Alvarez Family Crest, Coat of Arms and Name History

Surname Name Meaning, Origin, and Etymology
This is a Spanish patronymic surname that derives from either the ancient personal (first) name Alvaro, and hence means son of Alvaro, or it derives from the Arabic word al-Faris, meaning “the knight”. One source states it was originally borne by Visigoths who came from Germany into Spain during Roman times. It derives from the words all (the people) and wer (truth). The use of patronymic (most commonly ez) did not start in Spain until the 800s AD. Once source claims it was first found in Castile.

The personal name Alvaro, a male given name in Spanish, Portugese, and Galician means “guardian” or “truth speaker”. One theory suggests it may also have derived from the Old Norse name Alfar, deriving from the words alf (elf) and arr (warrior).

A Spanish genealogical/heraldry expert states he believes the arms of “Álvarez de Toledo” are the most famous and noble of all the coat of arms for “Álvarez” surname, but there are over 30 different arms with this surname. More can be seen here: http://www.blasonari.net/apellido.php?id=73

Spelling Variations
Some spelling variants and names with similar etymologies include Alvares, Alvaro, Alvardo, Alvar, Alves, Albarez, Albarez, Alvaroz, Alvariz, and Albaroiz.

Popularity & Geographic Distribution
The name is popular in the Hispanic world: it ranks 24^th in Mexico, 16^th in Spain, 11^th in Argentina, 21^st in Colombia, 10^th in Cuba, and 21^st in Venezuela, to name a few.

The name is also found throughout the English speaking world. The name is popular in the United States, where it ranked 132^nd in the US Census of 2000. It is interesting to note the spelling variants Alvares ranks much lower, at 8,266^th.  It ranks highest in the following four states: Texas, California, Florida, and Arizona. It ranks 2,295^th in England and 1,636^th in Canada.

Early Bearers of the Surname
The first known bearer was Juan Braba Albarez who was recorded in Nuestra Snora de la Antigua in 1548.

History, Genealogy, and Ancestry
Jose Macias Valdex was born in 1623 in Aguascalientes, Mexico, the son of Alonso Valadez and Ursula Alvarez. He married Cataline de Oran y Vega and had numerous issue with her: Jose, Tomas, Usrula, Marocs, Sebastian, Juan, and Josefa. His mother Ursula was born in 1599.

