How to sort family names

Question

Suppose a Spanish woman's married name is María Santos y Angeles. It means that Santos is her paternal family name and Angeles is her husband's paternal family name. If her name were to be included in a list sorted alphabetically, let's say like a class list of students, which of her family names would be used in placing her in the list? Will it still be the "Santos" or will it now be the "Angeles"?

¡Gracias!

Answer 1

Hi, Rikko.

A married woman will keep her father's paternal last name and add "de + her husband's paternal last name. She will be María Santos de Angeles. Alphabetically, the first last name is the one that counts, so she will be in the "S" column.

Her children will have their father's paternal last name first - in the case "Angeles" and then their mother's paternal last name - in this case "Santos". Their last names will be "Angeles Santos". They will be in the "A" column.

That´s one of the best explanations I´ve seen I must say! Confusion arises when an English person has to fill in a Spanish form which asks for dos apellidos which of course we don´t have! - caza, MAY 17, 2010

So in all cases, the paternal family of the person is used for sorting. - Rikko, MAY 17, 2010

Muchas gracias, mountaingirl! - Rikko, MAY 17, 2010

BTW, in the Philippines, the maternal family name (FN) comes first, followed by the paternal FN, but the sorting is on the paternal family name. - Rikko, MAY 17, 2010

When she gets married, her paternal FN takes the place of her maternal FN and her husband's paternal FM becomes her second family name. For sorting purposes, she now uses her husband's family name. - Rikko, MAY 17, 2010

Answer 2

Well, actually in Spain surnames work in a different way. For example: A woman called: María (name), García (first surname) Martínez (second surname) married to José (name) Pérez (first name) Torregrosa (second surname)

They had two children: a girl called Carmen and a boy called Antonio. So their daughter was called: Carmen Pérez (father´s first surname) García (mother´s first surname) and their son Antonio Pérez (father´s first surname) García (mother´s first surname).

So at school Carmen will be in an alphabetic list of students sorted by alphabetic fist surname.

Jesús Antón Rodríguez Elena Berenguer Calatayud .......................................... ........................................ Carmen Pérez García

Well now I am totally confused - see above! - caza, MAY 17, 2010

At first I thought this is different from the other 2 answers, but "sorted by alphabetic first surname" makes it consistent with the other two answers. - Rikko, MAY 17, 2010

Muchas gracias, Anuk! - Rikko, MAY 17, 2010

Your welcome, Rikko. - Anuk, MAY 17, 2010

Answer 3

She will be María Santos de Angeles

Not in Spain , mountain

In Spain women keep the names they have before marriage:

So my name could be:

Luisa Gonzalez Gómez (father's, then mother's surname)

If I get married to a certain Miguel Cervantes Mesa, they might call me:

La señora de Cervantes (Mesa).

But I consider this rather old fashioned. You do not really know if a woman is married or not in Spain until she tells your her partents surnames.

So if I went to university for example, married to el señor Cervantes, I would still be in the "g" group, Gonzalez.

OK, I think you and MG agree that it is your paternal family name that will be used in the alphabetical listing whether you are married or not. - Rikko, MAY 17, 2010

Muchas gracias, Heidita! - Rikko, MAY 17, 2010

yes, that is correct, welcome rikko:) - 00494d19, MAY 17, 2010