Spanish naming customs

A Spanish personal name consists of one or more name ( nombre nombre de pila or ) and usually two surnames ( apellidos ).

• 2.1 Two Surnames
• 2.2 surnames ending in -ez, - iz, - az, - oz
• 2.3 Most common surnames
• 2.4 Expósito
• 2.5 Orthographic correction

First name

Female Names

The most common female first name is María (Basque also: Miren ). About a quarter of the female population of Spain performs this name, usually in conjunction with different titles or places of grace of the Virgin Mary or even mysteries of faith of Jesus Christ, for example: María Carmen (after Our Lady of Mount Carmel, María Dolores ( after the Mater Dolorosa ) María Pilar (after the Madonna del Pilar ), María Ángeles ( ' Mary of the Angels " ), María Concepción María Inmaculada or ( according to the Immaculate Conception), María Mercedes (after the Merciful Mary), María Rosario (after Our Lady of the Rosary ), María Encarnación or María Anunciación (after the Annunciation ), María Montserrat (after Our Lady of Montserrat ), María Lourdes or Fátima María (after the Marian apparitions in Lourdes and Fatima ).

Mostly these additions occur in conjunction with María, but they are now often awarded as an independent given name (ie without María as a first name ). Thus, on 1 January 2012 led approximately 670,000 females the double name María Carmen, but also about 440,000 Simply the name Carmen. As a nickname - for the sake of better distinction - typically used even in carriers of double name is not María, but the respective additive.

The ten most common female first names are (as of January 1, 2012):

The ten most popular names for newborns in 2011 were in Spain ( in that order): Lucía, Paula, Maria, Sara, Daniela, Carla, Sofía, Alba, Claudia, Martina.

Male first names

Among males, the correlation name of Josef come in Spain (Spanish: José; Catalan: Josep; Galician: Xosé; Basque: Joseba ) most frequently. Approximately 13 % of the male population bears this name (of which about one quarter alone, the rest as a part of the first name, eg José Antonio, José Luis, etc.).

The ten most popular names for male newborns in 2011 were in Spain ( in that order): Alejandro, Daniel, Pablo, Hugo, Álvaro Adrián, David, Diego, Javier, Mario.

Hypokoristika

Many Spanish names have a short or pet form ( Hypokoristikum ), which is used in the familiar circle (about within the family ) and in some cases is very different from the real name. Examples are:

According to legend, the nickname Paco derives for Francisco from the St. Francis of Assisi. This signed document with Compania Padre ( Father of the Brotherhood ).

Regional characteristics

When choosing the name exist distinct regional characteristics, in particular in the areas with its own regional language. So lay about in Catalonia and the Basque Country in 2011 among male newborns exclusively Catalan or Basque name on the first ten places, which is partly of the forms in the respective regional language (eg Catalan Martí instead of Spanish Martín or Basque Mikel instead spanish Miguel).

Another phenomenon is the returning to regional or local patron saints name. So comes the female first name Montserrat ( Montserrat and Maria ), which dates back to the patron saint of Catalonia, in this region five times more often than in the Spanish average. The woman's name Candelaria (or Maria Candelaria, going back to the Virgin of Candelaria) is even 14 times more frequently than in the Spanish average in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

At the request of the carrier name registrar replaces the name by its equivalent in a regional language or in Spanish. A José ( Spanish) therefore may require ( Galician ) its renaming in Joseba (Basque ), Josep (Catalan ) or Xosé. For the last name there is no such law, however.

Last name

Two last name

Spaniards have usually two surnames (Spanish apellido ( s ) ), such as Federico García Lorca.

In a marriage, both spouses retain their full last name. So you can only detect simple and unique family ties across generations due to the last name.

The first surname is still often the first surname of the father and the second surname of the first surname of the mother. The order of these two names may sometimes be reversed. The tradition dates from the 16th century and has been with the Civil Registry Law of 1870 for duty, where you wanted to limit especially confusion between people with the same first and last name.

Example:

• Father: Juan García Díaz - ( first name - Vater/1.Nachname - Vater/2.Nachname )

• Wife first marriage: María Álvarez Sánchez - ( first name - 1 Ehefrau/1.Nachname - 1 Ehefrau/2.Nachname )

• Wife 2nd marriage: Dolores Jiménez Fernández - ( first name - 2 Ehefrau/1.Nachname - 2 Ehefrau/2.Nachname )

• Son from 1st marriage: Pedro García Álvarez - ( first name - Vater/1.Nachname - 1 Ehefrau/1.Nachname )

• Daughter from 1st marriage: Carmen García Álvarez - ( first name - Vater/1.Nachname - 1 Ehefrau/1.Nachname )
• Son of 2nd marriage: Pablo García Fernández - ( first name - Vater/1.Nachname - 2 Ehefrau/1.Nachname )

Since 1999, parents in Spain may in the registration of their first child in the registrar's register ( registro civil ) jointly determine whether the first surname of the father or the mother should be the first surname of the child. The first surname of the other parent is then second surname of the child. If such a determination is not made, the traditional scheme ( first surname of the father ) is considered. All other children of the same pair receive the same surname ranking as the first. If the child is of age, it may request the conversion of the order. Since 2007, one has to assume a double surname in the naturalization process.

In 2011 there was a reform of the Civil Registry Law. According to Article 49 of this Act shall continue in the event that the parents make no provision for the ranking of the last names on the registration of the child, not the traditional control ( surname of the father first) apply, but the registrar has the order " on the criterion the child's welfare -oriented " set. Into force, however, recast the Civil Registry Law occurs only in July 2014.

All of this also applies to non-marital children, if paternity is acknowledged or established. When an unknown father the child receives the two surnames of the mother.

Often used for the sake of brevity only one of the surname of a person. What this is, is directed not necessarily in the order, but also depends on other criteria from (preference of the wearer's name, distinctness, etc.). Thus, as former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero or his Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba in the press - especially in headlines - often referred to by its second surname, which is simply because that the surname Zapatero and Rubalcaba are rarer than Rodríguez and Pérez. Another example is the painter Pablo Ruiz Picasso, who even signed his early works with " Ruiz ".

For some, their last name in the non - Spanish-speaking countries sometimes with a hyphen to clarify that both names are on the surname and the first surname is no other first name. A prominent example is the conductor Jesús López Cobos -. Rare ( for example, the nobility ), there are also original Spanish double name with a hyphen. That's the name of the current Spanish Justice Minister Alberto Ruiz Gallardón Jiménez -, where Ruiz- Gallardón Jiménez is the first and the second surname.

The tradition with the two last names exist in many Spanish-speaking countries. Especially in Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador ( mandatory), Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia (male sure the nut part in the rule), Cuba, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay ( ranked the first child binding for the other children), Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela. However, this does not apply to Argentina, which has mainly Italian immigrants and only the last name of the father is taken. In Portuguese-speaking countries, there is a similar tradition, but there in the order of mother - father. (Brazil, Guinea- Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe (father, mother previously asked by customary law ) ) and in Portugal itself a maximum of four name components.

It used to be common in some areas that married, but especially widowed wives their official last name with de (of ) nor anfügten the last name of her husband or widower. In the above example this would mean for the 2nd wife: Dolores Ferandez Jiménez de García.

According to current law may be applied, the first surname de preceded, if this is also a more common first name simultaneously. The de then display the function where the last name starts (eg José de Martín González José Martín González instead ).

Next, to request a y or i ("and" in Spanish or Catalan) to put between the two surnames. This is especially common in Catalonia.

Surnames ending in -ez, - iz, - az, - oz

The original meaning of most Spanish surnames ( eg Chávez is an exception ) on ez - end, is " son of", similar to Nordic names such as Peters or Petersen. Thus Pérez means "son of Pe ( d) ro ," Sánchez " son of Sancho " Álvarez " son of Álvaro " etc. Also some names with the ending - iz, - az - oz have this meaning (eg by Rodrigo Ruiz Díaz, Diego and Santiago Muñoz of Muño ).

The fact that it is formed patronymic surnames in these names, is uncontested in science. For precise origin but there are several hypotheses. One is that the phenomenon to the rule of the Visigoths in the Iberian Peninsula in late antiquity goes back. Also name as Rodrigo ( Roderich ) and its counterpart as a surname Rodríguez ( Roderick son ), are from the Visigoth.

Because of the rules for the accentuation in Spanish bear such names usually an accent on the stressed syllable; this is normally the second last ( Díaz Hernández, Rodríguez etc. ) at derive a already provided accented names (eg, Álvaro / Álvarez ) the stressed there (mostly third-last ) syllable.

Most common surnames

The 14 most common surnames are all patronymic origin (most ending in -ez ). There are in this order: García, González Rodríguez, Fernández, López Martínez, Sánchez Pérez Gómez, Martín Jiménez Ruiz, Hernández and Díaz.

Expósito

In earlier times, were children of unknown parentage, which have been found exposed, the last name " Expósito " (translated: " exposed "). Since this surname is perceived as discriminatory, its change can take place under relaxed conditions today.

Orthographic correction

At the request incorrectly registered surnames are in the local language to be replaced by the correct form. So who is registered with the Catalan surname Marti, whose change may require ( with accent on the i) in the orthographically correct spelling Martí. However, there is no right of translation into another Spanish official language, or about the Spanish surname Martín by its Catalan version Martí or Etxebarria to replace: ( " new house " spanish ) or vice versa (Basque " new house " ) by Casa Nueva.