Araujo

Araujo is the Spanish form of Araújo. The surname Araújo itself is a Galician and Portuguese surname of noble medieval origin, denoting a person who hailed from one of the several places named Araújo in Portugal. The meaning of "Araújo" is debated, but one plausible etymology traces it to the Latin altariculus or arauciculus (“small altar”), suggesting that such places were named for being near small altars or ancient religious sites. The most prominent place likely the parish of Araújo in the municipality of Valença, in northern Portugal near the Spanish border. As families migrated, the surname spread across the Iberian Peninsula and, later, to Spanish-speaking colonies in the Americas.

The surname was borne by Don Rodrigo de Araújo, a Spanish priest and diplomat who served as the commissioner of lands claimed by the Spanish monarchy in the New World. In the Philippines, the variant Araullo also appears, often carried by prominent records.

Distribution

Araujo is found most abundantly in Brazil and Portugal, where it is still spelled Araújo. In Spain and Spanish-speaking countries such as Mexico, Venezuela and Argentina, the spelling Araujo prevails. It is also fairly common among Filipino families, due to Spanish influence, though the variant Araullo may be found as well.

• Meaning: “small altar” (from Latin arauciculus)
• Origin: Galician/Portuguese place name
• Type: habitational
• Regions: Galiza, Portugal, Spain, Latin America, Philippines