Melendez Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Melendez last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Melendez last name
Meaning of the Melendez last name: son of Melendo. Melendez, Spanish Meléndez, is a patronymic surname meaning "son of Melendo", a medieval short form of Hermenegildo, a Visigothic first name. The ending -ez marks descent from a father. Born in the old kingdom of León, the last name is now common in Puerto Rico, Mexico and Colombia.
Arms associated with the Melendez name
Spanish heraldry often adds a bordure around the shield, and coats of arms associated with the Melendez name share that style.
Get your full Melendez family history
This is only a glimpse of the Melendez story. The full Melendez 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 Melendez coat of arms. Get the full Melendez report.
Melendez name FAQ
What does the Melendez name mean?
Son of Melendo. Common variants include Meléndez, Menéndez, Melendo.
Where does the Melendez surname come from?
It originates in Spain, and is also found in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and the United States.
Is there a Melendez coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Melendez 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).