Historical origins
"The illustrious Sanchez Family... is descended from one of a number of Gothic knights (caballeros) who in the year 714 escaped from the "barbara furia" of the Mohammedan invasion and took up their residence in the hills of Leon, Galicia, Asturia, Burgos, and the Pyrenees. They took part under the Gothic king of the Asturias Pelayo (Pelagius), in the battle of Covadonga (730?) against the Mohammedans, and then returned to the Pyrenees where they elected as their leader Don Garcia Ximenez. From here they passed down into Navarre and Aragon..."In the 8th century, Duke Lupus Sanchez assisted the first Holy Roman Emperor, Charlemagne, in capturing the fortress city of Barcelona from the Muslims. Duke Lupus Sanchez commanded military assets comparable to or greater than those of Alfred the Great of Wessex (England) and was able to mobilize a militia of 27,000 or more to garrison the fortress cities of Gascony. There were several kings named Sancho in the Christian Kingdoms of Spain, between the 8th and 15th centuries. Their children took on the surname Sanchez. For example Sancho III Garces "The Great", King of Pamplona (980–1035), fathered Garcia III (IV) Sanchez, King of Navarra (1015–1054); Ramiro I Sanchez, King of Aragon (1010–1063); Fernando I Sanchez "The Great," King of Castile and Emperor of Leon (1020–1063); Gonzalo Sanchez, King of Huesca (1022–1054; and Urraca Sanchez, Infanta (Crown Princess). Interestingly, Garcia III Sanchez, the King of Navarra, had an illegitimate son, whose grandson married the daughter of Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar ("El Cid"). Their son, Garcia Ramirez "The Restorer" became King of Navarre (Navarra). The origins of the name Sanchez lie in the ancient Christian Kingdoms of northern Spain and southern France (the name is more than 1,300 years old), the Spanish Conquistadors carried it to the New World. During the 1500s to the 1700s, colonists with the name Sánchez settled in areas that are now part of the southwestern United States (arriving in what is now New Mexico in the 1598 Juan de Oñate Expedition), Mexico, and South America, so there are numerous people in these areas with the surname of Sanchez. In addition, the name is found in nearly every western European country, as well as other parts of the world. The ancestors of individuals with the surname of Sanchez may include those who invaded and/or settled in Spain during its long history. Such as the Celts, Vikings, Phoenicians, Iberians, Romans, Visigoths, Mohammedans, and Sephardic Jews. In addition, those who moved to the New World may also, to varying degrees, share other European, Native American, African, or other ancestries. There are, literally, dozens of coats of arms for the name Sanchez, dating from ancient to more recent times. Generally, coats of arms were given to individuals with the name Sanchez, who then passed them down to descendants, usually through the male line. However, coats of arms for large groups of Sanchezes in certain geographical regions may exist. The most widespread coat of arms features a crowned gold eagle on a field of azure (royal blue).