Nuno Alvares Pereira de Melo was born April 1648 , the Royal Charter of King John IV of Portugal Duke of Cadaval . The measure was considered justice , because it was the closest relative, by man, to the House of Braganza and reason , for being the new holder in the hierarchy of the nobility in “the greatest person that today I in Portugal below SM and A.   He was married three times: 1 – in Evora on 29 of December of 1660 with Maria de Faro (1635 – 1661 Lisboa), Countess of Faro and Odemira, widow since 1658 of John Forjaz Pimentel Pereira, 8th Count of Fair , who had married in 1653 . She was the daughter of D. Mariana da Silveira e Soares and D. Francisco de Faro ( 1600 – 1661 ), 7th Count of Odemira ; they had a daughter who lived little. 2 – France, Paris, on 2 of February of 1671 married Princess Maria Angelica Henrietta of Lorraine ( 1646 – 1674 ), daughter of Francisco de Lorraine, 2nd Earl of Rieux, Prince of Harcourt, son of Charles II, Duke of Elbeuf and Catherine Henriqueta , bastard daughter of Henry IV of France and Ana d’Ormano.  3 – and also in France, in Versailles on 25 of June of 1675 , he married Princess Margaret Armanda Lorraine and Lorraine-Armagnac, Luis de daughter Lorraine, Armagnac Conde and Harcourt, master of the horse of Louis XIV , and his wife Catherine de Neuville, daughter of the Duke of Villeroy. This lady survived her husband for three years, passing away on December 15 , 1730 . The descendants below had surnames “Alvares Pereira de Melo.”  He had many children both legitimate and illegitimate (bastard) they are:   1)  Primogen D. Jaime de Melo ( 1684 – 1749 ), 5th Marquis of Ferreiro, 6th Count of Tentúgal declared on December 19 , 1736 and 3rd Duke of Cadaval.  2)  Jaime bastard ( 1663 -cedo dead)  3) Bastarda D. Margarida, early dead.   4)  Bastarda D. Margarida d Melo (  February 16 , 1711 – January 7 , 1728 , with bladders).   5)  Bastardo D. Luis de Melo ( November 11 , 1712 – October 22 , 1722 ).  6) Bastard Eugenie de Melo ( 14 of September of 1715 – 12 of September of  1752 ), nun in Hope Monastery in Lisbon.  7)  Bastarda D. Ana Catherine of Melo ( November 25 , 1716 -?), Nun in the said Monastery.  8)  Nuno Alvares Pereira Bastardo D. de Melo ( 15 of February of 1720  -), Knight of the Order of Christ, member of the Holy Office Inquisition in Lisbon.  9)  bastard D. Pedro de Melo, died early.  10) bastard D. Francisco de Melo (born and died in 1721 ).  11)  Bastardo  D. Teodosio de Melo (born and died in 1722)   12)  Bastard Isabel de Melo ( 30 of April of 1723 -), religious in the Monastery of Our Lady of the Conception of Light.  13)  Bastarda D. Joana de Melo ( November 28 , 1724 – September 24 , 1725 ).  14)  Bastardo D. Rodrigo de Melo ( September 15 , 1726 -?), Regular cleric of São Caetano .   15) Bastardo D. Manoel de Melo ( August 10 , 1728 -?), Cleric, idem.   16) Bastard Maria de Melo ( 31 of March of 1730 -), religious in the Monastery of Our Lady of the Conception of Light.  17) Bastarda D. Leonor de Melo ( March 17 , 1732- early death).  18)Bastardo D Alvaro de Melo ( October 24 , 1734 -?) With his brother down in Tomar .  19) bastard D. José de Melo ( 1738 -?), Religious in the convent of Tomar since 1750 .   20) Jane ( 1661 – 1669 ). Countess of Tentugal, Faro and Odemira.   21) Son ( 1664 -cedo died)   22)  Francisco (Lisbon born in 1674 and the same year died in Évora)   23) Francisco (Lisbon 1677 – 1678 ).   24) Alvaro (Lisbon 1685 – 1701   Lisbon)  25)  Ana D. ( 1681 – 2 of december of 1721 ) in 1695 married to Luis Alvarez Tavora (died in 1718), 5th Earl St. John .  26)  D. Isabel Henriqueta de Lorena (Lisbon 1672 – 1699 Evora). In 1690 married Rodrigo Eanes de Sá e Menezes (died in 1733 ) 3rd Marquis de Fontes and Marquis de Abrantes .   27)  D. Eugenia Rosa de Lorena ( 1683 – 1724 ). Married in 1698 with Manuel Teles da Silva ( 1682 – 1736 ), 4th Count of Vilar Maior , and 3rd Marquis of Alegrete .   28)  Catherine (born and died in 1678 )   29)  Filipa Angelina ( 1694 – 1713 ) who in 1711 married Joaquim de Sá e Menezes (died in 1756 ) Marquis de Fontes and Marquis of Abrantes.   30)  D. Joan of Lorraine ( 1687 – 1740 ). He married in 1699 with Bernardo Filipe Néri de Távora ( 1681 – 1744 ) 2nd Count of Alvor, son of the 1st Count of Alvor Francisco de Távora, and his wife, D. Inês Catherine de Tavora. Master of the general battlefield of the armies of D. João V of Portugal, with the government of the arms of the province of Trás-os-Montes, of the war council, butler of the Brazilian princess D. Maria Ana Vitória, lord of the village of Moura, commander of Machico on the island of Madeira and of Santa Maria de Mesquitela; of Santa Maria de Freixedas, and of Two Churches, all in the Order of Christ; warden of Marialva. He served with his father in the war in which he occupied several posts. General battle. He was wounded in the shock of Godinha in 1709 , and his left arm was paralyzed. The title was extinguished by the sentence pronounced against the 3rd Marquis his son, Francisco de Assis de Távora , deplored in Belém in Of January 3 of 1759 ).   31)  D. Rodrigo de Melo (Lisbon 1688 – 1713 village of Torres Vedras) Marquis of Cadaval. He married in 1711 with Ana de Lorena de Sá e Menezes ( 1691 – 1740 ), daughter of the Marquis de Fontes ; married later with his niece, Ana Catherine of Lorraine.    32)  D. Luís Ambrósio de Melo (Lisbon 1679 – 1700 Evora in the life of his father, without succession), 2nd Duke of Cadaval.    Nuno Alvares Pereira de Melo died 9 January of 1725.

Pedro Jose Alvarez Tostado was born in 1760 and in 1782 he married Maria Josepfa Dolores Duran. Together they had a daughter named Petra Marcela who was born in 1784 in Huejucar, Mexico. She married Jose Joaquin Delgado and had a daughter named Canuta Delgado who was born in 1810 in Jesus Marica, Nueva Galicia.

