Alamos

Alamos is a Spanish toponym and surname meaning “the poplars.” It is used for several places in the Spanish-speaking world and appears as a family name in various countries.

Among the geographic uses, Álamos, Sonora, is a city and municipality in southern Sonora, Mexico. It is noted for its historically preserved colonial center and traditional architecture. Los Alamos, New Mexico, is a town in the northern United States known for housing the Los Alamos National Laboratory and its ties to the development of nuclear research during the 20th century. Álamos, Huelva, is a municipality in Andalusia, Spain, located in the province of Huelva and recognized for its historic center and regional Andalusian townscape.

The name also appears in smaller localities and geographic features named Alamos or Álamos in various regions, typically reflecting the landscape feature of poplar trees. In addition to place names, Alamos serves as a surname in Spanish-speaking communities, borne by individuals across different professions.

Overall, Alamos highlights how a single term can denote multiple places across North America and Europe as well as a family name rooted in a descriptive natural feature.