The surname TINAZA is believed to have originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Spanish word "tinaja," which means a large earthenware jar or vase used for storing liquids like wine or oil. The name may have initially referred to a person who made or sold these jars, or someone who lived near a place where they were manufactured.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname TINAZA can be found in the Becerro de Behetrías, a medieval Spanish census document from the 14th century. This record lists several individuals with variations of the name, such as Tinaco and Tinazo, residing in different parts of the Kingdom of Castile.

In the 15th century, a notable figure named Juan de Tinaza is mentioned in the chronicles of the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. He was a well-known artisan who supplied earthenware jars to the royal court.

During the 16th century, the surname TINAZA spread to the Spanish colonies in the Americas. In 1567, a man named Diego Tinaza was among the early Spanish settlers in the city of Cartagena de Indias, now located in modern-day Colombia.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Pedro Tinaza, a Spanish conquistador born in 1538 in Seville. He participated in the conquest of Peru under the command of Francisco Pizarro and later served as a colonial administrator in the Viceroyalty of Peru.

In the 17th century, a branch of the TINAZA family established itself in the Philippines, then a Spanish colony. One notable member was Padre Tomás Tinaza, a Catholic priest born in 1621 in Manila, who played a significant role in the evangelization efforts in the Philippine archipelago.

While the surname TINAZA is relatively uncommon today, it can still be found in various regions of Spain, as well as in some Latin American countries with strong Spanish heritage, such as Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela.