The following is a list of names found on public documents in Northeastern Mexico before 1724. Early Entrants into Northeastern New Spain (A-B)
NAMEMEANINGAREA of ORIGINDATE of FIRST MENTION
AbregoProbably a place nameAsturias, Castile, Aragon, Basque1580
AdameAdamCastile
Aguadowatered downNavarro1636
AgueroRecipient of waterNavarre1635
AguilarSharp-sightedCordoba, Portugal, et al.1621
AguileraDerivative of AguilarCordoba, Portugal, et al.
AguirreForm of AguilarBasque1590
AgustinAugustusAragon
Alami
AlarconLarch treeAsturias, Murcia1698
AldabaldeBasque1664
AlejandroAlexanderOriginally Italian1694
Alfarowatch tower (Arabic)La Rioja, Spain1691
AlmandosNavarre
AlonsoAlonzoAll of Spain1600
AlvarezSon of Alvino (Alvin)All of Spain1635
Anunciamiento1664
AnunzarriProbably Basque
AraunaPlace nameBasque1626
ArcePlace covered with stonesFrench Basque originally1636
ArellanoSieveNavarre1693
Arias SongNavarre1707
ArizpeFrench Basque originally
ArratiaBasque
ArrechederraBasque
ArredondoRoundSantander1626
Arellana
ArriagaRocky slopeBasque, Valencia
ArriolaBasque
AscencioTo riseCastile, Aragon
AvalosCentral Spain (Gothic)
AvilaPlace nameCastile1628
AyalaPlace nameBasque, Aragon1603
BabenaGalicia
BallesterosCrossbowmanCentral Spain1685
BarbarigoBearded oneCentral Spain
BarbosaBearded onePortuguese
BarceloDerived from Barca familyFrance and Catalonia
BarchenaCastile
BarredaClay PitSantander1674
BarreraClay PitCentral Spain, Basque1647
BerrioCentral Spain
BazalduaBasque1691
BazanNavarre1634
BelmarCastile
Beltranbrilliant curve (Gothic)Aragon and Catalonia
BenavidesSaintly lifeCastile1621
BenitezSon of BenitoAll Spain1642
Berlanga1670
BermeoBasque1649
BetancourtFrench Origin, Canary Islands
BlancoWhiteAll Spain
BohorquesCastile
BosqueWoodsAragon
BotelloFlask or bottleCastile1625
BravoBraveCastile
Buentello1626
BustamanteSexton or gravekeeperSantander, Burgos1709
* Source of the above info.:  Duaine, Carl Laurence. "With All Arms A Study of a Kindred Group" Edinburg, Texas: 
New Santander Press, 1987.

Family Histories

Abrego - A knight of the House of Abrego was don Diego de Abrego. He was from an 
area near the town of Oviedo in Asturias. His sister had a daughter with the King 
Don Alfonso VIII of Castilla. This daughter married Don Garcia Ramirez, King of 
Navarra, in Leon (on June 24, 1144). Armas: un arbol de sinople y tres lobos, de 
sable, atravesados al tronco, dos por delante y uno detras; bordura de gules con 
ocho sotueres de oro.
Abrego Family Genealogy Forum
The Abrego Surname Message Board
 
Adame - The Adame's were involved in the conquest of Baeza.
The Adame Surname Message Board

Aguado - Decendents of the Knight Fortun Saez who was from the kingdom of 
Fernando III. He fought against the Moor Hamet Celin whom he killed. When 
the King saw him as he returned from battle all wet with blood, mud and water 
he asked how he was. Fortun replied Victorious sir and Aguado (watered down). 
He then used the name first as a first name then as his surname. Married Maria
de Bustamante. A direct decendant Don Diego Aguado fought with valor as commander 
of the wars in Flanders. 

Aguero - Armas: Escudo lleno por cinco ordenes de veros de oro y azur. Otros 
traen: escudo lleno por cinco ordenes de veros. 
The Aguero Surname Message Board

Aguilar - Coat of Arms
Aguilar Family Genealogy Forum
The Aguilar Surname Message Board

Aguilera - Decendants of the King Don Ramiro I. Coat of Arms
Aguilera Family Genealogy Forum
The Aguilera Surname Message Board

Aguirre - Coat of Arms
Aguirre Family Genealogy Forum
The Aguirre Surname Message Board

Agustin - From the city of Fraga in Huesca where branches of the family formed 
new houses in the provinces of Zaragoza, Cuenca, Burgos y Valencia. 

Alarcon - The first to use this surname was Fernan Martinez de Ceballos. He was a 
Captain of the King Don Alfonso IX. He was the first to scale the walls of the 
town of Alarcon which had been taken by the Moors in 1176. The King gave him the 
town to administer and the name to use as his surname. The house of Alarcon then 
extended to all of Spain, Portugal and America.
Alarcon Family Genealogy Forum
The Alarcon Surname Message Board

Aldabalde - Knights of this line can be found in the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa
and in the conquest of the kingdom of Granada. 

