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Basque Last Names

These Basque last names are real family names from the Basque Country and Navarre, listed A to Z with meanings. Nearly all describe a house or its setting, so names like Goikoetxea and Iturralde read like short directions to a place.

223 real surnames with meanings, A to Z.

A

  • Agirre

    Open, exposed place; Castilian Aguirre

  • Aguirre

    Castilian spelling of Agirre, open exposed place

  • Aguirrezabal

    Broad open place (agirre + zabal)

  • Aizpurua

    Top of the crag (haitz + buru)

  • Aldekoa

    The one from the side or slope (alde)

  • Altuna

    Possibly from altu, high

  • Amezaga

    Place of Pyrenean oaks (ameza); Castilian Amézaga

  • Amezketa

    Place of Pyrenean oaks; Castilian Amézqueta

  • Ansotegi

    Possibly place of Anso (Sancho); Castilian Ansótegui

  • Arakistain

    Meaning uncertain, a Gipuzkoan house name

  • Aramburu

    Castilian spelling of Aranburu, head of the valley

  • Aramendi

    Valley mountain (haran + mendi)

  • Arana

    The valley (haran)

  • Aranburu

    Head of the valley (aran + buru); Castilian Aramburu

  • Arantzadi

    Place of hawthorns (arantza); Castilian Aranzadi

  • Arbeloa

    Possibly slate place (arbel)

  • Aretxabaleta

    Broad place of oaks (haritz + zabal)

  • Aristegi

    Place of oaks; Castilian Aristegui

  • Arizmendi

    Oak mountain (haritz + mendi)

  • Arregi

    Possibly stony place (harri); Castilian Arregui

  • Arrieta

    Stony place (harri + -eta)

  • Arrizabalaga

    Broad stony place (harri + zabal + -aga)

  • Arruti

    Possibly stony place (harri)

  • Arteaga

    Place of holm oaks (arte + -aga)

  • Arteta

    Place of holm oaks (arte + -eta)

  • Artetxe

    House among holm oaks; Castilian Arteche

  • Artola

    Holm oak hut (arte + ola)

  • Astigarraga

    Place of maples (astigar + -aga)

  • Azkarate

    Possibly maple pass (azkar + ate); Castilian Azcárate

  • Azkue

    Possibly from haitz, crag; Castilian Azcue

  • Azpeitia

    From the Gipuzkoan town of Azpeitia; possibly from azpi, below

B

  • Barandiaran

    Possibly from a valley place name (haran)

  • Barrenetxea

    Inner or lower house; Castilian Barrenechea

  • Bastarrika

    Possibly place at the edge (bazter); Castilian Bastarrica

  • Basterretxea

    House at the edge; Castilian Basterrechea

  • Beitia

    The lower part (behe)

  • Beloki

    Possibly crow place (bele); Castilian Beloqui

  • Bengoetxea

    Lower house (behe + etxe); Castilian Bengoechea

  • Berasategi

    Place of soft ground; Castilian Berasategui

  • Bergara

    From the town of Bergara; Castilian Vergara

  • Beristain

    Meaning uncertain, a Navarrese place name

  • Bidaurre

    In front of the road (bide + aurre)

  • Bidegain

    On the road (bide + gain)

  • Bilbao

    From the city of Bilbao

  • Bolibar

    Mill meadow (bolu + ibar); Castilian Bolívar

  • Bolívar

    Castilian spelling of Bolibar, mill meadow

  • Burgoa

    Possibly from the head or top (buru)

D

  • Dorronsoro

    Meaning uncertain, a Navarrese place name

E

  • Echegaray

    Castilian spelling of Etxegarai, upper house

  • Echevarría

    Castilian spelling of Etxebarria, new house

  • Echeverría

    Castilian spelling of Etxeberria, new house

  • Egaña

    On the slope or edge (egi + gaina)

  • Eguzkitza

    Sunny place (eguzki, sun)

  • Eizagirre

    Hunting clearing (ehiza + agirre); Castilian Eizaguirre

  • Elizaga

    Church place (eliza + -aga)

  • Elizalde

    Beside the church (eliza + alde)

  • Elizondo

    Beside the church (eliza + ondo)

  • Elorriaga

    Place of hawthorns (elorri + -aga)

  • Elorrieta

    Place of hawthorns (elorri + -eta)

  • Elorza

    Place of hawthorns (elorri)

  • Elustondo

    Possibly beside the snowy ground (elur)

  • Epelde

    Possibly warm place (epel)

