Mendoza is a Basque surname, also occurring as a place name. The name Mendoza means "''cold mountain''", derived from the

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

words ''mendi'' (

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...

) and ''(h)otz'' (cold) + definite article '-a' (''Mendoza'' being mendi+(h)otza). The original Basque form with an affricate sibilant (/ts/, Basque spelling /tz/) evolved in Spanish to the current form.

History

The Towerhouse of Mendoza (Basque Country, Spain). Built in the thirteenth century as a residence of the 240px Records of the Mendoza family can be traced back to the Middle Ages in Alava, in the Basque Country, Spain. It is believed that the family descends from the ancient Lords of

Llodio Laudio/Llodio is a town and municipality located in the province of Álava, in the Basque Country, northern Spain. Laudio is the name in Basque language and Llodio in Spanish; both are used indistinctly. Geography and Demography Llodio is an ...

(Alava), where the original patronymic house would have been. The Mendozas belonged to the local nobility, and branched out into different family lines early on. The most distinguished branch of the family originated in what nowadays is known as the village of Mendoza, near

Vitoria-Gasteiz es, vitoriano, vitoriana, , population_density_km2 = auto , blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s) , blank_info_sec1 = Spanish, Basque , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, Basque Country; the village takes its name after the family. A certain scion of this family, Iñigo Lopez de Mendoza, distinguished himself in the

Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, known in Islamic history as the Battle of Al-Uqab ( ar, معركة العقاب), took place on 16 July 1212 and was an important turning point in the ''Reconquista'' and the medieval history of Spain. The Christ ...

(1218), where he probably served under the Navarrese banner. He was responsible for building the ancestral home of the family, the Tower of Mendoza, which still stands. This branch of the family entered the service of the

Kingdom of Castile The Kingdom of Castile (; es, Reino de Castilla, la, Regnum Castellae) was a large and powerful state on the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region. It began in the 9th centu ...

during the reign of

Alfonso XI Alfonso XI (13 August 131126 March 1350), called the Avenger (''el Justiciero''), was King of Castile and León. He was the son of Ferdinand IV of Castile and his wife Constance of Portugal. Upon his father's death in 1312, several disputes en ...

(1312-1350), and took active part in the

Reconquista The ' (Spanish, Portuguese and Galician for "reconquest") is a historiographical construction describing the 781-year period in the history of the Iberian Peninsula between the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in 711 and the fall of the Nasrid ...

, where they quickly acquired extensive land holdings in Castile and southern Spain through military and political service. The members of the

House of Mendoza The Mendoza family was a powerful line of Spanish nobles. Members of the family wielded considerable power, especially from the 14th to the 17th centuries in Castile. The family originated from the village of Mendoza (Basque ''mendi+oza'', 'c ...

intermarried extensively with the Castilian nobility, and the family has many descendants nowadays, with numerous nobility titles attached to it. The line of the

Dukes of the Infantado Duke of the Infantado ( es, Duque del Infantado) is a Spanish peerage title that was granted to Diego Hurtado de Mendoza y Figueroa, son of Íñigo López de Mendoza, 1st Marquis of Santillana, by the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand II of Aragon a ...

formed one of the main branches of the family. Another branch of the family was based in

Laudio Laudio/Llodio is a town and municipality located in the province of Álava, in the Basque Country, northern Spain. Laudio is the name in Basque language and Llodio in Spanish; both are used indistinctly. Geography and Demography Llodio is an ...

, 50km northwest from Vitoria-Gasteiz. The family got involved in the medieval bloody War of the Clans. Finally, in

Erandio Erandio is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. The name comes from euskera ARANDIO that means plum plantation or field. In 1415, during the War of the Bands, t ...

, a ''

baserri A baserri (; Spanish: ''caserío vasco''; French: ''maison basque'') is a traditional half-timbered or stone-built type of housebarn farmhouse found in the Basque Country in northern Spain and Southwestern France. The baserris, with their gentl ...

'' exists under the same name. Its original name "mendotza" developed to "mendontze" in the 1890s, "mendoche" in the 1920s, "mendotxe" in the 1980s to the restored original of "mendotza" being the current. The surname spread quickly through Castile during the Middle Ages. With the discovery of America, many of its members would emigrate to the Americas, where the surname is common.

Notable people with the surname

Business

Eugenio Mendoza Eugenio Mendoza Goiticoa (Caracas, November 13, 1906, Caracas, October 17, 1979) was a Venezuelan business tycoon who made important contributions in the modernization of the country during the 20th Century. Early life He was the son of Eugenio Me ...

, Venezuelan businessman *

Lorenzo Mendoza Lorenzo Alejandro Mendoza Giménez (born 5 October 1965) is a Venezuelan billionaire businessman, and CEO of Empresas Polar, Venezuela's largest privately held company, with $7 billion in annual sales. The company is owned by his family. Lore ...

, Venezuelan businessman *

Tom Mendoza Tom Mendoza (born November 21, 1950) is an American business executive and public speaker. He is the former President and Vice Chairman of NetApp. Career Mendoza joined NetApp in 1994 as Vice President of North America sales. He served as its Pre ...

, Vice Chairman of NetApp, Inc. and namesake of Notre Dame's business school

Arts, Entertainment and Media

* Íñigo López de Mendoza, 1st Marquess of Santillana, Castilian statesman and poet. *

Amalia Mendoza Amalia Mendoza García (10 July 1923 – 11 June 2001), nicknamed ''La Tariácuri'', was a Mexican singer and actress. "Échame a mi la culpa" and "Amarga navidad" were some of her greatest hits. her best friend since youth was Martha De Mirand ...

, a Mexican singer *

Brillante Mendoza Brillante "Dante" Mendoza (born 30 July 1960) is a Filipino independent filmmaker. Mendoza is known one of the key members associated with the Filipino New Wave. Career He was born and raised in San Fernando, Pampanga. He took advertising ...

, a Filipino film director *

Dayana Mendoza Dayana Sabrina Mendoza Moncada (born 1 June 1986) is a Venezuelan actress, model, film producer and director. She is also a former beauty queen, winner of the titles of Miss Venezuela 2007 and Miss Universe 2008. Dayana Mendoza, in 2012, parti ...

, a Venezuelan actress, model who won

Miss Universe 2008 Miss Universe 2008 was the 57th Miss Universe pageant, held at the Crown Convention Center in Nha Trang, Vietnam on July 14, 2008. This was the first time that the Miss Universe pageant was broadcast in 1080i High-definition. At the end of th ...

. *

Eduardo Mendoza Garriga Eduardo Mendoza Garriga (born 11 January 1943 in Barcelona, Spain) is a Spanish novelist. Early life He studied law in the first half of the 1960s and lived in New York City between 1973 and 1982, working as interpreter for the United Nati ...

, a Spanish novelist *

Hazel Ann Mendoza Hazel Ann Mendoza (born Lourdes Angelic Teofisto Pla on 26 April 1988) is a Filipino former actress and a former Star Magic talent. Her late father was Spanish-English and also the father of former actress Nadia Montenegro. She became an artist ...

, a Filipina actress *

Javier Mendoza (boxer) Javier Mendoza (born March 5, 1991) is a Mexican professional boxer and a former IBF Light flyweight champion. Professional career On September 20, 2014, Mendoza captured the vacant IBF Light Flyweight title by defeating former champion Ramón G ...

, Mexican professional boxer * June Mendoza, portrait painter * Kerry-Anne Mendoza, editor of '' The Canary'' *

Linda Mendoza Linda Mendoza Kahle is an American film director and television director. Mendoza's directorial career began in 1992, directing promotional segments for Fox and MTV. She then went on to direct/produce segments for ''Kidsongs'' and the Nickelode ...

, an American film and television director *

Lydia Mendoza Lydia Mendoza (May 31, 1916December 20, 2007) was a Mexican-American guitarist and singer of Tejano and traditional Mexican-American music. Historian Michael Joseph Corcoran has stated that she was "The Mother of Tejano Music", an art form tha ...

, a Tex-Mex singer and interpreter of "corridos" *

Maine Mendoza Nicomaine Dei Capili Mendoza (born March 3, 1995), better known as Maine Mendoza (), is a Filipino actress and television personality. She is best known for her viral Dubsmash videos and her role as Yaya Dub in the noontime reality show ''Eat ...