Juan Alvarez was born in 1737 in Estas, Spain. He married Maria Rosa Benita Fernandez and they had a son named Francisco. Francisco was born in 1757 and married Maria Bentia and had a son named Antonio who was born in 1777.

Early American and New World Settlers
The give earliest recorded settlers were Anton Alvarez (1512 America), Alonso Alvarez (1528 America), Ana Alvarez (1535 America), Ana Rodriguez (1567 Peru), and Andres Alvarez (1567). A one Antonia Alvarez went to New Orleans, Louisiana in 1779.

Mottoes
The Alvarez family motto is Veritas Vinci, which means “Truth prevails”, or Deo patrum Nostrorum, which means “God our father”.

Grantees
We have 10  coats of arms for the Alvarez surname depicted here. These 10 heraldic blazons are from the famed Dutch genealogist Johann Rietstap’s influential and authoritative work The Armorial General that was published in 1861. The bottom of this page contains the blazons (in the original French and translated in English), and in many instances contains some historical, geographical, and genealogical about where coat of arms was found and who bore it.

Notables
Famous people with this last name include: 1) Gregorio Alvarez (1889-1986) who was an Argentine doctor and historian who specialized in dermatology, 2) Jose Alvarez Cubero (1768-1827) who was a Spanish neoclassical sculptor, 3) Gregorio Conrado Alvarez Armelio (1925-2016) who was a president and dictator of Uruguayan known as “El Goyo”, 4) Luis Walter Alvarez (1911-188) who was an American physicist who was awarded a Noble Prize, and 5) Pedro Alvarez de Toledo y Leiva (1858-1654) who was a Spanish noblemen who became the first Viceroy of Peru and was the 1^st Marquis of Mancera.

