Valdivias History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Spain

Etymology of Valdivias

What does the name Valdivias mean?

Noble surnames, such as Valdivias, evoke images of the ancient homeland of the Spanish people. The original bearer of the name Valdivias, which is a local surname, once lived, held land, or was born in the beautiful region of Spain. In Spain, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules and during the late Middle Ages, names that were derived from localities became increasingly widespread. Local names originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. The Valdivias family originally lived in Valdivielso. This place-name is derived from the Asturian word val-di-vieso, which means old man's-valley.

Early Origins of the Valdivias family

The surname Valdivias was first found in Leon, a region of northwestern Spain.

Early History of the Valdivias family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Valdivias research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1242 and 1544 are included under the topic Early Valdivias History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Valdivias Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Valdivia, de Valdivia, Valdivieso, de Valdivieso, Valdivielso, de Valdivielso, Valdevieso and many more.

Early Notables of the Valdivias family

were Spanish priest Antonio Valdivieso, named Bishop of Nicaragua in 1544, a defender of Indian rights; nineteenth century Ecuadoran philanthropist Bernardo Valdivieso; nineteenth century Spanish painter Domingo Valdivieso...
Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Valdivias Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Valdivias family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Pedro de Valdivia, a soldier who had already served the Spanish Crown with distinction in Flanders and Italy. He voyaged to America in the 1530s, journeying to Venezuela and then to Peru. Pizarro selected him to lead an expedition to Chile in 1540.