"The illustrious Sanchez Family... is descended from one of a number of Gothic knights (caballeros) 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 (Pelagius), in the battle of Covadonga (730?) 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..."[1]
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 (England) and was able to mobilize a militia of 27,000 or more to garrison the fortress cities of Gascony.[2]
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 (980–1035), fathered Garcia III (IV) Sanchez, King of Navarra (1015–1054); Ramiro I Sanchez, King of Aragon (1010–1063); Fernando I Sanchez "The Great," King of Castile and Emperor of Leon (1020–1063); Gonzalo Sanchez, King of Huesca (1022–1054; and Urraca Sanchez, Infanta (Crown Princess).
Interestingly, Garcia III Sanchez, the King of Navarra, had an illegitimate son, whose grandson married the daughter of Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar ("El Cid"). Their son, Garcia Ramirez "The Restorer" became King of Navarre (Navarra).
The origins of the name Sanchez lie in the ancient Christian Kingdoms of northern Spain and southern France (the name is more than 1,300 years old), the Spanish Conquistadors carried it to the New World. During the 1500s to the 1700s, colonists with the name Sánchez settled in areas that are now part of the southwestern United States (arriving in what is now New Mexico in the 1598 Juan de Oñate Expedition), 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, Visigoths, Mohammedans, and Sephardic Jews. In addition, those who moved to the New World may also, to varying degrees, share other European, Native American, African, or other ancestries.
There are, literally, dozens of coats of arms for the name Sanchez, dating from ancient to more recent times. Generally, coats of arms were given to individuals with the name Sanchez, who then passed them down to descendants, usually through the male line. However, coats of arms for large groups of Sanchezes in certain geographical regions may exist. The most widespread coat of arms features a crowned gold eagle on a field of azure (royal blue).
Popularity
Sanchez is the fifth most common surname in Spain.[3]
Paulina Sanchez, a recurring character from Danny Phantom
Shakey Sanchez, a character from the Muppets
Manalo Sánchez, main protagonist from the movie The Book of Life
It may also appear as a second (maternal) surname in Spanish speaking countries:
Penélope Cruz, full name Penélope Cruz Sánchez, Spanish actress
Claudio Suárez, full name Claudio Suárez Sánchez, Mexican former footballer
Surname list
This page lists people with the surnameSánchez. If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.
References
^The Gottheil, Richard J. H., Belmont-Belmonte Family. A Record of Four Hundred Years. Put together from Original Documents in the Archives and Libraries of Spain... By Richard J. H. Gottheil, Professor. Columbia University. New York.
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