  • Erdozain

    Possibly from erdi, middle

  • Ermua

    From the town of Ermua

  • Errekalde

    Beside the stream (erreka + alde); Castilian Recalde

  • Estensoro

    Meaning uncertain

  • Etxaburu

    End or head of the houses; Castilian Echaburu

  • Etxaniz

    Possibly house place; Castilian Echániz

  • Etxarri

    Stone house (etxe + harri); Castilian Echarri

  • Etxarte

    Between houses (etxe + arte); Castilian Echarte

  • Etxeandia

    Big house (etxe + handi); Castilian Echeandía

  • Etxebarria

    New house (etxe + barri); Castilian Echevarría

  • Etxeberria

    New house (etxe + berri); Castilian Echeverría

  • Etxebeste

    The other house (etxe + beste); Castilian Echeveste

  • Etxegarai

    Upper house (etxe + garai); Castilian Echegaray

  • Etxegoien

    Highest house (etxe + goien); Castilian Echegoyen

  • Etxenagusia

    Main house (etxe + nagusi)

  • Etxenike

    Possibly house on the height; Castilian Echenique

  • Etxepare

    Possibly house by the edge; Castilian Echepare

  • Etxezarreta

    Place of the old house; Castilian Echezarreta

  • Ezkurra

    Acorn (ezkur); Castilian Ezcurra

G

  • Gabilondo

    Meaning uncertain, a Gipuzkoan house name

  • Galarraga

    Place of dead wood (galar + -aga)

  • Gallastegi

    Meaning uncertain; Castilian Gallastegui

  • Gamboa

    Meaning uncertain, a noble Basque lineage

  • Garai

    Height, upper place; Castilian Garay

  • Garaikoetxea

    Upper house; Castilian Garaicoechea

  • Garitano

    Possibly wheat field (gari)

  • Garmendia

    Possibly burnt mountain (gar + mendi)

  • Gaztelu

    Castle; Castilian Gastelu

  • Gaztelumendi

    Castle hill (gaztelu + mendi)

  • Goenaga

    Upper place (goien + -aga)

  • Goicoechea

    Castilian spelling of Goikoetxea, upper house

  • Goikoetxea

    Upper house (goi + etxe); Castilian Goicoechea

  • Goiri

    Upper town (goi + iri)

  • Goitia

    The upper part (goi)

  • Goñi

    Possibly from goi, height

  • Gorostiaga

    Place of holly (gorosti + -aga)

  • Gorostiza

    Place of holly (gorosti)

  • Gorriti

    Possibly red place (gorri)

H

  • Hernani

    From the town of Hernani

I

  • Ibaizabal

    Broad river (ibai + zabal)

  • Ibarguen

    Upper end of the valley; Castilian Ibargüen

  • Ibarra

    The riverside meadow or valley (ibar)

  • Ibarretxe

    House in the riverside meadow; Castilian Ibarreche

  • Ibarrola

    Forge or hut in the valley (ibar + ola)

  • Ibarruri

    Town by the riverside meadow; Castilian Ibárruri

  • Idiakez

    Possibly from idi, ox; Castilian Idiáquez

  • Igartua

    The dry place (igar)

  • Imaz

    Meaning uncertain, a Gipuzkoan place name

  • Intxausti

    Walnut grove (intxaur); Castilian Inchausti

  • Irastorza

    Possibly place of ferns (ira)

  • Irazabal

    Broad fern field (ira + zabal); Castilian Irazábal

  • Iriarte

    Between towns (iri + arte)

  • Iribarren

    Lower or inner town (iri + barren)

  • Irigoien

    Upper town (iri + goien); Castilian Irigoyen

  • Iriondo

    Beside the town (iri + ondo)

  • Irizar

    Old town (iri + zahar)

  • Irureta

    Possibly place of three towns (hiru)

  • Isasi

    Place of broom shrubs (isats)

  • Iturbe

    Below the spring (iturri + behe)

  • Iturbide

    Road to the spring (iturri + bide)

  • Iturralde

    Beside the spring (iturri + alde)

  • Iturriaga

    Place of springs (iturri + -aga)

  • Iturriotz

    Cold spring (iturri + hotz); Castilian Iturrioz

  • Izagirre

    Possibly open place by the rushes; Castilian Izaguirre

J

  • Jauregi

    Palace, manor house; Castilian Jáuregui

  • Jauregiberri

    New manor; Castilian Jaureguiberry

  • Juaristi

    Possibly place of oaks (haritz)

L

  • Landaburu

    Head of the field (landa + buru)

  • Landeta

    Place of fields (landa + -eta)

  • Larrañaga

    Place of threshing floors (larrain + -aga)

  • Larrazabal

    Broad pasture (larre + zabal); Castilian Larrazábal

  • Larrea

    The pasture or meadow (larre)

  • Larrinaga

    Place of threshing floors (larrain)

  • Lasa

    Stream, brook (lats)

  • Lasarte

    Between streams (lats + arte)

  • Lazkano

    From the town of Lazkao; Castilian Lazcano

  • Legarreta

    Place of gravel (legar + -eta)