Popularity
Sanchez is the fifth most common surname in Spain.People with the surname
*Aarón Sánchez (chef), Aarón Sanchez, American celebrity chef *Cristián Sánchez (presenter), Cristian Sanchez, Chilean Journalist/Presenter *Felipe Sánchez Román y Gallifa (1893–1956), Spanish jurist *Francisco Sánchez Chamuscado (1512-1582), Spanish conquistador and Captain of the Chamuscado and Rodríguez Expedition of 1581-1582 *Carlos the Jackal, Ilich Ramírez Sánchez (born 1949), Venezuelan terrorist also known as ''Carlos the Jackal'' *Javier Sánchez (disambiguation), Javier Sánchez, several people including: **Javier Sánchez (tennis), Javier Sánchez (born 1968), Spanish tennis player; brother of Arantxa and Emilio *Jose Tomas Sanchez, Filipino Prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Clergy, Roman Curia *Luis Sánchez (disambiguation), several people *Manuel Sánchez (economist), Manuel Sánchez, Mexican economist *Penelope Cruz Sanchez, Actress, goes by career name “Penelope Cruz” *Ricardo Sanchez (born 1953), retired American Army Lieutenant General *Rick Sanchez (journalist), Rick Sanchez, Journalist-MSNBC & CNN *Robert Fortune Sanchez, American Roman Catholic archbishop *Roselyn Sánchez, Puerto Rican singer, model and actress *Susan M. Sanchez, American applied statistician and operations researcherArts
General
*Oqwa Pi, Abel Sanchez (also known as Oqwa Pi), San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico, San Ildefonso Pueblo painter, muralist, and politician *Aldo Sambrell, a European actor also known as "Alfredo Sanchez Brell" *Eduardo Sánchez (director), Eduardo Sánchez, Cuban-American filmmaker *Encarna Sánchez, Spanish television show host *Jorge Noceda Sanchez, Dominican surrealist painter *Julio Sánchez Cristo, Colombian radio personality *Kiele Sanchez, American actress *Korina Sanchez, Filipino news anchor and host *Lauren Sanchez, American celebrity *Lucia Sanchez, French actress *Matt Sanchez, American soldier, political activist, writer and former pornographic actor *M. Jenea Sanchez, Mexican-American artist *Nancy Friedemann-Sánchez, Colombian-American visual artist, based in Lincoln, Nebraska *Nia Sanchez, Miss USA 2014 *Rick Sanchez (journalist), Rick Sanchez, Cuban-American TV news anchor *Sylvia Sanchez, Filipina actressMusical Artists
*Adán Sánchez (1984–2004), Mexican-American singer *Chalino Sánchez (1960–1992), Mexican singer and songwriter *Claudio Sanchez, American rock singer and guitarist of the band 'Coheed and Cambria' *Lourdes Sánchez, Argentine singer, dancer, model, TV host and actress *Magdalena Sánchez, Venezuelan singer *Marta Sánchez, Spanish female vocalist *Mike Sanchez, English Rhythm and Blues pianist/vocalist *Stephen Sanchez, American singer-songwriterWriters
*Adolfo Sánchez Vázquez, Mexican writer and professor *Alex Sánchez (author), Alex Sanchez, American author of teen stories *Erika Sánchez, Erika L. Sánchez, poet and writer *Luis Rafael Sánchez, Puerto Rican playwright and author *Sergio G. Sánchez, Spanish director and screenwriterPoliticians
*Alicia Sánchez-Camacho, Spanish politician *Arman Sanchez, Filipino politician, former Governor of the province of Batangas *Augusto Martínez Sánchez, Cuban politician *Edna Sanchez, Filipino politician *Felipe Sánchez Román (1850–1916), Spanish lawyer and politician *Francisco Sanchez (politician), Eighth Alcade of San Francisco *Francisco del Rosario Sánchez, founding father of the Dominican Republic *Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada, Bolivian president *Linda Sánchez, American member of Congress *Loretta Sanchez, American member of Congress *Óscar Arias Sánchez, Costa Rican president and Nobel Peace Prize winner *Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain *Pedro C. Sanchez, Guamanian politician *Roberto Sánchez Vilella, former Governor of Puerto RicoSports
General
*Alicia Sánchez (born 1948), Peruvian volleyball player *Anahí Ester Sánchez (born 1991), Argentine boxer *Angélica Sánchez, Mexican long-distance runner *Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (born 1972), Spanish tennis player *Bertha Sánchez, Colombian long-distance runner *Carlos Silva Sánchez (born 1944), Chilean chess master *Clara Sanchez (cyclist), French professional track cyclist *Cristhian Cruz Sánchez (born 1992), Peruvian chess grandmaster *Dani Sánchez, Catalan carom billiards player *Diego Sanchez, American mixed martial artist *Félix Sánchez (hurdler), Félix Sánchez, Dominican-American athlete *Fernando Fernández Sánchez (born 1990), Peruvian chess master *Laura Sánchez (diver), Mexican diver *Mark Sanchez, NFL Quarterback *Michael Sánchez (volleyball), Michael Sánchez, Cuban volleyball player *Juan Ignacio Sánchez, Pepe Sánchez (born 1977), Argentine professional basketball player *Philippe Sanchez, French cross country skier *Ricardo Sánchez (water polo), Ricardo Sánchez, Spanish water polo player *Rosario Sánchez, Mexican race walker *Samuel Sánchez, Spanish road bicycle racer *Yadier Sánchez (born 1987), Cuban volleyball playerBaseball
*Ali Sánchez (born 1997), Venezuelan professional baseball player *Aníbal Sánchez (born 1984), Venezuelan professional baseball player *Cristopher Sánchez (born 1996), Dominican professional baseball player *Freddy Sanchez (born 1977), American former professional baseball player *Gaby Sánchez (born 1983), American former professional baseball player *Gary Sanchez (born 1992), Dominican professional baseball player *Joel Sanchez (baseball), American college baseball coach *Jonathan Sánchez (born 1982), Puerto Rican professional baseball player *Rómulo Sánchez (born 1984), Venezuelan former professional baseball player *Sixto Sánchez (born 1998), Dominican professional baseball playerAssociation football (Soccer)
*Alexis Sánchez, Chilean footballer for Inter Milan and Chile national football team *Ángel Sánchez (referee), Argentine football (soccer) referee *Christophe Sanchez, French football player *Daniel Sanchez (French footballer), Daniel Sanchez, French former football striker *Davinson Sánchez, Colombian footballer *Eustorgio Sánchez, Venezuelan footballer *Hugo Sánchez, Mexican soccer player *Lawrie Sanchez, British football manager and former player *Matthew Sanchez (soccer) *Onésimo Sánchez, Spanish football player and manager *Oscar Enrique Sánchez, Guatemalan soccer player *Oswaldo Sánchez, Mexican soccer player *Ricard Sánchez, Spanish footballer *Ricardo Sanchez (footballer), Mexican footballer *Víctor Sánchez (footballer, born 1976), Spanish footballer and manager *Víctor Sánchez (footballer, born 1987), Spanish footballer *Wellington Sánchez, Ecuadorian football (soccer) playerGridiron football
*Davis Sanchez, NFL and CFL football player *Mark Sanchez, American football player *Rigoberto Sanchez (born 1994), American football player *Zack Sanchez (born 1993), American football playerTennis
*Emilio Sánchez (born 1965), Spanish tennis player; brother of tennis players Arantxa (above) and Javier (below) *José Antonio Sánchez-de Luna, Spanish tennis player *Manuel Sánchez (tennis), Manuel Sánchez, Mexican tennis player *María José Martínez Sánchez, Spanish tennis player *María Sánchez Lorenzo, Spanish tennis player *Nicolás Almagro, Nicolás Almagro Sanchez Rolle (born 1985), Spanish tennis player *Olivia Sanchez, French tennis playerCatholics Named Sanchez
Saints Named Sanchez
Sanchez is derived from Latin sanctus (“holy”) and ez (“of”/“son”). *Martyrs of Córdoba#Sancho, Sancius, Sanctius, Sancho Lay Catholic Martyred in 851 *Saint Teresa of Avila *José Sánchez del Río *Jenaro Sánchez DelgadilloClergy Named Sanchez
* Paul Robert Sanchez (born 1946), Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn, and the Titular Bishop of CoelianaFictional characters
*Franz Sanchez, main criminal in the James Bond movie ''Licence to Kill'' *Rick Sanchez, titular character of ''Rick and Morty'' * Paulina Sanchez, a recurring character from ''Danny Phantom'' It may also appear as a second (maternal) surname in Spanish speaking countries: *Penélope Cruz, full name Penélope Cruz Sánchez, Spanish actress *Claudio Suárez, full name Claudio Suárez Sánchez, Mexican former footballerReferences