Salinas

The mountainous borders of Spain contain the origins of the prestigious surname Salinas. The original bearer of the name Salinas, which is a local surname, once lived, held land, or was born in the beautiful region of Spain. In Spain, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules and during the late Middle Ages, names that were derived from localities became increasingly widespread. Local names originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. The name Salinas is a corruption of the surname Salillas, which is derived from the Germanic word "sal," which means "building" and the diminutive ending "illas." The first bearer of this surname inhabited a large building or fortress, which was the most prominent construction of the town.