Valdes
What is the origin of the last name Valdes?
Meaning and origin
The last name Valdes originates from Spain and has its roots in the medieval city of Valencia. Derived from the Old Spanish word "valde," meaning "valley," it likely denoted someone living in or near a valley or a hilly area. Over time, the surname Valdes spread beyond Valencia to other parts of Spain and eventually found its way to different regions of the world through Spanish immigration and colonization.
The longer story
It is derived from the personal name "Baldassarre," which is the Italian and Spanish form of the biblical name "Balthasar."
The name "Balthasar" is of ancient Semitic origin and is believed to mean "Baal protects the king" or "Baal's prince."
In the Bible, Balthasar is one of the three Magi or Wise Men who visited the baby Jesus, bringing him gifts.
Surname origins are rarely settled: one spelling can have several sources, and families often took a name for reasons nobody wrote down. Check it against the sources below before you rely on it.
Similar spellings
#1,745
Valdes was the 1,745th most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 20,527 people, about 6.6 in every 100,000.
Who carries it
Surnames like Valdes
Names it is linked with, then names with the same origin and a similar standing.
Check the sources
- Forebears: where Valdes is found around the world
- The Internet Surname Database: a second opinion on the origin
- US Census Bureau: the 2010 surname figures used here
For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.