Diaz
Encyclopedia
Díaz is a common Spanish surname meaning "son of Diago" variant of Diego
. The name accounts for ~0.74% of the Spanish population, ranking 14th most frequently found surname in both 1999 and 2004 (Mateos & Tucker 2008, OcioTotal 1999). Compared to the most popular Spanish surname of those years, García
, which accounted for ~3.48% of the population.
In relation to descent from the Biblical names James
and Jacob
, it has been surmised that Diaz is a derivation
of Diego
from Iago
(Smith 1986), Sant Iagus. A second source suggests Díaz as being derived from a Gothic form of the paternal genitive
of Dia
, as in "Dia's child", or Diag, Diago or Diego (Dixon 1857). Dias translates into Son of Jacob
The surname is cognate with the Portuguese language
surname Dias.
, as in the case of Bartolomeu Dias
.
Many examples of the surnames Díaz exist among historically notable people as a patronymic of Diego. Among the earliest such examples is El Cid
, whose real name as Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, and whose father's given name was Diego (Catholic Encyclopedia 1913).
There is at least one instance of use as a single name, the former Norwegian rap artist Diaz
, who was born to a Spanish father and Norwegian mother; his birth name was "Andrés Rafael Díaz".
Díaz was among the top 25% of surnames in use based on a study conducted in 1987 by the Institute for Genealogy and History for Latin America (De Platt 1996, pages 31–32).
Spanish surnames, including Díaz, are found more abundantly in Southern Italy
than other non-Italian surnames as a result of the domination of Italy by Spain during the 17th century (Fucilla 1949).
The following matrix contains available information on the frequency of this surname in various countries across a span of years.
Reference codes, see #References: (a)=OcioTotal 1999, (b)=Mateos & Tucker 2008, (c)=Longley, et al., (d)=United States Census Bureau 1995, (e)=United States Census Bureau 2000
Several assessed countries have shown no instances of this surname, among these being Northern Ireland
, Republic of Ireland
and Scotland
(Bowie 2003; Longley, et al.).
Diego
Diego is a Spanish male name derived from the Hebrew Yaʻăqōbh , via the name of Saint James the Great , re-analysed as Santiago and San Diego...
. The name accounts for ~0.74% of the Spanish population, ranking 14th most frequently found surname in both 1999 and 2004 (Mateos & Tucker 2008, OcioTotal 1999). Compared to the most popular Spanish surname of those years, García
García (surname)
García is a surname common throughout the Americas, the Philippines and Spain. There are several theories about its origin and history, but it is probably of Basque origin...
, which accounted for ~3.48% of the population.
Variants and related names
There is minor evidence that Díez may be equivalent to Diaz, in the form of Spanish language listing of most frequent surnames in 1999 Spain (OcioTotal 1999). However, a 2008 in-press academic manuscript about Spanish naming in 2004 suggests otherwise, listing statistics for "Diaz" and "Diez" separately (Mateos & Tucker 2008).In relation to descent from the Biblical names James
James (name)
The name James is derived from the same Hebrew name as Jacob, meaning "Supplanter" ....
and Jacob
Jacob (name)
Jacob is a common male first name and a less well-known surname. Since 1999 and through 2010, Jacob has been the most popular baby name for newborn boys in United States. It is a cognate of James....
, it has been surmised that Diaz is a derivation
Derivation (linguistics)
In linguistics, derivation is the process of forming a new word on the basis of an existing word, e.g. happi-ness and un-happy from happy, or determination from determine...
of Diego
Diego
Diego is a Spanish male name derived from the Hebrew Yaʻăqōbh , via the name of Saint James the Great , re-analysed as Santiago and San Diego...
from Iago
Iago (disambiguation)
Iago is the main antagonist in the play Othello by William ShakespeareIago may also refer to:* Iago , a parrot introduced in the 1992 film Aladdin and appearing in various Disney media.* Iago , a genus of hound sharks...
(Smith 1986), Sant Iagus. A second source suggests Díaz as being derived from a Gothic form of the paternal genitive
Genitive case
In grammar, genitive is the grammatical case that marks a noun as modifying another noun...
of Dia
Dia
Dia is free and open source general-purpose diagramming software, developed originally by Alexander Larsson. Dia uses a controlled single document interface similar to GIMP and Sodipodi.- Features :...
, as in "Dia's child", or Diag, Diago or Diego (Dixon 1857). Dias translates into Son of Jacob
The surname is cognate with the Portuguese language
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
surname Dias.
Usage
Díaz and the angelicized form Diaz appear to be surnames only, without evidence for use as given names. Use of Díaz may arise through Anglicization of Portuguese language DiasDIAS
Dias or DIAS may mean:*Direct Internet Access System*Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies* Detaşamentul de Poliţie pentru Intervenţie Rapidă, , a Romanian police rapid response unit...
, as in the case of Bartolomeu Dias
Bartolomeu Dias
Bartolomeu Dias , a nobleman of the Portuguese royal household, was a Portuguese explorer who sailed around the southernmost tip of Africa in 1488, the first European known to have done so.-Purposes of the Dias expedition:...
