Origin of the Name Rodriguez
family history was found in the allfamilycrests.com archives. The name Rodriguez is usually of Spanish origin and often means 'son of Rodrigo'. The Portuguese equivalent of this very popular and widespread name is Rodrigues. This name is ultimately derived from the ancient name Roderick which in turn is taken from German words meaning 'famous power'. Roderic was the last Visigothic King before the Muslim conquest. Over the centuries names were changed according to how they sounded and were pronounced with the same name often being both spelled and pronounced differently in neighbouring towns and cities. The name Rodriguez is no different with variations including Rodrigez, Rhodriguez, Rodrigo and Roderiz and many others. A coat of arms or family crest is an ancient and distinctive design the origin of which dates back over a millennium. Initially these armorial bearings were first used by feudal lords and warriors on the field of battle as a means of identification but later became extant among the general population. While some coats of arms refer to individuals others refer to groups of people who bear the same name. A notable bearer of the name was Manuel Rodríguez Erdoíza (1785-1818) who was a Chilean lawyer and guerrilla leader and is considered one of the founders of independent Chile. From Spain the name Rodriguez spread to the rest of Europe and from there to America, Canada, Australia and the new world beyond.
The Rodriguez coat of arms came into existence centuries ago. The process of creating coats of arms (also often called family crests) began in the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this. The new art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own coat of arms, including all Rodriguez descendants.