Origin of Lopez
This interesting surname, one of the most popular in the Spanish peninsula and South America, is almost certainly of Roman (Latin) origins. It derives from the ancient words "lupus" and the 5th century a.d. "lobo", meaning the wolf. This suggests that either the name is a nickname or more likely it is a tribal and originally a form of endearment. The popularity of the surname is such that it must have been given to a large number of people, so large that in general it has to relate to a tribe or clan.
Certainly the early civilised peoples considered it a considerable honour to be so named. The wolf, along with, in particular, the bear, the lion, and the stag, are figure regularly in the early records both of surnames and coats of arms. In this case the wolf was highly regarded for its cunning and its bravery. Amongst the early recordings of the name taken from authentic church and civil registers, in both its home country and the New World of the Americas, are Catalina Lopez, see below, who married Diego de Palacios at Valladolid, and Alonso Juan Lopez, christened at Asuncion, Mexico, on February 8th 1637. Ramirez Lopes was recorded at Santa Catarina, Mexico, on September 6th 1709, and Aquida Josefa Lopez at San Diego, California, on January 21st 1789. The name is also recorded early in England, Dominicus Lopes marrying Jane Baker on September 23rd 1622 at St. Dunstan's, church, Stepney, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Catalina Lopez, which was dated June 20th 1566, at Santa Maria Magdalena, Valladolid, Spain, during the reign of King Philip 11 of Spain, Emperor of Mexico, 1556 - 1598. 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.
It derives from the Spanish patronymic surname López ("son of Lope"), both as a legacy of the Spanish presence as occupying troops, and as the surname of Safardi Jews who fled from Spain after the edict of expulsion of 1492.
The surname Lopez has several lineages and the most important are found in Puglia, Calabria and in the Neapolitan area.
The surname Lopez. Its genealogy, origins, history, and meaning.
Discovering the historical origins of Lopez is an incredibly exciting journey that takes us back to the ancestors and relatives who built this lineage. Like most surnames, the history of the surname Lopez is a thorny and surprising journey into the past in order to find out the origin of the surname Lopez, which leads us to have more knowledge about those who bear the surname Lopez, their origin, their coat of arms, the bibliography in which it appears... It is possible to trace their genealogy and, in addition to the original places of Lopez, we know where it is possible to find people with the surname Lopez today.
View complete list of Lopez in the world
Lopez: historical chronicle
The history of Lopez is an interesting sequence of events that were protagonized by the people who have held the surname Lopez throughout history, and it is possible to trace this history back to the first bearers of the surname Lopez. Their feats, their way of life, the places they lived, their family relationships, the jobs they held... All of this is crucial for anyone who, like you, is interested in having more information about the historical, heraldic, coat of arms, and nobility of the surname Lopez. In the following lines, you can find everything we have been able to compile about the surname Lopez. However, if you have more information that you would like to share, we would greatly appreciate your contribution to expand the knowledge of people who, like you, are looking to increase their knowledge about the surname Lopez.
Unfortunately, we do not have any more historical information about Lopez than the one we have provided with pleasure. We invite those who visit us on this website to analyze the recommended bibliography and to come back often, since we often receive valuable collaborations from other people interested in the origin and history of surnames that could have information of special interest about the surname Lopez, and that we would update on this website as soon as possible (after a previous verification). Similarly, if you consider yourself one of those people, we urge you to support us and send us the information about Lopez that is available to you, thanking you in advance for your detail.
The most famous Lopez in history
There have probably been some significant Lopez throughout the history of humanity, even if, for some reason, not all of their contributions were included in the chronicles of the time or their data has not come down to the present day. Unfortunately, not all of the important contributions of people who have carried the surname Lopez were taken into account at the time by the chroniclers of the time. Although a surname has the ability to link a person to a famous lineage and a glorious coat of arms, it is individuals who, throughout their lives and by virtue of some outstanding or important achievements for the society in which they lived, give their surnames renown and it is possible to establish prominent lineages. For this reason, we want to highlight on this website those people with the surname Lopez who, for some reason, have left their mark on the course of history.
The surname Lopez and its bibliographic sources
Based on all the research we have been able to gather so far, we can say that there is information available about the history, genealogy, and heraldry of the surname Lopez thanks to bibliographic sources. This means that we can discover more about its original meaning, origin, history, coat of arms, and heraldry. Our recommendation is to consult the following sources if you want to conduct research on the surname Lopez, as well as many other surnames:
Bibliographic sources for Lopez
These sources are essential for taking a step forward in the study of Lopez, and of surnames in general.
