Almendaréz
A Spanish-language surname most likely tied to a place name or local surname form, later carried into the Americas.
The #7,531 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 69,931 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Almendarez is a surname of Spanish-language form, and it most likely began as a locational or habitational name. The ending -ez can sometimes point to a patronymic in Spanish, but in this case the overall shape suggests a surname that developed from a place name or an older local family name rather than a transparent modern word. The initial element may ultimately reflect a regional toponym or an older Iberian form now difficult to reconstruct with certainty.
History
Surnames of this type were carried from Spain into Hispanic America during the colonial period and later spread through migration within the Americas. In modern records, Almendarez is found chiefly in Spanish-speaking communities, especially in Mexico and the southwestern United States. Because the name is relatively uncommon, its exact local origin is not well documented in standard reference works.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname is close in form to several better-known southwestern Spanish surnames ending in -arez / -ez, which often makes spellings shift over time in records.