{"id":80232,"date":"2024-09-18T11:04:06","date_gmt":"2024-09-18T16:04:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.familytreedna.com\/?p=80232"},"modified":"2026-03-13T15:32:37","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T20:32:37","slug":"spanish-surname-forename-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.familytreedna.com\/es\/spanish-surname-forename-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide to Spanish Surnames and Forenames: History, Structure, and Genealogy"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/1&#8243;][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;203052&#8243;]By: Colleen Brewster<\/p>\n<h2>Uncover the rich history of Spanish surnames and forenames, and learn how these naming traditions can simplify your genealogical research.<\/h2>\n<p>As with the rest of Europe, surnames were not used in Spain by common people until the Middle Ages. As populations increased and the need to differentiate two people of the same forename arose, bynames were added to the forename to differentiate people.<\/p>\n<p>These could come from <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.familytreedna.com\/surname-types\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">one of several sources<\/a>, each of which we\u2019ll explore more fully:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Toponymic:<\/strong> a description of where they live or come from<\/li>\n<li><strong>Occupational:<\/strong> using their occupation to identify them<\/li>\n<li><strong>Descriptive:<\/strong> using a nickname derived from unique aspects of their personality or physical appearance<\/li>\n<li><strong>Patronymic\/Matronymic:<\/strong> described as the son (or daughter) of someone<\/li>\n<li><strong>Given Surnames:<\/strong> names given to foundlings<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These bynames were individual, and they were not passed down to descendants.<\/p>\n<h2>Origins of Spanish Surnames: How Spanish Last Names Developed<\/h2>\n<p>As mentioned at the beginning, Spanish surnames derived from bynames used to differentiate two people of the same name. These are similar to other European surname conventions and consist of typically the same four sources: toponymic, occupational, descriptive, or patronymic\/matronymic.<\/p>\n<h3>Toponymic Spanish Surnames: Names Based on Places and Geography<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Toponymic names are often derived from the region or city where the person lived or from landscape features near their home<\/strong>, such as Morales, which means \u201cmulberry tree.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It is important to note that <strong>in the Spanish language, nouns are gendered as masculine or feminine<\/strong>. Some toponymic names also use the preposition particle <em>de<\/em> (\u201cfrom\/of\u201d), or <em>del<\/em> or <em>de la<\/em> (meaning \u201cfrom the\u201d or \u201cof the\u201d). The article \u201cthe\u201d in English is translated as <em>el<\/em> (masculine) or <em>la<\/em> (feminine). However, when an article ends with the same sound as the next word, it is often altered or combined so the sound isn\u2019t repeated. So, instead of saying \u201cde el,\u201d we use <em>del<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Some examples of toponymic surnames are listed in the graphic below.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image media=&#8221;80236&#8243; media_lightbox=&#8221;yes&#8221; media_width_percent=&#8221;80&#8243; shadow=&#8221;yes&#8221; lbox_social=&#8221;yes&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;201362&#8243;][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;132632&#8243;]<\/p>\n<h3>Spanish Occupational Surnames: Last Names Based on Trades<\/h3>\n<p>As with other languages, some surnames were derived from a person\u2019s trade or job.<\/p>\n<p>Some examples of surnames deriving from occupations are listed in the graphic below.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image media=&#8221;80238&#8243; media_lightbox=&#8221;yes&#8221; media_width_percent=&#8221;80&#8243; shadow=&#8221;yes&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;107475&#8243;][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;344092&#8243;]<\/p>\n<h3>Descriptive Spanish Surnames: Last Names Based on Personality and Appearance<\/h3>\n<p>Descriptive surnames often originated as nicknames for a person. These nicknames often were based on a person\u2019s personality or physical characteristics.<\/p>\n<p>Some examples Some examples of surnames deriving from descriptions of nicknames are listed in the graphic below.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image media=&#8221;80239&#8243; media_lightbox=&#8221;yes&#8221; media_width_percent=&#8221;80&#8243; shadow=&#8221;yes&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;162409&#8243;][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;617618&#8243;]<\/p>\n<h3>Patronymic and Matronymic Spanish Surnames: Names Based on Ancestry<\/h3>\n<p>Like in other languages, basing a byname on a parent\u2019s name was common practice. The Spanish language used two methods, <strong>the unchanged and the suffix<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h4>Unchanged Method for Spanish Patronymic Surnames: How Parent Names Stayed the Same<\/h4>\n<p>With the unchanged method, <strong>the parent\u2019s name was written unaltered<\/strong>. To prevent confusion in these cases, many times the particle <em>de<\/em> (\u201cof\u201d) is used to separate the forename from the surname.