Antúnez
A Spanish surname meaning “son of Antón” or “son of Antonio,” ultimately from the old family of names built on Anthony.
The #5,931 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 53,159 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Antúnez is a Spanish patronymic surname. It comes from the personal name Antón or Antonio, both ultimately from Latin Antonius, the Roman family name that gave rise to Anthony. The ending -ez is the old Spanish “son of” suffix, so the name originally meant “descendant of Antón/Antonio.”
History
This surname belongs to the large group of Spanish patronymics such as González, Martínez, and Hernández. The old source excerpt also links Antúnez with other Antonio-based forms, which supports the same patronymic reading. Today it is found chiefly in Spanish-speaking countries and in Hispanic communities abroad.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same -ez ending in Antúnez is one of the classic marks of Spanish surnames meaning “son of.”
From the historical record
“Antonio. Derivado de Antón , compañero de Hércules, á quien la familia Antonia miraba co- niojefe. Antunez. Ántunianus, obispo de Basti en el siglo VII , Aiituñano. Antonino^ Atitolin, Anto- linez. Antona fué nombre común entre las mu- jeres del pueblo; y Antona se llamaba en caste- llano al puerto inglés de…”
— Ensayo histórico etimológico filológico sobre los apellidos castellanos