Herrera
A Spanish surname that most often points to someone who worked with iron, especially as a smith or ironworker.
The #129 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 1,602 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Herrera is the feminine form of the Spanish word for an ironworker or smith, built on hierro, “iron,” from Latin ferrum. In surname use, it originally identified a person connected with iron-working rather than a place name. In Spanish naming, the related forms Herrero and Herreros are also common.
History
The surname is long established in Spain and later spread widely across the Spanish-speaking world through migration. It appears frequently in historical Spanish lineages and was borne by notable figures such as the architect Juan de Herrera. Today it is especially common in Spain and Latin America, and also well represented in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Juan de Herrera, the architect associated with the austere “Herrerian” style, helped make the surname famous beyond genealogy circles.
From the historical record
“Herrador. El que tiene por oficio herrar la caballería. Herrera. La que trabaja en hierro. Herreros. Los que tienen por oficio hacer obras de hierro en grueso, como balcones, calces de coches, etc. Hidalgo. La persona que por su sangre ¡ linaje es de”
— Diccionario de los apellidosNotable people named Herrera
- Ander Herrera (b. 1989)
- Héctor Herrera (b. 1990)
- Helenio Herrera (1910–1997)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.