Pastrana (surname)

Pastrana (Pastrani, ref. Visigoth King Wamba c. 630-687), is a Sephardic surname of Greek origin ((Pastra (πάστρα), meaning cleanliness)) and it is toponymic. It was taken from a place with this designation, in the region of Guadalajara in Spain (the Town of Pastrana’s was first documented in manuscripts referring to the Visigoth town of Pastrani, mentioned by King Wamba (c. 672-680) when he was drawing up boundaries for Christian dioceses. It is a surname used by many Sephardic Jews and converso families (Ref. 1533-1539 Inquisition Trial of Juan de Pastrana Diaz for practicing Judaism (Judaizante) and having a Jewish genealogy (“tiene geneologia de los Pastranas y son de decendientes de judios”), see Spain’s PARES National Archives)). Notable people with the surname include:

• Andrés Pastrana Arango (born 1954), ex-president of Colombia
• Francisco Pastrana (born 1979), Argentine international rugby union referee
• Julia Pastrana (1834–1860), Mexican woman born with hypertrichosis who exhibited herself in 19th-century Europe
• Misael Pastrana Borrero (1923–1997), Conservative Party politician and President of Colombia
• Mauricio Pastrana (born 1973), Colombian professional boxer
• Mónica Pastrana (born 1989), Puerto Rican beauty pageant and television presenter
• Ophelia Pastrana (born 1982), Colombian-Mexican transgender physicist, economist, speaker, YouTuber, technologist and comedian
• Romeo Pastrana (born 1958), Filipino midget actor, comedian and politician
• Travis Pastrana (born 1983), American motorsports competitor and stunt performer
• Viviana Ortiz Pastrana (born 1986), Puerto Rican fashion model and beauty queen