Show ContentsAlfonso History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The mountainous borders of Spain contain the origins of the prestigious surname Alfonso. The earliest forms of hereditary surnames in Spain were patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. Spanish patronymic names emerged as early as the mid-9th century and the most common patronymic suffix is ez. The patronyms were derived from a variety of given names that were of many different origins. Some names are derived from the saints of the Christian Church, but many Spanish surnames are derived from personal names of Germanic origin.

Early Origins of the Alfonso family

The surname Alfonso was first found in Leon, where the name originated in Visigothic times.

Early History of the Alfonso family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Alfonso research. Another 143 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1155, 1352 and 1519 are included under the topic Early Alfonso History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Alfonso Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Alonso, Alfonso, Alefonso, Alifonso, Adefonso, Aldefonso, Adefonso, Afonso and many more.

Early Notables of the Alfonso family

Notable bearers of the family name Alfonso

  • was Pedro Alfonso, who translated the twelfth century "Scholar's Guide"
  • Juan Alfonso de Alburquerque, steward of King Peter I in the mid fourteenth century

Alfonso Ranking

In the United States, the name Alfonso is the 4,584th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1


United States Alfonso migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Alfonso Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Sebastian Alfonso, who landed in America in 1812 2
  • Gonzalo Alfonso, who landed in America in 1813 2
  • Manuel Alfonso, aged 30, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1831 2
  • Juan Alfonso, aged 21, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1835 2
  • Lope Alfonso, who landed in Veragua in 1835 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Alfonso (post 1700) +

  • Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso (1925-2003), known as “Celia Cruz”, Cuban-American singer and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century; she rose to fame in Cuba during the 1950s as a singer of guarachas, she became known internationally as the "Queen of Salsa"
  • Christian Alfonso López (b. 1989), Spanish professional footballer
  • María Luisa Vidal Alfonso (b. 1923), Spanish novelist
  • Luis Alfonso Páez (b. 1986), Colombian footballer
  • Luis Alfonso Alarcón Mansilla (1929-2023), popularly known as Lucho Alarcón, a Chilean actor, theatre director, and activist with a distinguished film, television, and stage career
  • Yonathan Alfonso Suazo Cuevas (b. 1989), Chilean footballer who has played since 2008
  • José Alfonso Belloso y Sánchez (1873-1938), El Salvador Roman Catholic prelate, Archbishop of San Salvador (1927-1938)
  • Juan Alfonso Baptista Díaz (b. 1976), Venezuelan actor and model
  • Charles Alfonso Kinder II (b. 1946), American novelist
  • Luis Alfonso Solorio (b. 1994), Mexican footballer


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)


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