Gonzalo Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Gonzalo last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Gonzalo last name
Meaning of the Gonzalo last name: battle elf. Gonzalo is a Spanish surname from the first name Gonzalo, from Gothic gunthis, "battle", and alvs, "elf". The name was popular among the early counts of Castile. As a last name it is found in Spain, the Philippines and Peru, and it is the root of the common González.
Arms associated with the Gonzalo name
Coats of arms associated with the Gonzalo surname crossed the Atlantic with Spanish heraldry, and their blazon reads the same in Mexico.
Get your full Gonzalo family history
This is only a glimpse of the Gonzalo story. The full Gonzalo history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Gonzalo coat of arms. Get the full Gonzalo report.
Gonzalo name FAQ
What does the Gonzalo name mean?
Battle elf. Common variants include González, Gonçalo, Gonzales.
Where does the Gonzalo surname come from?
It originates in Spain, and is also found in the Philippines, Peru and Argentina.
Is there a Gonzalo coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Gonzalo coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Roberto Faure, María Asunción Ribes & Antonio García, Diccionario de apellidos españoles (Espasa, 2001); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).