Espina

Espina is a Spanish, Astur-Leonese, and Catalan surname that means "thorn" in Spanish. It originated as a topographic name for someone who lived near a thorn bush or bramble patch, a common practice in medieval Iberia where natural landmarks defined homesteads. The name is related to several variant forms that carry the same visual or agricultural imagery, such as Espino (meaning "thorn bush") and the more widespread Espinosa or Espinoza (meaning "thorny place"). Together, these surnames reflect a family of topographic identifiers that would have been especially common in rural areas of Spain, Portugal, and their overseas colonies.