What are the customs of Spanish surnames?

In Spain and Spanish American countries, except Argentina, each person has two surnames. Traditionally, the first surname is paternal and comes from the father, while the second surname is maternal and comes from the mother.

What is the rule for surnames in Spain?

Spaniards have a personal name(s) followed by two surnames – the father's paternal family name and then the mother's paternal family name. For example: Hector Marίa GONZALEZ LÓPEZ. People may have two personal names (e.g. Hector Marίa).

How do Spanish surnames work when married?

Marriage. In Spain, upon marrying, one does not change one's surname. In some instances, such as high society meetings, the partner's surname can be added after the person's surnames using the preposition de (of).

Do Spanish people take their husband's last name?

Most countries in western Europe, UK and the US follow the same pattern; married women enjoy the right to take the husband's surname upon marriage. Spain has a different tradition though, married women bear two different surnames: the father's first surname and the mother's first surname, where the order can be chosen.

Why are last names important in Hispanic families?

The reason is that people carry their father's last name their entire lives as part of their identity. So when Hispanic women marry, they simply keep their names as they always are. Hispanic families identify each other in society through the family name, which is the father's.

Spanish Surnames Explained

Why do Spanish people have 3 last names?

Once you become Spanish, you will be issued with a DNI. As Spaniards must have two surnames, you will have to come up with an extra surname. Many foreigners choose their middle name as first surname or use their mother's maiden name as second surname.

How do Hispanics get their two last names?

The two surnames names are ancestral, with the father's family name followed by the mother's family name. In Colombia, for example, “Ernesto Escobar Vega” uses two surnames (“Escobar Vega ”) as his legal name, with “Escobar” coming from his father and “Vega” coming from his mother.

Do wives in Spain change their surnames?

In Spanish culture, women do not change their name when married. What that means is that the mother, father and children in one family will all, generally, have different surnames.

Do Hispanics take their mother's last name?

In Latin America babies get two last names, the father's surname followed by the mother's paternal surname.

Why do Spanish people use two last names?

In Spain and Spanish American countries, except Argentina, each person has two surnames. Traditionally, the first surname is paternal and comes from the father, while the second surname is maternal and comes from the mother.

Do Hispanics change their last name after marriage?

Within the Hispanic tradition, the woman does not change her surnames when she gets married. Instead, the combination of our parents' first surnames represents the unity of two families and the formation of a new one. Hence, both surnames carry great value for many Hispanics.

Can husband and wife have different surnames?

A woman can choose if she wants to continue with the surname she has been living with throughout her life, replace her existing surname with that of her husband's or add her husband's surname to her existing one. It is completely her choice, and no law in India demands a woman to change her surname after marriage.

Is the wife supposed to have the husband's last name?

While there is no law in the United States requiring a name change after marriage, the tradition is still very much alive and well, thanks in part to its historical underpinnings in English (and subsequently American) common law. Historically, a person's surname was not considered all that important.

Why do most Hispanic last names end with EZ?

It is suprising the number of Spanish surnames end in ez. This is because it means "son of", like the suffix -son and -sen in many German and Scandinavian languages. In Portuguese the -ez becomes a -es.

Why do Mexicans put Don in front of names?

It is way to show respect. This title today is applied for different reasons: 1- To show respect, either for a economic or social status, experience or personal achievements. 2- To show good will to someone, especially if that person has a higher social status.

What's the most Mexican name ever?

The most Mexican name Is either Juan, Maria, Jose or Juana followed by Hernandez Hernandez.

What cultures don t take husbands last name?

In Malaysia and Korea, it is local custom for women to keep their maiden names, and although there is no law stating that they cannot take their husband's surname, it is a relatively foreign concept. Custom dictates that women keep their surnames in many Spanish-speaking countries as well, including Spain and Chile.

What is the genetic makeup of the average Mexican?

47% are “White” Mexicans, ones with predominantly European ancestors. 25% are Mestizo, who share a mixture of indigenous and European ancestors. 21.5% are Indigenous, with predominantly indigenous ancestors. The remainder come from various ethnicities, including Asian, African, and Middle Eastern ancestors.

Why do Puerto Ricans have 2 last names?

Puerto Rico used the Spanish practice of using the last names of both parents. A child born would be given a first and middle name and then the first last name of the father followed by the first last name of the mother. (e.g. Maria Luisa Rivera Garcia.)

What is the most common Hispanic last name?

What does EZ mean in Spanish last names?

For those unfamiliar with the term, it refers to surnames that are based on the first name of a male ancestor. In this case, the names are formed by using the father's name and appending 'ez to the end to represent “Son of”

What does the Y mean in Spanish names?

In some instances, names may be formatted using the Spanish custom of adding a 'y' (meaning “and”) between their mother's name and father's name (e.g. Maria CRUZ y SANTOS).

Why do Mexicans have 2 middle names?

In México we don't have “middle” names or “last" names. We follow the Spanish naming convention, which consists in having one or more given names, followed by a paternal family name and a maternal family name.

What do you call a married woman who keeps her maiden name?

The prefix Mrs., pronounced missus, is used to describe any married woman. Today, many women decide they want to keep their last name instead of taking their husband's. These women are still referred to as Mrs. A widowed woman is also referred to as Mrs., out of respect for her deceased husband.

What is a woman's last name before marriage called?

maiden name. noun. : a woman's family name before she is married.