Pulido
A Spanish surname from a word meaning “polished,” and by extension “handsome,” “neat,” or “well-groomed.”
The #1,894 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 16,300 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Pulido comes from Spanish pulido, the past participle/adjective meaning “polished,” “smoothed,” or “refined.” In everyday use it also came to mean “handsome,” “graceful,” or “well turned out,” so the surname likely began as a nickname for someone noted for a polished appearance or elegant bearing. The underlying Latin root is pullire / polire in the broader sense of polishing or making smooth.
History
The surname is found in the Spanish-speaking world and was carried to the Americas during the colonial period. As with many descriptive surnames, it likely arose independently in more than one place. Modern bearers are especially numerous in Spain and Latin America, and the name is also well represented in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older Spanish lexicography, pulido could describe not just a smooth surface but also a person with a pleasing, refined look or manner.
From the historical record
“Pulican. Instrumento propio para sacar muelas. Pulido. Agraciado, de buen parecer. Puma. Animal carnívoro como el leon. Puntilla. Encaje angosto. «De puntilla.» Modo adver- bial con que se aplica el modo de andar con las puntas de”
— Diccionario de los apellidos