Benidorm has long ranked among Spain’s most international destinations, attracting visitors and residents from across Europe. British, Dutch, Belgian and German communities have all helped shape the city over the years.
However, when it comes to the most common surnames among people who actually live there, the biggest surprise comes from much further afield.
According to official figures from Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE), one non-Spanish surname has earned a place among Benidorm’s 20 most common family names.
Singh joins Benidorm’s top 20 surnames
Alongside familiar Spanish surnames such as García, Martínez, López and Sánchez sits Singh, which ranks 19th with 287 residents using it as their first surname.
As a result, it appears more frequently than several well-known Spanish surnames, including Álvarez.
It’s not Smith, Johnson, Müller or Van den Berg. Instead, the only clearly non-Spanish surname in Benidorm’s top 20 comes from the Indian subcontinent.
What does Singh mean?
Singh literally means “lion”.
The word comes from the ancient Sanskrit term simha and has long symbolised courage, strength and nobility.
In 1699, Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, instructed Sikh men to adopt Singh as their surname to promote equality and remove caste distinctions. At the same time, women adopted the surname Kaur, meaning “princess”.
Although some Hindus in northern India also use Singh, most people associate it with the Sikh community, particularly families with roots in the Punjab region.
Today, people with the surname live all over the world, with large Sikh communities in countries including the UK, Canada and Australia.
A reflection of modern Benidorm
The appearance of Singh among Benidorm’s most common surnames highlights the city’s increasingly diverse population.
While the Costa Blanca resort remains famous for attracting European retirees and holidaymakers, it has also welcomed growing communities from Asia, many of whom work in hospitality, retail and other service industries.
Overall, almost four in every 1,000 Benidorm residents now have Singh as their first surname.
Although it may seem like a small detail, it reflects how the city continues to evolve. In one of Spain’s most international resorts, the only non-Spanish surname in the top 20 comes not from northern Europe, but from Punjab, underlining Benidorm’s global character.
