Pastrana
A Spanish surname originally taken from the place name Pastrana in Guadalajara, Spain.
The #6,943 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 63,922 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Pastrana is a habitational surname, meaning it was originally adopted by people who came from the town of Pastrana in Guadalajara, Spain. The surname therefore points first to a place of origin rather than to a trade or personal characteristic. The deeper meaning of the place name itself is less certain, and older sources do not give a firmly established derivation.
History
As with many Spanish surnames, Pastrana spread outward from a local place name into wider use as families moved away from their home region. It is found in Spanish-speaking countries and later in the Americas through migration and colonial-era settlement. The surname is still most strongly associated with Spain and the Spanish-speaking world.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
There is a historic town called Pastrana in central Spain, and surnames like this often began as a simple label meaning “the one from Pastrana.”
From the historical record
“ro, Palou, Pan, Pancorbo , Pantoja, Páramo, Par- dinas (Pardiñas), Paredes, Pareja, Parga, Partear- royo, Parra, Pas, Pasaron, Pastoriza, Pastrana, Pa- zos, Pecina, Pedrajas, Pedraza, Pedrosa, Pedroso, Pego, Penido, Peñalver, Peñaranda, Peón, Perales, Peralta, Perdices, Perona, Pernjo, Pí, Picazo, Pico, Picón…”
— Ensayo histórico etimológico filológico sobre los apellidos castellanos