited rather than descriptive in modern use, and its original connection to a church or church settlement is no longer literal.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same root gave Spanish iglesia and related forms in many Romance languages, all ultimately descending from Greek ecclesia.
From the historical record
“Abad. El superior de un monasterio. El superior de al- gunas iglesias colejiadas Abadia. Monasterio en donde: bajo la autoridad de una - misma regla, de un abad o abadesa, viven relijiosos o re- lijiosas.”
— Diccionario de los apellidos