Muñoz
A Spanish surname that originally meant “son of Muño” or “son of Munio.”
The #168 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 1,948 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Muñoz is a Spanish patronymic surname. It comes from the medieval personal name Muño or Munio, with the ending -oz marking descent or filiation. In literal terms, it means “son of Muño/Munio,” though the given name itself is older and of uncertain origin.
History
The surname is long established in Spain and spread widely through the Spanish-speaking world. It is especially common in Latin America and the United States because of later migration from Spain and, more broadly, from Spanish colonial populations. The spelling usually preserves the ñ in Spanish, though it is often written as Munoz in English-language records where diacritics are omitted.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In everyday English records, Muñoz often becomes Munoz because the letter ñ is frequently dropped from forms, databases, and passports that only allow basic Latin letters.