Gonzalez
A very common Spanish surname meaning “son of Gonzalo.”
The #13 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 367 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Gonzalez is a Spanish patronymic surname, originally meaning “son of Gonzalo.” The personal name Gonzalo goes back through medieval Spanish forms to a Germanic name, often explained as containing a root meaning “battle” or “war.” In historical spelling, the surname is properly written González, with an accent on the second syllable.
History
The name was established in medieval Spain and became one of the standard hereditary Spanish surnames. It spread widely throughout the Spanish-speaking world through migration and colonial expansion. In modern usage it is among the most common surnames in Spain and the Americas.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The suffix -ez is one of the classic Spanish patronymic endings, equivalent in function to English -son.
From the historical record
“APELLIDO.—«El sobrenombre con que los individuos de una casa, familia o linaje, se distinguen de los de las otras, como Dias, Gonzalez, Perez, Guzman. Nuestros primeros padres no tenian apellidos: cada uno de ellos era conocido con su nombre propio, 1 ro se con- fundian con los demas, como Adan, Eva, Noé, Abraham.…”
— Diccionario de los apellidos