The Spanish surname Mendoza is a Basque habitational name from several places in the provinces of Alava and Biscay called Mendoza, named with Basque mendi meaning “mountain” and  otz meaning “cold.” The original bearers of the name Mendoza were the governors of the province of Granada, and highly influential in the creation of the Spanish Empire in the Americas. Pedro de Mendoza, (1487 - 1537), the famous explorer, was the founder of Buenos Aires in 1530. The first recorded spelling of the family name is  Garcia Pedro de Mendoza, which was dated 1440, christened at Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz, Spain. Notable bearers of the surname Mendoza include Pedro De Mendoza, he was a Spanish conquistador, soldier and explorer. Pedro was born in 1487 in Guadix, Granada, Andalucia in Southern Spain. He died in 1537 on a voyage from Argentina to Spain. Antonio de Mendoza (1495 – 21 July 1552) was a Spanish colonial administrator who was the first Viceroy of New Spain, serving from 14 November 1535 to 25 November 1550, and the second Viceroy of Peru, from 23 September 1551, until his death on 21 July 1552.

Get family crest jewelry with this crest today.