Caldera
A surname likely tied to a large metal cauldron or boiler, and in some cases to Spanish place-names built from the same word.
The #4,542 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 39,573 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Spanish caldera means a cauldron, kettle, or large metal boiler. The word ultimately comes from Latin caldaria, from calidus, meaning “hot,” so the original sense is something used for heating or boiling. As a surname, it may have begun as a nickname for someone who made or sold such vessels, or as a habitational name from a place called Caldera.
History
The form is well established in the Spanish-speaking world and also appears in areas shaped by Spanish migration, especially the Americas. In some families it may reflect an ancestral place-name rather than a trade name, so the surname can have more than one route of origin. The historical excerpt mainly confirms the common noun sense of caldera rather than giving a full surname explanation.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same Spanish word also gave rise to the English geological term caldera, for a large volcanic crater.
From the historical record
“Caldas. Plural del anterior. Caldera. Vasija de hierro, cobre u otro metal, grande i redondo, con una asa en medio para levantarla. Calderon. Signo con que se denota los millares. Signo (11) que tiene el mismo valor. que el párrafo ($) Signo (7) que representa la suspension del compás.”
— Diccionario de los apellidosNotable people named Caldera
- Rafael Caldera (1916–2009)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.