Alejandro - Armas: En campo de oro, un leon rampante, de gules y brochante sobre el
todo, una banda de azur cargada de tres estrellas de oro.
Alejandro Family Genealogy Forum
The Alejandro Surname Message Board

Alfaro - El Apellido Alfaro webpage.
Alfaro Family Genealogy Forum
The Alfaro Surname Message Board

Alonso - There are multiple origins to this surname. The Alonso's of Castilla are 
decendants of the King Don Alfonso IX. This produced several natural children, 
including Pedro Alonso the XIII master of the Order of Santiago . 
The Alonso Surname Message Board

Alvarez - Coat of Arms
Alvarez Family Genealogy Forum
The Alvarez Surname Message Board

Arauna - From the Basque town of Arauna in the area of Elorrio in Durango Spain. 

Arce - Decendants of the Knight Rodrigo de Arce. This family is spread throughout 
the Iberian Penninsula and into Mexico. Coat of Arms
Arce Family Genealogy Forum
The Arce Surname Message Board

Arellano - This name started when Sancho Ramirez (brother of King Don Garcia Ramirez) 
married Dona Elvira Gomez (daughter of the Count Gomez Gonzalez Salvadores). Their 
son Sancho Sanchez administered the town of Arellano and founded the house of Arellano. 
Much later this line spread to Castilla and then to Mexico. 
Arellano Family Genealogy Forum
The Arellano Surname Message Board

Arias - Coat of Arms
Arias Family Genealogy Forum
The Arias Surname Message Board

Arizpe - Armas: Escudo cortado por una faja de plata en arco: 1, en campo de azur,
un cometa de oro de doce rayos, y 2, en campo de gules una paloma de plata, llevando
en el pico un ramo de oliva, andante entre dos estrellas de oro. 

Arratia - From the town with the same name in the area of Durango, Vizcaya Spain.

Arredondo - From the town of the same name in Ramales Cantabria. This line passed
into Cuba and Mexico. Coat of Arms
The Arredondo Surname Message Board

Arriaga - Decendants of a Knight that in the times of King Garcia (the Noble) won 
from Moors the town of Tafalla.
The Arriaga Surname Message Board

Avalos - From the surname Davalos. Decendants of a family that founded the town of 
San Davalos at the time of the Roman Conquest of the Iberian Penninsula. 
Avalos Family Genealogy Forum
The Avalos Surname Message Board

Avila - See Davila.  
The AVILA Family "New Spain Settlers"
Avila Family Genealogy Forum
The Avila Surname Message Board

Ayala - Coat of Arms 
Don Enrique the IV on Nov. 20th 1470 made Don Pedro Lopez de Ayala a count of 
Fuensalida. In 1637 the 6th count of Fuensalida was Don Pedro Lopez de Ayala. A 
branch of this family came to the Americas in the person of Don Juan de Ayala y 
Escobar. Source Diccionario Heraldico by Lander Munoz. 
Ayala Family Genealogy Forum
The Ayala Surname Message Board

Barreda - Decendants of Gonzalez Perez de Barreda who served Ordono III and Sancho I.

Barrera - Coat of Arms 
Barrera Family Genealogy Forum
The Barrera Surname Message Board

Berrio - Related to the Marquis of the house of Xara and the Counts of the house of 
Palma. Branches of this family settled Navarra, Castilla and the Indies.

Bazan - This line was one of the 12 houses of Navarre founded by the King Garcia 
Ramirez in 1135.
Bazan Family Genealogy Forum
The Bazan Surname Message Board

Beltran - Coat of Arms
The Beltran Surname Message Board

Benavides - Decendants of Don Fernando Alfonso de Benevides who was a natural son of
the Emperor Don Alfonso VII of Castilla. In Mexico Don Carlos the first awarded Don 
Ruflo (Nuņo) de Benavides of Antequera Mexico in the valley of Oaxaca, the following: 
Coat of Arms on April 25,1532.
Benavides Family Genealogy Forum
The Benavides Surname Message Board

Benitez - One early Benitez arrival to Mexico was Alonso Benitez Grajera. Parents: 
Juan Benito and Mencia Grajera. From: Puebla de Calzada. Married in Spain and 
settled in 1536 and to the Puebla Mx. area in 1547. Took part in the Conquest of 
Nueva Galicia with the Viceroy Mendoza.   
Benitez Family Genealogy Forum
The Benitez Surname Message Board

Bermeo - From the Basque town of the same name. A decendant was Don Diego de Alcega 
of Mexico who was given the Order of Santiago  in 1649.
The Bermeo Surname Message Board

Blanco - Coat of Arms
Blanco Family Genealogy Forum
The Blanco Surname Message Board

Bohorques - Coat of Arms

Bustamante - Decendants of Don Rodrigo, the nephew of Carlomagno. One branch of this
family established itself in Mexico and another in Chile.
Bustamante Family Genealogy Forum
The Bustamante Surname Message Board