Toro
A surname from the Spanish word for “bull,” likely first used as a nickname or emblematic name.
The #3,358 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 28,990 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Toro is the Spanish word for a bull, especially a mature male bovine. It ultimately comes from Latin taurus, the same root behind words like Taurus. As a surname, it was most likely given as a nickname or descriptive name, perhaps for someone thought to be strong, stubborn, or bull-like, though in some cases it may also have arisen from place-name use.
History
The name is well established in Spanish-speaking areas and appears in historical surname lists as a straightforward animal-based surname. It is also found in Italy and other Mediterranean contexts, where similar forms can independently arise from local words for “bull.” In modern records it is common in Spain and across Latin America, and it is also carried by families of Sephardic or Spanish colonial descent.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because toro is such a direct common noun, this surname belongs to a large class of Spanish surnames formed from everyday words rather than from place names or occupations.
From the historical record
“Aliaga, Melon, Trigo, Gal, Berza, Nuez, Limon, Tomate, Espárrago, Cebolla; o bien de los animales, como Caballo, Buey, Vaca, Toro, Becerra, Becerril, Cabra, Cordero, «.Bortego, Lobo, Oso, «Conejo, úxallo, Apuila, Cuervo, Ave- cillo, Pardillo, Sardina i Salmon; o bien de las partes de un edificio i muebles del…”
— Diccionario de los apellidos