Valdés is a Spanish

toponymic surname A toponymic surname or habitational surname or byname is a surname or byname derived from a place name,

of Asturian origin. Its appearance has been dated back to the times of the

Reconquista The ''Reconquista'' (Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese for ) or the fall of al-Andalus was a series of military and cultural campaigns that European Christian Reconquista#Northern Christian realms, kingdoms waged ag ...

in the municipality of

Valdés, Asturias Valdés is a Spanish municipality in the province of Asturias. Its capital is Luarca. It borders the Bay of Biscay on the north, the municipalities of Navia and Villayón on the west, Tineo on the south, Salas on the southeast, and Cudillero ...

, where the eponymous lineage began. The area around the current town of

Luarca Luarca (Ḷḷuarca in Asturian language, Asturian and coofficially) is a parish and the principal town in the Municipalities of Spain, municipality of Valdés, Asturias, Valdés in Asturias, Spain. Luarca (town) is a fishing and pleasure port. L ...

was known as Val de Ese, "valley of the river Ese", as attested in medieval documents. This river would later be known as the Esva River. According to Luis de Valdés' ''Memorias'' (1622), the river itself took its name from the letter s (''ese'' in Spanish) due to its similar shape, although this is considered unlikely. During medieval times the surname was taken by many families living in the area around Luarca, which make is difficult to establish demarcations between families of the time. By the 14th century, the surname had spread throughout the

Kingdom of Castile The Kingdom of Castile (; : ) was a polity in the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. It traces its origins to the 9th-century County of Castile (, ), as an eastern frontier lordship of the Kingdom of León. During the 10th century, the Ca ...

, and later all of the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...

. During the colonization of the Americas, the surname became established there, where many variations appeared, such as Valdez (by analogy with the Spanish

patronymic A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (more specifically an avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. It is the male equivalent of a matronymic. Patronymics are used, b ...

''-ez''). The French surname Valdès or Vaudès, from Peter Valdes, founder of the Waldensian religious movement, is unrelated to the Spanish surname. Instead, it derived from the Latin ''Valdesius'', which referred to

Vaulx-en-Velin Vaulx-en-Velin () is a commune in the Metropolis of Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, eastern France. It is the third-largest suburb of the city of Lyon, and is located to its northeast, on the river Rhône. History The rivers, including the Rhône, ...

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

, his place of origin.

People with the surname Valdés

* Aaron Valdes (born 1993), American basketball player * Al Valdes (1935–2025), Canadian football player *

Amadito Valdés Amadito Valdés (born February 14, 1946) is a Cuban timbalero, best known for his work with Cuarteto Las d'Aida and Buena Vista Social Club. Career Valdés was born in Havana in 1946. Early on, he studied music with his father, Amadito Valdés ...

(born 1946), Cuban timbalero *

Antonio Valdés y Fernández Bazán Antonio Valdés y Fernández Bazán (25 March 1744 – 4 April 1816) was a Spanish navy officer of the Royal Navy. Biography He entered the navy at the age of 13. He distinguished himself in the defence of Morro Castle and San Salvado ...

(1744–1816), Spanish naval officer * Basilio J. Valdes (1892–1970), Filipino general officer *

Bebo Valdés Dionisio Ramón Emilio Valdés Amaro (October 9, 1918 – March 22, 2013), better known as Bebo Valdés, was a Cuban pianist, bandleader, composer and arranger. He was a central figure in the golden age of Cuban music, especially due to his big ...

(1918–2013), Cuban pianist * Carlos "Patato" Valdés (1926–2007), Cuban conga player * Cayetano Valdés y Flores (1767–1834), Spanish naval officer and explorer * Chucho Valdés (born 1941), Cuban pianist *

Fernando de Valdés y Llanos Fernando de Valdés y Llanos (28 July 1575 – 1639) was the Archbishop of Granada from 1633 to 1639. Biography Fernando de Valdés y Llanos was born in Cangas de Tineo on July 28, 1575. He was a member of the family of the Count of Toreno. ...

(1575–1639), Archbishop of Granada * Fernando de Valdés y Salas (1483–1568), Spanish churchman and jurist * Francisco Fellove Valdés (1923–2013), Cuban songwriter and singer * Gabriel Valdés (1919–2011), Chilean politician * Germán Valdés (1915–1973), Mexican actor, singer and comedian *

Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés (August 1478 – 1557), commonly known as Oviedo, was a Spanish soldier, historian, writer, botanist and colonist. Oviedo participated in the Spanish colonization of the West Indies, arriving in the first fe ...

