Gonzalvo History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Portugal

Etymology of Gonzalvo

What does the name Gonzalvo mean?

The name Gonzalvo has two distinct possible origins. First of all, the name could have been derived from the Spanish word "gonzale," meaning "battle" or "elf." The suffix of 'ez' initially indicated descent as it means 'son of.'

In some instances, the surname may derive from the extremely widespread first name Gonzalo, and denoting "son of Gonzalo". Gonzalo is thought to have been derived form the Germanic "Gunz-hard". The two most common variants of this patronym are Gonzalez and Gonzales, which are found throughout the Iberian peninsula.

Alternatively, it is possible that Gonzalvo is one of those surnames which underwent a certain degree of change upon arrival in the New World, and since it is of Portuguese rather than Spanish extraction, it may be derived from the exclusively Portuguese surname Goncalves or more accurately Conçalves. This is a patronymic, denoting "son of Goncalo." 1

Early Origins of the Gonzalvo family

The surname Gonzalvo was first found in Portugal where the noble Portuguese house can be traced back as far as the early 16th century. Antão Gonçalves is listed in a registry of the 'Livro do Armeiro-mor' dating from 1509. 1

Early History of the Gonzalvo family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gonzalvo research. Another 142 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1130, 1150, 1159, 1160, 1165, 1182, 1390, 1394, 1425, 1450, 1460, 1471, 1491, 1500, 1554, 1578, 1676, 1685, 1742 and 1754 are included under the topic Early Gonzalvo History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gonzalvo Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Gonzoles, Gonzolez, Gonzales, Gonzalo, Gonzalvo, Gozalo, Gonzalves, Gosalves, Goncalo, Gonçalves and many more.

Early Notables of the Gonzalvo family

João Gonçalves Zarco (c. 1390-1471) was a Portuguese explorer who founded settlements and recognition of the Madeira Islands. He was appointed first captain of Funchal by Henry the Navigator (1394-1460.) Antão Gonçalves, a 15th-century Portuguese explorer who was the first European to capture Africans in the Rio do Ouro region. André Gonçalves, was a Portuguese explorer that accompanied Pedro Álvares Cabral in the discovery of Brazil. Gonçalves was one of Cabral's captains of the fleet c. 1500. Nuno Gonçalves (c. 1425-c. 1491) was a Portuguese artist whose work initiated the Portuguese Renaissance in painting. He was court painter for Afonso V of Portugal...
Another 195 words (14 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gonzalvo Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gonzalvo migration to the United States +

Gonzalvo Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Valentin Gonzalvo, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1857 2

Sources +

De Faria, Antonio Machado. Armorial lusitano: genealogia e heráldica. Lisboa, 1961. Print
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)