<\/p>\n<p>For example, <em>Juan Miguel<\/em>, with the patronymic surname <em>Miguel<\/em>, might be mistakenly thought to have a composite forename of <em>Juan Miguel<\/em>. Using <em>de<\/em> helps to prevent such confusion, as in <em>Juan de Miguel<\/em>. <em>Juan<\/em>\u2019s children might then take the byname <em>de Juan<\/em>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image media=&#8221;80255&#8243; media_lightbox=&#8221;yes&#8221; media_width_percent=&#8221;80&#8243; shadow=&#8221;yes&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;362092&#8243;][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;205080&#8243;]<\/p>\n<h4>Suffix Method for Spanish Patronymic Surnames: Adding \u2018Son of\u2019 to Names<\/h4>\n<p>More commonly, though, <strong>suffixes were added to denote \u201cson of.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Originally the Latin <em>-ic\u012b<\/em> (meaning \u201cson of\u201d) was added to the end of the father\u2019s name to create the son\u2019s byname. Over time, these suffixes evolved into the different regional variants: <em>ez<\/em>, <em>as<\/em>, <em>itz<\/em>, <em>is<\/em>, or <em>oz<\/em> in Spanish and its native regional languages (Basque, Catalan, etc).<\/p>\n<p>Examples include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Fern\u00e1ndez<\/em> (\u201cson of Fernando\u201d)<\/li>\n<li><em>Gonz\u00e1lez<\/em> (\u201cson of Gonzalo\u201d)<\/li>\n<li><em>L\u00f3pez<\/em> (\u201cson of Lope\u201d from the Latin \u201clupus\u201d, or \u201cwolf\u201d<\/li>\n<li><em>Mart\u00ednez<\/em> (\u201cson of Mart\u00edn\u201d from the Latin \u201cmartis\u201d, genitive form of \u201cMars\u201d)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image media=&#8221;80241&#8243; media_lightbox=&#8221;yes&#8221; media_width_percent=&#8221;80&#8243; shadow=&#8221;yes&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;209089&#8243;][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;175508&#8243;]Note, however, that <strong>not all surnames that end in an -ez variant are patronymic<\/strong>. Since the letters <em>z<\/em> and <em>s<\/em> are often pronounced alike in Latin American dialects, many surnames that ended in <em>-es<\/em> have come to be written as <em>-ez<\/em>. Surnames such as <em>Cortez<\/em> (<em>Cort\u00e9s<\/em>) and <em>Ch\u00e1vez<\/em> (<em>Chaves<\/em>) are actually derived from one of the other surname sources. <strong>Cort\u00e9s is a descriptive surname<\/strong> meaning \u201cpolite, courteous,\u201d and <strong>Chaves is a toponymic surname<\/strong> from a Portuguese city.<\/p>\n<h3>Surnames of Foundlings in Spanish Naming Tradition<\/h3>\n<p>Foundlings, or abandoned children, still needed names that followed the standard naming conventions. <strong>Some were given toponymic names and named after the town they were found in.<\/strong> Since they often were raised in orphanages associated with churches, <strong>many were given the name <em>Iglesia(s)<\/em> (\u201cchurch\/churches\u201d), or <em>Cruz<\/em> (\u201ccross\u201d)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Often a toponymic first surname was used, followed by <em>Iglesia(s)<\/em> or <em>Cruz<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Others were given the name <em>Exp\u00f3sito\/a<\/em>, from the Latin for \u201cexposed,\u201d referring to an abandoned child<\/strong> (those familiar with Ancient Greek and Roman stories will recognize the practice of \u201cexposing\u201d unwanted children to the elements).<\/p>\n<p>This was considered the cruelest of the options, and the name tended to mark descendants as being of lower class. Because of this, in 1921, <strong>a Spanish law made it free to change one\u2019s name from Exp\u00f3sito to another surname<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Spanish Surnames Timeline: How Spanish Last Names Evolved Over Centuries<\/h2>\n<p>The usage of bynames began with the nobility and wealthy, then gradually spread over several centuries to the middle classes and townspeople, and eventually to rural populations.<\/p>\n<p>By the 11th century, the use of bynames was established and widespread in Spain. However, it wasn\u2019t until around <strong>the end of the 13th century that they began to be passed down from generation to generation<\/strong>, becoming true surnames.<\/p>\n<h3>Spanish Surnames in the 16th Century: The Use of \u2018y\u2019 and \u2018de\u2019 in Family Names<\/h3>\n<p>The arrangement of Spanish names has changed over the centuries. <strong>In the 16th century, they still mostly consisted of the familiar pattern.<\/strong> However, some used both their paternal surname followed by their maternal surname, differentiating them with an <em>y<\/em> (\u201cand\u201d) or <em>de<\/em> (\u201cof\u201d).