Jaquez
A surname of Spanish-language form, often a patronymic or adapted spelling linked to Jacques/Jacobo-type given names.
The #4,295 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 37,284 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Jaquez is best understood as a Hispanic surname form built on a personal name, probably ultimately tied to Jacob/Jacobus traditions rather than to a common noun. In Spanish-language naming, surnames ending in -ez usually mean "son of," so the shape of Jaquez suggests a patronymic formation. The first element is likely related to Jacques or Jacobo/Jacob, names that go back to Hebrew Ya‘aqov (Jacob).
History
The surname is most likely of Hispanic or Hispanicized origin and would have developed in communities where Spanish naming patterns were used to adapt older European or biblical given names. In the modern United States it is especially likely to be found among families with Mexican, Caribbean, or broader Latin American roots, though the exact pathway can vary by family. Spellings such as Jaquez, Jacquez, and Jaques can overlap in records because scribes often altered names to match local pronunciation or spelling habits.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The familiar Spanish surname ending -ez is one of the clearest clues in genealogy: it usually signals a patronymic, meaning the name originally identified a person by their father’s given name.