Catalan Name

Catalan Name

Spanish naming customs are historical traditions for naming children practiced in Spain. They are similar to those in other Spanish-speaking countries or former Spanish territories, such as Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory since 1898. In Spain, a person's name consists of a given name (simple or composite) followed by two family names (surnames). The first surname is usually the father's first surname, and the second the mother's first surname. In Spain this order may now be reversed, according to a new gender equality law.

In most situations, the practice is to use one given name and the first surname only, the full name being used in legal, formal, and documentary matters. For differences in Hispanic American usages, see Hispanic American naming customs.