| Surname | Meaning | Built from | Type | Say it | How common |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cruz | cross | cruz (cross) | Religious | KROOS | top 10 |
| Castillo | castle | castillo (castle), from Latin castellum | From a place | kas-TEE-yoh | top 50 |
| Chávez | from Chaves | Chaves (town in Portugal, Latin Aquae Flaviae: waters of Flavius) | From a place | CHAH-ves | top 50 |
| Castro | fortified settlement | castro (hill fort), from Latin castrum | From a place | KAS-troh | top 50 |
| Contreras | from Contreras | Contreras (village in Burgos), from Latin contraria (land facing opposite) | From a place | kon-TREH-ras | top 50 |
| Cortés | courteous | cortés (courteous, well-mannered) | Descriptive | kor-TES | top 200 |
| Cervantes | from Cervantes | Cervantes (village in Lugo), possibly from ciervo (deer) | From a place | ser-VAHN-tes | top 200 |
| Carrillo | cheek | carrillo (cheek), a nickname; or diminutive of carro (cart) | Descriptive | kah-RREE-yoh | top 200 |
| Cabrera | place of goats | cabra (goat) + -era (place of), from Latin capraria | From a place | kah-BREH-rah | top 200 |
| Cárdenas | bluish-purple places | cárdeno (purple, livid) + -as (plural), for the color of the land | From a place | KAR-deh-nas | top 200 |
| Camacho | uncertain, possibly bent | possibly camacho (crooked, bent), a nickname | Descriptive | kah-MAH-choh | top 200 |
| Campos | fields | campo+-s | From a place | KAHM-pos | top 200 |
| Cisneros | place of swans | cisne+-ero | From a place | sees-NEH-ros | top 200 |
| Cantú | from Cantù | Cantù (town in Lombardy) | From a place | kan-TOO | regional |
| Chan | small | Yucatec chan (small, little); also Chontal chan (snake) | Indigenous | CHAHN | regional |
| Canul | guardian | Yucatec kanul (guardian, protector) | Indigenous | kah-NOOL | regional |
| Canché | wooden frame | Yucatec kaanche' (raised wooden platform or altar), from kaan (?) + che' (tree, wood) | Indigenous | kahn-CHEH | regional |
| Cauich | two-faced | Yucatec ka'+ich | Indigenous | kah-WEECH | regional |
| Chi | mouth | Yucatec chi' (mouth, edge); also the nance tree | Indigenous | CHEE | regional |
| Caamal | uncertain | Yucatec kaamal, possibly ka'a (two) + mal (times) | Indigenous | kah-ah-MAHL | regional |
| Cuautle | eagle | cuāuhtli (eagle), Hispanized ending | Indigenous | KWOWT-leh | regional |
| Cocom | one who listens | Yucatec kokom (listener; also a vine, Paullinia) | Indigenous | koh-KOHM | uncommon |
| Couoh | tarantula | Yucatec kowoh (tarantula) | Indigenous | koh-WOH | uncommon |
Browse all 140 surnames on the Mexican last names page, or see how the two-surname system works.