Benavides
A Spanish surname most likely referring to someone from a place named Benavides or a similar settlement.
The #1,508 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 12,994 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Benavides is a Spanish surname of locational origin, taken from a place name rather than from a personal trait or occupation. It is usually linked to the town of Benavides in León, Spain, though the deeper meaning of the place-name itself is not always spelled out with certainty in surname sources. As with many Spanish toponymic surnames, the original sense would have been “from Benavides” or “of Benavides.”
History
The surname appears in Spanish-speaking areas and later spread widely across Latin America through migration and colonial-era settlement. It is also found in the United States, especially among families of Hispanic origin. Like many toponymic surnames, it likely began as an identifier for people who had moved away from their home locality.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Benavides is one of several Spanish surnames that look plural because they come from place names, not because they describe multiple people.