Mendonca
A Portuguese surname, originally linked to the place name Mendoza and associated with a noble Iberian lineage.
The #8,959 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 84,495 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Mendonca is a Portuguese surname ultimately connected with the Spanish place name Mendoza, a toponym traditionally explained from Basque roots meaning something like 'cold mountain' or 'high mountain.' In Iberian usage, the name became attached to a prominent noble family and then spread as a hereditary surname. The Portuguese spelling often shows the cedilla in Mendonça, while Mendonca is a common Anglicized or simplified form.
History
The surname is especially associated with Portugal and the broader Iberian world, where it appears in records under both Mendonça and related spellings. It also spread through Portuguese emigration to Brazil, Africa, and other Portuguese-speaking communities. The excerpts provided only show the name in an index, not an etymological explanation, so this entry relies on standard onomastic knowledge rather than the source text itself.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The cedilla in Mendonça marks the Portuguese pronunciation more closely, but many families outside Portugal use the simplified spelling Mendonca in official records.
From the historical record
“Meligan, Melledge, Mellen, Melley, Mellish, Me- loney, Meloon, Menage, Menard, Menary and Me- NERY, Menay, Mencerini, Mendonca, Menet, Mennis, Menry, Mentzel, Mentzer, Menzies, Mercky, Mer- coN, Mereen, Merello, Merguire, Meriam and Merriam, Merigan, Merkison, Mernaugh, Mero or Merow, Meroth, Merqua, Merrick…”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)