Most people of Spanish heritage, whether one is talking contemporary or historical, as a rule have multiple surnames.  Most researchers base their findings on the last name only.  For research in Canada and many European countries, that would usually be a valid assumption for ancestors that came to America. 

 

In comparison to other cultures, people from Spanish speaking countries or continue to practice customs related to their Spanish heritage, often have long names in comparison to other cultures.   Most people at the very least have usually two family names (surnames), if not more.  Whether they publicly use them usually depends on whether they reside in a Spanish speaking country or  abroad in an area or region that is heavily influenced by Spanish tradition and culture.

 

From a historical perspective, when a child is born, he/she receives the first surname from the father and the second surname is the first surname of the mother. In Portuguese speaking countries also use two family names, but for them the mother's surname comes first.   This custom is especially beneficial In situations where there is doubt about the identity of the father.  You know for certain who the mother is.  The following example illustrates this version: e.g. Juan Martínez Escudero + Marta Villanueva Cortés = Juan Martínez Villanueva. 

 

When a woman marries a man, she never losses her maiden surname, and her family name is carried by her descendents (although just for one generation).  Many Spanish speaking countries have the reputation for being rules by machos, but this custom shows respect more the women's dignity in this sense.  The reason why a child acquires two surnames involves the following scenario.  The first surname is taken from the father's first surname while the second surname is acquired from the mother's first surname.  For example, a man named George Perez Martinez marries Juana Garcia Sanchez.  They have a daughter named Maria.  Her surname would be Perez-Garcia.

 

There is usually no usage of the mother's first surname as the middle or second name for children as is the common scenario in many cultures throughout Europe, and in Canada and the United States.  This rarely happens in Spanish societies, even within the growing number of Spanish dominated communities within American culture. 

 

This dual system makes research easy until you reach the 1850s.  Prior to this time, women took one set of surnames, and men another.  For example, Gabriel Gonzalez de la Mota marries Maria Jimenez.  They have a daughter, Maria, who later appears  in records as Maria Jimenez  de la Mota, Maria de la Mota, and Maria Gonzalez de la Mota.  At no time does she appear as Maria Gonzalez Jimenez. 

 

Based on this example, males were usually given both of the father's surnames without any regard for the surnames of the mother.  Females, with few exceptions, were given their mother's first surname as their surname.  Their second surname varied, but was usually, it was the father's second surname.  Females were usually known by one surname instead of two.  This may cause one generation after another of related females with the same surname without ever finding any indication of the father's surname.

 

Compound names are another characteristic of Spanish culture.  People sometimes merge their family names.  This can be done for several reasons:

 

Some create Compound First Names.  In many areas, especially throughout Latin America, people like to give their children several first (Christian) names, usually two or three, so that they are protected by the greatest number of Saints*. Traditionally one of the names had to be the Saint of the Birthday, especially for females.  One of the more popular examples of this for females is the name María. This is why most women use the other first name or a nickname.

 

Usually the second name is abstract because it specifies the name of a some special family wish or memory that is unique to the family or individual.  Some of the most popular examples include

Eseranza [hope], Concepción [conception], Dolores [pain], Encarnación [incarnation],

e.g. names like, María de las Mercedes, María José, Carlos Alberto, Juan Carlos, etc. are very common. Another variation of this would be those that have Mixed First Names. 

 

In order to maximize the divine protection, some people have both a male and a female name. The first name will tell you the sex of the person.  So if you meet someone that is called José María, don't call him María because he is male. The same way, if you know someone called María José, don't call her José.  Usually only the names of María and José are borrowed from the opposite sex.  In modern times, most people do not chose the names of their children because of this divine protection, do so to honor an ancestor or for personal aesthetic reasons.

 

BLM 10/7/2017