Topete
A surname of uncertain origin, likely from a nickname or descriptive byname in Iberian usage.
The #7,446 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 69,024 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The available excerpt only shows Topete as a byname in a medieval Iberian list, not as a explained dictionary headword. That means the surname was almost certainly already in use as a hereditary family name or nickname form, but the exact root is not established by this source. In Spanish, topete can mean a pompadour, tuft, or topknot, so a nickname based on hairstyle or a tuft-like feature is a plausible explanation, but it remains unconfirmed here.
History
The citation places the form in a medieval Portuguese/Spanish context, showing that it circulated in Iberia at an early date. The surname is found today especially in Spanish-speaking populations, including the Americas, consistent with later colonial spread. Because the excerpt is incidental rather than explanatory, no firmer historical derivation can be claimed from it alone.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In modern Spanish, topete can refer to a forelock or styled puff of hair, which is why the surname is often guessed to have started as a nickname.
From the historical record
“guez, Domingo Eanes, filio de Joan Eanes da Cruz; Gil Pérez, Pedro Fernandez da Cruz, Diego Neno, Diego Mi- gueles da Eras , Martín Pérez dito Topete , Juan Pérez de Burgo novo, Pedro Cibraee, García Sabaschanes, Juan Ea- nes Luchirígo, Joan Díaz, Ruy Ceego, Pedro de Sonar, Arias Martínez dito Gascón. Afonso Pérez…”
— Ensayo histórico etimológico filológico sobre los apellidos castellanos