Sánchez


Sánchez is a Spanish family name.

Historical Origins

"The illustrious Sanchez Family... is descended from one of a number of Gothic knights who in the year 714 escaped from the "barbara furia" of the Mohammedan invasion and took up their residence in the hills of Leon, Galicia, Asturia, Burgos, and the Pyrenees. They took part under the Gothic king of the Asturias Pelayo, in the battle of Covadonga against the Mohammedans, and then returned to the Pyrenees where they elected as their leader Don Garcia Ximenez. From here they passed down into Navarre and Aragon..."
In the 8th century, Duke Lupus Sanchez assisted the first Holy Roman Emperor, Charlemagne, in capturing the fortress city of Barcelona from the Muslims. Duke Lupus Sanchez commanded military assets comparable to or greater than those of Alfred the Great of Wessex and was able to mobilize a militia of 27,000 or more to garrison the fortress cities of Gascony.
There were several kings named Sancho in the Christian Kingdoms of Spain, between the 8th and 15th centuries. Their children took on the surname Sanchez. For example Sancho III Garces "The Great", King of Pamplona, fathered Garcia III Sanchez, King of Navarra ; Ramiro I Sanchez, King of Aragon ; Fernando I Sanchez "The Great," King of Castile and Emperor of Leon ; Gonzalo Sanchez, King of Huesca.
Interestingly, Garcia III Sanchez, the King of Navarra, had an illegitimate son, whose grandson married the daughter of Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar's. Their son, Garcia Ramirez "The Restorer" became King of Navarre.
Although the origins of the name Sanchez lie in the ancient Christian Kingdoms of northern Spain and southern France, the Spanish Conquistadors carried it to the New World. During the 1500's to the 1700's, colonists with the name Sánchez settled in areas that are now part of the southwestern United States, Mexico, and South America, so there are numerous people in these areas with the surname of Sanchez. In addition, the name is found in nearly every western European country, as well as other parts of the world.
The ancestors of individuals with the surname of Sanchez may include those who invaded and/or settled in Spain during its long history. Such as the Celts, Vikings, Phoenicians, Iberians, Romans, Visigoth's, Mohammedans and Sephardic Jews. In addition, those who moved to the New World may also, to varying degrees, have Native American, African, or any number of other ancestries.

Popularity

Sanchez is the fifth most common surname in Spain.
ProvinceRank
Salamanca1st most common
Cáceres2nd most common
Cádiz3rd most common
Granada3rd most common
Toledo3rd most common

CountryRank
United Statesranked 52nd out of 88,799
Argentinaranked 10th out of 100
Franceranked 52nd out of 1,000
Philippinesranked 71st out of 1,000

Geographical distribution

As of 2014, 33.7% of all known bearers of the surname Sánchez were residents of Mexico, 12.4% of Spain, 8.4% of Colombia, 7.1% of the United States, 5.4% of Venezuela, 4.7% of Peru, 4.6% of Argentina, 2.8% of Ecuador, 2.6% of Cuba, 2.4% of the Philippines, 2.1% of the Dominican Republic, 1.9% of Puerto Rico, 1.8% of Honduras, 1.3% of Chile, 1.2% of Nicaragua, 1.1% of Guatemala, 1.1% of El Salvador, 1.0% of Panama and 1.0% of Costa Rica.
In Spain, the frequency of the surname was higher than average in the following regions:
In Puerto Rico, the frequency of the surname was higher than average in the following municipalities:
In Mexico, the frequency of the surname was higher than average in the following states:
Notable people who share this surname include:

General

General

It may also appear as a second surname in Spanish speaking countries: