Quintanilla

Meaning and origin

The last name Quintanilla is of Spanish origin, derived from the word "quintana," which means "country estate" or "farm" in medieval Latin. It is a toponymic surname, indicating that it was derived from a place name, referring to a village or estate called Quintanilla. This surname is commonly found in the Spanish-speaking regions of Spain and Latin America, particularly in the Castile and León region of Spain.

The longer story

The last name Quintanilla is of Spanish origin and is derived from the word "quinta," meaning "fifth" in Spanish. This suggests that the name may have originally denoted a person living on or owning the fifth plot of land in a village or town.

The suffix "-illa" is a diminutive form in Spanish, indicating "small" or "little." Therefore, Quintanilla may have initially referred to a smaller or subordinate property associated with the fifth plot. Over time, this name may have been adopted as a surname by individuals living in or near such locations.

As a locational surname, Quintanilla may also indicate a person's origin from a place called Quintanilla or a similar variant. There are various villages and towns across Spain that bear the name Quintanilla, including Quintanilla del Coco, Quintanilla de Arriba, and Quintanilla de Vegamián.

Surname origins are rarely settled: one spelling can have several sources, and families often took a name for reasons nobody wrote down. Check it against the sources below before you rely on it.