Vazquez Family Crest, Coat of Arms and Name History

Vazquez Surname Name Meaning, Origin, History, & Etymology
This name developed as a patronymic (son of, descendant of) from the personal (first) name Vasco, a shortened form of the Spanish name Velasquez, or the personal name Velasco or Belasco, consisting of the Basque word bel (meaning raven) and the diminutive suffix sco, itself having developed possibly as a habitational name for a person who was from any of the various places so named in Logrono, Soria, and Seville. Vasquez/Vazquez may have developed as a nickname for a person who the character traits of a fierce bird. Spelling variants of this name, or names with similar origins/etymologies, include Veazquez, Vazaquez, Vazquezz, Velazquez, Vasquez (Portuguese), Belasco, and de Velasco. The Vazquez last name first established it self in Castile, and the name traces back to Visigothic times. The Visigoths were a western branch of nomadic Germanic people known as the goths who lived in Europe during medieval times, a group that sacked Rome in 410 AD and then went out to settle into Gaul, Spain, and Portugal to found a kingdom that lasted until the 700s AD.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of this surname was Juan Vázquez de Coronado who is estimated to have been born between 1235 and 1295 AD in Spain. He had two sons: Gonzalo Rodríguez de Coronado and Gonzalo Rodríguez de Coronado. His son Gonzalo was born in Galicia, Spain around 1300 AD and married Elvira Arias de Cuadros y Lara and had several issue with her, including Juan Vazquez de Coronado I (I Señor de Coquilla y de la Torre de Juan Vázquez) who was born between 1305 and 1359 AD in Galicia Spain.

Popularity & Geographic Distribution
The last name Vazquez ranks 328^th in popularity in the United Status as of the 2000 Census. The name ranks particularly high in the following five states: Florida, Connecticut, Nevada, New Jersey, and California. Vazquez ranks in the top 225 names in each of these states.

In Spain, the name ranks 24^th. In Portugal, it ranks 1,187^th. The surname Vazquez frequency/commonness ranks as follows in the Latin and South America: Mexico (14^th), Panama (290^th), Colombia (814^th), Venezuela (311^th), Argentina (19^th), Nicaragua (523^rd), Ecuador (357^th), Cuba (32^nd), Peru (515^th), Chile (411^th), Bolivia (551^st), Uruguay (35^th), Paraguay (56^th), Guatemala (271^st), and El Salvador (386^th).

Vazquez Family Tree & Vazquez Genealogy

Some bearers of this surname during the time of the Middle Ages to the early modern period include:
1) Pedro Sánchez Vázquez who was born in Spain between 1420-1480 AD and married Marina Alfonso de Balboa
2) Gutierre Vasquez de la Cueva who was born in Tierra de Sayago, Portugal in 1475 AD
3) José Matías Vásquez who was born in 1748 and married Maria Micaela Gonzalez
4) Captain Don Jose Vasquez Borrego who was born between 1670 and 1730, married Maria Josefa Imperial Perez de Guisar
5) Lucas Vazquez de Ayllon (c. 1475 AD) was born in Toledo-La Mancha, Spain and died in 1526 in South Carolina, United States, and was a Spanish conquistador and explorer who tried to found a colony in North America the year he died, and was the first European colonizer who settled South Carolina
6) Antonio Vazquez who was born around 1710 and married Felipa Castro
7) Juana Vazquez who was born in Lorca, Spain in 1620 and married Luis de Soto
8) Diego Vazquez who was born in Restrabal, Granda, Spain in around 1650 and married Phelipa de Alfaro
9) Alonso Navarro Vásquez who was born in Santiago, Chile around 1573 AD and married Andrea Jorge-Segura del Peso
10) Nicolasa Vázquez who was born around 1655 and married Domingo Moran in 1676 at Aguascalientes, Nueva Galicia

Some marriages involving the Vazquez last name include:
1) Marcela Vazquez to Lazaro Campo at Valladoid, Spain in 1596
2) Maria Vazquez to Franzisco Rosales at Valladoid, Spain in 1643
3) Sebastian Vazquez to Maria Josepha De La Calle in Valladoid, Spain in 1731
4) Manuel Vazquez to Francisca Hernandez at Valladoid, Spain in 1629
5) Jose Trinidad Vazquez to Rosa Cipriana Climaco at Hacatepec, Mexico in 1868
6) Zeferino Vazquez to Maria Hilaria Fernandez at Natívitas, Tlaxcala, Mexico in 1850
7) Cesar Garcia Vazquez to Esperanza Del Pino Y Ponce De Leon at Monroe, Florida in 1916
8) Albina Vazquez to Martin de la Rosa in Travis, Texas in 1898
9) Benita Vazquez to Gonzalo Rufino in Monroe, Florida in 1889
10) Juan Vazquez to Hilda Harding in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada in 1925
11) Barbra de Velasco of Soba to Antonio de Belasco of Valladolid in 1562

Tomas Vazquez was born in Valladolid, Castilla-Leon, Spain around 1850. In 1872, he married Juliana Lozada and had a son with her. This son, Honorio Vazquez Sr., was born in Castronuno, Spain around 1878. He married twice in Puebla, Mexico: Maria del Rosario Hernandez Izurrategui and Esperanza Maria de Jesus Vega. He had four children: Blanca Juliana, Fransisco, Santiago, and one other. His son Santiago Vazquez was born in Puebla de Zaragoza, Puebla, Mexico in 1921.

Early American and New World Settlers
Some of the earliest bearers of this name who came to the new world were Marcelino Vazquez who came to Puerto Rico in 1804, Juan Vazquez who came in 1812, and Isabel Vazquez who came in 1813.

Several thousand members of the Vazquez family came to the United States through Ellis Island, during the nineteenth century, including:
1) Enrique Vazquez came from Puerto Rico in 1888 aboard the Ozama
2) Luis Vazquez who came from Barcelona, Spain in 1906 aboard the Montserrat
3) Luisa Vazquez who came from Havana, Cuba in 1905 aboard the Monterey
4) Vicente Vazquez who came from Liverpool, England in 1906 aboard the Campania
5) Marcelino Vazquez who came from Havana, Cuba in 1923 aboard the Orizaba
6) Louis Vazquez who came from Paris, France in 1911 aboard the La Bretagne
7) Manuel Vasquez who came from Spain in 1868 aboard the Eagle
8) Desideris L. Vasquez who came from Cuba in 1854 aboard the Fanny
9) Antonio Vasquez who came from Salina, Italy in 1893 aboard the Weser
10) Clemente Vazquez who came from Madrid, Spain in 1913 aboard the Montevideo

Notables
There are hundreds of notable people with the Vazquez surname. This page will mention a handful. Famous people with this last name include:
1) Domingo Vasquez (1846-1909) who was the President of Honduras from 1893-1894
2) Catalina Vasquez Villalpando (1940) who was the 39^th Treasurer of the United States from 1989-1993
3) Tabaré Ramón Vázquez Rosas (1940) who was the 39^th and 41^st President of Uruguay
4) Víctor Vázquez Solsona (1987) who is a soccer (football) player from Barcelona, Spain who played from 2005-2018 for teams such as Barcelona, Cruz Azul, and Toronto FC
5) Luis Guillermo Vasquez (1986) who was an American football player born in Gales Ferry, Connecticut who played professionally from 2009-2016 for teams such as the Baltimore Ravels and San Jose Sabercats
6) Israel Vázquez Castañeda (1977) who was a professional boxer born in Mexico City who was active from 1995-2010 having been a three-time super bantamweight world champion.
7) Gabriel Vásquez (1550-1604) who was a Spanish Jesuit theologian who, according to Wikipedia was known for his “exact knowledge of the opinions and theories of the different Schools and authors, and commendable for clearness of expression and a strict philosophical method. He made a complete study of the writings of St. Augustine, for whom he professed great devotion as well as those of the other Fathers of the Church and St. Thomas”
8) Pierre Louis Vasquez (1798-1868) who was a mountain man and trader and a contemporary of the explorers of the Old West, born in St. Louis Missouri, the son of a Spanish fur trader
9) Jorge Luis Vásquez (1978) who was a professional baseball player in the MLB who played from 2004-2005 for the Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves
10) Felipe Horacio Vásquez Lajara who was a Dominican general and politician who was the 35^th President of the Dominica Republic from 1924-1930, and previously served as the Vice President from 1899-1902

