Portillo
A Spanish surname meaning “little gate” or “small opening,” originally used for someone living by such a place.
The #914 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 8,148 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Portillo is a Spanish word for a small gate, gap, or opening, especially in a wall, fence, or mountain pass. It goes back to Latin roots related to port- (“gate” or “entrance”) with the Spanish diminutive ending -illo, giving the sense of a small portal or passage. As a surname, it was most likely applied to someone who lived near a portillo or came from a place called Portillo.
History
The name is common in Spanish-speaking regions and also occurs in place names, which helped it spread as a surname. In Hispanic surname tradition, names built from local features such as gates, passes, roads, and walls were especially common. Portillo is well established in Spain and in Latin America, and it is also found among Spanish-speaking communities in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older Spanish usage, portillo could mean not just a literal small gate, but also a breach or opening in a wall or barrier.
From the historical record
“Portilla. Abertura pequeña en el costado del buque. Portillo. La abesfura que hai en las murallas, paredes o tapias. Posadas. Las cásas propias de cada uno donde habita o mora. Las casas donde por dinero se h>speda o recibe la jente. Estuche de cuchara, tenedor i cuchillo. Cuartos para”
— Diccionario de los apellidos