Grijalva
A Spanish surname most likely tied to a place name, probably referring to someone from or near the Grijalva area or river region.
The #4,619 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 40,212 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is Spanish in form and is generally treated as a locational name, ultimately pointing to a place-name rather than to a personal characteristic or occupation. The excerpt provided simply lists Grijalva among Spanish surnames, which supports its status as an established Iberian surname but does not spell out the derivation. In practice, surnames of this type usually began as identifiers for people who came from a particular town, valley, or river district.
History
Grijalva is best known in Spanish and Latin American usage and is carried by families in Spain and throughout the Spanish-speaking world. The spelling with -v- is standard in modern Spanish, though -b- forms can appear in historical or regional variation. The name is also familiar from the history of the Spanish conquest of Mexico, where the explorer Juan de Grijalva made the surname especially visible.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname is associated with the explorer Juan de Grijalva, whose name helped make it widely recognized in early colonial history.
From the historical record
“Goya, Goyanes, Goyzucta, Grado, Gragera, Gran- dellana (Grandallana), Grijalva, Grilo, Guardami- no, Guardia, Giiardiola, Gudar (Gudal), Guelben- zu, Guemes, Guernica, (Garnica,) Guevara, Gui- merá, Guimil, Guinea, Gurrea, Haro, Helguero, Henares, Heredia, Herencliun, Hermida, Hermosa, Hermosilla, Herran, Herrera…”
— Ensayo histórico etimológico filológico sobre los apellidos castellanos