[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image media=&#8221;80242&#8243; media_lightbox=&#8221;yes&#8221; media_width_percent=&#8221;80&#8243; shadow=&#8221;yes&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;155113&#8243;][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;919571&#8243;]This practice was generally limited to the nobility, to bring honor to the mother\u2019s family line. Today, the use of <em>y<\/em>, <em>de<\/em>, or a hyphen, might be used to avoid confusion when the paternal surname looks like a forename.<\/p>\n<p>For example, <em>Juan Francisco Cort\u00e9s<\/em> might be thought to have a composite forename (see below) of <em>Juan Francisco<\/em> and a surname of <em>Cort\u00e9s<\/em>, but <em>Juan Francisco de Cort\u00e9s<\/em> lets us know that <em>Francisco<\/em> is a surname.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image media=&#8221;80243&#8243; media_lightbox=&#8221;yes&#8221; media_width_percent=&#8221;80&#8243; shadow=&#8221;yes&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;236944&#8243;][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;186617&#8243;]<\/p>\n<h3>Mid-18th Century Spanish Surnames: The Shift to the Dual Surname Tradition<\/h3>\n<p>By the mid-18th century, the use of y was widely dropped, and the standard still used today was adopted: <strong>[forename] [paternal (or primary) surname] [maternal (or secondary) surname]<\/strong>. In Spanish these are called <em>[nombre]<\/em> and [primer apellido (apellido paterno)] [segundo apellido (apellido materno)]. Some records will simply list [apellidos].[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image media=&#8221;80259&#8243; media_lightbox=&#8221;yes&#8221; media_width_percent=&#8221;80&#8243; shadow=&#8221;yes&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;122299&#8243;][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;194353&#8243;]<\/p>\n<h3>Late 20th Century Changes to Spanish Surnames: New Laws and Surname Order Choices<\/h3>\n<p>Since 1999, Spanish law has allowed the parents to choose which surname will be used first, with the caveat that all successive children have the same arrangement for their last names. Because of this, using the terms \u201cprimary\u201d and \u201csecondary\u201d surnames has become favored over using \u201cpaternal\u201d and \u201cmaternal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Even today, in the majority of cases, the child is given the paternal surname from each parent. Thus, if <em>Eduardo Garcia G\u00f3mez<\/em> and <em>Antonia Torres Alvarez<\/em> have a child, the child\u2019s last name would be <em>Garcia Torres<\/em>, taking the primary surname of each parent.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image media=&#8221;80245&#8243; media_lightbox=&#8221;yes&#8221; media_width_percent=&#8221;80&#8243; shadow=&#8221;yes&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;180273&#8243;][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;162951&#8243;]<\/p>\n<h2>Double-Barreled Spanish Surnames: How Composite Last Names Are Formed<\/h2>\n<p>Some surnames may be composites, consisting of more than one word. This may happen if a name is both patronymic and toponymic (<em>Jos\u00e9 Alvarez de Le\u00f3n<\/em>, or, \u201cJos\u00e9, son of \u00c1lvaro from the region of Le\u00f3n\u201d).<\/p>\n<p>Noble families also tended to pass down doubled surnames (sometimes called double-barreled), with each side passing down both their surnames. <strong>In these cases, the paternal and maternal surnames are usually differentiated with a y.<\/strong> Each surname may contain a <em>de\/del<\/em> between its two components, or may be hyphenated.<\/p>\n<p>For example, if we use our example from above, <em>Eduardo Garcia G\u00f3mez<\/em> and <em>Mar\u00eda Torres Alvarez<\/em> have a daughter named <em>Fernanda<\/em>. The below image shows different potential variations.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image media=&#8221;80246&#8243; media_lightbox=&#8221;yes&#8221; media_width_percent=&#8221;80&#8243; shadow=&#8221;yes&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;723517&#8243;][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;648885&#8243;]<em><strong>Note:<\/strong> In cases where an article (such as <\/em>y<em>) ends with the same sound as the successive word, Spanish often alters or combines the words. In the case with <\/em>y<em> (which is pronounced like \u201cee\u201d), <strong>when the second surname begins with a similar vowel sound, the <\/strong><\/em>y<em> is changed to <\/em>e<em> (pronounced more like \u201ceh\u201d), so that the vowel sound isn\u2019t repeated. So, <\/em>Julio Fernando Iglesias<em> would not use a <\/em>y<em> to separate his surnames, but rather an <\/em>e: <strong>Julio Fernando e Iglesias<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Social Names vs. Legal Names in Spanish Culture: How Surnames Are Used and Indexed<\/h2>\n<p>Socially, a person is traditionally called only by their paternal, or primary, surname. However, some have chosen to use the maternal name first or to use both names. This is usually if the paternal name was common or undistinguished, or to pay tribute to the maternal line or a maternal ancestor.