Icaza

Icaza is a surname of Spanish origin that is found in Spain and widely across Latin America. It is commonly used as a family name within Spanish-speaking communities and appears in historical and contemporary records across multiple countries. The exact etymology is not definitively established; the name is generally treated as toponymic, suggesting origin from a place name in the Iberian Peninsula. In some genealogical accounts, it is associated with lineages that migrated from the Iberian world to the Americas during the colonial and post-colonial periods, contributing to its present distribution.

Today, Icaza is found in many countries of the Spanish-speaking world, including Spain, Colombia, Mexico, Costa Rica, Argentina, Ecuador, and others, reflecting patterns of migration and settlement. In Spanish naming customs, Icaza is most often a paternal surname in two-surname combinations, paired with a maternal surname.

Notable bearers of the name have been active in a range of fields such as politics, academia, journalism, and the arts. Because the surname is relatively widespread and not tied to a single landmark historical figure, biographies of individuals named Icaza cover diverse, regional contexts rather than a unified national narrative. The name is used across generations and regions, illustrating how a family name can travel and adapt across different cultures and eras.