.
Many examples of the surnames Díaz exist among historically notable people as a patronymic of Diego. Among the earliest such examples is El Cid
El Cid
Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar , known as El Cid Campeador , was a Castilian nobleman, military leader, and diplomat...
, whose real name as Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, and whose father's given name was Diego (Catholic Encyclopedia 1913).
There is at least one instance of use as a single name, the former Norwegian rap artist Diaz
Diaz (musician)
Diaz is a rapper from Jessheim, Norway, born 26 July 1976. His father Andres Rafael Diaz Rosa is Spanish and his mother Inger is Norwegian...
, who was born to a Spanish father and Norwegian mother; his birth name was "Andrés Rafael Díaz".
Frequency
In Latin AmericaLatin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
Díaz was among the top 25% of surnames in use based on a study conducted in 1987 by the Institute for Genealogy and History for Latin America (De Platt 1996, pages 31–32).
Spanish surnames, including Díaz, are found more abundantly in Southern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
than other non-Italian surnames as a result of the domination of Italy by Spain during the 17th century (Fucilla 1949).
The following matrix contains available information on the frequency of this surname in various countries across a span of years.
| Country | 1880–1889 | 1960–1969 | 1990–1999 | 2000–2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
2002: 0.008% (rank ?)(c) | |||
| New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
2002: 0.002% (rank ?)(c) | |||
| Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
1999: 0.74% (rank 14)(a) | 2004: na% (rank 14)(b) | ||
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
1881: na% (rank 23,037)(c) | 1998: 0.001% (rank 10,773)(c) | ||
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
1964: 0.047% (rank 335) | 1990: 0.084% (rank 99)(d) 1990: 0.014% (rank ?)(c) |
2000: 0.18% (rank 73)(d) |
Reference codes, see #References: (a)=OcioTotal 1999, (b)=Mateos & Tucker 2008, (c)=Longley, et al., (d)=United States Census Bureau 1995, (e)=United States Census Bureau 2000
Several assessed countries have shown no instances of this surname, among these being Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
(Bowie 2003; Longley, et al.).
Transliteration
The Diaz name Translates into several different meanings [1.Wise Man] Diaz in many different languages is pronounced Different In the Italian root meaning is [vecchi] in full meaning [Delvecchio]coming from Italy. Which later Translated into Diaz In Spain.Then Traveled to Mexico making its way Here to America From Spain and Mexico migrants.Notable people sharing the surname
Owing to the common nature of this surname, there are many notable people who share it. Among the most notable of these are:- El CidEl CidRodrigo Díaz de Vivar , known as El Cid Campeador , was a Castilian nobleman, military leader, and diplomat...
(11th century), born Rodrigo Díaz, conqueror and subsequent ruler of Valencia, Spain - Bartholomew Diaz (15th century), the anglicized form of the name, who was the first European known to have sailed around the Southern tip of AfricaAfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
- Bernal Díaz del CastilloBernal Díaz del CastilloBernal Díaz del Castillo was a conquistador, who wrote an eyewitness account of the conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards for Hernán Cortés, himself serving as a rodelero under Cortés.-Early life:...
(16th century), who provided an eye witness narrative for the destruction of the Aztec Empire by Spanish conquistadors - José E. DíazJosé E. DíazJosé Eduvigis Díaz was a celebrated Paraguayan general. Díaz was born in the town of Cerro Verá east of Pirayú in the department of Paraguarí. His parents were named Juan Andrés Díaz and Dolores Vera....
(19th century), hero of the War of the Triple AllianceWar of the Triple AllianceThe Paraguayan War , also known as War of the Triple Alliance , was a military conflict in South America fought from 1864 to 1870 between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay...
and appearing on the 100 Paraguayan guaraníParaguayan guaraníThe guaraní is the national currency unit of Paraguay. The guaraní was divided into 100 céntimos but, because of inflation, céntimos are no longer in use.The currency sign is .-History:...
coin - Porfirio DíazPorfirio DíazJosé de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori was a Mexican-American War volunteer and French intervention hero, an accomplished general and the President of Mexico continuously from 1876 to 1911, with the exception of a brief term in 1876 when he left Juan N...
(19th century), President of Mexico following the French intervention in MexicoFrench intervention in MexicoThe French intervention in Mexico , also known as The Maximilian Affair, War of the French Intervention, and The Franco-Mexican War, was an invasion of Mexico by an expeditionary force sent by the Second French Empire, supported in the beginning by the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Spain... - Armando DiazArmando DiazArmando Diaz, 1st Duca della Vittoria was an Italian general and a Marshal of Italy.Born in Naples, Diaz began his military career as a student at the Military Academy of Turin, where he became an artillery officer. He was a colonel commanding the 93rd infantry during the Italo-Turkish War, and...
(20th century), Italian Supreme Commander during World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... - Paquito DiazPaquito DiazFrancisco Bustillos Diaz, better known by his screen name Paquito Diaz , was a veteran Filipino actor and movie director. He specialized in action and comedy.-Early life and career:Diaz was born in Pampanga, Philippines...
(20th century), veteran Filipino actor and brother of Romy - Romy DiazRomy DiazRomy Diaz was a Filipino actor, best known for his villain roles and his versatility in portraying non-villain roles. He performed in movies such as "The Impossible Kid", released in 1982, in which he portrayed Senyor Manolo, "Gising na.....
(20th century), veteran Filipino actor and brother of Paquito - Gloria DiazGloria DiazGloria Maria Aspillera Diaz is an award-winning actress in the Philippines, and the first Filipino to bring home the Miss Universe crown.-Early Life and Family:...
(20th century), the first Filipino to bring home the Miss UniverseMiss UniverseMiss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....
crown. - Joe DiazJoe DiazJoe Diaz is a Phoenix boxing trainer.In the late 1990s, he opened Joe Diaz Top Level Boxing gym in Phoenix that he was given ownership to from Tom Gaffney...
(20thCentury), One of first Mexican-Americans to attend University of California at Davis and Berkeley; Officer in the USMC WWII; Executive, Shell Chemical Co. - Matthew DiazMatthew DiazMatthew Mark Diaz is a former active-duty Lieutenant Commander and Judge Advocate General's Corps officer in the United States Navy. In mid-to-late 2004, Diaz served a six month tour of duty in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as deputy director of the detention center's legal office...
(20th century), American military lawyer responsible for the release of the identities of detainees at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp to the Center for Constitutional RightsCenter for Constitutional RightsAl Odah v. United States:Al Odah is the latest in a series of habeas corpus petitions on behalf of people imprisoned at the Guantanamo Bay detention center. The case challenges the Military Commissions system’s suitability as a habeas corpus substitute and the legality, in general, of detention at... - Cameron DiazCameron DiazCameron Michelle Diaz is an American actress and former model. She became famous during the 1990s with roles in the movies The Mask, My Best Friend's Wedding, and There's Something About Mary. Other high-profile credits include the two Charlie's Angels films, voicing the character Princess Fiona...
(21st century), Actress - Diaz (musician)Diaz (musician)Diaz is a rapper from Jessheim, Norway, born 26 July 1976. His father Andres Rafael Diaz Rosa is Spanish and his mother Inger is Norwegian...
(born 1976 as "Andres Rafael Diaz Rosa"), a rapper from Jessheim, Norway - Diaz (speaker) (born in Italy, live in Bologna), the voice of Fujiko meet "Graziano Cernoia" in "Volk" the first book 2008
- Nick DiazNick DíazNicholas Robert Diaz is an American mixed martial artist. He is the former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, WEC and IFC Welterweight Champion. He has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Pride Fighting Championships and Elite Xtreme Combat. Diaz was promoted to black belt in Brazilian...
(21st century), mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, brother of Nate - Nate Diaz (21st century), mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, brother of Nick
- Oliver E. Diaz, Jr.Oliver E. Diaz, Jr.The Hon. Oliver E. Diaz, Jr. was a Presiding Justice on the Supreme Court of Mississippi representing District 2 Place 2. In 2008, he was defeated by Randy "Bubba" Pierce.-Early years:...
(21st century), Justice, Mississippi Supreme Court - Junot DíazJunot DíazJunot Díaz is a Dominican-American writer and creative writing professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology . Central to Díaz's work is the immigrant experience...
(21st century), Dominican-American writer who received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2008 - Raquel Roxanne DiazRocsiRaquel Roxanne Diaz better known by her stage name Rocsi, is an American television personality of BET's 106 & Park and hosts her own daily nationally syndicated radio show .-Early life and career:...
, television personality and the host of 106 and Park on BETBetBet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory... - Jonny DiazJonny DiazJonny Diaz is an American contemporary Christian pop artist originally from Lakeland, Florida. His song "More Beautiful You" has charted on American Christian music charts...
, American contemporary Christian musician originally from Lakeland, Florida - Alyssa DiazAlyssa DiazAlyssa Elaine Diaz is an American actress. Diaz is best known for playing the role of Jasmine on the ABC Family show The Nine lives of Chloe King as well as Celia Ortega on the daytime soap opera As The World Turns from February 9, 2005 until her final appearance on August 10, 2005 when her...
(21st century), Actress - Patricia Díaz PereaPatricia Díaz PereaPatricia Díaz Perea, is a Spanish professional elite triathlete.She was declared "Best Individual Sports Woman 2009" by the Consejo Superior de Deporte,, she is one of Spains High Performance Athletes , and a member of the Spanish National Team.In Spain, Díaz represents the Lanzarote based...
, professional triathlete - Laura A. Diaz, American contemporary Christian Author originally from Stockton,California
External links
- A history of the Díaz surname compiled by the Institute for Genealogy and History for Latin America is available for a fee. See pages 38 and 39 of http://books.google.com/books?id=xxcSboo5KTAC for more information.