<\/p>\n<p>It is important to note that <strong>when it comes to indexing, the person\u2019s primary surname is always used, regardless of what name they went by publicly<\/strong>. One of the only exceptions is <em>Pablo Ruiz Picasso<\/em>, who, since he lived most of his life in France, is indexed by his publicly used maternal surname.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The concept of \u201cmaiden names\u201d is foreign in Spanish-speaking cultures<\/strong>, and, even when married, a woman legally keeps her surnames. She may, however, socially take her husband\u2019s name, usually by dropping her second surname and adding the suffix <em>de<\/em> (\u201cof\u201d) and her husband\u2019s primary surname.<br \/>\nThus, <em>Mar\u00eda Torres Alvarez<\/em>, married to <em>Eduardo Garcia G\u00f3mez<\/em>, may socially go by <em>Mar\u00eda Torres de Garcia<\/em>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image media=&#8221;80247&#8243; media_lightbox=&#8221;yes&#8221; media_width_percent=&#8221;80&#8243; shadow=&#8221;yes&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;476050&#8243;][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;982061&#8243;]A similar choice may be used by widows by adding the abbreviation <em>vda.<\/em>, short for <em>viuda<\/em> (\u201cwidow\u201d). For our example, if Eduardo died, Mar\u00eda might choose to go by <em>Mar\u00eda Torres vda. de Garcia<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>When Spanish or Hispanic persons moved to English-speaking countries, they (or the recorder) often changed the surname(s) to fit the standard of the host country. Many dropped their maternal surname or hyphenated their two surnames, and many married women were automatically given their husband\u2019s surname. <strong>When searching records, it is important to try any and all variations (along with spelling variations) to track our ancestors.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Spanish Forenames: Understanding Gender, Composite Names, and Their Significance<\/h2>\n<p>As we mentioned before, <strong>Spanish utilizes gendered nouns<\/strong>, and nearly every aspect of a sentence is formatted to fit the gender of the noun. If a masculine noun ends in an <em>-o<\/em>, the feminine version will end in an <em>-a<\/em> (<em>Fernando\/Fernanda<\/em>; <em>Eugenio\/Eugenia<\/em>). While initially confusing for many native English speakers, this is actually helpful, <strong>as it can help us determine the sex of a person in records<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>This isn\u2019t a hard-and-fast rule when it comes to names, however, as sometimes a traditionally masculine noun was used for a girl\u2019s name, or a name may be considered gender-neutral regardless of its ending. <em>Consuelo<\/em> is considered a female name, but it is derived from the masculine noun for \u201ccomfort.\u201d And <em>Evangelista<\/em>, despite its apparent feminine ending, is considered a gender-neutral name.<\/p>\n<p>While <strong>Spanish names are today legally limited to a single forename, many have composite names, composed of two individual names<\/strong> but treated as a single name (<em>Jose Luis<\/em>, for example, is considered the first name, not a first and middle name).<\/p>\n<p>The person may socially go by either both or a combination of the two names. It is also important to note that while someone may legally have only one forename (either simple or composite) and two surnames, <strong>they can be baptized with several forenames<\/strong>. These names often include saints\u2019 names, and sometimes several.<\/p>\n<h3>Catholic Influence on Spanish Forenames: Saints\u2019 Names and Their Importance<\/h3>\n<p>One common practice was giving a child the name of the saint on whose saint\u2019s day the birthday fell on. <strong>This particular note can be helpful in determining unknown birthdates<\/strong>, although it is important to get a saint\u2019s day calendar from the time the person lived, as the calendars have changed over time.<\/p>\n<p>The practice of giving saints\u2019 names was used to invoke the protection of the named saints. The more names used, it was believed, the more protected the child would be.<\/p>\n<p>To increase chances of protection, <strong>it was common to also use the name of a saint from the opposite gender<\/strong>. The most common opposite-gender names that were used were <em>Mar\u00eda<\/em> for a boy or <em>Jos\u00e9<\/em> for a girl, after Mary and Joseph (<em>Jos\u00e9 Mar\u00eda<\/em> has long been a popular choice for boys).<\/p>\n<h3>Marian Forenames in Spanish Naming Tradition: Names Derived from Mary<\/h3>\n<p>Female Marian names (names derived from different forms of Mary) were also very commonly used, often as the legal first name. These Marian names consist of <em>Mar\u00eda<\/em> followed by a suffix denoting a particular shrine, place, or religious concept.