Mendes Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Mendes last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Mendes last name
Meaning of the Mendes last name: "son of Mendo". Mendes is a Portuguese surname meaning "son of Mendo", a short form of the old name Hermenegildo. The Spanish form is Méndez. The last name is common in Portugal, Brazil and Cape Verde, and among Sephardic families in Amsterdam and London.
Arms associated with the Mendes name
In Portugal a coat of arms was often carved over the family house, and Mendes heraldry shares that habit.
Get your full Mendes family history
This is only a glimpse of the Mendes story. The full Mendes history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Mendes coat of arms. Get the full Mendes report.
Mendes name FAQ
What does the Mendes name mean?
"son of Mendo". Common variants include Méndez, Mendez.
Where does the Mendes surname come from?
It originates in Portugal, and is also found in Brazil, Angola and Cape Verde.
Is there a Mendes coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Mendes coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: José Pedro Machado, Dicionário Onomástico Etimológico da Língua Portuguesa (Lisboa, 1984); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).