Molina (surname)

Molina is a Spanish occupational surname. Molina is Latin for 'mill' and is derived from another Latin word, mola ('millstone'). The surname originated from the early Middle Ages, referring to a person who operates a mill or a millstone. Other Spanish surnames, like Molinero (literally: 'miller'), have also originated in the work and management of a mill. Spanish municipalities like Molina de Segura (Murcia) or Molina de Aragón (Castilla-La Mancha) still nowadays include millstones or mill blades in their respective coats of arms (cf. and Coats of arms of Molina de Aragón).

A bloodline of Molinas, in the Christian Kingdom of Castile, originated from ennoblement when Manrique Pérez de Lara, of the House of Lara, in April 1154 issued a fuero to the town of Molina, nowadays called Molina de Aragón.

A

• Ainhoa Molina (born 1997), Spanish politician
• Alfonso Quiñónez Molina (1874–1950), Salvadoran politician, physician, and president (1913–1914, 1918–1919, 1923–1927)
• Alfred Molina (born 1953), English actor
• Alvaro de Molina (born 1957), American banker, chief financial officer of Bank of America Corporation
• Ángel Molina Galano (1889-1936), Spanish officer
• Ángela Molina (born 1955), Spanish actress
• Antonio Muñoz Molina (born 1956), Spanish writer and member of the Royal Spanish Academy
• Antonio Sebastián de Toledo Molina y Salazar (1625–1710), viceroy of New Spain 1664–1673
• Antonio Tejero Molina (born 1932), Spanish Lieutenant-Colonel who attempted a coup d'état
• Arturo Armando Molina (1927–2021), President of El Salvador 1972–1977

B

• Bengie Molina (born 1974), Puerto Rican baseball player

C

• Carmen Molina (1920–1998), Mexican actress
• Clarissa Molina (born 1991), Miss Dominican Republic and Top 10 Miss Universe 2015

D

• Dafne Molina (born 1982), Mexican beauty pageant titleholder
• Delfina Molina y Vedia (1879–1961), Argentine chemist, writer, teacher, painter, and singer
• Dominga Lucía Molina (1949-), Argentine activist

E

• Edward C. Molina (1877–1964), American teletraffic engineer
• Enrique Molina (actor) (1943–2021), Cuban actor
• Enrique Molina Sobrino (contemporary), wealthy Mexican businessman, sued for fraud by the Mexican government
• Enrique Molina (athlete) (born 1968), Spanish middle-distance runner
• Estela Molina (1948–2025), Mexican professional wrestler

F

• Florencio Molina Campos (1891–1959), Argentine painter
• Franklin Molina (born 1984), Venezuelan road cyclist
• Fray Alonzo de Molina (1513 or 1514 – 1579 or 1585), author of a classic Nahuatl-Spanish Vocabulario

G

• Gerardo Molina (1906–1991), Colombian writer, politician, and academic
• Gloria Molina (1948–2023), American politician, chairwoman of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
• Guillermo Molina (baseball) (1909–1997), American baseball player
• Gustavo Molina (born 1982), Venezuelan baseball player

H

• Hector Garcia-Molina (1954–2019), American engineering professor, member of the Board of Directors of Oracle Corporation
• Hilda Molina (born 1942), Cuban neurosurgeon and dissident
• Hugo Antonio Laviada Molina (born 1961), Mexican politician

I

• Infanta Maria Francisca, Countess of Molina (1800–1834), Portuguese infanta daughter of King John VI of Portugal
• Infante Carlos, Count of Molina (1788–1855), son of King Charles IV of Spain, Carlist pretender to the throne of Spain
• Ivan Molina (born 1946), Colombian tennis player
• Agent Isabella Molina, an undercover cop in "Rush Hour 2"
• Ignacio Molina (born 2007), Uruguayan footballer

J

• Jacinto Molina (Paul Naschy) (1934–2009), Spanish movie actor, screenwriter, and director
• Jason Molina (1974–2013), American indie rock musician
• Jennifer Molina (born 1981), Mexican female footballer
• John John Molina (Juan Molina) (born 1965), Puerto Rican boxer
• John Molina, Jr. (born 1982), American boxer
• Jorge Molina (born 1966), Cuban film director
• Jorge Molina (born 1982), Spanish footballer
• José Angel Molina (born 1958), Puerto Rican boxer
• José Antonio Molina Rosito (1926–2012), Honduran botanist (Ant.Molina)
• José Molina (born 1975), Puerto Rican baseball player
• José Domingo Molina Gómez (1896–1969), interim President of Argentina 1955
• José Francisco Molina (born 1970), Spanish football player
• Juan Francisco de Molina (1779–1878), First President of Independent Honduras
• Juan Ignacio Molina (1740–1829), Chilean priest and naturalist
• Juan Manuel Molina (born 1979), Spanish race walker
• Juana Molina (born 1962), Argentine singer, songwriter, and actress
• Justo Páez Molina (1902–1969), Argentine politician, Governor of Córdoba 1963–1966

K

• Kim Molina (born 1991), Filipino actress

L

• Laura Molina (badminton) (contemporary), Spanish badminton player
• Laura Molina (born 1957), American artist
• Lauren Molina (born 1981), American actress, singer, songwriter
• Luis de Molina (1535–1600), Spanish Jesuit priest and theologian
• Luis Molina (boxer) (1938–2013), American boxer
• Luis Molina (rugby player) (born 1959), Argentine rugby union player
• Luis Manuel Molina (born 1959), Cuban musician, composer and broadcaster
• Luis Molina (baseball) (born 1974), Nicaraguan baseball coach
• Luis Pedro Molina (born 1977), Guatemalan football goalkeeper
• Luis Molina (athlete) (born 1988), Argentine athlete

M

• Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina (1877–1944), first or second president of the Philippines
• Mariana Molina (born 1990), Brazilian actress
• Mario J. Molina (1943–2020), Mexican Nobel Prize recipient in chemistry
• Marquis de Molina (1803–1867), Spanish politician and government minister
• Mauricio Molina (golfer) (born 1966), Argentine golfer
• Mauricio Molina (born 1980), Colombian football player
• Miguel Molina (footballer) (born 1993), Spanish football coach

N

• Nahuel Molina (born 1997), Argentine football player

O

• Olivia Molina (singer) (born 1946), German-Mexican singer
• Olivia Molina (actress) (born 1980), Spanish actress

P

• Pedro X. Molina (born 1976), Nicaraguan caricaturist
• Pilar Molina Llorente (born 1943), Spanish writer

R

• Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina (1891–1961), dictator of the Dominican Republic 1930–1961
• Rafael Molina Sánchez (1841–1900), Spanish matador
• Ralph Molina (born 1943), American rock drummer
• Raúl De Molina (born 1959), Cuban television celebrity on Univision
• Rebecca Molina (born 1995), more commonly known as just Molina, Danish-Chilean singer and songwriter
• Remigio Molina (born 1970), Argentine Olympic boxer
• Romain Molina (born 1991), French investigative reporter
• Rolando Molina (born 1971), El Salvadoran-American actor

S

• Scott Molina (born 1960), American championship triathlete

T

• Tinti Molina (1873–1961), American baseball player
• Tirso de Molina (1571–1648), Spanish dramatist and poet

Y

• Yadier Molina (born 1982), Puerto Rican baseball player

Fictional characters

• Carmen Molina, supporting character in Breaking Bad
• Domingo "Krazy-8" Molina, supporting character in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul

See also

• Marquis of Molina
• Molinas

References