Crespo

Crespo is a surname of Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish origin, derived from the Latin word crispus, meaning "curly." It originally referred to a person with curly hair, a common trait used in nicknames and later as a hereditary surname.

The surname's geographical spread reflects the colonial empires of Portugal and Spain. In the Iberian Peninsula, it is found across western Spain and Portugal. During the Age of Exploration, the name was carried to the Americas, where it remains most common in Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Argentina. In Brazil it retains a significant presence, particularly within the large Portuguese-heritage population.

Among other Romance languages, including French, an analogous form Crespeau or Crespy exists. In Italian, Crespi is a frequent variant, while Anglophone contexts encounter the surname Crisp, which is an English cognate with the same etymological root.

According to the United States Census Bureau (2010), Crespo ranks 2042nd among American surnames and is borne by about 17,629 individuals. Notably, 88.84 % of those identified as Hispanic or Latino, reflecting the name's strong migration history from Latin America as well as recent immigration patterns from Spanish-speaking nations. Symbolically,Crespo still carries the ancient tactile descriptor: “curly-headed.”

• Meaning: Cloud/curly haired (from Latin crispum)
• Origins Italy, Portugal, Spain
• Type Nickname / ornamental
• Frequent modern registrations:* Americas via Iberian colonialism