Minerdo

Apparently recorded in the spellings of Minero or Minerdo, this is an early Spanish surname although probably of Roman origins. It appears to have at least two possible derivations. The first may be as a short or nickname form of the famous personal name and subsequent surname, Dominique or Domingues, from the pre Christian Roman (Latin) 'Dominus' meaning 'master'. This name has appeared in a bewildering variety of spellings including such forms as Mingues and Mineo, of which this name seems to be at least, a very close copy. The second possibility is that it is locational from a place called 'Minor' or similar, of which there are known to be several examples in the Iberian Peninsula. This place name translates as 'an outcrop or headland', with again the origin being Roman. As in Italy, Spanish surname recordings relating to births, deaths and marriages, are very erratic. Many early registers were destroyed in the Civil War of 1935 - 1938, although even before then there were many periods in history back to the medieval times, when record keeping by the state and the church was almost non existent. An early example of this surname recording is that of Juan Minero, who married Francesca Sebastian at Aguaron, Zaragoza, Espana, on November 16th 1693.