Mendoza History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy
Spain

From the ancient and picturesque Italian region of Venice emerged a variety of distinguished names, including the notable surname Mendoza. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adopt a second name to identify themselves as populations grew and travel became more frequent. The process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames was not complete until the modern era, but the use of hereditary family names in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries. Italian hereditary surnames were developed according to fairly general principles and they are characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. Although the most traditional type of family name found in the region of Venice is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, local surnames are also found. Local names, which are the least frequent of the major types of surnames found in Italy, are derived from a place-name where the original bearer once resided or held land. Often Italian local surnames bore the prefix "di," which signifies emigration from one place to another, but does not necessarily denote nobility. The Mendoza family lived near an almond tree or grove. The surname Amendola is derived from the Latin amandula, which is in turn derived from the Greek amygdale, which means almond.

Early Origins of the Mendoza family

The surname Mendoza was first found in Northern Italy. The name was also found early on in the South, Sagramoro Mendozi moved his family from Milan to Rimini around this time, and was made Bishop of Piacenza in 1475. Two months later he was made Bishop of Parma. Cristoforo Mendozi was treasurer of the Milanese court in 1465, and his brother Giovanni Mendozi held the same position in Genoa. Filippo Mendozi, nephew of Sagramoro, was the orator for the Duke of Milan, and in 1475 he became priest of Sant'Archangelo.

Early History of the Mendoza family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mendoza research. Another 37 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1367, 1404 and 1848 are included under the topic Early Mendoza History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mendoza Spelling Variations

In comparison with other European surnames, Italian surnames have a surprising number of forms. They reflect the regional variations and the many dialects of the Italian language, each with its own distinctive features. For example, in Northern Italy the typical Italian surname suffix is "i", whereas in Southern Italy it is "o". Additionally, spelling changes frequently occurred because medieval scribes and church officials often spelled names as they sounded rather than according to any specific spelling rules. The spelling variations in the name Mendoza include Amendola, Amendolara, Amendolea, Amendolia, Ammendola, LaMendola, Lammendola, Mendola, Mendolaro, Mendolia, Mendoza, Mendozza and many more.

Early Notables of the Mendoza family

Prominent among bearers of this family in early times was

Diego Hurtado de Mendoza (1367-1404), Admiral of Castile and tenth head of the House of Mendoza

Mendoza World Ranking

In the United States, the name Mendoza is the 246^th most popular surname with an estimated 106,941 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Mendoza is ranked the 5,545^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 2 And in South America, the name Mendoza is the 93^rd popular surname with an estimated 51 people with that name. 3

Mendoza migration to the United States +

Immigrants bearing the name Mendoza or a variant listed above include:

Mendoza Settlers in United States in the 16th Century

Cristóbal de Mendoza, who sailed to America in 1511
Diego de Mendoza, who arrived in America in 1511 with his brother, son and a servant
Francisco de Mendoza, moved to Cartagena in 1534
Marcos de Mendoza, settled in Peru in 1534
Sancho de Mendoza, who landed in Hispaniola in 1534
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Mendoza Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Alonso De Mendoza, who landed in America in 1810 4
Cristobal De Mendoza, who arrived in America in 1811 4
Francisco De Mendoza, who landed in America in 1813 4
Francisco De Mendoza, who arrived in America in 1814 4
Sebastian De Mendoza, who arrived in America in 1814 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Mendoza migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Mendoza Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Aaron Mendoza, (b. 1817), aged 23, English brass worker who was convicted in London, England for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Duncan" on 10th December 1840, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1883 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Mendoza (post 1700) +

Lisa Mendoza, American news producer
Lydia Mendoza, American singer and songwriter
Sylvia D Mendoza, American television advertising executive
Luis Alfredo Mendoza Benedetto (1945-2024), Venezuelan footballer
Rossy Mendoza (1945-2023), stage name of María del Rosario Mendoza Chávez, a Mexican vedette, actress, dancer, and singer
Enrique Mendoza (1945-2023), Venezuelan politician, Mayor of Sucre Municipality, Miranda, Governor of Miranda state from 1995 to 2004
Antonio de Mendoza (1495-1552), Spanish colonial administrator who was the first Viceroy of New Spain, serving from 14 November 1535 to 25 November 1550, and the third Viceroy of Peru, from 23 September 1551, upon the conquest of central Mexico he was appointed Viceroy of Mexico.
Sergio Pérez Mendoza (b. 1990), nicknamed "Checo", a Mexican racing driver who races in Formula One for Red Bull Racing, having previously driven for Sauber, McLaren, Force India and Racing Point. He won his first Formula One Grand Prix at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, breaking the record for the number of starts before a race win at 190
Mariano Francisco Saynez Mendoza (1942-2020), Mexican admiral in the Mexican Navy, Secretary of the Navy (2006–2012)
Leandro Ramos Mendoza (1946-2013), Filipino politician, Executive Secretary (2010), Director General of Police (2001–2002), Secretary of Transportation and Communications (2002–2010)
... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
"List of most common surnames in South America." Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_common_surnames_in_South_America
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duncan