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image media=&#8221;80248&#8243; media_lightbox=&#8221;yes&#8221; media_width_percent=&#8221;80&#8243; shadow=&#8221;yes&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;860209&#8243;][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;596800&#8243;]Often the person would go by the suffix, or a combination of <em>Mar\u00eda<\/em> and the suffix (<em>Mar\u00eda del Pilar<\/em> would be known as <em>Pilar<\/em>, or <em>Mar\u00eda de la Soledad<\/em> became <em>Marisol<\/em>).<\/p>\n<p>Consuelo, mentioned earlier, is a Marian name as well, as it is derived from <em>Mar\u00eda del Consuelo<\/em>. Many of the suffixes have come to be used as names on their own, without using the <em>Mar\u00eda<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>As an example of how long baptismal names can be, the famous artist Pablo Picasso, mentioned earlier, has a baptismal name twenty-five words long, which is a mixture of relatives\u2019 and saints\u2019 names: <em>Pablo Diego Jos\u00e9 Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno Crisp\u00edn Crispiniano Mar\u00eda de los Remedios de la Sant\u00edsima Trinidad Ruiz Picasso<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>We know some of his name sources:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>Jos\u00e9 Francisco de Paula<\/em><\/strong> may be a reference to a Spanish missionary to the Americas<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Juan Nepomuceno<\/em><\/strong> after his godfather<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Crisp\u00edn Cipriano<\/em><\/strong> after the two saints celebrated on 25 October, his birth date<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Mar\u00eda de los Remedios<\/em><\/strong> after his godmother and Nepomueceno\u2019s wife<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>la Sant\u00edsima Trinidad<\/em><\/strong> means \u201cThe Holy Trinity\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As you can see, reading such long names in church records can become overwhelming. Since legal names found in other record sources use only the first forename (or possibly the first two in a composite name), and the surnames, <strong>it may be beneficial to focus on the beginning and the end of the name<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Understanding Spanish Names: Key Takeaways for Genealogical Research<\/h2>\n<p>For native English speakers, Spanish names may seem confusing. But remembering the basic structure of legal names can help to make sense of the names we come across in our genealogical research.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The practice of using both the paternal and maternal surnames actually makes genealogical research easier, as it gives us the mother\u2019s name.<\/strong> The same can be said for the fact that women do not change their name after marriage.<\/p>\n<p>For those with Hispanic ancestors, the <a href=\"https:\/\/history.denverlibrary.org\/tags\/hispanic-genealogy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Denver Public Library\u2019s Hispanic genealogy blog<\/a> offers many useful pointers.<\/p>\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/What-is-Picassos-full-name\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">What is Picasso\u2019s full name?<\/a>&#8220;. Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Sep. 2019<\/li>\n<li>Cabrera, Nicol\u00e1s. \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/history.denverlibrary.org\/news\/genealogy\/hispanic-and-southwest-genealogy-tips-and-strategies-part-3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hispanic and Southwest Genealogy Tips and Strategies, Part 3.<\/a>\u201d Denver Public Library Special Collections And Archives, 14 Sept. 2021<\/li>\n<li>Corchado Resmella, Irene. \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.icr-translations.com\/blog\/spanish-surnames-naming-customs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Spanish Naming Customs: Explanation, FAQs, and Thoughts<\/a>\u201d ICR Translations, 12 Sep. 2017<\/li>\n<li>Powell, Kimberly. &#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thoughtco.com\/spanish-surnames-meanings-and-origins-1420795\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Meanings and Origins of Spanish Surnames<\/a>&#8221; ThoughtCo, 5 Apr. 2023<\/li>\n<li>\u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.familysearch.org\/en\/wiki\/Spain_Naming_Customs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Spain Naming Customs<\/a>\u201d FamilySearch, 20 Mar. 2024<br \/>\nVan Stone, Kathy. \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cs.cmu.edu\/~kvs\/heraldry\/spanish16\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">16th Century Spanish Names<\/a>\u201d Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science, 2002<\/li>\n<li>Wikipedia contributors. &#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Naming_customs_of_Hispanic_America\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Naming customs of Hispanic America<\/a>&#8221; Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 22 Jul. 2024<\/li>\n<li>Wikipedia