Melendrez
A Hispanic surname likely developed as a regional or patronymic form of an older personal name, probably tied to the medieval name Meléndez.
The #7,113 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 65,649 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Melendrez is best understood as a Spanish-language surname built on the older name Meléndez, with the ending -ez meaning "son of" in many Iberian surnames. The base name is usually linked to a medieval personal name, probably from a Latin or Visigothic form that was later reshaped in Spanish usage. In modern spelling, Melendrez is a regional or phonetic variant of the more common Meléndez/Melendez family of surnames.
History
The surname is found in Hispanic communities, especially in the Spanish-speaking world and in Latin American and U.S. populations with Mexican or broader Hispanic ancestry. Like many -ez surnames, it likely began as a hereditary patronymic and later stabilized as a fixed family name. The spelling with -dr- rather than -d- reflects regional spelling variation, simplification, or adaptation in migration records.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The -ez ending is one of the clearest clues to Spanish patronymic surnames, roughly equivalent to "son of."