Vazquez America Civil War Veterans
There were two soldiers with the last name Vazquez who served in the American Civil War:
1) Felipe Vazquez fought for the Union as part of the 2^nd Regiment New Mexico Infantry.
2) Antonio Vazquez fought for the Union as part of the 1^st Battalion Arizona Infantry

Blazons & Genealogy Notes

1) Murcie – Parti au 1 d’or à six tourteaux d’azur 2 2 et 2 à la bordure de gueules ch de huit flanchis d’or (Vazquez) au 2 de sinople à la bande de gueules bordée d’or (Mendoza)English: Per pale 1st or with six roundels azure 2 2 and 2 a bordure gules charged with eight saltorels or 2nd vert a bend gules fimbriated or.
2) Vazquez de Mendoza – Castille – De gueules à un feu au naturel dans lequel se trouvent cinq tisons de sinople à la bordure d’argent ch de six croissants versés d’azur 3 à chaque flanc l’un sur l’autreEnglish: Gules with a fire proper in which is found five matches vert a bordure argent charged with six crescent inverted azure 3 with each flank in pale.
3) Vazquez de Prada – Castille – De sinople au lion d’or à la bordure burelée ondée d’azur et d’argentEnglish: Vert a lion or a bordure barry undy azure and argent.
4) Estas mismas armas usan los de la villa de Proaza (Asturias), Castilla y Portugal – En campo de gules, un castillo de oro. English: Gu, a castle or.
5) Los Vázquez de la ciudad de Ávila, Segovia y Baeza, según Juan Francisco de Hita – En campo de gules, un castillo formal de oro, y al pie del castillo tres cabezas de moro corriendo sangre y con sus turbantes.. English: Gu, a castle or, at base of the castle three Moor’s heads bleeding, with turbans.
6) Los Vázquez de Galicia – En campo de gules, tres fajas de oro; bordura de oro, con seis cruces floreteadas, de gules. English: Gu., three bars or, bodure or charged with six crosess flory gu.
7) Los Vázquez originarios de Tordesilos (Guadalajara), según Vicente de Cadenas – En campo de azur, un castillo, de oro, acompañado por la diestra de tres lises, de plata, puestas en palo.. English: Az, a castle or, accompaniedon dexter side by three fleur de lys ar in pale.
8) Otros Vázquez castellanos – En gules, una torre, de oro, almenada, donjonada y mazonada, de sable; bordura de plata, con cuatro lises, de azur.. English: Gu, a tower, crenellated, towered and masoned sa., bordure ar.charged with four fleur de lys az.
9) Otros Vázquez – En campo de oro, una planta de mimbre, en su color.. English: Or, bulrush ppr.
10) Otros Vázquez – En campo de oro, seis roeles, de azur, puestos en dos palos. English: Or, six roundeles az, arranged in two pales.
11) Otros Vázquez – En campo de oro, una banda, de gules, cargada de tres cuñas, de plata.. English: Or, a bend gu., charged with three wedges ar.
12) Los Vázquez radicados en Madrid y Martos (Jaén), y los de Cuba, según Vicente de Cadenas – Escudo cortado: 1º, en campo de oro, una banda, de gules, cargada de tres cuñas, de plata, y acompañada en lo alto de una cabeza de lobo, al natural, sangrante, y en lo bajo de un puñal, de plata, y 2º, en campo de sinople, un leopardo pasante, de oro.. English: Per fess, 1st Or, a bend gu., charged with three wedges ar., accompanied in chief by wolfs head ppr, bleeding, and in base with dagger ar. 2nd Vert, a leopard passant or.
13) Los Vázquez de Argentina y México – En plata, un árbol, de sinople, acompañado en jefe y en punta de dos panelas, de gules y en los flancos diestro y siniestro, de dos alfanjes, de sable, puestos en palo.. English: Ar, a tree vert, accompanied in chief and base by two ”panelas” gu., and in dexter and sinister flak by two scymitars sa, palewise.
