How do surnames work in spain

And the ordering of these names is not something that has been left to the parents to decide. And since , an additional law states that each child can choose the order of their names upon turning 18 years old. Where Spain perhaps breaks with the tradition is in terms of the convention surrounding name changes in the cases of marriage.

Although most Spanish people have two surnames, the custom is for them to only be referred by one of them when being addressed in everyday life. This custom and the fact that most Spanish people have two surnames can sometimes lead to confusion in situations where people or companies that are not used to this system attempt to alphabetize names. The mistake made most frequently is to assume that the name that appears at the very end of the full name is the surname and to refer to that person by that name alone.

In our example from above, Anna would be used to someone referring to her as Sra. So there we have it, what can seem complicated at first glance actually makes perfect sense when you understand the logic behind it. Next time you meet your Spanish work colleague, friend or neighbour you can feel a little more tranquillo about getting their name right.

We and our partners use cookies to better understand your needs, improve performance and provide you with personalised content and advertisements. To allow us to provide a better and more tailored experience please click "OK". People may have two personal names e. The second personal name does not always reflect the gender of the person. In this case, the first of the two may be used on its own, but the second should not be.

Among friends and family, Spaniards will often use nicknames to refer to one another. Some Spanish women may take offence if their given name is spelt incorrectly with an -o at the end. People often know four of their family names as each Spanish parent has two surnames. Name Days Santos Many Spaniards are named after a saint or religious figure, e. Dates of Significance.

Do's and Don'ts. Other Considerations. It now makes sense to see the paternal last names for females in my family in Actas de Nacimiento, Defuncion, y Matrimonio.

My kids have the two last names too. And to make sure my last name is always used I hyphenated their last names. Often the paternal last name ends in middle name if the child does not have one. A hyphen fixed this, but it does open a different challenge The hyphen is a band-aid when a person wants to keep both names in a place where only one name is the norm. You are here Home Blogs ncabrera's blog.

Research News. Genealogy News. Spanish naming customs. Hispanic naming customs. Death certificate from the Mexican Civil Registry showcasing two surnames. Courtesy of Family Search. Image courtesy of the Presidency of the Nation of Argentina.