Benítez
A Spanish surname meaning “son of Benito,” from the personal name Benedict.
The #666 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 6,020 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Benítez is a Spanish patronymic surname formed from the personal name Benito, the Spanish form of Benedict. The name ultimately goes back to Latin Benedictus, meaning “blessed.” In older Spanish spelling, the ending -ez signaled “son of,” so Benítez originally meant “son of Benito.”
History
The name is common across Spain and the Spanish-speaking world, especially in regions shaped by medieval Spanish naming patterns. The excerpted historical source lists Benítez alongside related forms such as Benaytez and Beneditez, showing the surname in a family of medieval patronymics built from Benito/Benedict. It is now widely established in Latin America and the United States through Spanish and Hispanic migration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The -ez ending in surnames like Benítez is the same patronymic pattern seen in names such as González, Fernández, and Ramírez.
From the historical record
“llidlz, Bellides, Belchides, Belid, Velide, Velldez, Benitez. Botedictiis, Benito, Bendicho, Benei- to, Benayto, Bento ó Vento, Beito, Vieito, Bexto (en escritura del 1002, en el tumbo de Celanova), Beneditez, Benaytez, Víeitez, Vistiz, Viztiz, Be^ ?iifoa.”
— Ensayo histórico etimológico filológico sobre los apellidos castellanos