NAVARRO Family History

Recorded in the spellings of Navarro, Navaro, Navarijo, Najara, Najera, and de Najera, this is a locational surname. It is esentially Spanish but may also be French, and is also occasionally British in the surname as Nabarro. However spelt it describes a former resident of the ancient kingdom of Navarre, now divided between France and Spain. The name means 'the treeless country' or perhaps 'the country above the trees', the precise meaning being subject to controversy. Locational surnames of this type were given as easy identification when the person concerned moved to another country, and still apply in the 20th century.