, a Filipina actress *

Marco Mendoza Marco Mendoza is an American rock musician who has worked in diverse genres. He became a professional rock musician in 1989 and debuted on Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward's solo album '' Along the Way''. He has performed on a number of nota ...

, bass player *

Margot Rojas Mendoza Margot Rojas Mendoza (24 March 1903 – 1 November 1996) was a Cuban pianist and teacher of Cuban-Mexican origin. She performed as a concert pianist in New York, Mexico and Cuba for several years before turning to teaching. Several of her pupils b ...

(1903 – 1996), Cuban pianist and teacher *

Mark Mendoza Mark "The Animal" Mendoza (born Mark Glickman, July 13, 1956) is an American rock bassist and a member of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister. He joined the band in 1978 after leaving the Dictators. He briefly played in Blackfoot in the earl ...

, bass player *

Natalie Mendoza Natalie Jackson Mendoza (born 12 August 1976) is an Australian actress, singer, and dancer. She is best known for her roles as one of the main characters, Jackie Clunes, in the British drama series '' Hotel Babylon'' (2006–2008) and as Juno in ...

, a Hong Kong-born Australian actress and musician *

Philip Mendoza Montague Philip Mendoza (October 14, 1898 – 1973) was a London-born British artist and cartoonist. He served as a private with the British Army from 1914 until 1920. After the World War I and during World War II, he became a popular post ...

, a British artist and cartoonist *

Rebecca Jackson Mendoza Rebecca Jackson Mendoza is an Australian actress, singer, and dancer. Biography Early life Rebecca Jackson Mendoza was born in Melbourne, Australia to a Filipino father and an Australian mother of German descent. She first came to national ...

, an Australian actress, singer and dancer * Thristan Mendoza, a Filipino musician * Mario Mendoza Zambrano, a Colombian Writer *

Vince Mendoza Vince Mendoza (born November 17, 1961) is an American composer, music arranger and conductor, and six-time Grammy Award winner. He debuted as a solo artist in 1989, and is known for his work conducting the Metropole Orkest and WDR Big Band Kö ...

, an American jazz composer and arranger

Fiction

* Aristotle "Ari" Mendoza, main character from the book "

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe ''Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe'' is a coming-of-age young adult novel by American author Benjamin Alire Sáenz which was first published February 21, 2012. Set in El Paso, Texas in 1987, the novel follows two Mexican ...

", written by Benjamin Alire Sáenz * Armando Mendoza Sáenz, coprotagonist of the Colombian Telenovela

Yo soy Betty, la fea ''Yo soy Betty, la fea'' (English: I am Betty, the Ugly one), often referred to simply as ''Betty, la fea'', is a Colombian telenovela written by Fernando Gaitán which was broadcast from 25 October 1999 to 8 May 2001 by RCN. More than a dozen ...

. * Jason Mendoza, a main character in the show

The Good Place ''The Good Place'' is an American fantasy comedy television series created by Michael Schur. It premiered on NBC on September 19, 2016, and concluded on January 30, 2020, after four seasons and 53 episodes. Although the plot evolves significa ...

. * Maria Mendoza, an alternate Peruvian

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...

created by

Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which ...

. * Mendoza, a recurring gag character in

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...

* Mendoza, fictional character of the "Company" books by Kage Baker * Rodrigo Mendoza, fictional character of the movie ''The Mission''

Military

Íñigo López de Mendoza y Quiñones Íñigo López de Mendoza y Quiñones, (1440 – 20 July 1515) was the first Marqués de Mondéjar, and second Conde de Tendilla. He was known as ''El Gran Tendilla'', and was a Spanish noble of the House of Mendoza. He was the son of Íñig ...

, Castilian general instrumental in the final stages of the

* Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, Castilian nobleman *

César Mendoza General César Leonidas Mendoza Durán (September 11, 1918 – September 13, 1996) was a member of the Government Junta which ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990, representing the country-wide police force, the ''Carabineros de Chile''. M ...

