Moniz History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Spain
Scotland

The mountainous borders of Spain contain the origins of the prestigious surname Moniz. The earliest forms of hereditary surnames in Spain were the patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. In this case, the surname is derived from the first-name Mummius. Thus, the surname Moniz simply signifies "son of Mummius". The first-name Mummius is itself derived from the name of a Roman tribe whose most famous member was Mummius Achaicus, the Roman Consul who destroyed Corinth in the year 146. The "oz" or "ez" ending to the surname is indicative of its patronymic origins.

Early Origins of the Moniz family

The surname Moniz was first found in Galicia and Castile, important Christian kingdoms of medieval Spain.

The family "claim descent according to some writers, of the Roman consul Lucio Murio; according to others, from the Royal House of Scotland, and there are still those who consider him a descendant of Count Munon Rodriguez, who lived in the 750s." 1

The family proved their nobility at various times, in the Orders of Santiago, Calatrava, Alcantara, Carlos III and San Juan de Jerusalem; in the Royal Chanceries of Valladolid and Granada, and in the Royal Company of Marine Guards. 1

In Andalucia, Munoz de Loaysa rose to the nobility in the Order of Santiago in 1720 and in Rojas, Munoz of San Pedro, originally from Viniegra de Arriba (Logrono), proved his nobility in the Royal Chanceries of Valladolid and Granada and in the Order of Alcantara. Don Tomas Munoz de San Pedro y Montenegro was created Viscount of Torre Hidalgo and Baron de Campo de Aguilas in 1837. Dona Micaela Munoz de San Pedro y Flores de Lizaur was created Countess of San Miguel in 1876. 1

Early History of the Moniz family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Moniz research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1077, 1101, 1512, 1529, 1539, 1567, 1568, 1599, 1671, 1684, 1730, 1737, 1750, 1757, 1776, 1788, 1790, 1798, 1844, 1846, 1847, 1848, 1849, 1872 and 1888 are included under the topic Early Moniz History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Moniz Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Muñoz, Munoz, Muñiz, Muniz, Muño, Muno, Muñones and many more.

Early Notables of the Moniz family

Prominent among members of the family

were Fernando Muñoz, majordomo in 1101 to King Alfonso VI of Leon and Castile; twelfth century Castilian noblemen Diego Muñoz de Saldaña and Fortun Muñoz Dávalos; Felipa Moniz Perestrelo, who married...

Moniz Ranking

In the United States, the name Moniz is the 3,824^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 2

Moniz migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Moniz Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Francisco Moniz, who arrived in Spanish Main in 1836 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Moniz (post 1700) +

Wendy Moniz (b. 1969), American actress, known for her roles in roles include Dinah Marler in the CBS soap opera Guiding Light, as Rachel McCabe in Nash Bridges, and as Louisa Archer in The Guardian
Louis M. Moniz, American Republican politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Kings County 4th District, 1921 4
Frankie "Shorty" Moniz (1911-2004), U.S. soccer player
Martim Moniz, Portuguese knight of noble birth, and famous figure in the Siege of Lisbon in 1147
Paulo Vargas Moniz (b. 1962), Portuguese physicist
Rui Gil Moniz, Portuguese nobleman
Diogo Gil Moniz, Portuguese nobleman
Júlio Carlos Alves Dias Botelho Moniz (1900-1970), Portuguese soldier and politician
Garcia Moniz, Portuguese nobleman
Jerónimo Moniz, Portuguese nobleman
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

De Atienza, Julio. Nobiliario español: diccionario heráldico de apellidos españoles y de títulos nobiliarios. Madrid, Aguilar, 1959. Print
"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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html