De la Garza
A Spanish surname meaning “of the heron” or “from the heron,” originally a nickname or place-based name.
The #3,334 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 28,696 Americans shares it.
Etymology
De la Garza is a Spanish surname built from the preposition de la, meaning “of the” or “from the,” plus garza, “heron.” In surname use, this most likely began as a topographic or habitational name for someone associated with a place called Garza, or as a descriptive nickname linked to the bird. In some cases, surnames with de la can also reflect older Spanish naming practices tied to landholding or local identity.
History
The surname is especially common in Spanish-speaking communities and in the Spanish-speaking diaspora. In the Americas, it was carried through colonial-era settlement and later spread widely in Mexico, the southwestern United States, and other regions with strong Hispanic heritage. Modern forms often appear both with and without spacing or capitalization conventions, especially in U.S. records.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Garza is one of several Spanish surnames built from animal words, which often became names through nickname, place, or estate associations.