How many surnames do spanish have ?
Because of the widespread impact that Spanish culture has had, it is quite likely that you have some Spanish ancestry tucked away somewhere in your family tree.
Finding and investigating ancestors might be a little bit challenging for those who are not acquainted with the naming rules used in Spanish.
This is the first installment of our series on Spanish naming conventions, and it will cover the fundamentals.
In the next several installments of this series, we’ll cover topics that are more advanced than that; but, as is the case with everything, let’s start at the very beginning…
How many surnames do spanish have ?
Getting Started
The majority of you will likely observe that Spanish names, on average, are much lengthier than those in many other cultures. I don’t intend to imply that there are more letters in them; rather, I mean that there are more words.
It is essential that you be aware that the notion of a “Middle Name” does not exist in the naming rules that are used in Spanish. Only at this point will we discuss why this is the case.
If you disregard the Middle Name, the Last Name and Full Name will be much simpler to comprehend.
The current Prime Minister of Spain, José Luis Rodrguez Zapatero, and his family will serve as an example for me to explain the naming customs that are common in Spanish culture for the whole of this essay.
Be mindful, however, that whenever I mention Spain or Spanish, I am really referring to the culture of Spain, which encompasses the whole of the Spanish-speaking globe and is not limited to the culture of simply the nation of Spain.
First/Given Names
People in cultures that use the Spanish language often have either one or two given names. Take, for example, Juan or José Luis, who happens to be the Prime Minister of Spain.
Take note of the fact that, contrary to what was said before, Luis is not the Prime Minister’s middle name but rather a component of his whole, single, given name, which is José Luis.
Surnames It is typical for persons in cultures that use the Spanish language to have two surnames.
The first surname is known as the paternal surname (apellido paterno), which is also the first surname of the father. The second surname is known as the maternal surname (apellido materno), which is also the first surname of the mother.
This implies that what we would refer to as the mother’s maiden name is carried down an additional generation than it would be in typical Anglophone societies, as you may have figured out by now.
In reference to our good buddy José Luis Rodrguez Zapatero, we have determined, based on the evidence presented above, that the surname Rodriguez belongs to his father, while the surname Zapatero belongs to his mother.
It is vital to keep in mind that the surname of the father comes first, while the surname of the mother comes second when addressing someone by their surname, as we will describe in the next paragraph on how to refer to someone by their surname.
Names of Spouses and Given Names of Children
When a woman gets married in Spanish society, she does not often alter her name.
This indicates that the mother, father, and children in a single household will often all have distinctive last names although belonging to the same family.
Take, for example:
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is married to Sonsoles Espinosa Díaz (Espinosa is her paternal surname and Diaz is her maternal surname) and their children’s names are Laura Rodríguez Espinosa and Alba Rodríguez Espinosa.
Using a Person’s Family Name to Address Them
When calling a person by their surname in Spanish-speaking countries, it is customary to use that person’s paternal surname as the default.
Therefore, José Luis Rodrguez Zapatero would be addressed as Seor Rodriguez, and not as Seor Zapatero, in formal settings.
It is crucial to highlight that omitting the paternal surname is not rare when it is a fairly common one, despite the fact that I am not attempting to deceive you about this.
Because Rodriguez is such a popular surname, José Luis Rodrguez Zapatero, the former Prime Minister of Spain, is more often referred to by his given name, Zapatero. This is because Rodriguez is such a common surname.
Having said that, keep your attention on the overarching principle, and you should be OK.
It is important to bear in mind that the practice of hyphenating the two surnames is becoming more common among Hispanic cultures in the Americas. When dealing with English-speaking nations that are unfamiliar with the name practices used in Spanish, this is done in an effort to avoid creating misunderstanding.
Let’s leave it at that for the time being since we’ve made a good start already, and this will assist those of you who aren’t acquainted with the naming conventions in Spanish come up to speed on how these conventions vary from others that you may be more familiar with. Let’s leave it at that. Please leave a remark below if you or someone you know has an intriguing Spanish surname.