Names-Unit 1
Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2010 9:39 amI am living in the Urgell County, and here we have some very characteristic family names, as for instance Barrufet, Bonet, Caus or Sambola. The Spanish habitude to use two family names, gives some very peculiar combinations as Caus Barrufet (that means in Catalan “the dwarf goes down”), or Bonet Sambola (that is to say “my hat is going with the wind”).
About my family name, fortunately it is Gonzalez, and so has no meaning out of “Gonzalo’s son”. It is a very usual name, like Smith in English.
There are people named Gonzalez anywhere, in Spain or Latin-America. Even in Portugal and Brazil there is the Portuguese variant Gonzales.
My second family name is Griñan. This is a not very common name in Spain, basically because it is not a Spanish family name; it is the transcription of Grignan, a very common family name in south France. Very probably one of mine ancestors came from Lyon to work in the silk industry, who was growing in south Spain during the XVIII century.
In Spain, when you meet someone for the first time we use the family name, and in formal situations the two family names. In other context, like friends meetings or sport, not formal, we use the first name and the first family name for introduction, and after only the first name.
The surnames without a title are used only in working context, or similar, like school pupils, soldiers or so. There are also surnames so special, peculiar or characteristic, than are used alone, like Zapatero for the govern president.
The pet name more used is “cariño”, in all contexts, to express some kind of affection. In the family context it is usual to name to the husband “papa”, and “mama” to the wife. There are pet names specific for some sort of relationships, like “camarada” in politics, “tronco” in young people groups, or “macho” in some sports.
About my family name, fortunately it is Gonzalez, and so has no meaning out of “Gonzalo’s son”. It is a very usual name, like Smith in English.
There are people named Gonzalez anywhere, in Spain or Latin-America. Even in Portugal and Brazil there is the Portuguese variant Gonzales.
My second family name is Griñan. This is a not very common name in Spain, basically because it is not a Spanish family name; it is the transcription of Grignan, a very common family name in south France. Very probably one of mine ancestors came from Lyon to work in the silk industry, who was growing in south Spain during the XVIII century.
In Spain, when you meet someone for the first time we use the family name, and in formal situations the two family names. In other context, like friends meetings or sport, not formal, we use the first name and the first family name for introduction, and after only the first name.
The surnames without a title are used only in working context, or similar, like school pupils, soldiers or so. There are also surnames so special, peculiar or characteristic, than are used alone, like Zapatero for the govern president.
The pet name more used is “cariño”, in all contexts, to express some kind of affection. In the family context it is usual to name to the husband “papa”, and “mama” to the wife. There are pet names specific for some sort of relationships, like “camarada” in politics, “tronco” in young people groups, or “macho” in some sports.