Origin:  Italian

From the ancient and picturesque Italian region of Venice emerged a variety of distinguished names, including the notable surname of Carrera.  Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adopt a second name to identify themselves as populations grew and travel became more frequent.  The Process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames was not complete until the modern era, but the use of hereditary family names in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries.  Italian hereditary surnames were developed according to fairly general principles and they are characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names.  Although the most traditional type of family name found in the region of Venice is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, local surnames are also found.  Local names, which are the least frequent of the major types of surnames found in Italy, are derived from a place-name where the original bearer once resided or held land.  Often Italian local surnames bore the prefix 'di,' which signifies emigration from one place to another, but does not necessarily denote nobility.  The Carrera family lived in the city of Bologna, where Rolandino Carrari witnessed the gift of a castle to the city council in 1188.

Noble surnames, such as Lucero, evoke images of the ancient homeland of the Spanish people.  The earliest forms of the hereditary surnames in Spain were the patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name.  Spanish patronymic names emerged as early as the mid-9th century.

Spelling variations include: Lucero, Lucio, Luz, de Luz, de la Luz, Luzio  and many more.

First found in Aragon, an important Christian kingdom of medieval Spain. 

Some of the first settlers of this name or some of its variants were:  Early migrants to the New World included Juan Luz, who sailed to America in 1527; Francisco de Luzio sailed to Guatemala in 1538; Alonso de Luz sailed to Peru in 1592.

The distinguished surname Luchini can be traced back to the ancient and beautiful region of Sicily, which is located off Southwestern Italy and incorporates the island of Sicily itself, the area of Naples, and the southern part of the Italian peninsula.  Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adopt a second name to identify themselves as populations grew and travel became more frequent.  The process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames was not complete until he modern era, but the use of hereditary family names in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries.  Italian hereditary surnames were developed according to fairly general principles and they were characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from the given names.  The most common type of family name found in the region of Sicily is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name.  During the Middle Ages, Italians adopted the patronymic system of name-making because it perfectly complemented the prevailing feudal system.  In Italy the popularity of patronymic type of surname is also due to the fact that during the Christian era, people often named their children after saints and biblical figures.  The surname Luchini was derived from the Latin given name Lucas, which was also a form of the Greek name Loucas.  During the Middle Ages, the name became popular due to St. Luke the Evangelist. 

martinez is a Spanish patronymic surname, an early form of hereditary surnames which were derived from the father's given name.  martinez comes from the personal name Martin, which is itself derived from the Latin Martinus, whose root is Mars, the name of the Roman god of fertility and war.  The name martinez became popular throughout Christian Europe after it was borne by the 4th century saint Martin of Tours.

Spelling variations include: Martinez, Martiniz, Martin, Martins, Marcial and many more.

First found in Old Castile, in the heart of Spain, where the name originated in Visigothic times.

Some of the first settlers of this name or some of its variants were: Among the early explorers of the New World was Juan Martinez de Ampues, who became governor of Santo Domingo and founded the first Spanish city in Venezuela, Coro (1527).  He later became governor of Curacao.  Also of note was Domingo Martinez de Irala, who voyaged to Argentina with Pedro de Mendoza and eventually was names governor of Paraguay.  Other bearers of the family name who emigrated to Spain's colonies in the New World include Isabel who emigrated to Peru in 1560.