Blazons & Genealogy Notes

1) Alvares-Pereira de Mello – Portugal – (Comtes de Tentugal, 1 janv. 1504; marquis de Ferreira, 7 mars 1532; ducs de Cadaval, 26 avril 1648) – D’argent au sautoir de gueules ch de cinq écussons aux armes de Portugal et de quatre croix de Pereira (croix fleurdelisées d’argent) Manteau de gueules doublé d’hermine frangé d’or sommé d’une couronne ducale. English: Argent a saltire gules charged with five escucheons with the arms of of Portugal and of four cross of Pereira ( cross fleur-de-lys argent ) Mantling gules lined with ermine fringed or surmounted by a ducal crown.
2) Zélande – Échiqueté d’azur et d’argent de cinq tires chacune de trois points Casque couronné Cimier un ange issante couronné d’or les ailes échiquetées d’argent et d’azur tenant une croix latine d’or. English: Checky azure and argent of five lines each of three points Crowned with a helmet Crest: an angel issuant crowned or the wings checky argent and azure holding a latin cross or.
3) Séville – Parti au 1 d’or à un arbre de sinople et un loup passant de sable brochant sur le pied du fût au 2 échiqueté d’argent et de gueules. English: Per pale 1st or with a tree vert and a wolf passant sable covering over the foot of trunk 2nd checky argent and gules.
4) Duc de Castro-Enriquez – Castille – (Duc, 28 nov. 1857) – Écartelé au 1 échiqueté d’azur et d’argent de cinq tires chacune de trois points () au 2 d’argent à un lion de gueules et une bordure d’or ch de cinq croix florencées de gueules 1 en chef 1 à chaque flanc et 2 dans les cantons de la pointe (Alonso) au 3 d’argent au lion de gueules couronné d’or adextré d’une colonne d’azur sur son piédestal du même veiné d’or à la bordure de gueules ch de huit fleurs-de-lis d’or (Yañez) au 4 d’azur au lévrier arrêté d’argent colleté d’or bordé et bouclé de gueules (Canton) Sur le tout parti a d’argent à l’aigle de sable b de sinople au senestrochère armé d’argent mouv du flanc tenant un guidon coupé de gueules sur azur et ch d’une étoile (8) d’or brochant sur ce coupé le guidon flottant à senestre et attaché à une lance de tournoi au naturel ( de Villamañan) Supports deux léopards lionnés au naturel Devise VERITAS VINCIT Manteau de gueules doublé d’hermine frangé d’or sommé de la couronne ducale. English: Quarterly 1st checky azure and argent of five lines each of three points 2nd argent with a lion gules and a bordure or charged with five cross fleur-de-lys gules 1 in chief 1 in each flank and 2 in the quarters of the base ( For Alonso) 3rd argent a lion gules crowned or having to the dexter a column azure over its pedestal of the same veined (grained) or a bordure gules charged with eight fleur de lys or ( For Yanez) 4th azure a greyhound statant argent collared or fimbriated and buckled gules ( For Canton) overall per pale a) argent with an eagle sable b) vert a left arm armed argent coming from the flank holding a flag per fess gules over azure and charged with an etoile of 8 points or covering over the division per fess the flag flying to the sinister and attached to a tournament lance proper ( (For de Villamanan) Supporters two lion passant guardant proper Motto: VERITAS VINCIT Mantling: gules lined with ermine fringed or surmounted by the ducal crown.
5) Alvarez-Benavides – Asturies – Parti au 1 reparti d’or à un arbre de sinople et un loup passant de sable brochant sur le pied du fût et d’un échiqueté d’argent et de gueules (Alvarez) au 2 d’argent au lion de gueules chargé de trois fasces d’or (Benavides). English: Per pale 1st also per pale or with a tree vert and a wolf passant sable covering over the foot of the trunk and a checky argent and gules ( For Alvarez) ) 2nd argent a lion gules charged with threes bars or ( For Benavides).
6) de Abreu – Portugal – D’azur à cinq demi-vols d’or 2 1 et 2 Cimier un vol d’or Supports deux lions d’or couchés et adossés. English: Azure with five single wings or 2 1 and 2 Crest: a pair of wings or Supporters two lion or laying on the ground and addorsed [back to back].
7) de Bohorques – Castille – Les armes de Bohorques. English: The Arms of Bohorques
8) del Vayo – Royaume de Léon – De gueules à une tour sommée de trois tourelles d’argent accostée de deux lions rampants et affrontés d’or le tout soutenu d’un fascé-ondé d’azur et d’argent de huit pièces à la bordure d’argent ch de six flanchis de gueules 1 en chef 2 à chaque flanc l’un sur l’autre et 1 en pointe. English: Gules with a tower surmounted by three turrets argent having to the sides two lions rampant and affrontant [face to face] or all supported by a barry undy azure and argent of eight parts a bordure argent charged with six saltorels gules 1 in chief 2 in each flank in pale and 1 in base.
9) de Toledo – Espagne – (Ducs de Medina Sidonia, marquis de Villafranca del Vierzo, marquis de los Velez, ducs de Fernandina; grands d’Espagne de 1re classe) – Parti au I écartelé aux 1 et 4 d’or à trois fasces de gueules aux 2 et 3 de sinople à cinq coquilles d’argent 2 1 et 2 (Pimentel) au II coupé au 1 d’or à deux loups passants de gueules l’un sur l’autre (Osorio) au 2 échiqueté d’argent et d’azur de quinze points sept points d’azur et huit points d’argent () Cimier un ange habillé d’une tunique échiquetée d’azur et d’argent ailé d’argent tenant de sa main dextre une épée d’argent garnie d’or et de sa senestre un monde d’argent croisé d’or. English: Per pale of I quarterly 1st and 4th or threes bars gules 2nd and 3rd vert with five escallops argent 2 1 and 2 ( For Pimentel) ) II per fess 1st or two wolves passant gules in pale ( For Osorio) 2nd checky argent and azure of 15 parts seven parts azure and eight parts argent ( ) Crest: an angel dressed a tunic checky azure and argent winged argent holding in its dexter hand a sword argent hilt and pommell or and in its sinister an orb [globe] argent charged with a cross or.
10) de Toledo – Duc d’Albe – Castille – Échiqueté d’azur et d’argent de cinq tires chacune de trois points Cimier un ange issant habillé d’un échiqueté d’argent et d’azur ailé et couronné d’or tenant une croix latine du même Devise DEO PATRUM NOSTRORUM. English: Checky azure and argent of five lines each of three parts Crest: an angel issuant dressed a checky argent and azure winged and crowned or holding a latin cross of the same Motto: DEO PATRUM NOSTRORUM.
11) de Villamañan – Castille – Parti au 1 d’argent l’aigle de sable au 2 de sinople au senestrochère armé d’argent mouv du flanc tenant au guidon coupé de gueules sur azur et ch d’une étoile (8) d’or brochant sur ce coupé le guidon flottant à senestre et attaché à une lance de tournoi au naturel. English: Per pale 1st argent an eagle sable 2nd vert a left arm armoured argent coming from the flank holding a flag per fess gules over azure and charged with an etoile of 8 points or covering over the division the flag flying to the sinister and attached to a tournament lance proper.