Varela Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Varela last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Varela last name
Meaning of the Varela last name: rod, staff. Varela is a Galician surname from places called Varela, from vara, "rod, staff". The last name is common in Galicia and spread widely in Latin America. Curiously, it is among the most frequent last names in Uruguay, where many Galician families settled.
Arms associated with the Varela name
Spanish heraldry likes castles, lions and trees, and coats of arms associated with the Varela surname, each with its blazon, follow suit.
Get your full Varela family history
This is only a glimpse of the Varela story. The full Varela 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 Varela coat of arms. Get the full Varela report.
Varela name FAQ
What does the Varela name mean?
rod, staff. Common variants include Barela.
Where does the Varela surname come from?
It originates in Spain, and is also found in Uruguay, Argentina and Cuba.
Is there a Varela coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Varela 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).