  • Lekuona

    Good place (leku + on); Castilian Lecuona

  • Lertxundi

    Place of poplars (lertxun); Castilian Lerchundi

  • Letamendi

    Possibly mud mountain (lats or leta + mendi)

  • Lizardi

    Ash grove (lizar)

  • Lizarraga

    Place of ash trees (lizar + -aga)

  • Lizarralde

    Beside the ash trees (lizar + alde)

  • Loidi

    Muddy place (lohi)

  • Loiola

    Possibly muddy place (lohi); Castilian Loyola

  • Lopetegi

    Possibly Lope's place; Castilian Lopetegui

  • Loyola

    Castilian spelling of Loiola, possibly muddy place

M

  • Madariaga

    Place of pear trees (madari + -aga)

  • Maiztegi

    Meaning uncertain; Castilian Maiztegui

  • Markaida

    Meaning uncertain, a Biscayan place name

  • Menchaca

    Castilian spelling; possibly from mendi, mountain

  • Mendia

    The mountain (mendi)

  • Mendibil

    Round mountain (mendi + biribil); Castilian Mendívil

  • Mendieta

    Place of mountains (mendi + -eta)

  • Mendiola

    Mountain forge or hut (mendi + ola)

  • Mendizabal

    Broad mountain (mendi + zabal); Castilian Mendizábal

  • Mendizábal

    Castilian spelling of Mendizabal, broad mountain

  • Mendoza

    Possibly cold mountain (mendi + hotz); from a place in Álava

  • Mugika

    Possibly from muga, boundary; Castilian Múgica

  • Muguruza

    Possibly boundary place (muga)

  • Murua

    Possibly from mur, hill; Castilian Murúa

O

  • Ochoa

    Castilian spelling of Otxoa, the wolf

  • Oiarzabal

    Broad forest (oihan + zabal); Castilian Oyarzábal

  • Olaberria

    New forge (ola + berri); Castilian Olaverría

  • Olaizola

    Possibly forge by the rushes (ola + ihi)

  • Olano

    Possibly small forge place (ola)

  • Olazabal

    Broad forge or hut (ola + zabal); Castilian Olazábal

  • Oñati

    From the town of Oñati; Castilian Oñate

  • Orbegozo

    Possibly from a hamlet name, meaning uncertain

  • Ormaetxea

    House with a stone wall; Castilian Ormaechea

  • Ormazabal

    Broad wall (horma + zabal)

  • Ortuzar

    Old orchard (ortu + zahar); Castilian Ortúzar

  • Otaegi

    Place of gorse; Castilian Otaegui

  • Otamendi

    Gorse mountain (ote + mendi)

  • Otegi

    Place of gorse (ote + -egi); Castilian Otegui

  • Oteiza

    Place of gorse (ote)

  • Otxoa

    The wolf (otso); Castilian Ochoa

P

  • Pagoaga

    Place of beeches (pago + -aga)

  • Pagola

    Beech hut (pago + ola)

S

  • Sagardia

    The apple orchard (sagar)

  • Sagasta

    Apple orchard (sagasti)

  • Sagastizabal

    Broad apple orchard (sagasti + zabal)

  • Salaberria

    New hall or manor; Castilian Salaverría

  • Salazar

    Possibly old hall or manor (sala + zahar); also a Navarrese valley

  • Sarasola

    Willow hut or forge (sarats + ola)

  • Sarasua

    Possibly willow place (sarats)

  • Sorozabal

    Broad field (soro + zabal); Castilian Sorozábal

T

  • Txurruka

    Meaning uncertain; Castilian Churruca

U

  • Ugalde

    Beside the water or river (ur + alde)

  • Ugarte

    Island, land between waters (ur + arte)

  • Unzueta

    Possibly place of ivy (huntz)

  • Uranga

    Possibly watery place (ur)

  • Urdangarin

    Meaning uncertain, possibly from urdin, blue-grey

  • Uria

    The town (uri)

  • Uriarte

    Between towns (uri + arte)

  • Uribe

    Lower town (uri + behe)

  • Urizar

    Old town (uri + zahar)

  • Urkijo

    Possibly place of birches (urki); Castilian Urquijo

  • Urkiza

    Place of birches (urki); Castilian Urquiza

  • Urkullu

    Possibly from urki, birch

  • Urrutia

    The far-off place, distant (urruti)

  • Urrutikoetxea

    House of the far-off place; Castilian Urruticoechea

  • Uzkudun

    Meaning uncertain; Castilian Uzcudun

Z

  • Zabala

    The broad, open place (zabal)

  • Zabaleta

    Place of open ground (zabal + -eta)

  • Zapirain

    Meaning uncertain

  • Zarate

    Possibly mountain pass; Castilian Zárate

  • Zuazo

    Possibly place of trees (zuhaitz)

  • Zuazua

    Possibly place of trees (zuhaitz)

  • Zubia

    The bridge (zubi)

