The Spanish surname Carvajal is of topographic origin, being derived from the Spanish word for an oak grove. The original bearer of the name would have been somebody who lived by a cluster of oak trees. There is a town named Carvajal in the southern province of Malaga and some bearers of the name would have come from this town. Today there are approximately 6,500 people with the last name Cavajal living in the United States.