Yanez
A Spanish patronymic surname meaning “son of Juan (John).”
The #1,385 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 12,078 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Yanez is a Spanish patronymic surname. The historical dictionary excerpt glosses it as “Juan’s, or of Juan or John,” showing that it developed from the personal name Juan, the Spanish form of John. In older Spanish naming, the ending -ez typically signaled descent, so the surname meant essentially “son of Juan.”
History
As with other Spanish patronymics such as Diaz and Sanchez, Yanez belongs to a large group of surnames formed from a father’s given name. It is found in Spanish-speaking regions and later spread widely through migration to the Americas. Modern spellings may vary in capitalization and accent usage, but the core surname is the same.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Yanez and Sanchez are structurally parallel surnames: both use the old Spanish patronymic ending -ez, meaning “descendant of.”
From the historical record
“YALDAVIN ((£.), Happy old age. {v. Unwyn.) YANEZ (Sp.)' J^f-an's, or of Juan or John. {v. Diaz.) YATES (€•), Yetts (S.), Gates, {v. v. d. Poort and Amthor.) Y^NGE and Yngham ((£.) The same as Inge and Ingham, q. v. YOUNGLOVE ((£.), Toung love. {v. de Jong.) Y"SABEAU {£.), Isabeau, now Isabel, a woman's forename.…”
— Surnames