Céspedes
A Spanish surname meaning “grasslands” or “lawns,” originally tied to a place name or a person living by grassy ground.
The #6,558 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 59,742 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Céspedes is a Spanish surname built on césped, meaning “grass,” “turf,” or “lawn,” ultimately from Latin caespes, “turf” or “sod.” The surname likely began as a locational name for someone from a place associated with grassy ground or as a descriptive name for a person living near such a place. The final -es can reflect a place-based or plural-style formation in Spanish surnames, though the exact historical pathway is not always clear.
History
The surname is well established in Spanish-speaking regions and also appears in parts of Latin America through colonial-era migration. It is best known internationally through bearers such as the Cuban writer and independence leader Carlos Manuel de Céspedes. In modern records, the name often appears without the accent mark outside Spanish orthography.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Carlos Manuel de Céspedes is remembered as the “Father of the Fatherland” in Cuba.