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. coat of arms of Molina de Segura 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

 * Alfonso Quiñónez Molina (1874–1950), President of El Salvador twice 1918–1927
 * 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

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"

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

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
 * 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