Espinosa surname meaning
A Spanish habitational surname from places called Espinosa, from a collective of espina, “thorn”; also a Sephardic adoption of the same Spanish surname.
The short story
Espinosa is a Spanish habitational surname from any of numerous places named Espinosa, formed from a collective of espina, “thorn”—roughly a “thorny place” or thicket of thorns. Espinoza is a very common American spelling; Spinosa and Espina are related forms in Iberian and Italian records. Sephardic families sometimes retained Espinosa after adopting Iberian surnames in the conversion era and kept the name after returning to Judaism. Place is high confidence: the toponymic reading from espina is the standard DAFN explanation for this Hispanic surname.
Also seen as: Espinosa, Espinoza, Spinosa, Espina
- Ancestry / DAFN entry for Espinosa (habitational from Espinosa; espina thorn; Sephardic adoption)
- Names2020_LastNames_RaceHispanic_Top1000.xlsx (2020 Census)