, member of Government Junta of Chile (1973) as chief of Carabineros de Chile *

Pedro de Mendoza Pedro de Mendoza () (c. 1499 – June 23, 1537) was a Spanish ''conquistador'', soldier and explorer, and the first ''adelantado'' of New Andalusia. Setting sail Pedro de Mendoza was born in Guadix, Grenada, part of a large noble family that ...

, conquistador *

Bernardino de Mendoza Bernardino de Mendoza (c. 1540 – 3 August 1604) was a Spanish military commander, diplomat and writer on military history and politics. Biography Bernardino de Mendoza was born in Guadalajara, Spain around 1540, as the son of Don Alonso Su ...

, Captain General

Politics and government

Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, 1st Duke of the Infantado Don Diego Hurtado de Mendoza y Figueroa, 1st Duke of the Infantado, or Diego Hurtado de Mendoza y Suarez de Figueroa (Guadalajara, Castile, 25 September 1417 – Manzanares el Real, Spain, 25 January 1479) was a Spanish noble. Biography ...

, Spanish nobleman *

Antonio de Mendoza Antonio de Mendoza y Pacheco (, ; 1495 – 21 July 1552) was a Spanish colonial administrator who was the first Viceroy of New Spain, serving from 14 November 1535 to 25 November 1550, and the third Viceroy of Peru, from 23 September 1551, ...

, first Viceroy of New Spain *

, Spanish statesman and ambassador *

Carlos Antonio Mendoza Carlos Antonio Mendoza Soto (31 October 1856, in Panama City – 13 February 1916) was Panamanian politician who served since 1908 as the second presidential designate in the government of José Domingo de Obaldía and since the death of the ...

, acting President of Panama *

, Chilean soldier *

Cristóbal Mendoza José Cristóbal Hurtado de Mendoza y Montilla (23 June 1772 – 8 February 1829), commonly known as Cristóbal Mendoza, was a Venezuelan lawyer, politician, writer, and academic. Cristobal is best known for serving as the first official Presid ...

, First President of Venezuela *

Eduardo Mendoza Goiticoa Eduardo Mendoza Goiticoa (9 June 1917 – 25 August 2009) was a Venezuelan scientific researcher and agricultural engineer. He served the government of Rómulo Betancourt, becoming the youngest cabinet minister in Venezuelan history at the ...

, a Venezuelan cabinet minister and scientist *

, a Venezuelan cabinet minister and industrial *

García Hurtado de Mendoza García or Garcia may refer to: People * García (surname) * Kings of Pamplona/Navarre ** García Íñiguez of Pamplona, king of Pamplona 851/2–882 ** García Sánchez I of Pamplona, king of Pamplona 931–970 ** García Sánchez II of Pam ...

, a Spanish governor of Chile *

Inés Mendoza Inés María Mendoza Rivera de Muñoz Marín (January 10, 1908 in Naguabo, Puerto Rico – August 13, 1990 in San Juan), was a former First Lady of Puerto Rico, teacher, writer and socialite. She was the second wife of Governor Luis Munoz Ma ...

, wife of Puerto Rico Governor Luis Muñoz Marín * Íñigo López de Mendoza, 1st Marquess of Santillana, Castilian statesman *

Juan González de Mendoza Juan González de Mendoza, O.S.A. (1545 – 14 February 1618) was a Spanish bishop, explorer, sinologist, and writer. He was the author of one of the earliest Western histories of China. Published by him in 1585, ''Historia de las cosas más ...

, Spanish minister and historian *

Leandro Mendoza Leandro Ramos Mendoza (March 17, 1946 – October 7, 2013) was a Filipino politician who served as Executive Secretary of the Philippines. He previously served as Chief of the Philippine National Police and DOTC Secretary. Early life Mendoza ...

, Philippine Secretary of Transportation and Communications *

Pedro González de Mendoza Pedro González de Mendoza (3 May 1428 – 11 January 1495) was a Spanish cardinal, statesman and lawyer. He served on the council of King Enrique IV of Castile and in 1467 fought for him at the Second Battle of Olmedo. In 1468 he was named bi ...

