Zaragoza
A toponymic surname taken from the Spanish city of Zaragoza, especially common where families were identified by their place of origin.
The #1,897 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 16,329 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is formed from the name of the city of Zaragoza in northeastern Spain. The city’s name goes back to Roman Caesaraugusta, meaning “(the city) of Caesar Augustus,” later evolving through medieval forms into Zaragoza. As a surname, it would originally have identified someone who came from, lived in, or was associated with that city.
History
Toponymic surnames like Zaragoza were common in Spain and could be adopted by people who moved away from their home city. The historical excerpts also show Zaragoza used as a place-name in discussions of Spanish nobility and genealogy, reflecting the city’s long-standing prominence. In modern times the surname is found in Spain and widely in the Spanish-speaking world, including the Americas.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Zaragoza is one of several surnames that are simply a famous city name used as a family identifier, much like Toledo or Salamanca.
From the historical record
“tuerza de armas, o en que poseian haciendas, o donde na- cieron o habitaron, como los Toledo, Córdova, Aviles, Sa- lamanca, Zaragoza, Teruel, Daroca; otros de las provin. elas o reinos en que habian ejercido. grandes cargos, o en que habian ceñido la corona sus projenitoxes, como los: Castilla, Leon, Arzgon i…”
— Diccionario de los apellidos