Quintanilla
A Spanish surname originally meaning “little country estate” or “small farmstead,” from a diminutive of *quinta* or *quintana*.
The #1,586 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 13,673 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Quintanilla is a Spanish diminutive formed from *quinta* or *quintana*, words used for a country estate, farm, or rural dwelling. The ending *-illa* gives the sense of “little” or “small,” so the name likely began as a place-name meaning something like “little estate” or “small farmstead.” In older Spanish usage, related words could also refer more generally to a countryside retreat or rural site.
History
The surname is found in Spain and Spanish-speaking regions, and it fits the common pattern of surnames taken from place-names. The provided historical note explicitly glosses Quintanilla as a diminutive of *Quintana* or *quinta*, confirming the toponymic sense. It is still widely borne in the Americas today, reflecting Spanish migration and colonial-era spread.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same root family that produced Quintanilla also gave Spanish surnames such as Quintana and Quinto, all tied in one way or another to the number five or to rural landholding terms.
From the historical record
“de apirexia. Quintanilla. Diminutivo de Quintana o quinta. Quintas. Casas o sitios de recreo en el campo. El acto de entresacar de cada cinco uno. Intervalo que consta de tres tonos 1 un semitono mayor.”
— Diccionario de los apellidosNotable people named Quintanilla
- Selena (1971–1995)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.