Fernandez Surname Meaning and Family History

Fernandez is a patronymic surname meaning "son of Fernando," with Fernando being a given name meaning "journey," or "venture." Found throughout Spain and the Hispanic world. Fernandez is the 28th most common Hispanic surname.

Surname Origin: Spanish

Alternate Surname Spellings: FERNANDES, FURNANDIZ

Famous People with the Surname FERNANDEZ

• Vicente Fernández: Mexican singer, producer, and actor
• Leonel Fernandez Reyna: President of the Dominican Republic from 1996–2000
• Antonio Guzmán Fernández: President of the Dominican Republic from 1978–82

Where is the FERNANDEZ Surname Most Common?

The Fernandez surname is the 159th most common last name in the world, according to information from Forebears. It is especially prevalent in Spain, where it ranks as the 4th most common surname—a name borne by one in every 50 people in the country. It also ranks among the top 10 surnames in Argentina (4th), Uruguay (5th), Andorra (7th), Cuba (8th) and Bolivia (9th).

WorldNames PublicProfiler also indicates the Fernandez surname is most common in Spain, especially in the Asturias region of northern Spain. It is also prevalent in Argentina, southern France, and Switzerland. In the United States, where it ranks about 200th most common, Fernandez is found in largest numbers in New Mexico, Florida, California, New York and New Jersey.

Sources

Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.

Dorward, David. Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.

Fucilla, Joseph. Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.

Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.

Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.

Reaney, P.H. A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.

Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

https://www.thoughtco.com/surname-meanings-and-origins-s2-1422408