Márquez
A Spanish surname that usually began as a title-based byname, from the word for “marquis.”
The #287 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 2,871 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Márquez is generally explained as a Spanish surname built from the title marqués, meaning “marquis,” with the ending -ez often found in Spanish surnames. The word ultimately goes back through Old French and Latin to the title for a noble rank. In some cases, surnames like this may have begun as a nickname or as a name connected with someone serving a marquis or resembling that social label.
History
The surname is found in Spain and across the Spanish-speaking world, where it spread through migration and colonial-era movement. The same spelling can also appear without the accent in English-language records, especially in the United States. The incidental historical excerpt suggests it was understood among surnames linked to social titles rather than to a place name.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In modern U.S. records, the accent is often dropped, so Márquez and Marquez are usually the same family name on paper.
From the historical record
“ron tambien una fuente en que diversas familias buscaron su apellido, como Alcalde, Juez, Merino, Alcaide, Coronel, Abad, Prior, Conde, Marquez, Baron, no faltaron tampo- cos personas a quienes se dió apellido por alguna accion ilustre o algun grande servicio hecho al Estado, como Maza, Cabeza de Vaca, Machuca…”
— Diccionario de los apellidos