Becerra

Recorded in the spellings of Becerra, Becerro, Beccero, Berceros, Becaris, Becerril, Becarra, Bercervelo, and Bezarra, this surname is of Spanish origins. There are two possible origins, the first is that the surname is occupational for a cattle farmer, as the derivation is from the Olde Spanish 'becarra' meaning cattle, or possibly it was a nickname for somebody who behaved like a young bull. 'Nicknames' were very popular in all countries in the medieval period, and what today would be considered unacceptable, was certainly not so in those robust days. It is estimated that over 15% of all surnames were originally nicknames, although many have been 'transposed' in their spellings to hide their original identity. This has not happened with this surname, a clear indication that either the original meaning has been lost, or that it has always been considered complimentary. Early examples of the surname recordings taken from authentic civil and religious registers include Gonzalez Becerra, christened at Villa de la Para, Badajos, Spain, on June 1st 1716, and Garcia Bercero, christened at Nuestra Senora de la Antigua, Valladolid, on September 11th 1762. Other examples are those of Martin Berceros also at Nuestra Senora de La Antigua, Valladolid, on February 28th 1786, and Albarez Becceril at Valladolid, on April 25th 1792. The coat of arms has the distinctive blazon of a red field charged with a wild goat rampant, on a chief of blue, three gold fleur de lis. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Escudero Bercervelo, which was dated February 9th 1658, at Santa Velilla, Valladolid, Spain, during the reign of King Charles 11 of Spain, Emperor of Mexico, 1665 - 1700. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.