Hi Claudia, surnames are very complicated, I still have trouble understanding! What I do know
compound and denote a region go hand in hand. Usually and typically most Spaniards had the typical
patrónimico followed by a "de" then the city or place. But others had two places or two patrónimicos
and others. Like Díaz y Ortiz or González de Hermosillo. Take Juan González de Hermosillo, when
he traveled to New Spain. Look at his name. You can decode it. It means my name is Juan
one of my ancestors (most likely in the 12th Century 1300-1400) was named Gonzalo who
came from "el pueblo o villa de Hermosillo, España. Anytime last names ending in -OZ, IZ, EZ, -UEZ
denote "son of". If I had a child in medieval Spain. It would be Martín Daniel. YES Daniel (my name)
is his last name. Notice Daniel doesnt follow the rule -EZ, IZ, OZ or UEZ, this was the exception
not all father names could follow the rule because it would sound weird. Imagine Martín Danieluez
or Danieloz Danieliz just simply Daniel. Other examples are García, Denis, Franco. Hurtado is a different
origin it means the man who was robbed. Like the Mendoza. Hurtado in Spain means él fue hurtado
its much older Spanish but can still be heard in parts of Jalisco, Argentina but in Spain its very out of
fashion simply le robaron will work. Robar and Hurtar are synonyms. This naming system lasted
from the 800's-ca. 1350.) Each generation would have different last names but some followed our Spanish about giving the same last name to the daughter after their grandfather, hence all the Lorenza Ruiz de Esparzas existed. Somewhere around 1320-1350 the Spaniards chosed to keep the last name the currently
had so if your last ancestor had González they decreed that from now on all my descendants will have my the last name of the grandfather and wont ever be changed any more (besides marriages and the naming after ancestors). It was seen as too Germanic and they wanted to create a stronger Kingdoms not sure how that was affected by names. By this time España was being dressed just like a Turkey but not quite
ready to become our España we know today. There were only three crowns on the peninsula instead of the starting 12. (The knings knew how to marry to become bigger) Portugal, Castilla and Aragón. Through they were all related. Eventually 150 years later Isabella and Fernando would pay Colombus and created our existence in the New World. Hope this helps might be confusing. Saludos, Daniel Méndez del Camino
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