Téllez
A Spanish patronymic surname meaning “son of Tello,” ultimately from a medieval personal name.
The #1,595 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 13,726 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Téllez is a Spanish patronymic surname, formed with the old suffix -ez, which usually means “son of.” In this case it points back to the given name Tello, so the surname originally meant “son of Tello.” The personal name Tello is generally treated as a medieval Spanish name of uncertain deeper origin, probably from the old Iberian-Germanic naming tradition.
History
The name is well established in medieval Spain and appears in genealogical and nobiliary records from the Middle Ages onward. It is especially associated with Spanish-speaking families and later spread widely in Spain and the Americas. A well-known bearer is the Téllez-Girón noble line, where the surname appears in compound form.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Like many Spanish surnames ending in -ez, Téllez is part of the same naming pattern as González, Rodríguez, and Pérez.
From the historical record
“c( Comes Fernandus, Comes Didac. Didaz , Co- mes Fruela, Comes Alvaro, Comes Nunno Nu- ncz. Comes Richamundo, Tello Tellez , Godes- tio Peidrez, Severo Xunnez, Asoro Peidrez, Pe- tro Annaiz, Didaoro Pelaiez armiorer recéis,)) Y la seofunda : ((Oveco Velaz , Flavn Valerius.» De- hiendo suponerse á estos confirmantes…”
— Ensayo histórico etimológico filológico sobre los apellidos castellanos