apellido
“apellido” means “last name” in Spanish (The family name.).
last name, surname
📝 In Action
Mi apellido es Fernández.
A1My last name is Fernández.
En España, la gente tiene dos apellidos: el del padre y el de la madre.
A2In Spain, people have two last names: the father's and the mother's.
Por favor, escribe tu nombre y tu apellido en el formulario.
A1Please write your first name and your last name on the form.
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: apellido
Question 1 of 1
If someone in Mexico introduces themselves as 'María López García,' which word refers to 'García'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Old Spanish verb 'apellidar,' meaning 'to call' or 'to name.' This ultimately traces back to the Latin word 'appellāre,' which meant 'to address' or 'to appeal to.'
First recorded: Medieval Spanish (around the 13th century)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
¿Cómo se dice 'maiden name' en español?
The closest phrase is 'apellido de soltera' (last name of the single woman). However, since Spanish-speaking women typically keep their birth surnames after marriage, this concept is less common than in English-speaking cultures.
Why is 'apellido' masculine?
'Apellido' is masculine because it ends in '-o' and comes from a masculine root noun. In Spanish, whether a word is masculine or feminine is often based on its ending, not the thing it describes.