Ibañez
A Spanish surname meaning “son of Iban,” with Iban being a regional form of John.
The #4,121 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 35,842 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Ibañez is a Spanish patronymic surname built from the personal name Iban, a Basque form of John, plus the old patronymic ending -ez, meaning “son of.” In literal terms, it means “son of Iban.” The underlying name ultimately goes back to Hebrew Yochanan, meaning “God is gracious.”
History
The surname is most strongly associated with Spain, especially areas where Spanish and Basque naming traditions overlap. It spread widely to Latin America through Spanish migration and is now common in many Spanish-speaking countries. The spelling without the ñ, Ibanez, is often used outside the Spanish-speaking world or in digital contexts where ñ is inconvenient.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The letter ñ was historically written as an abbreviated double n in Spanish manuscripts, which is why surnames like Ibáñez often lose the tilde in international records.