  • Zubiaurre

    In front of the bridge (zubi + aurre)

  • Zubieta

    Place of bridges (zubi + -eta)

  • Zubiri

    Bridge town (zubi + iri)

  • Zubizarreta

    Place of the old bridge (zubi + zahar)

  • Zugasti

    Possibly place of elms or trees (zugatz)

  • Zuloaga

    Place of pits or hollows (zulo + -aga)

  • Zuluaga

    Place of pits, variant of Zuloaga

  • Zulueta

    Place of pits (zulo + -eta)

  • Zumalakarregi

    Possibly place of willows; Castilian Zumalacárregui

  • Zumarraga

    Place of elms (zumar + -aga); Castilian Zumárraga

  • Zumeta

    Place of willows (zume + -eta)

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Results (6)

  • Ibaizabal

    Broad river (ibai + zabal)

  • Basterretxea

    House at the edge; Castilian Basterrechea

  • Oñati

    From the town of Oñati; Castilian Oñate

  • Etxaburu

    End or head of the houses; Castilian Echaburu

  • Zabaleta

    Place of open ground (zabal + -eta)

  • Txurruka

    Meaning uncertain; Castilian Churruca

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    The most widespread Basque last names and meanings

    Etxeberria, new house, and its variant Etxebarria are among the most widespread names, better known in Castilian spelling as Echeverría and Echevarría. Agirre, or Aguirre, means an open or exposed place, and Goikoetxea is the upper house. Urrutia means the distant one, Elizondo next to the church, from eliza, church, and ondo, beside, and Arrieta a stony place, from harri, stone. Uriarte means between towns, and Ibarra a valley or river meadow.

    Several famous names outside the Basque Country belong here too. Mendoza comes from mendi, mountain, and hotz, cold, so it means cold mountain. Bolívar is a small village in Bizkaia whose name is usually explained as mill meadow, and Simón Bolívar's family came from there. Even Xavier, as in Saint Francis Xavier, comes from Etxeberri, new house, the old name of Javier castle in Navarre. Zabala means wide, and Ugarte a place between waters.

    Word pieces that unlock the whole list

    A dozen words explain most of the list. Etxe means house, berri or barri new and zahar old. Goi means high or upper and behe low. Iturri is a spring, zubi a bridge, mendi a mountain, ibar a valley and harri a stone. Once you know these, Iturralde is beside the spring, Iturbe below the spring, Mendizabal the wide mountain and Zubizarreta the old bridge. Larrañaga comes from larrain, threshing floor.

    Suffixes add the idea of a place with many of something. The endings -aga, -eta and -di all work this way. Arteaga is a place of holm oaks, from arte, holm oak, and Lizarraga a place of ash trees, from lizar, ash. Alde means side, so Ugalde is beside the water. In the traditional countryside, each farmhouse, or baserri, had its own name, and the family living there took it, which is why so many surnames describe a building and its surroundings.

    Tips for French forms, spelling and sound

    Basque names are spelled three ways depending on where a family registered. Modern Basque spelling uses tx, k and b, as in Etxegarai and Goikoetxea. Castilian spelling uses ch, c or qu and v, giving Echegaray and Goicoechea. In the French Basque Country, north of the Pyrenees, French spelling gives Etchegaray, Etcheverry and Harriet. When searching the list for a name you know from France or Latin America, try replacing ch or tch with tx.

    Pronunciation follows simple rules. Tx sounds like ch in church, tz like ts, x like sh and z like a soft s. The letter j in Jauregi can sound like the y in yes or like a Spanish jota, depending on the dialect. Stress is usually light and even, unlike the stronger stress of Spanish. For a character from Bilbao or San Sebastián today, the Basque spelling feels current, while the Castilian spelling suits an older or emigrant family.

    Frequently asked questions

    What do most Basque last names describe?

    Most describe a house, a farm or its surroundings. Names built on etxe, house, iturri, spring, mendi, mountain, and zubi, bridge, are very common, because each farmhouse had a name that passed to the family living there.

    Is Mendoza a Basque name?

    Yes. Mendoza comes from the Basque mendi, mountain, and hotz, cold, and began as a place name in Álava. The powerful Mendoza family spread it across Spain and the Americas, and the Argentine city of Mendoza is named after a colonial governor from that family.

    Why do French and Spanish Basques spell the same name differently?

    Each side of the border recorded names using its own national spelling rules. French clerks wrote tch and ou, while Spanish clerks used ch and u. So the name spelled Etxeberria in modern Basque became Echeverría in Spain and Etcheverry in France.

    How do you pronounce tx and tz?

    Tx is pronounced like the ch in church, and tz like the ts in cats. So Etxeberria is roughly eh-cheh-BEH-rya, and Otxoa sounds like oh-CHO-ah. The letter x on its own is closer to sh.

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