The Spanish called Muslims "Moors" (Spanish: moros).
This term, however, wasn't used by the Muslim inhabitants of Spain themselves. The Muslim population in Iberia was composed of diverse groups, primarily Berbers and Arabs, and they didn't identify under a single ethnic banner.
The term "Moors" has its roots in the Roman era, referring to the inhabitants of Mauretania, a region in North Africa. The Spanish then applied this historical term to the Muslim groups who crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and established a presence on the Iberian Peninsula. It became the common designation used throughout the Reconquista and beyond to refer to Muslims in Spain.
