Show ContentsEspinos History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Espinos was originally a Spanish family that moved to Portugal before the sixteenth century. 1 This surname is of toponymic origin, being derived from the name of the place of residence of the initial bearer. In this instance, the surname is taken directly from the place-name Espinos which is found in a number of Spanish regions including Galicia and the Vascongadas. Thus, the place-name signifies "one from Espinos". According to etymologists, the place-name Espinos is derived from the word "espino" which means "hawthorn." Thus, the place-name/surname Espinos literally signifies "abundance of hawthorn." By extension, the name is also derived from the Latin word 'spinosus,' meaning thorny. For this reason, a hawthorn tree is shown on the coat of arms.

By example, Espinosa de los Monteros is a municipality in the province of Burgos, Castile and León, Spain and this naming tradition continues to the New World where today we find Espinosa, a municipality in the north of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil and Espinosa, a barrio in the municipality of Dorado, Puerto Rico.

Early Origins of the Espinos family

The surname Espinos was first found in one of the main towns of Espinoza, in what is now Spain. The name was frequently shortened from the Espinosa spelling to Sinosa. An early reference to a specific family of the name Espinos mentions the name Espinosa de los Monteros. Felix Espinosa de los Monteros, born in Barcelona in the early 18th century, held the rank of Capitan de Infanteria and was a member of the Order of Santiago. In 1762, he was granted the title of Marques de Monte Oliver and Vizconde del Charco del Novillo.

Early History of the Espinos family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Espinos research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1484, 1515, 1537, 1543, 1545, 1547, 1562, 1600, 1630, 1632, 1633, 1667, 1677, 1679 and 1755 are included under the topic Early Espinos History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Espinos Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Espinosa, Spinosa, Spinoza, Espinoza, Spineus and others.

Early Notables of the Espinos family

Prominent members of the family include

  • Alonso de Espinosa (1543-?), a Spanish priest and historian of the sixteenth century who was the first official historian of the island of Tenerife. Fray Antonio Vazquez de Espinosa (born in Jerez de...

Migration of the Espinos family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Alonso De Espinosa arrived in New Spain in 1576; Anton De Espinos arrived in America in 1514; Beatriz Espinosa arrived in America in 1517 with her daughter Juanica Granciso.



  1. De Faria, Antonio Machado. Armorial lusitano: genealogia e heráldica. Lisboa, 1961. Print


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