The history of Spanish surnames is a fairly unknown matter among society; having them carries a much deeper meaning than some may believe, and that is that there are more aspects added to the simple fact of inheriting them from parents. While names are chosen, surnames are not, which is why it is interesting to learn where they come from and what they say about us…
Rodríguez is one of the most common surnames in Spain. If you don’t have it, surely you know several people who do wear it on their ID. Do you want to know what is hidden behind this name? This is all you need to know about the meaning and origin of the Rodríguez surname, take note!
The history of Spanish surnames is a fairly unknown matter among society; having them carries a much deeper meaning than some may believe, and that is that there are more aspects added to the simple fact of inheriting them from parents. While names are chosen, surnames are not, which is why it is interesting to learn where they come from and what they say about us…
Rodríguez is one of the most common surnames in Spain. If you don’t have it, surely you know several people who do wear it on their ID. Do you want to know what is hidden behind this name? This is all you need to know about the meaning and origin of the Rodríguez surname, take note!
Origin of the Surname Rodriguez
Accurately determining the origin of any surname is complicated by the lack of official documentation. However, in the case of Rodríguez, it is located in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, especially focused on Asturias. The arguments about this origin focus on the Visigothic monarch Rodrigo.
From the Reconquest to the present, Rodrigo and Rodríguez have maintained links and differences. That is why we must go back to the past to contextualize and understand the roots of the surname. Rodrigo was a nobleman who, around the year 710, was chosen to occupy the throne of the Visigothic monarchy in Spain after the death of King Witiza.
Rodrigo prevailed over Ahkila, son of the Witiza monarch, in the race for the throne thanks to the support of the Visigothic nobility. With all these data, it can be seen that the first people with this surname were located in the north of Spain.
There is a great multitude of titles belonging to the nobility and that correspond to the Rodríguez surname. These are some:
- The Marquis of Buenavista, Don Martín Rodríguez de Medina, in 1688.
- The Marquis of Medina, Don Juan Antonio Rodríguez de Varcarcel, in 1691.
- The Marquis of Santiago, Don Francisco Esteban Rodríguez de los Ríos, in 1706.
- The Marquis of Saltillo, Don Martín Rodríguez de la Milla, in 1712.
- The Marquis of Villamedina, Don Sebastián Antonio Rodríguez of Madrid, in 1713.
- The Marquis of Iniza, Don Francisco Rodríguez Chacón, in 1730.
Curious facts about the Rodriguez surname
Knowing the meaning and origin of the Rodríguez surname, we discover all the history that it contains and that is maintained in many families today. Also, you should know that this surname is not exclusive to Spain, as it was also very present in the conquest of America. Juan Rodríguez Suárez, born in Mérida and died in 1561 in Venezuela, was one of the participants in the campaigns organized in the Kingdom of Granada.
He was also a protagonist in the conquest of Pamplona, an area in which, in 1558, he was mayor. He founded the town known as Santiago de los Caballeros in the Sierras de Mérida region and later became lieutenant governor of Caracas, an area in which he began the conquest of the indigenous ‘teques’.
The exploits of Juan Rodríguez Suárez are one more example of the enormous presence of this surname in those parts of America where Spanish is the predominant language.
Rodríguez is the fourth most common surname in Spain and, according to Forebears (a web specialized in genealogical information), it is among the 100 most frequent worldwide (it is, specifically, number 55). More than 9 million people have this last name and more than 2 million are in Mexico.
If you want to discover more information about the meaning of different surnames, don’t miss these other OneHOWTO articles:
- Meaning and origin of the name Martinez
- Meaning and origin of the surname Garcia
- Meaning and origin of the surname Hernandez
- Meaning and origin of the name Perez
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Editorial Team
