Pavón
A Spanish surname linked to the peacock, likely first used as a nickname or descriptive name.
The #9,104 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 86,026 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Pavón is normally explained from Spanish pavón, meaning 'peacock,' ultimately from Latin pavo, 'peacock.' As a surname, it likely began as a nickname for someone thought to resemble a peacock in bearing, dress, or vanity, or perhaps as a house or sign name. The accented spelling Pavón is the standard Spanish form; unaccented Pavon is common in records and outside Spanish-speaking contexts.
History
The surname is found in the Spanish-speaking world and also appears in the Americas through Spanish colonial and later migration history. Because peacock-based surnames are relatively transparent, Pavón belongs to a broad class of Spanish descriptive surnames that became hereditary over time. The unaccented form Pavon is often used where diacritics are dropped in official records or anglicized usage.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same Spanish word tied to this surname also appears in older sources in reference to the peacock as well as the constellation Pavo, the Peacock.
From the historical record
“al subir al trono. Pavon. Pavo real, Cierta constelacion celeste. Paya El ayreste, villano i sáfio o ignorante. Payo. Igual al anterior.”
— Diccionario de los apellidos