Ontiveros
A Spanish surname likely tied to a place name, probably meaning someone from or associated with a location called Ontiveros.
The #2,225 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 18,847 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Ontiveros is a Spanish surname most likely derived from a place name, following the common Spanish pattern of surnames formed from where a family came from. The final element -os is typical of Spanish place and surname forms, while the initial Onti- element appears to be toponymic rather than a transparent modern Spanish word. In practice, the name is usually treated as indicating origin or association with a locality called Ontiveros.
History
The surname is found in the Spanish-speaking world and was carried to the Americas through Spanish settlement and later migration. It is especially familiar in Mexico and the southwestern United States, where many Spanish-origin surnames remain common. Because it is a locational surname, separate branches of Ontiveros may not all descend from a single recent ancestor.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Locational surnames like Ontiveros often preserve the memory of medieval or early-modern places long after the original locality is obscure or renamed.