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Parent’s name

Galindo surname meaning

A Spanish surname from the medieval personal name Galindo, used as a patronymic; the given name’s deeper etymology is unexplained.

Confidence
High
US frequency
Rank 961 · 35,808 people
Common variants
Galindo, Galindos, Galind

The short story

Galindo is a Spanish surname from the medieval personal name Galindo. It functioned as a patronymic: descendants were identified by a father’s or ancestor’s given name that then became hereditary. DAFN states that the personal name’s deeper etymology is unexplained, so popular “spear friend” glosses are not treated as settled fact here. The surname is especially familiar in records of medieval Castile, Aragon, and Navarre, where Galindo appears as a given name before it hardens as a family name. Parent’s name is high confidence for that personal-name-to-surname path, even while the ultimate meaning of Galindo itself remains open.

Also seen as: Galindo, Galindos, Galind

Sources used
  • Ancestry / DAFN entry for Galindo (medieval personal name Galindo; etymology unexplained)
  • WebSearch / Iberian onomastic synthesis for Galindo (patronymic from medieval given name)
  • Names2020_LastNames_RaceHispanic_Top1000.xlsx (2020 Census)