CABRERA
Cabrera is a surname of Spanish origin, first recorded in the Iberian Peninsula and subsequently spread across Europe and beyond.
The name derives from the Spanish word cabrero, meaning goatherd or shepherd, and is thought to have originated as a locational surname associated with the northwestern region of Galicia. Individuals who lived or worked in areas where goat herding was common were often identified by this occupational marker.
Historical records indicate that the surname also derives from several villages called Cabrera in Spain, with its root in the Roman Latin term capriaria, meaning “the place of the wild animals.” During Roman rule from 100 AD to 410 AD, Latin influenced the development of Spanish toponyms, many of which later became hereditary surnames. The earliest documented spelling is attributed to Miguel Hortiz Cabrera, christened in Carinena, Zaragoza, on 24 April 1606, during the reign of King Philip V of Spain.
Coat‑of‑arms holders of the name bear a quartered shield: the first quarter a gold crown on blue; the second a red lion on silver; the third a gold tower on red; and the fourth a mound surmounted by a ram on a gold field. These symbols are registered in the heraldic records of Spain.
From the fifteenth century onward, bearers of the surname migrated to various parts of the world, establishing the surname in Mexico, the Caribbean, the Americas and other regions. Historic certificates such as the christening of Ana Cabrera in Asuncion, Mexico, on 7 November 1617, and Anna De Cabrera in San Miguel, Mexico, on 2 June 1716, demonstrate the early diaspora and integration of the name within Christian communities worldwide.
Typical given names associated with the Cabrera surname
Male
- Alex
- Alexander
- Antonio
- David
- Edwin
- James
- Jose
- Juan
- Julian
- Kenrick
- Michael
- Steven
Female
- Ana
- Angela
- Belinda
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Jane
- Juanita
- Maria
- Marta
- Mary
- Nancy
- Patricia
- Stacey
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Cabrera in...
Braille
⠉⠁⠃⠗⠑⠗⠁
Morse
-.-..--....-...-..-
Semaphore
There are approximately 392 people named Cabrera in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around six in a million people in Britain are named Cabrera.
Origin: Iberian
Region of origin: Europe
Country of origin: Spain
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Spanish
Famous people named Cabrera
- Santiago Cabrera - Chilean actor
- George Cabrera - Football player
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.