Parent’s name
Enriquez surname meaning
A Spanish patronymic (Enríquez) meaning “son of Enrique,” the Spanish form of Henry (Germanic “home-ruler”); also found in Sephardic lines.
The short story
Enriquez (Spanish Enríquez) is a classic Iberian patronymic: the -ez ending means “son of,” so the name is “son of Enrique.” Enrique is the Spanish form of Henry, from the Germanic name Heimrich/Heinrich, usually explained as “home-ruler” or “ruler of the household.” Henriquez is the Portuguese-influenced spelling. Some Sephardic families took Enríquez at conversion to Catholicism and retained it after returning to Judaism generations later. Parent’s name is the catalog type, and the Enrique + -ez analysis is high confidence.
Also seen as: Enriquez, Enríquez, Henriquez, Henríquez, Enriques
Sources used
- Geneanet / DAFN entry for Enriquez (patronymic from Enrique; Sephardic adoption note)
- Spanish patronymic synthesis for Enríquez / Henry
- Names2020_LastNames_RaceHispanic_Top1000.xlsx (2020 Census)