Partida
A Spanish surname most likely connected to a “departure,” “division,” or recorded civil “partida” in origin or place-name form.
The #4,002 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 34,776 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Partida is a Spanish word with several older senses, including “departure,” “party/group,” and “portion or division,” all ultimately tied to Latin roots in part- (“part, share”). As a surname, it is most plausibly locational or descriptive, perhaps referring to someone from a place called Partida or to a person associated with a division, district, or recorded birth entry. The historical excerpts supplied do not give a direct surname etymology, so the origin should be treated as uncertain rather than fixed.
History
The name is found in Spanish-speaking contexts and is borne by a notable number of people in the modern United States, especially through Hispanic family lines. In historical Spanish usage, partida was a common legal and administrative term, which makes it a plausible source for surnames or place-based bynames. However, the excerpts provided mention the word in unrelated contexts and do not establish a single documented origin for the surname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older Spanish, partida could mean a “registered entry” or “recorded certificate,” which is why the word appears in legal and genealogical contexts beyond surnames.
From the historical record
“vieron en la precision de mandar que ningun ciudadano pudiese llevar otro nombre ni apellido que los espresados en su partida de nacimiento, que el que los hubiera dejado volviese inmediatamente a tomarlos, bajo la pena de seis meses de prision i de una multa igual a la cuarta parte de sus rentas, 1 que si alguno…”
— Diccionario de los apellidos