Moreno
English /məˈreɪnoʊ/; Spanish /moˈɾeno/noun
A Spanish or Portuguese word, also used as a surname, referring to someone with dark hair or a dark complexion.
Did you know?Moreno descends through Spanish from moro, linked to Latin Maurus, the Roman term associated with the people of Mauretania in North Africa.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
μαυρός (mauros)
“Dark or black; a proposed early source connected with the later Maurus family of words”
1st Century BCE–CE
Latin
Maurus
“A Moor or inhabitant of Mauretania in North Africa”
Late Latin
Latin
Maurus / Maurus-related forms
“A Moor; associated with North African peoples and territories”
Medieval Spanish
Old Spanish
moro
“A Moor; later also a person or thing regarded as dark-colored”
Medieval Spanish
Spanish
moreno
“Dark-haired, dark-complexioned, or brown in color; formed with the suffix -eno”
Modern English
English
Moreno
“A Spanish or Portuguese surname or loanword referring to a dark-haired or dark-complexioned person”