Naranjo
A Spanish surname from the word for an orange tree, originally used for someone living near or associated with such a tree.
The #2,328 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 19,718 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Naranjo is the Spanish word for an orange tree, ultimately from Arabic naranj, which was borrowed from Persian and earlier forms further east. As a surname, it most likely began as a locational or topographic name for someone who lived near an orange tree or an orange grove, or perhaps near a place called by that name. The word itself is not originally a personal name, but a common noun that became hereditary as surnames formed.
History
The surname is especially common in Spanish-speaking regions, including Spain and much of Latin America. In many cases it may reflect a toponym, since place-names called Naranjo or similar forms are found in the Hispanic world. The provided source simply glosses naranjo as “tree that produces oranges,” which fits the surname’s likely literal source.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Orange-tree surnames are a good example of how everyday landscape words could become hereditary family names in Spanish.
From the historical record
“Naires. Los que cuidan i adiestran elefantes. Naranjo. Arbol que produce las naranjas. El hombre rudo e ignorante. Nardo. Planta indíjena de la India. La confeccion aro- mática, hecha de las hojas i espigas del nardo”
— Diccionario de los apellidos