DIAZ

Source: Spanish, Portuguese

Root Word: Patronymic: Diego or Didacus. The suffix '-az' or '-ez' means 'son of' in Iberian, possibly of Basque origin.

Derived From: Patronymic Diego (Spanish) or Diogo (Portuguese). Diego itself is believed to be a diminutive of Santiago (Saint James), or a Latinized Greek name Didacus (meaning 'teaching').

Meaning: Son of Diego. Diego is a common male name in Spanish. Its origins are variously suggested, including one from the Hebrew Jacob, meaning "displacer" or "heel-grabber," and another from the Greek Didachos, meaning "teacher." Therefore, Dias, as a surname, inherits the meaning of his father's given name.

Popularity History: A common patronymic surname in the Iberian Peninsula, the Díaz family's history dates back to the Middle Ages. With the colonial expansion of Spain and Portugal, the surname spread widely throughout Latin America and the rest of the world, and remains a very popular surname today.