Spain Personal Names

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 * List Of Surnames
 * List Of Given Names
 * Abbreviations
 * Spain Surname Distribution Map

Surnames

 * The typical Spanish name has four parts: first given name, second given name, father's surname, and mother's surname.
 * When a woman marries a man, she keeps her maiden surname.
 * Sometimes, they added a "de (of) la" or "del" followed by a place or a name.

Jewish Surname Customs
Before the 1800s, the use of a surname by Jews was left to the discretion of the individual. Jews followed the custom of using only a given name and the name of the father, such as Isaac, son of Abraham (Isaac ben Abraham). Most Jews did not adopt hereditary family names until required to do so by law.

Surnames Historical Development

 * Before record keeping began, most people had only one name, such as John.
 * As the population increased, it became necessary to distinguish between individuals with the same name. The problem was usually solved by adding descriptive information. John became John the smith, John the son of Matthew, John the short, or John from Heidelberg.
 * At first surnames applied only to one person, not to the whole family. After a few generations, these names became hereditary and were passed on from generation to generation.
 * Surnames developed from several sources. For example:
 * Occupational (based on a person’s trade, such as Carter or Smith)
 * Geographical (based on a person’s residence, such as Drayton or Debenham)
 * Patronymic (based on a person’s father’s name, such as Jones, son of John)
 * Descriptive or nickname (such as Joy or Child)
 * The nobility and wealthy land owners were the first to begin using surnames.
 * Merchants and townspeople then adopted the custom, as did the rural population. This process took two or three centuries.

Surname "Changes" of Immigrants in the United States
As Immigrants moved into English-speaking countries, their surnames were impacted in a variety of ways.


 * Many families that immigrated to the United States reversed the two surnames. Then the first surname is the mother's and the second surname the father’s.
 * Most of the time the surname spelling changed to accomodate the different phonetic spelling in the English language. In other words, the recorder tried to write the name the way he heard it.
 * Surnames may also have been translated outright into English, sometimes with a slight twist.
 * Within the community, such as the local parish, immigrants may continue to use the original name, while at the same time using English-language equivalents when dealing with local government, census takers, and other English speakers.
 * Different branches of the same family may adopt various surname spellings.
 * Prior to 1900, formal surname changes documented in local court records are relatively rare.
 * During the early 20th Century, especially the World War I era, surname changes are recorded more frequently, as immigrants or, more often, their children, tried to adopt more neutral surnames.

Given Names
Spain is predominantly a Catholic country. Children are usually given the names of saints, martyrs and the different images and advocations of Mary, Mother of Jesus. Usually the second name is abstract, signifying the name of a Madonna, like Esperanza [hope], Concepción [conception], Dolores [pain], Encarnación [incarnation],
 * Many children were given several names, usually two or three. Each name was thought to give protection from the saint named. Traditionally, one of the names had to be the saint assigned to the birthdate.

Among my ancestors, most women have the name María ~ named for the mother of Christ. Similarly, José (Joseph) is the most common Saint's name for a son ~ named for the father of Christ. This name is found spelled Joseph almost as often as it is spelled José, even in Mexican Parish records as early as the 1600's and 1500's.

Such names as María del Refugio, María de las Mercedes, María José, José Francisco, Carlos Alberto, Juan Pablo, etc. are very common.

When named for a saint, most use another given name or a nickname.