(1478–1557), Spanish historian * Hernán Valdés (born 1934), Chilean writer * Hilda Magdalena Licerio Valdés (born 1993), Mexican politician * Israel López Valdés (1918–2008), Cuban bassist and composer * Jerónimo Valdés (1785–1855), Spanish general and governor of Cuba *

Jorge Luis Valdés Jorge Luis Valdés Berriel (12 February 1961 – 28 January 2025), nicknamed "Tati", was a Cuban baseball pitcher who was Olympic Champion with Cuba at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Valdés is considered the best left-handed pitcher in the history of ...

(1961–2025), Cuban baseball player * José Manuel Valdés (1767–1843), Peruvian physician and writer *

Juan Gabriel Valdés Juan Gabriel Valdés Soublette (Santiago, June 2, 1947) is a Chilean political scientist, diplomat and former minister during the Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle presidency. Between 1973 and 1976 he studied political science at Princeton University in t ...

(born 1947), Chilean political scientist *

Juan de Valdés Juan de Valdés (c.1490 – August 1541) was a Spanish religious writer and Catholic reformer. He was the younger of twin sons of Fernando de Valdés, hereditary ''regidor'' of Cuenca in Castile, where Valdés was born. He has been confused ...

(1500–1541), Spanish religious writer *

Juan de Valdés Leal Juan de Valdés Leal (4 May 1622 – 15 October 1690) was a Spanish painter and etcher of the Baroque era. Career Valdés was born in Seville in 1622. He became a painter, sculptor, and architect. By his twenties, he was studying under Anton ...

(1622–1690), Spanish painter *

Juan Meléndez Valdés Juan Meléndez Valdés (11 March 1754 – 24 May 1817) was a Spanish neoclassical poet. Biography He was born at Ribera del Fresno, in what is now the province of Badajoz. Destined by his parents for the priesthood, he graduated in law at Sa ...

(1754–1817), Spanish poet * José Ramón Guizado Valdés (1899–1964), President of Panama 1955 * Lisandra Teresa Ordaz Valdés (born 1988), Cuban chess grandmaster * Lisván Valdés (born 1988), Cuban basketball player *

Luchi Cruz-Valdes Luisita "Luchi" Cruz-Valdes (; born December 27, 1965) is a Filipino broadcast journalist formerly affiliated with GMA News and Public Affairs and now News5 and ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. She was formerly the chief of News5, the news ...

(born 1965), Filipina broadcast journalist *

Merceditas Valdés Mercedes Valdés Granit (September 24, 1922 – June 13, 1996), better known as Merceditas Valdés, was a Cuban singer who specialized in Afro-Cuban traditional music. Under the aegis of ethnomusicologists Fernando Ortiz Fernández, Fernando Ortiz ...

(1922–1996), Cuban singer *

Miguel Alemán Valdés Miguel Alemán Valdés (; 29 September 1900 – 14 May 1983) was a Mexican politician who served a full term as the President of Mexico from 1946 to 1952, the first civilian president after a string of revolutionary generals. His administ ...

(1902–1983), President of Mexico 1946–1952 * Orestes López Valdés (1908–1991), Cuban musician and composer * Osiris Valdés López (born 1989), Cuban author * Pedro Valdés (born 1973), Mexican baseball player * (1544–1615), Governor of Cuba 1600–1607 *

Ramón Valdés Ramón Esteban Gómez-Valdés y Castillo (2 September 1924 – 9 August 1988) was a Mexican actor and comedian. He is best remembered for his portrayal of Don Ramón. He is also recognized as one of Mexico's best comedians. Born in Mexico City ...

(1923–1988), Mexican actor * Ramón Maximiliano Valdés, President of Panama 1916–1918 * Roy Valdés (1920–2005), Cuban baseball player * Tessa Prieto-Valdes (born 1963), Filipina columnist and media personality *

Víctor Valdés Víctor Valdés Arribas (; born 14 January 1982) is a Spanish association football, football coach and former professional player who played as a goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper. He spent most of his professional career with FC Ba ...

(born 1982), Spanish football goalkeeper *

Viengsay Valdés Viengsay Valdés is a Cuban ballerina. Since 2003, Valdés is the Prima ballerina and since 2019 she is the Artistic Director of the National Ballet of Cuba (in Spanish: Ballet Nacional de Cuba). Valdés developed a reputation as a dancer for her ...

