Amador History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy
Spain

The Amador surname is derived from the Latin word "Amatus," meaning "beloved." It is generally thought that the name would have been a nickname that then became a surname. According to Juan Antonio de Haces Sarmiento, a Chronicler and King-at-Arms of King Phillip V, a Catalonian family of this name are descended from one of the Gothic knights who hid in the mountains of Jaca, Aragon during the Moorish invasion. This band of brave soldiers elected one Garci Ximenez as their leader, to regain their lost lands. One knight amongst them, Don Alvaro, was said to have shown so much bravery that Garci called him "el Amado" (the beloved). This nickname was then said to have become a surname of his descendants.

Early Origins of the Amador family

The surname Amador was first found in Jaca, in the Pyrenees mountains of Aragon, where they are said to have descended from a knight, who sought refuge in the area during the Arab invasion. There is an early record of a Ramito Amado in this area. After the reconquest of Valencia by King Jaime I of Aragon in the thirteenth century, bearers of the Amador name were amongst the noble families that inherited land in reward for their services. They received lands at Tornilles, and the town of Olleria.

Early History of the Amador family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Amador research. Another 68 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1556, 1598, 1761 and 1771 are included under the topic Early Amador History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Amador Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Amado, Amados, and Amador and others.

Early Notables of the Amador family

More information is included under the topic Early Amador Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Amador Ranking

In the United States, the name Amador is the 2,898^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1

Amador migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Amador Settlers in United States in the 16th Century

Francisco Amador, who arrived in Guatemala in 1538
Simon Amador, who settled in Peru in 1586
Juana Benitez Amador, who arrived in Peru in 1592

Amador Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Francisco Amador, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 2
Anselmo Amador, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1860 2
Simon Amador, who arrived in Peru in 1886 2
Juana Benitez Amador, who landed in Peru in 1892 2

Amador migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 3

Amador Settlers in West Indies in the 16th Century

Juan Amador, who settled in Dominican Republic in 1534

Amador Settlers in West Indies in the 19th Century

Juan Amador, who arrived in Dominican Republic in 1834 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Amador (post 1700) +

Gui Amador, American musician from Florida
Augusto Amador, American Democratic Party politician
Eddie Amador, American house music record producer and remixer
Antonio León Amador (b. 1909), Spanish professional association football player
Agustí Roc Amador (b. 1971), Spanish ski mountaineer and long-distance runner
Ramón Amaya Amador (1916-1966), Honduran author
José Santiago Amador (b. 1964), retired male road racing cyclist from Colombia
Pinky Amador, award winning Filipina actress, singer, commercial model and TV host
Santos Amador (b. 1982), Bolivian professional footballer
Ricardo Guajardo Amador (b. 1921), Mexican architect

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies