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Use of 'de' and 'de la' as Prefixes of Surnames

 

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Old August 14, 2012, 10:33 AM
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Use of 'de' and 'de la' as Prefixes of Surnames

I was reading in "Wikipedia Española" Manuel de Falla's biography wherein I noticed his father's surname was just recorded as Falla. Is there a specific reason for the addition of the 'de' or is just an affectation?

I used to work with a Gibraltarian whose surname was de la Paz but he couldn't explain it either!

He was a bit of a cantankerous so-and-so - and far from peaceful!
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Last edited by Sancho Panther; August 14, 2012 at 11:06 AM. Reason: Merged back-to-back posts
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Old August 14, 2012, 12:55 PM
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You might check out another thread where this topic came up.
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Old August 15, 2012, 05:44 AM
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So upon reading another thread it does seem to be something of an affectation!
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Old August 15, 2012, 08:27 AM
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To me it means:

de Paz = belongs to the Paz's family etc.

de la Paz = comes from a place named Paz.

I might be wrong.

Did that help you?
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Old August 15, 2012, 09:26 AM
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More than you might think! He did come to Britain from Gibraltar - yes, but he always insisted his ancestors were from Bolivia!

Trouble was he'd say anything except his prayers - and those he whistled!
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Old August 15, 2012, 04:15 PM
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Well, Paco de Lucía, as in "Paco of Lucía" (Lucía's Paco), as in the son of Lucía.

I invented my "noble" name when I was 12 or 13, and that was "Conde de la Pablura, Chichón y Carrascales" (I had forgotten this!)... but "de la Pablura" would be something to "belonging to the Pablura's County".

Your perception of "affectation" or "affectation" of some kind of "nobility" may be accurate.

Miguel de los Santos (Mikel of the Saints, or "Saints's Miguel") would be another example... (the examples are to many to count, but the usage "de" is common in Spanish names...)
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Old August 15, 2012, 09:35 PM
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Es Conde... no...yo ya lo escondí.

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Old August 15, 2012, 09:51 PM
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Sí...
- ¿Este es conde?
- Claro, este esconde la calidad y el dinero...
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Old August 16, 2012, 07:32 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JPablo View Post
Sí...
- ¿Este es conde?
- Claro, este esconde la calidad y el dinero...
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Old September 28, 2012, 11:44 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sancho Panther View Post
I was reading in "Wikipedia Española" Manuel de Falla's biography wherein I noticed his father's surname was just recorded as Falla. Is there a specific reason for the addition of the 'de' or is just an affectation?

I used to work with a Gibraltarian whose surname was de la Paz but he couldn't explain it either!

He was a bit of a cantankerous so-and-so - and far from peaceful!
"De Algo" denotes from a noble family if you think about it: Hernando De Soto favous conqueror, Cayetano Martínez De irujo: son of Alba Duquess, the woman with the Higuera number of titles ( in fact all of the royal family a should vos on her presence
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