Group Administrator:
Angelo Cervantes - Email:
angelrcervantes@yahoo.com
Project Surnames
Cerbantes, Cerbantez, Cervantes, Cervantez, Cervatos, Cerveira, da Cerveira, de Cerbantes, de Cerbantez, de Cervantes, de Cervantez, de Cervatos, de Serbantes, de Serbantez, de Servantes, de Servantez, Enriquez, Rocha, Serbantes, Serbantez, Servantes, Servantez
Project Background
The Cervantes surname in Mexico has its roots as far back as the early 16th Century. You have two important individuals with this surname.
The first one is Leonel de Cervantes, he came with Hernan Cortes in the conquest of Mexico in 1520. Leonel de Cervantes was born in Burguillos del Cerro, Spain and was a member of a noble family. He was also a Commander of the Santiago Order of Knights. Leonel de Cervantes escorted Moctezuma out to address his people who were in revolt against the Conquistadors. Moctezuma was then stoned by his subjects. He died later of these wounds. Just after the conquest Cortes allowed Leonel to return home to Spain upon which Cervantes promised he would return to Mexico with his five daughters and marry them to Conquistadors. He kept his promise. He settled in Mexico City and also had a son and another daughter born in New Spain (Mexico). His wife was the former Leonor de Andrada y Lara. He died on September 20, 1561. He was buried in the Monastery of San Francisco, Mexico City. A descendant was governor of Oaxaca in 1981.
The second person with the Cervantes surname is Juan Cervantes Casaus El Factor, he came to Mexico City in 1530 from Sevilla, Andalusia, Spain. He was sent by Carlos V King of Spain to help reorganize the Spanish colony in New Spain (Mexico). What is interesting about Juan Cervantes Casaus El Factor is that he married one of the daughters of Leonel de Cervantes and Leonor de Andrada. In 1536 or 1537 he married the former Luisa de Lara y Andrada. He acknowledged a family relationship to Leonel de Cervantes. Juan Cervantes Casaus El Factor had 13 children with Luisa de Lara y Andrada, many of which were male with this surname.
Most modern day Mexican historians such as Jose Ignacio Davila Garibe and Jesus Amaya claim that 70% of people with the surname Cervantes are descendant from either or both these two individuals. Nevertheless, there is the problem of how many other trunks there are for this surname.