Origin of Espino

This ancient surname is recorded in some forty spelling forms. These range from Epine, Lepine, Delepine, (French) to Espinas and Espinoza (Spanish) and Spinelli (Italian). The surname is usually recorded in most dictionaries of surnames as being of early French origins, but is not so. It is more correctly Roman (Latin), and derives its origin from the pre Christian word 'spina', a description for a person who lived either by a prominent thorn bush, or more probably a defensive area protected by thorn bushes, or on the ridge or spine of a hill.

As a late medieval surname, it was also applied as a nickname to a "difficult" person, one of "prickly" character! It has also been suggested that in some cases the surname was originally a nickname for "a spy". If this is so, the derivation would have been from the French word "espionier", but this is not proven. Early examples of the surname recording include Claude Espinoy, in Paris, in 1638, Michelle Lespine, who married Pierre Fiquet at Rumigny, Ardenne, in 1632; and Jean Epinet, of Bard, Loire, in 1689. Further recordings are those of Maria de Espinoza at San Miguel Arcangel, Mexico on February 5th 1696 and Rueda Espinosa at San Juan Bautistia, Coyoacan, Mexico, on August 20th 1775. The coat of arms has the blazon of a silver field, charged with a red fesse, and overall a black lion rampant. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Louis Delespine, which was dated August 1st 1545, at the Church of St. Florentine, at Amboise, France, during the reign of King Francis 1 of France, and of the House of Valois, 1515 - 1547. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

These two surnames, Espina or Espino, are modalities of the same lineage, as evidenced by the identity of origin of the families that used them and the almost identity of the weapons.

Jerónimo de Villa says that the Espinas who settled in the town of Limpias (Cantabria) came from a house of the same surname located in the city of Segovia, and that this, in turn, was originally from Muñatones. Miguel de Salazar is of the same opinion, although referring to the Espino modality.

Another Espina house was located in the town of Ampuero (Cantabria). There was another next to the town of Espinosa de los Monteros (Burgos). Others in Geria, Medina de Ríoseco, Simancas, Valladolid and Villalón de Campos (Valladolid). Another in the town of Valmaseda (Vizcaya). Other solar houses in Langreo, Nava and Riaño (Asturias). And others, with the modality of Espino, in Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz) and in Logroño. A family named Espina also had their seat in Naples.

Hernando de Espino, Conqueror of the Canary Islands and Alejandra de Espino Peraza de Ayala and Franco, his wife and cousin, founded the Mayorazgo of the noble House of Espino, which was continued by Captain Simón Manuel de Espino Carvajal y Guanarteme, father of María Isabel de Espino Carvajal, who married Francisco Esteban Pérez Verdugo de Alviturría, successor to the House and Mayorazgos of Alviturría in Gran Canaria.

They went to Bolivia, Cuba, Chile, the United States, the Philippines, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

Pedro del Espino y Mucientes, a native of Medina de Ríoseco, went to Mexico on June 26, 1535. He was the son of Juan del Espino and María de Mucientes.

Pedro de Espina y Alvarez, a native of Valladolid, went to the mainland on May 5, 1526. He was the son of Diego de Espina and Isabel Alvarez.

They proved their nobility before the Hall of the Hijosdalgo of the Royal Chancery of Valladolid: Francisco Espina, Licenciado, resident of Logroño, in 1580; Juan de la Espina, a resident of the Council of Lena (Asturias), in 1549; Juan de la Espina, a resident of San Juan dela Mata (León), in 1563; Juan de la Espina, resident of Cabranes (Asturias), in 1626; Francisco de Espino, a resident of Logroño, in 1552; Francisco de Espino, a resident of Logroño, in 1580; Francisco de Espino, Licenciado, resident of Logroño, in 1567, and Luis de Espino, resident of Salamanca, in 1519.

They proved his nobility before the Royal Chancery of Granada: Gómez de Espina, a resident of Seville, in 1546, and Jimeno de Espino Pacheco, a resident of Baeza (Jaén), in 1613.

The following proved his nobility before the Royal Court of Oviedo: Manuel Espina Cacha Arriba y Díaz, a native of Cuenya, a resident of Viñón and originally from Nava, in 1782; Santiago Espina Llanera y Sánchez, a native and native of Riaño and a neighbor of Lena, in 1801, and Santiago Espina Montes Escobar y Díaz-Argüelles, a resident of Box and a native of Langreo, in 1815.

They proved his purity of blood to hold positions in the Holy Office of the Inquisition: Diego de Espina, a native and resident of Madrid, for Familiar, in Toledo, in 1614; Diego de Espina, a native and resident of Almagro (Ciudad Real), and his wife Felipa de Huertas, a native of Bolaños, for Family, in Toledo, in 1632; Félix Espino Peraza y Ayala, for Officer, in the Canary Islands, in 1646, and his wife Bernardina de San Juan, a native of Telde; Jacinto Espino Rodríguez, a native of Madrid, for Officer, in Toledo, in 1643, and Pedro de Espino, Captain, for Major Constable of the city of Saltillo (Mexico), in Saltillo (son of Andrés de Espino and María del Sixto, natives of Cazal de Avila), in 1699.

José de Sarachaga Espina Echevarría y Villa, resident of the Gordejuela valley (Vizcaya), originating by his last name Espina from the town of Valmaseda (Vizcaya), proved his nobility before the Lord Corregidor of Vizcaya in 1707.

The following entered the colleges of the Mayor of San Ildefonso and minors of Alcalá: Antonio de Espino, a native of Argujillo (Zamora), in 1616; Juan Antonio Espino, a native of Velada (Toledo), in 1794; Juan Antonio Espino, in 1798; Pedro and Francisco Espino, natives of Benamejí (Córdoba), in 1744; Manuel Espino Barral Mathías y Sáez, a native of San Ildefonso, in 1777, and José Espino y Navarro, a native of Tarazona (Zaragoza), in 1692 and 1693.

The following were empowered by the Royal Arm in the Cortes of the Principality of Catalonia: Francisco Espina, Trustee of Tona (Barcelona), in 1640; Francisco Espina, Trustee of Tona, in 1701, and Jaime Espina, a native of Virgili, in 1640.

Gaspar Espina, a native of Palencia, from the Convent of San Marcos de León, tested his purity of blood to enter the Order of Santiago as a religious in 1565.

In the Municipal Archive of Santiago de Compostela (La Coruña) there is a record of cleanliness of blood fromAndrés Espino y Andrade, a native of the parish of Santa María del Camino, in the city of Santiago de Compostela, in 1696. He was the son of Andrés de Espino, a native of San Martín de Dornelas, in Pontevedra, Titular Minister of the Inquisition, and of María López de Andrade, a native of San Juan de Rececende, in Lugo, and paternal grandson of Andrés de Espino, a native of San Julián de Piñeiro, and María Martínez.

Among the Hijosdalgo Knights received in the Noble Estate of Madrid, and who entered lots, exercising the positions of the City Council, were: Fernando Espina, in 1615, and Diego, Diego and Melchor Espino y Guardia, in 1696, 1697 and 1698.