Flores Family Crest and Surname Origin
A short guide to the Flores surname: its meaning, its roots in Spain, and its heraldry.
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Origin of the Flores name
Flores is a Spanish and Portuguese surname, often explained as the plural of flor, "flower", or as a patronymic from the given name Floro, Latin Florus. Flórez is a closely related patronymic form. The surname is widespread in Spain and is one of the most common in Latin America.
Not flowers: the Visigothic root
Flores looks like the Spanish word for "flowers", and some families no doubt took it that way, but Wikipedia traces the Spanish surname to the Kingdom of Asturias as a patronymic from the Visigothic given name Fruela or Froila. It is also found in Italy and Portugal.
The numbers are enormous. Forebears estimates more than 1.4 million bearers in Mexico, about 356,000 in Peru, where it is the second most common surname, and 312,000 in the Philippines. The 2010 US Census ranked Flores 40th in the country, with 433,969 people. Peruvian historian Alberto Flores Galindo and Guamanian politician Alfred Flores are two of its many bearers.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Flores name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Flores name in Spain. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as Mexico, Peru and the United States; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
Get your full Flores family history
Behind every surname is a first record. The full report goes back to where the Flores name first appears and follows how the family spread, era by era.
The researched Flores pack traces meaning, early bearers and migration routes, and includes a personalized Flores coat of arms.
Flores name FAQ
What does the Flores name mean?
Flowers; son of Floro. Common variants include Flórez, Florez, Floris.
Where does the Flores surname come from?
It originates in Spain, and is also found in Mexico, Peru and the United States.
Is there a Flores coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Flores crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Flores coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Does Flores mean flowers?
The word does, but historians link the surname to Fruela, a Visigothic given name.
Where is Flores most common?
Mexico has the most bearers; it ranks second in Peru and Bolivia.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Roberto Faure, MarÃa Asunción Ribes & Antonio GarcÃa, Diccionario de apellidos españoles (Espasa, 2001); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford). Facts and figures: Forebears surname distribution (estimates); US Census Bureau, 2010 surname file; Wikipedia, "Flores (surname)". Forebears figures are modelled estimates, rounded.