Last name: Alvarez

Recorded in the spellings of Alvares, Alvares, Alvar, Alvaro, Alvarado, Alves, and the original Albarez, this Spanish and Portugese surname originates from the German tribes of some ancient repute known as the Goths or Vizigoths. These fierce tribes swept down from Eastern Germany in the 5th century a.d., causing the collapse of the Roman Empire. The Spanish Peninsula had been a province of Rome since the 1st century a.d., but the Goths conquered it in months. They were there for some three centuries until finally defeated by the Franks, but they left behind in Spain many reminders, not the least being the prominent surnames of that country. The name is composed of two elements 'all' meaning 'the people' and 'wer' - truth. It is not clear whether these original names were meant to be translated literally, however if that is that case it may suggest that holders of this surname were from the original 'Goth' tribes. Examples of the surname recording include Barona Josepe Alvarez, at Valladolid, Spain on March 30th 1594, and Juan Alvares, who married Maria Rodriguez at San Diego, California, on November 11th 1781. The coat of arms has the blazon of per pale gold and chequy red and silver, a green tree, with a black wolf passant. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Juan Braba Albarez, which was dated March 15th 1548, at Nuestra Snora de la Antigua, Spain, during the reign of King Charles 1st of Spain and Emperor of Mexico, 1519 - 1556. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Visitor Comments

Marisoly Alvarez
Visgoths were never defetead by the Franks in the Iberian Peninsula, but by the Moors (Muslims) in 711 AD, which gave origin to the Emirate of Cordova. Visigoths were expelled by the Franks from Galia (modern France) in 507 AD, in the battle of Vouillé.

Alvarez
The first Alvarez dated from 1541? Please, give me a break! My family name has been traced almost 1000 years before that!

J. Alvarez
Did ancient people in Iberia carry surnames like we use to do now?

miguel alvarez
I really want to find out more about my last name! so if anyone can help that be great:}

Hugo Alvarez
I have noticed that the great majority of people who carry this noble and prestigious surname are very light skinned and have very nordic facial features. It makes perfect sense that the Alvarez are decendants of a Germanic tribe. After all, the original Spaniards (iberians) were no where near being light skinned with eyes of color. It was the vizigoths(germanic tribe) who brought the aryan genes to Spain which were then taken to the new world via conquistadors.

I. Alvarez
Hi cousin, sorry to say that in northern spain (Galicia, Asturies) you will find our Alvarez relatives to be most of them black haired with more a celtic type that germanic. Termination -ez, added to "Alvar" means "sons of" ... in a very close way as -ix termination makes it for french britton names, pointing once again to a celtic, and not germanic origin.

I. Alvarez
not to mention that Alvares appears also as toponim name for a small village in Portugal http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvares

Chris Alvarez
If any one is interested we have another famous Alvarez that is often over-looked. Her name is Francisca Alvarez or other wise know as The Angel of Goliad. I am one of her descendants and love this story. I have a uncle that has done lots of genealogy research of the Alvarez surname. There is lots of helpful information on the Angel of Goliad website http://www.angelofgoliadhp.com/ Thanks and God bless!

Moroni Alvarez
I had no idea our surname was so prestigious! I am from Tahiti. My great-grandfather, whose name I carry, was from Chile and came to the Islands at the beginning of the 1900s. Does anyone have an idea of what our name really means?

Patricio Alvarez
Moroni, I am from Chile but live in the US now. I visited Spain more than ten years ago and most of the people we talked to agree that our last name is most likely of Arabic origins. I am sure that the reason for some of the 'light skin' and 'color eyes' mentioned above is more related to our many mixes through the centuries than it is to ancient origins. Bottom line is that I think our best bet is to get more information from our potential arabic ancestors. We need someone who can study arabic records and do some investigating. - Patricio.

Sergio Alves
This is an extremely common name in Northern Portugal where everyone is particularly dark and not Germanic looking at all !!