Last Names or Surnames in Spanish

Last names, or surnames, in Spanish arent treated the same way as they are in English. The differing practices can be confusing for someone unfamiliar with Spanish, but the Spanish way of doing things has been around for hundreds of years. Traditionally, if John Smith and Nancy Jones (who live in an English-speaking country) get married and have a child, the child would end  up with a name such as Paul Smith or Barbara Smith. But its not the same in most areas where Spanish is spoken as the native language. If Juan Là ³pez Marcos marries Marà ­a Covas Callas, their child would end up with a name such as Mario Là ³pez Covas or Katarina Là ³pez Covas. How Do Spanish Last Names Work? Confused? Theres a logic to it all, but the confusion comes mostly because the Spanish surname method is different than what youre used to. Although there are numerous variations of how names are handled, just as there can be in English, the basic rule of Spanish names is fairly simple: In general, a person born into a Spanish-speaking family is given a first name followed by two surnames, the first being the fathers family name (or, more precisely, the surname he gained from his father) followed by the mothers family name (or, again more precisely, the surname she gained from her father). In a sense, then, native Spanish speakers are born with two last names. Take as an example the name of Teresa Garcà ­a Ramà ­rez. Teresa is the name given at birth, Garcà ­a is the family name from her father, and Ramà ­rez is the family name from her mother. If Teresa Garcà ­a Ramà ­rez marries Elà ­ Arroyo Là ³pez, she doesnt change her name. But in popular usage, it would be extremely common for her to add de Arroyo (literally, of Arroyo), making her Teresa Garcà ­a Ramà ­rez de Arroyo. Sometimes, the two surnames can be separated by y (meaning and), although this is less common than it used to be. The name the husband uses would be Elà ­ Arroyo y Là ³pez. You may see names that are even longer. Although it isnt done much, at least formally, it is possible also to include grandparents names in the mix. If the full name is shortened, usually the second surname name is dropped. For example, Mexican President Enrique Peà ±a Nieto is often referred to by his countrys news media simply as Peà ±a when he is mentioned a second time. Things can get a bit complicated for Spanish-speaking people living in places such as the United States, where it is not the norm to use two family names. One choice many make is for all family members to use the fathers paternal family name. Also quite common is to hyphenate the two names, e.g., Elà ­ Arroyo-Là ³pez and Teresa Garcà ­a-Ramà ­rez. Couples who have been in the United States a long time, particularly if they speak English, are more likely to give their children the fathers name, following the dominant U.S. pattern. But practices vary. The practice of a person being given two family names became the custom in Spain largely because of Arabic influence. The custom spread to the Americas during the years of Spanish Conquest. Spanish and Mexican Last Names With Celebrities You can see how Spanish  names are constructed by looking at the names of several famous people born in Spanish-speaking countries. Fathers names are listed first: The full name of singer Shakira is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll. She is the daughter of William Mebarak Chadid and Nidia del Carmen Ripoll Torrado.The full name of actress Salma Hayek is Salma Hayek Jimà ©nez. She is the daughter of Sami Hayek Domà ­nguez and Diana Jimà ©nez Medina.The full name of actress Penà ©lope Cruz is Penà ©lope Cruz Sà ¡nchez. She is the daughter of Eduardo Cruz and Encarnacià ³n Sà ¡nchez.The full name of Cuban President Raà ºl Castro is Raà ºl Modesto Castro Ruz. He is the son of à ngel Castro Argiz and Lina Ruz Gonzà ¡lez.The full name of pop singer Enrique Iglesias is Enrique Iglesias Preysler. He is the son of Julio Josà © Iglesias de la Cueva and Marà ­a Isabel Preysler Arrastia.The full name of Mexican-Puerto Rican  singer Luis Miguel is Luis Miguel Gallego Basteri. He is the son of Luis Gallego Sanchez and Marcela Basteri.The full name of Venezuelan President Nicolà ¡s Maduro is Nicolà ¡s Maduro Moro. He is the son of Nicolà ¡s Ma duro Garcà ­a and Teresa de Jesà ºs Moro.The full name of singer and actor Rubà ©n Blades is Rubà ©n Blades Bellido de Luna. He is the son of Rubà ©n Darà ­o Blades and Anoland Dà ­az Bellido de Luna.