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Centeno Surname Meaning & Origin

What the Centeno last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.

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Meaning and origin of the Centeno last name

Meaning of the Centeno last name: rye. Centeno is a Spanish surname from centeno, 'rye', for a farmer of rye or someone from a place named for it. The last name is found in Castile and across Latin America. A curious detail: rye grew where wheat struggled, on the cold uplands of northern Spain, so the name often points north.

Arms associated with the Centeno name

Coats of arms associated with the Centeno surname follow Spanish heraldry, each set out in a short blazon.

Get your full Centeno family history

This is only a glimpse of the Centeno story. The full Centeno history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Centeno coat of arms. Get the full Centeno report.

Centeno name FAQ

What does the Centeno name mean?

Rye. Common variants include Centena.

Where does the Centeno surname come from?

It originates in Spain, and is also found in Mexico, the United States and Colombia.

Is there a Centeno coat of arms?

Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Centeno coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.

Sources: Roberto Faure, María Asunción Ribes & Antonio García, Diccionario de apellidos españoles (Espasa, 2001); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).