Alonso
A very common Spanish surname that began as a patronymic from the medieval given name Alfonso/Alons(o).
The #1,155 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 10,160 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Alonso is a Spanish surname that originally meant “son of Alonso” or, more broadly, “descendant of Alonso.” The personal name Alonso is a medieval Spanish form of Alfonso, a name of Germanic origin usually explained from elements meaning something like “noble” and “ready” or “eager.” In historical spelling, Alonso and Alfonso could vary a great deal, and the surname grew out of that given name rather than from a place or occupation.
History
The surname is widespread in Spain and across the Spanish-speaking world, reflecting the long popularity of the personal name Alonso/Alfonso in medieval Iberia. The excerpts also show the name discussed as a patronymic in older Spanish scholarship, where it is treated as a family name formed from the personal name. In modern usage it remains one of the better-known Spanish surnames in the Americas as well as in Spain.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Medieval records often blur Alonso and Alfonso, so the surname can reflect older spelling habits as much as a fixed family form.
From the historical record
“-— Almiron. Pianta, amaron. Alonso. Dícese de cierta trigo. flosas. Peces. Sábalo. Alta. Cierto baile. El ejercicio de esgrima. La papeleta con que vuelve al servicio el que ha estado de baja. La ór-”
— Diccionario de los apellidos