surnames in Spanish

Question

I have to fill out an application form in Spanish. There's a blank for "primer apellido" and another for "segundo apellido". What is the difference between the two?

Answer 1

If Juan López Marcos marries María Covas Callas, their child would end up with a name such as Mario López Covas.

The "primer apellido" would be López.

And the "segundo apellido" would be Covas.

Answer 2

In the Spanish naming tradidion the last names of both parents are carried over to the child. The child's first apellido is the first apellido of the father and the second is that of the mother.

If you're a married woman then it's common to replace your original second last name with de, followed by your husband's first apellido.

Answer 3

In most Spanish-speaking countries, a person has two last names. The first is their father's last name (his first last name, the one he got from his father) and the second is the mother's last name (her first last name, from her father).

Answer 4

Ninguna diferencia ,Eso quiere decir que tienes dos apellidos.