Garza Surname Meaning and Origin

Garza is a surname with several possible origins:

1. Meaning "heron" in Spanish, the Garza surname usually translates as "dweller at the sign of the heron or dove." It may have been given as a descriptive nickname for someone with long legs like a heron. It could also be a habitational name for someone from one of several places named Garza.
2. Garza is sometimes a variation of Garcia, the Spanish form of Gerald, meaning "ruler of the spear."

Garza is the 26th most common Hispanic surname.

Surname Origin: Spanish

Alternate Surname Spellings: DE GARZA, DE LA GARZA, GARZO, GARZON, GARCI, GARCEZ, GARCIA

Famous People With the Surname Garza

• Alana de la Garza - an American actress
• Tony Garza - Mexican American politician and former United States Ambassador to Mexico (2002-2009)
• Madison De La Garza - American child actress, best known for her role in the television hit Desperate Housewives.

Where Do People With the Garza Surname Live?

The surname distribution data at Forebears puts the Garza surname as most popular in Mexico, where it ranks as the 47th most common surname. Outside of Mexico, Garza is most common in the United States—found in large numbers in Texas, followed by California, Illinois, Washington, Arizona, Michigan, and Florida. WorldNames PublicProfiler also puts the largest number of individuals named Garza in Texas, by over six times as great as the next state, New Mexico. In Spain, Garza is most common in the Aragón region.

Genealogy Resources for the Surname Garza

100 Common Hispanic Surnames & Their Meanings
Garcia, Martinez, Rodriguez, Lopez, Hernandez... Are you one of the millions of people sporting one of these top 100 common Hispanic last names?

How to Research Hispanic Heritage
Learn how to get started researching your Hispanic ancestors, including the basics of family tree research and country-specific organizations, genealogical records, and resources for Spain, Latin America, Mexico, Brazil, the Caribbean, and other Spanish speaking countries.

Garza Family Crest — It's Not What You Think
Contrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Garza family crest or coat of arms for the Garza surname. Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. 

Garza Family Genealogy Forum
Search this popular genealogy forum for the Garza surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Garza query.

FamilySearch — Garza Genealogy
Access over 1.5 million free historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Garza surname and its variations on this free genealogy website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

GeneaNet — Garza Records
GeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Garza surname, with a concentration on records and families from France, Spain, and other European countries.

Garza Surname & Family Mailing Lists
This free mailing list for researchers of the Garza surname and its variations includes subscription details and searchable archives of past messages.

DistantCousin.com — Garza Genealogy & Family History
Explore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Garza.

The Garza Genealogy and Family Tree Page
Browse family trees and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the last name Garza from the website of Genealogy Today.

References

Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.

Dorward, David. Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.

Fucilla, Joseph. Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.

Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.

Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.

Reaney, P.H. A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.

Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997

https://www.thoughtco.com/surname-meanings-and-origins-s2-1422408