Hernández is a very common last name in Latin America. In addition, it has more than 500 years of history and is of Spanish origin. It transcended the borders after the arrival of the Spanish to America and, today, it has spread throughout Latin America. Mexico is the American country with the most people with the surname Hernández on the continent.
Would you like to know the meaning and origin of the surname Hernández? In the following sections we will tell you about the most interesting facts about this surname. To discover!
Hernández is a very common surname in Spain and on the American continent. Its origin, as well as its meaning and evolution, is the subject of various theories that relate it to the Basque language and Celtic languages. Next, we explain the meaning of the Hernández family name and everything that his heraldic shield represents.
Meaning of the name Hernández
One of the theories about the meaning of the Hernández surname is that proposed by Gutierre Tibón, an Italian-Mexican writer on issues of cultural identity. Tibón explains that the surname Hernández comes from Hernani, which is of Basque origin, and that it means “Top of the cleared hill”. From Hernani the name Hernán was derived, very common in Spain, mainly in Extremadura and Asturias.
Another theory explains that Hernán’s name comes from the Germanic “firthu” which means “peace” and from “nands” and which means “brave”, that is, “The brave one who gets peace”. Another theory affirms that, etymologically, Hernán means “the audacious warrior” and comes to be a variant of Hernando. Hernando represents a change of the name Fernando.
On the other hand, there are those who believe that the meaning of the surname Hernández comes from the Gothic word Ferran, whose meaning is “Struggling warrior”, and which is derived from the Celtic word har (war and power). From Ferran the proper names “Ferrando” and “Fernando” were derived. Later, the Hernán variant emerged.
Hernandez would be the result of adding the Spanish patronymic “-ez” to the name Hernán.
Coat of arms for the name Hernández
The heraldic shields were used in the fields of war and in other ceremonies to identify the families that faced or reunited. In addition, their objective was to represent the values, customs and origin of the same.
One of the most representative shields of this family is the one formed by a field of gules (red background), with “three well-ordered golden blades”.
Another variant is that of a shield with a blue background, five gold lilies, placed in sotuer (an honorable piece made up of a heraldic band and bar) and gules border with eight gold sotueres.
Among the values proclaimed by the shields of the name Hernández They are: strength, power and vehement love for God and neighbor. They also represent superiority, bravery, fearlessness, fortitude, and magnificence.
Hernández is a centennial surname originating in Spain, but brought to the territory by the Goths with their own names such as Hernán or Hernando. With the suffix “-ez”, the surname “Hernández” originated, which means “Son of Hernán or Hernando”.
Some studies indicate that the surname was established for the first time in Spain, more specifically in Castile, with the arrival of the Visigoths.
Another settlement where it is believed that the name Hernández originated in Spain was in Galicia. Very old and important families in Spain carried this surname and inhabited the kingdom of Castilla y León, as well as Navarra, Extremadura, La Rioja and other territories.