Menéndez
A Spanish patronymic surname meaning “son of Menendo” or “son of Menendo’s line.”
The #3,102 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 26,595 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Menéndez is a Spanish patronymic surname built with the old suffix -ez, which typically meant “son of.” It comes from the personal name Menendo, a medieval Iberian name of uncertain ultimate origin, so the surname literally means “descendant of Menendo.” Like many Spanish patronymics, it developed as a hereditary family name after first being used to identify a man by his father’s name.
History
The surname is long established in Spain and later spread widely across the Spanish-speaking world, especially through migration to the Americas. It is common in both Iberian and Latin American records, and in modern usage it is often written with an accent in Spanish as Menéndez. Well-known bearers include the brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez, whose surname became widely recognized in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The ending -ez is one of the clearest signs of a Spanish patronymic surname, similar to -son in English surnames such as Johnson.