Zambrano

Zambrano is a surname of Spanish and also Basque origin. Members of this family have played a prominent role through the history of Spain and The Americas.
Etymology.
Zambrana or Zambrano comes from the word "soberano" ("sovereign").
Origins.
The Zambrano family originated in the mountains of Biscay. Piferrer records that the first to bear this name was Fortun Sanchez.
Francisco Zazo y Rosillo, the Chronicler King of Arms to Philip V of Spain, chronicled the lineage of the Zambrano family from its origins in the village of Zambrana in the Gipuzkoa province in what was at the time the Kingdom of Castile. This Castilian origin is reflected in the Zambrano family crest, which features the castle sigil of Castile along with the rose sigil of Reus. The progenitor of this line was Ochoa de Zambraos, who served as a knight to the Catholic Monarchs. Zazo proceeds to trace the lineage through five generations (and the eventual evolution of the name from Zambraos to Zambrano), noting the spread of the family to Flanders, Úbeda, Málaga, Antequera and La Rioja, and the service of the family to Philip I of Castile, Charles V of Flanders and Philip II of Spain.
The village of Zambrana was named for the Zambrano family, who were granted a land grant there by Don Sancho in 1058.
The "Estado Militar de España" was an annual register of the status of military affairs of Spain, including the listing of special orders of military honor, including the Order of Santiago, the Order of Calatrava, the Order of Alcantara and the Order of Montesa. The Zambrano name can be found frequently among these registers.
Notable Zambranos.
Notable people with this surname include: