Saavedra Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Saavedra last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Saavedra last name
Meaning of the Saavedra last name: old wood. Saavedra is a Galician surname from Saavedra, a parish in Lugo province, from Latin silva vetera, "old wood". Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, author of Don Quixote, added the name to his own. The last name is common in Argentina, Chile and Colombia.
Arms associated with the Saavedra name
Coats of arms associated with the Saavedra surname crossed the Atlantic with Spanish heraldry, and their blazon reads the same in Mexico.
Get your full Saavedra family history
This is only a glimpse of the Saavedra story. The full Saavedra history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Saavedra coat of arms. Get the full Saavedra report.
Saavedra name FAQ
What does the Saavedra name mean?
Old wood. Common variants include Sahavedra.
Where does the Saavedra surname come from?
It originates in Spain, and is also found in Argentina, Chile and Colombia.
Is there a Saavedra coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Saavedra coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Roberto Faure, María Asunción Ribes & Antonio García, Diccionario de apellidos españoles (Espasa, 2001); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).