González (surname) explained

González
Meaning:"Noble warrior", "Son of Gonzalo"
Region:Spain
Language:Visigothic/Ancient Germanic, Spanish
Pronunciation:Plural Gonzálezes; possessive González's, Gonzálezes'

González is a Spanish surname of Germanic origin, the second most common (2.16% of the population) in Spain,[1] as well as one of the five most common surnames in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay, and Venezuela, and one of the most common surnames in the entire Spanish-speaking world. As of 2017, it is the 13th most common surname in the United States.[2]

Origin

González is a Spanish name. Its origins trace back to a Visigothic name combining the words gunþo (guntho) (battle or war) and alf (elf); the Latinized form was Gundisalv. As the Spanish language developed, the name transformed into Gonzalo and its surname derivative González.[3] Some believe the name to mean "war hall", as evidenced by the castle in a field of blood on its family crest and the Visigothic cultural origins of the nation of Spain. González is also taken to mean "son of Gonzalo", "noble warrior", "soldier" or "castle guard".[4] Common spellings include: Gonzalez (no acute accent), Gonzáles, Gonzales, Gonzalés, González and Goncalves. The variant Consolus appears among people descended from a Spaniard with the surname Gonsález who settled in the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam.

Geographical distribution

As of 2014, 31.8% of all known bearers of the surname González were residents of Mexico (frequency 1:44), 10.8% of Spain (1:49), 10.0% of Venezuela (1:34), 7.4% of Argentina (1:66), 7.1% of the United States (1:584), 6.7% of Colombia (1:81), 5.1% of Cuba (1:26), 4.2% of Chile (1:48), 3.1% of Paraguay (1:27), 2.7% of Guatemala (1:68), 1.7% of Panama (1:27), 1.7% of Nicaragua (1:42), 1.4% of the Dominican Republic (1:85), 1.1% of El Salvador (1:67) and 1.1% of Ecuador (1:171).

In Spain, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average (1:49) in the following autonomous communities:

  1. Asturias (1:20)
  2. Canary Islands (1:22)
  3. Castile and León (1:29)
  4. Cantabria (1:30)
  5. Galicia (1:33)
  6. Extremadura (1:36)
  7. Andalusia (1:49)

In Cuba, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average (1:26) in the following provinces:[5]

  1. Artemisa (1:18)
  2. Cienfuegos (1:19)
  3. Mayabeque (1:19)
  4. Ciego de Ávila (1:19)
  5. Matanzas (1:24)
  6. Sancti Spíritus (1:24)
  7. Isla de la Juventud (1:24)
  8. Pinar del Río (1:25)
  9. Villa Clara (1:25)
  10. Santiago de Cuba (1:25)

People named González

The arts

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Literature

Music

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Crime

Military

Other fields

Politics and law

Presidents

Science and technology

Sports

American (gridiron) football

Association football (soccer)

Baseball

Basketball

Boxing

Cycling

Fencing

Hockey

Javelin

Judo

Racing

Rugby

Shooting

Swimming

Tennis

Track and Field

Volleyball

Wrestling

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Apellidos y nombres más frecuentes. Most frequent names and surnames. 2022-05-17. Instituto Nacional de Estadística. 2022-08-26. es.
  2. Web site: Garcia is now the sixth-most-common surname in the U.S. . Chen . Spe . 2016-12-27 . Vice . 2022-08-26.
  3. Book: Donovan Woods . Richard . Spanish Surnames in the Southwestern United States: A Dictionary . 1978 . G.K. Hall . 9780816181452 . 67.
  4. Web site: Gonzalez: Name Meaning and Origin . Powell . Kimberly . 2019-02-09 . Thought Co. . 2022-08-26 . 2007-12-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071210103436/http://genealogy.about.com/library/surnames/g/bl_name-GONZALES.htm?rd=1 . dead .
  5. Web site: Gonzalez surname distribution. 2014. Forebears. dead. 2014-12-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20141210032133/http://forebears.co.uk/surnames/gonzalez.