contributors. &#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pablo_Picasso#cite_note-names-5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pablo Picasso<\/a>&#8221; Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 12 Aug. 2024<\/li>\n<li>Wikipedia contributors. \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Spanish_naming_customs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Spanish Naming Customs<\/a>\u201d Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 13 Aug. 2024<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/4&#8243;][vc_single_image media=&#8221;80250&#8243; media_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; shape=&#8221;img-circle&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;108313&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;3\/4&#8243;][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;184918&#8243;]<\/p>\n<h2>About the Author<\/h2>\n<h3>Colleen Brewster<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Historian<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A St. Louis area native, Colleen has a passion for uncovering hidden gems in the history of the city and state, and in bringing history to life. As a historian, she loves writing and recording the history of her family and her hometown. Her research has taken her from the 1904 World\u2019s Fair to the shores of Spain in her hunt to get past an ancestral brick wall. Understanding the information locked in surnames has been vital to her research, and she wants to share her tricks and tips with fellow historians. She is currently enrolled at the University of Missouri \u2013 St. Louis in the History program with a minor in English.<\/p>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discover the fascinating history and structure of Spanish surnames, from their origins to modern naming conventions, and how they can aid in genealogical research.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":80258,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1271],"tags":[1201,1262,1272],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v21.2 (Yoast SEO v21.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>A Guide to Spanish Surnames and Forenames: History, Structure, and Genealogy - FamilyTreeDNA Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explore the origins and structure of Spanish surnames and forenames, and how they aid in genealogical research.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.familytreedna.com\/spanish-surname-forename-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Guide to Spanish Surnames and Forenames: History, Structure, and Genealogy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Discover the fascinating history and structure of Spanish surnames, from their origins to modern naming conventions, and how they can aid in genealogical research.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blog.familytreedna.com\/spanish-surname-forename-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"FamilyTreeDNA Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FamilyTreeDNA\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-09-18T16:04:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-13T20:32:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blog.familytreedna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/A-Guide-to-Spanish-Surnames-and-Forenames.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"FamilyTreeDNA\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@FamilyTreeDNA\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@FamilyTreeDNA\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"FamilyTreeDNA\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"13 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.familytreedna.com\/spanish-surname-forename-guide\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.familytreedna.com\/spanish-surname-forename-guide\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"FamilyTreeDNA\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.familytreedna.com\/#\/schema\/person\/c04f89739a101444416709433705b3fa\"},\"headline\":\"A Guide to Spanish Surnames and Forenames: History, Structure, and Genealogy\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-09-18T16:04:06+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-13T20:32:37+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.familytreedna.com\/spanish-surname-forename-guide\/\"},\"wordCount\":3114,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.familytreedna.com\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"Ancestry\",\"Hispanic\",\"Surnames\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Hispanic\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/blog.familytreedna.com\/spanish-surname-forename-guide\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.familytreedna.com\/spanish-surname-forename-guide\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blog.familytreedna.com\/spanish-surname-forename-guide\/\",\"name\":\"A Guide to Spanish Surnames and Forenames: History, Structure, and Genealogy - 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