Reyna
A surname from Spanish roots, most likely connected to the word for “queen” or to a family name built from royal language.
The #987 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 8,749 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Reyna is a Spanish surname associated with the word reina, meaning “queen.” In Spanish naming practice, it could have arisen as a nickname, a house sign, or a descriptive byname for someone linked to a queen, a royal household, or a place marked by that word. The old spelling with y reflects historical variation rather than a different meaning.
History
The surname is found in Spanish-speaking regions and later spread widely through migration to the Americas. In older records, forms with rey/reina often appear in fluid spellings, so Reyna may reflect regional orthography as much as distinct origin. Today it is especially familiar in the Spanish-speaking United States and across Latin America.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Spanish historical spelling often used y where modern Spanish would use i or j, so Reyna can sit very close to Reina in older records.
From the historical record
“de saneamiento Martin rei. 1231 : Costaneros del 7naiuelo del vn cabo ioan de Ortega, et de la otra parte Migael, filio de mi reyna (Becerro de Aguilar de Campóo). 1216 : Ego Maria Domingo, filia del rey de Pedro Orequez (aldea llamada después Pedrovegues) , vendo una iitgada de here- dad y al pié : Ego Maria…”
— Ensayo histórico etimológico filológico sobre los apellidos castellanos