ía ▁is ▁a ▁Spanish ▁surname . ▁Several ▁theories ▁exist ▁as ▁to ▁its ▁orig ins ▁and ▁et ym ology . ▁The ▁prev ail ing ▁belief ▁is ▁that ▁the ▁name ▁has ▁Gal ician ▁orig ins . ▁The ▁surname ▁is ▁most ▁common ▁in ▁Spain ▁and ▁Latin ▁American ▁countries , ▁including ▁Colombia ▁and ▁Mexico . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁The ▁surname ▁may ▁have ▁origin ated ▁as ▁a ▁to pon ym ▁for ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁M ux ia ▁in ▁Gal icia , ▁an ▁autonom ous ▁community ▁in ▁north - western ▁Spain . ▁Another ▁idea ▁is ▁that ▁the ▁word ▁" M ex ia " ▁used ▁to ▁mean ▁" med ic ine " ▁in ▁an ▁old ▁variant ▁of ▁Spanish , ▁and ▁that ▁this ▁is ▁where ▁the ▁surname ▁came ▁from . ▁ ▁One ▁common ▁belief ▁is ▁that ▁the ▁name ▁may ▁have ▁Se ph ard ic ▁orig ins , ▁from ▁when ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Kingdom ▁forced ▁Jewish ▁sett lers ▁to ▁change ▁their ▁surname ▁to ▁Cast ill ian . ▁The ▁translation ▁of ▁the ▁surname ▁for ▁" Mess iah " ▁would ▁then ▁become ▁the ▁name ▁" M es ía ". ▁However , ▁the ▁Spanish ▁people ▁who ▁travel led ▁to ▁the ▁Spanish ▁colon ies ▁in ▁South ▁America ▁were ▁not ▁allowed ▁to ▁be ▁Jewish ▁or ▁to ▁have ▁any ▁Jewish ▁or ▁Muslim ▁ancest ors , ▁and ▁thus ▁this ▁explanation ▁may ▁not ▁account ▁for ▁the ▁popular ity ▁of ▁the ▁surname ▁in ▁modern - day ▁Latin ▁America . ▁ ▁Note ▁that ▁Mex ía ▁is ▁the ▁older ▁Spanish ▁sp elling ▁of ▁the ▁name . ▁In ▁the ▁modern ▁orth ography ▁of ▁Spain