Demeza

Recorded as De Mesa, De Meza, Demesa, Demeza, Mesa, Meza and possibly others, this is a surname of Spanish origins. It is locational or sometimes residential, and either describes a person who comes from one of the various places called Mesa in the provinces of Cadiz and Toledo or alternatively as the ancient word 'mesa' meant a table, it could have described a person who lived in an area of land which was formed like a table. In some cases it is just possible that the name could be occupational and describe a carpenter or cabinet maker, one who manufactured tables. Locational surnames were usually 'from' names. that is to say names that were given either to the original family who owned the lands, or more likely to people who left their homes to move somewhere else. As such the easiest way to identify such strangers, was to call them by the name of the place from whence they came. Spelling being at best indifferent and local dialects very thick, often lead to the development of 'sounds like' spellings. Examples of the recordings taken from surviving church registers include Andres de Meza at Valladolid on June 17th 1554, Juan Mesa and his wife Bernadina, also at Valladolid on November 16th 1565, and Vizcaiino de Mesa at Otura, Granada, on May 16th 1626.