, Spanish cardinal and statesman *

Susana Mendoza Susana A. Mendoza is an American politician. She is the 10th Comptroller of Illinois, serving since December 2016. A member of the Democratic Party, she formerly served as Chicago City Clerk and as an Illinois State Representative, representing th ...

, Chicago, Illinois politician * Victoria Muñoz Mendoza, Puerto Rico politician

Religion

, Spanish cardinal and statesman

Royalty

* Ana de Mendoza y de la Cerda, Spanish aristocrat * Beatriz Fajardo de Mendoza y de Guzmán, Baroness of Polop and Benidorm

Science

Josef de Mendoza y Ríos Josef (also José or Joseph) de Mendoza y Ríos (1761–1816) was a Spanish astronomer and mathematician of the 18th century, famous for his work on navigation. The first work of Mendoza y Ríos was published in 1787: his treatise about the scien ...

, (1761–1816) Spanish astronomer and mathematician

Sport

* Alvin Mendoza, Mexican football (soccer) player * Ana Mendoza, Mexican breaststroke swimmer *

Carlos Mendoza (baseball coach) Carlos Enrique Mendoza (born November 27, 1979) is a Venezuelan professional baseball coach for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Career Mendoza played in Minor League Baseball for 13 seasons. He entered the Yankees Minor League sys ...

, Venezuelan baseball coach * Carlos Mendoza (outfielder), baseball player *

Daniel Mendoza Daniel Mendoza (5 July 1764 – 3 September 1836) (often known as Dan Mendoza) was an English prizefighter, who became the 18th boxing champion of England from 1792–1795. He was of Sephardic or Portuguese Jewish descent.''The Jewish Boxer's ...

, English boxer * Elías Mendoza Habersperger *

Gabriel Mendoza Gabriel Rafael Mendoza Ibarra (born 22 May 1968), commonly known as Coca Mendoza for his similarity with the television actress Coca Guazzini, is a Chilean former professional footballer who played as a right-back and central midfielder. Mend ...

, Chilean football (soccer) player *

Jessica Mendoza Jessica Ofelia Mendoza (born November 11, 1980) is an American sportscaster and former softball player. Currently, she serves as a color commentator and analyst for ESPN's coverage of Major League Baseball and Los Angeles Dodgers coverage on S ...

, American softball player * Jesús Mendoza, Mexican football player * Jonny Mendoza, Venezuelan boxer *

Luis Mendoza Benedetto Luis Alfredo Mendoza Benedetto (born 21 June 1945) is a Venezuelan former association football, footballer who played as a midfielder. He made 15 matches for the Venezuela national football team, Venezuela national team from 1967 to 1979. He wa ...

, Venezuelan footballer * Luis Mendoza, baseball player * Luis Angel Mendoza, Mexican football player *

Mario Mendoza Mario Mendoza Aizpuru (born December 26, 1950) is a Mexican former professional baseball infielder. Mendoza, a lifetime .215 hitter, is best known for being the source of the name for the threshold for batting ineptitude, the " Mendoza Line", ...

, baseball player *

Michael Mendoza Michael Mendoza is a former American football quarterback who played one season with the Los Angeles Cobras of the Arena Football League. He first enrolled at Los Angeles Harbor College before transferring to Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football ...

, American football player * Mike Mendoza, baseball player *

Ramiro Mendoza Ramiro Mendoza (born June 15, 1972), nicknamed "El Brujo" (The Witch Doctor), is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Mendoza played with the New York Yankees (1996–2002, 2005) and Boston Red Sox (2003–04). He batted and threw right-handed. ...

, baseball player *

Raul Mendoza Raúl Mendoza (born November 25, 1991) is a Mexican professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the name Cruz Del Toro and is a member of Legado Del Fantasma. Professional wrestling career Ear ...

, professional wrestler * Rigoberto Mendoza (disambiguation), several people *

Ruben Mendoza (American football) Ruben Mendoza is a strength and conditioning coach and a former guard in the National Football League. Biography Mendoza was born Ruben Edward Mendoza on May 10, 1963 in Crystal City, Texas. He is married with five children. Playing career Mend ...

, American football

References

{{surname Basque-language surnames Surnames of Spanish origin Surnames of Filipino origin