The Álvarez Coat of Arms and Name Meaning
Discover the meaning of Álvarez, its origins in Spain, and the story behind a Álvarez family crest.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Álvarez coat of arms for you.
Origin of the Álvarez name
Álvarez is a patronymic meaning "son of Álvaro", a given name of Germanic origin brought to the Iberian Peninsula by the Visigoths. The -ez ending is the typical Castilian patronymic suffix. It is especially common in Asturias, León and Galicia, ranks among Spain's most frequent surnames, and travelled widely to Mexico, Cuba and South America.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Álvarez name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Álvarez name in Spain. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as Mexico, Cuba and Argentina; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
Get your full Álvarez family history
The complete Álvarez pack goes much further: documented origins, early records and family spread, plus a hand-checked coat of arms.
Álvarez name FAQ
What does the Álvarez name mean?
Son of Álvaro. Common variants include Alvarez, Álvares, Alvares.
Where does the Álvarez surname come from?
It originates in Spain, and is also found in Mexico, Cuba and Argentina.
Is there a Álvarez coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Álvarez crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Álvarez coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); Roberto Faure, María Asunción Ribes & Antonio García, Diccionario de apellidos españoles (Espasa, 2001); US Census Bureau 2010.