Valdivia
A Spanish surname from the place name Valdivia, most famously associated with the Chilean city of that name.
The #2,293 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 19,424 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Valdivia is a habitational surname, taken from the place-name Valdivia in Spain and later also associated with the Chilean city. The place-name is generally linked to a Latin base, though the exact deep origin is not certain from the excerpted material. In Spanish surnames, such names usually meant the bearer or family came from that locality.
History
The surname spread through Spanish-speaking regions as people adopted local place-names as inherited family names. It is best known internationally through Latin American usage, especially in Chile, where Valdivia is a major place name. The provided source excerpt mentions Valdivia only as a geographic location, not as a surname entry.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Valdivia is one of the most recognizable Spanish-language surnames tied to a major Chilean city and a historic Spanish place-name.
From the historical record
“ing for its national independence. Here his flag was ever triumphant, and he materially contributed to the success of the cause, particularly by the taking of Valdivia, the last stronghold left to the Spaniards. His cutting out of the Es- meralda frigate from under the guns of the castle ef Callao, was an exploit…”
— The Scottish Nation, vol. 2