(born 1976), Cuban ballerina * Zoé Valdés (born 1959), Cuban writer ;Fictional characters *

Cecilia Valdés ''Cecilia Valdés'' is both a novel by the Cuban writer Cirilo Villaverde (1812–1894), and a zarzuela based on the novel. It is a work of importance for its quality, and its revelation of the interaction of classes and races in Havana, Cuba ...

, Cuban novel and zarzuela character * Elpidio Valdés, Cuban comic character

People with the surname Valdez

Alyssa Valdez Alyssa Caymo Valdez (; born June 29, 1993) is a Filipino volleyball player who currently plays for the Creamline Cool Smashers. She was a member of the collegiate varsity women's volleyball team of Ateneo de Manila University in both indoor ...

(born 1993), Filipina volleyball player *

Basil Valdez Basil Salvador Valdez (; born November 8, 1951) is a Filipino singer. He has received several Tinig Awards and the 1991 Tanglaw ng Lahi Award from Ateneo de Manila University. Biography Valdez recalled in a 2024 interview that his impromptu ...

, (born 1951), Filipino balladeer * César Valdez (born 1985), Dominican baseball player * Chayito Valdez (1945–2016), Mexican musician and entertainer * Claire Valdez, American politician * Cynthia Valdez (born 1987), Mexican rhythmic gymnast * Erik Valdez (born 1979), American actor * Fidel Valdez Ramos (1928–2022), President of the Philippines 1992–1998 * Framber Valdez (born 1993), Dominican baseball pitcher *

José Travassos Valdez José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced very differently in each of the two languages: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , ...

(1787–1862), Portuguese soldier and statesman * Juan Valdez, colonial governor of Texas 1714–1716 * Julio Valdez (1956–2022), Dominican professional baseball player and manager *

Kate Valdez Keith Eliana Habala Sisante (born August 21, 2000), professionally known as Kate Valdez (), is a Filipino actress, singer-songwriter, model, and content creator. She is known for her role as Violet in ''Destiny Rose'', as Mira in ''Encantadia ...

(born 2000), Filipina actress * Matías Valdez (born 1995), Uruguayan musician *

Nelson Haedo Valdez Nelson Antonio Haedo Valdez (born 28 November 1983) commonly known as Nelson Valdez or Nelson Haedo in Spanish speaking countries, is a Paraguayan professional football coach and a former player who played as a striker for clubs in Paraguay, G ...

(born 1983), Paraguayan footballer *

Óscar Valdez Óscar Rafael Valdez Fierro Jr. (born 22 December 1990) is a Mexican professional boxer. He is a former world champion in two weight classes, holding the WBC super featherweight title from 2021 to 2022, and the WBO featherweight title from ...

(born 1990), Mexican professional boxer * Óscar Valdez (footballer) (1946–2025), Spanish football player and manager *

Patssi Valdez Patssi Valdez (born 1951) is an American Chicana artist. She is a founding member of the art collective Asco. Valdez's work represents some of the finest Chicana avant-garde expressionism, working with an array of mediums, such as painting, scul ...

(born 1951), American Chicana artist and founding member of the Asco art collective * Phillips Valdéz (born 1991), Dominican baseball player * Rodrigo Valdez (1946–2017), Colombian boxer *

Ronaldo Valdez James Ronald Dulaca Gibbs (November 27, 1947 – December 17, 2023), popularly known by his screen name Ronaldo Valdez (), was a Filipino actor whose career spanned almost five decades. Career Valdez started his earlier career as a leading ma ...

(1947–2023), Filipino actor *

Wendy Valdez Wendy Valdez-Garcia (; born June 2, 1982) is a Filipina beauty queen, former '' Pinoy Big Brother: Season 2'' contestant, and an actress. Biography Valdez grew up in Navotas. Valdez serves as her family's breadwinner. She claims she is going ...

(born 1982), Filipina beauty queen, former reality star, and actress *

Wilmar Valdez Wilmar Valdez (born 10 July 1965) is a Uruguayan football executive who served as interim President of CONMEBOL between 11 December 2015 and 26 January 2016. He took up the position after the resignation of Juan Ángel Napout which was related t ...

(born 1965), Uruguayan football executive ;Fictional characters * Juan Valdez, a character appearing in advertisements for Colombian coffee * Leo Valdez, a character appearing in novels by Rick Riordan

References

{{surname, Valdés Surnames of Spanish origin Spanish-language surnames