Cuevas
A Spanish surname meaning “caves,” originally a place-name or topographic name for someone from a cave-filled area.
The #790 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 7,065 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Cuevas is the plural of Spanish cuevas, meaning “caves.” The word goes back to Latin cova, “cave” or “hollow,” and the surname most likely began as a locational name for someone from a place called Cuevas or a nearby area marked by caves. In some cases it may also have functioned as a topographic surname for a family living near caves or rocky hollows.
History
The surname is common in Spain and the Spanish-speaking world, and it also appears in medieval place-linked noble lineages, such as branches styled “de las Cuevas.” In surname collections, it is typically treated as a plural place-name surname rather than as a descriptive nickname. It spread widely to Latin America through Spanish settlement and migration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because it is a plural form, Cuevas literally means “caves,” not “the cave.”
From the historical record
“vivir. | Cuevas. Plural del anterior. Cuevillas. Diminutivo de cuevas, Cujas. Bolsas de cuero que se ponian asidas a la silla del caballo para meter el cuento de'la lanza o bandera. -”
— Diccionario de los apellidos