14) Los Vázquez de Uruguay – En campo de gules, una mano de plata, adiestrada de una espada, de plata y siniestrada de una estrella, de oro. English: Gu, a hand ar, accompanied by sword ar in dexter, and star or in sinister.
15) Otros Vázquez – En campo de plata, un árbol, al natural, atravesado de tres dardos, de plata, puestos en faja. English: Ar, a tree ppr., traversed by three arrows ar, fessewise.
16) Otros Vázquez – En campo de sinople, una cruz, de plata, acompañada de un bezante en cada cantón. English: Vert, a cross ar, accompanied in each canton by bezant.
17) Los Vazquez radicados en Bustavalle (Orense) y extendidos a Argentina, Chile y Perú, según Vicente de Cadenas – En campo de oro, seis roeles, de sinople, puestos en dos palos de a tres cada uno; orla formada por cuatro espadas, de azur, encebadas de sable. English: Or, six roundeles vert, arranged in two pales, three in each one, in orle of four swords az, hilted sa.
18) Otros Vázquez – En campo de oro, una casa, de sable, sobre ondas de azur y plata. English: Or, a house sa., on waves az.and ar.
19) Los Vázquez radicados en Albacete – En campo de sinople, dos arcabuces, de oro, puestas en palo. English: Vert, two ”arcabuses” (guns) or, fessewise.
20) Los Vázquez radicados en Orense y extendidos a Florida y México, según Vicente de Cadenas – En campo de sinople, tres ardillas, de plata, puestas en faja. English: Vert, three squirells ar, fessewise.
21) Los Vázquez de Murcia, según Coscojales – En campo de oro, seis roeles de azur. Bordura de gules con ocho aspas de oro. English: Or, six roundeles az, bordure gu.charged with eight saltires or.
22) Otros Vázquez – En campo de plata, dos encinas de sinople. English: Ar, two oaks vert.
23) Jorge de Montemayor y Juan de Mendoza señalan para los de la casa solar en el coto de San Cebrián, Obispado de Lugo, y los radicados en la feligresía de San Mamed de Sabajanes, las siguientes armas – En campo de gules, un castillo, de plata, aclarado de azur; bordura de azur con ocho veneras, de plata. English: Gu, a castle ar, openings az, bordure az charged with eight escallops ar.
24) Otros, según Agustín de Loaysa – En campo de gules, un león rampante. English: Gu, a lion rampant
25) Otros usan – En sinople, cuatro luceros de oro puestos en cruz entre cuatro veneras de plata puestas en los cuatro cantones del cuartel. . English: Vert, four stars or crosswise and four escallops ar, one placed in each canton.
26) Otros – En campo de azur, cuatro estrellas de plata; bordura de azur, con seis veneras de plata. English: Az, four stars ar, bordure az charged with sic escallops ar.
27) Los Vázquez de Talavera (Toledo), según Juan Francisco de Hita – Escudo cuartelado: 1º y 4º, en campo de gules, un león rampante de oro, y 2º y 3º, en campo de azur, cinco estrellas, de plata. . English: Quarterly, 1st and 4th Gu, a lion ramp.gu., 2nd and 3rd Az, five stars ar.
28) El Cronista Gerónimo de Villa señala para los del Concejo de Prada (Asturias) – Escudo partido: 1º, en campo de gules, un castillo de plata, y 2º, en campo de plata, dos lobos andantes de sable. English: Per pale, 1st Gu, a castle ar, 2nd Ar, two wolves pass.sa.
29) En la Capilla de La Luz, en Villalegre (Avilés-Asturias), se ven en una piedra de armas las siguientes armas de los Vázquez – En campo de oro, seis luneles de azur, puestos en dos palos. . English: Or, six lunets az, arranged in two pales.
30) Otros Vázquez, según Juan Baños de Velasco – En plata, una banda de oro con dragantes de sinople, linguados de gules y debajo de ella una torre de plata; bordura de gules con ocho aspas de oro. English: Ar, a bend or vorant by two dragons heads vert, langued gu, accompanied in base by tower ar, bordure gu., charged with eight saltires.
