Armendariz
A Basque surname most likely meaning “place of alders” or “alder grove.”
The #2,892 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 24,853 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Armendariz is a Basque surname, and the ending -iz is commonly found in old place-based or family-based names from the Basque and neighboring Spanish area. The first element is usually linked to Basque words for alder trees, so the name is often explained as referring to a place where alders grow, or to someone from a settlement with that name. As with many Basque surnames, the exact historical formation can vary by locality and spelling tradition.
History
The surname is strongly associated with the Basque Country and with Spanish-language records from the wider Iberian world. It became more widely visible through migration to the Americas, especially to Mexico and the southwestern United States. In modern usage it is often treated as a Hispanic surname, though its deeper roots are Basque.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Basque surnames often preserve very old place-names, so a modern family name can be a fossil of a medieval landscape description.