De la Paz
A Spanish surname meaning “of peace,” usually formed from a devotional or place-based phrase.
The #5,436 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 48,211 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Delapaz is the fused Spanish form of de la paz, literally “of the peace.” The core word paz comes from Latin pax, meaning “peace.” As a surname, it was likely adopted either from a devotional phrase referring to the Virgin Mary or from a place-name or house sign using the word paz.
History
This type of surname is found mainly in Spanish-speaking regions and in communities shaped by Spanish naming traditions. In some cases the form appears as De la Paz, while Delapaz is a later fused spelling. It is especially common in the Americas, where surnames with religious or locational phrases were often stabilized in colonial and postcolonial records.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Surnames built from a religious phrase were especially common in the Spanish world, and many could be written either as separate words or as a single fused form.