31) Pedro Gerónimo de Villa y Juan Baños de Velasco señalan para los Vázquez de las Montañas de Burgos, Señores de la Casa de Villarias – En campo de gules, una banda de oro, engolada en dragantes de lo mismo, linguados de gules, y en jefe un león de oro; bordura de gules con ocho sotueres de oro.. English: Gu, a bend or vorant by two dragons heads or, langued gu, accompanied in chief by lion or, bordure gu., charged with eight saltires.
32) Los de León, Ubeda, Cáceres y Trujillo, según Gerónimo de Villa y Juan Baños de Velasco – En campo de azur, un castillo de plata, con un brazo armado, saliente de la torre del homenaje, con una llave de oro, en la mano, y sobre la torre de la derecha, un sol de oro, y sobre la de la izquierda, una luna de plata; bordura de gules, con ocho veneras de oro.. English: Az, a castle ar, an arm armoured issuing from the central tower, holding in the hand a key or, and over the tower on the right a sun or, and over a tower of the left a moon ar, bordure gu charged with eight escallops or.
33) Los de León, Ubeda, Cáceres y Trujillo, según Gerónimo de Villa y Juan Baños de Velasco, también usan las siguientes – En campo de azur, un castillo de plata, con un brazo armado, saliente de la torre del homenaje, con una llave de plata, en la mano, y sobre la torre de la derecha, un sol de oro, y sobre la de la izquierda, una luna de plata; bordura de gules, con ocho veneras de oro.. English: Az, a castle ar, an arm armoured issuing from the central tower, holding in the hand a key ar, and over the tower on the right a sun or, and over a tower of the left a moon ar, bordure gu charged with eight escallops or.
34) Los de los reinos de Galicia, León y Castilla, y los de la villa de Cuéllar, y otras partes, según Miguel de Salazar, usan – En campo de azur, un castillo de plata, con un brazo armado, saliente de la torre del homenaje, con una llave de sable, en la mano, y sobre la torre de la derecha, un sol de oro, y sobre la de la izquierda, una luna de plata; bordura de azur, con ocho veneras de oro. English: Az, a castle ar, an arm armoured issuing from the central tower, holding in the hand a key sa, and over the tower on the right a sun or, and over a tower of the left a moon ar, bordure az. charged with eight escallops or.
35) Los Vázquez de Arcos de la Frontera (Cádiz) – En campo de azul, una torre de plata sumada de un brazo armado que sostiene una llave de oro; bordura de gules, con ocho veneras de oro.. English: Az, a tower ar, an arm armoured issuing from the central tower, holding in the hand a key or, bordure gu charged with eight escallops or.
36) Los de Guadalajara. Estas armas, que indudablemente comprenden varios linajes, están pintadas en la carta ejecutoria de hidalguía que ganó en Valladolid, en 15 de Noviembre de 1556, Gonzalo Vázquez, vecino de Guadalajara. Era hijo de Juan Vázquez, vecino de Ibiernas y Durón y alcaide del castillo de Jadraque, donde murió – Escudo cuartelado: 1º, en campo de azur, una torre de plata sobre media rueda de molino del mismo metal y acompañada de tres lises de oro, mal colocadas; 2º, en campo de plata, un león de su color; 3º, en campo de oro, tres bandas de gules; 4º, en campo de azur, dos estrellas alternadas con dos castillos, ambos de oro. Bordura general de gules con ocho veneras de plata y la inscripción en el jefe: “Mater Dei”. Cimera: un león naciente.. English: Quarterly, 1st Az, a tower ar on a demi mill wheel of the same, accompanied by three fleur de lys arranged 1 and 2, 2nd Ar., a lion ppr., 3rd Or, three bendlets gu, 4th Az, two stars or alternately with two castles also or. Bordure gu, charged with eight escallops ar and text ”Mater Dei” in chief. Crest – Lion issuant.