This
site is about
the Ontiveros Clan from Houston and San Antonio, Texas
as well as a genealogical
history of the family name.
The Ontiveros
Coat of Arms hereby illustrated is officially documented in Atienza's
Diccionario Nobiliario. The original description of the arms (shield) is as
follows:
"En campo de oro, trece roeles de azur."
When translated the blazon also describes the original colors of the Ontiveros
arms as:
"In field of gold; Thirteen circles of blue."
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Family Name History
According to the
heraldic scholars, the Garcia Carraffa Brothers, the Spanish surname Ontiveros,
which is also written Hontiveros, originated in the mountains of Leon.
From there, a member of this family moved to Avila,
where he established a "casa solar" or ancient family seat. The
surname Ontiveros is of toponymic origin, being derived from the place of
residence of the original bearer.
In this case, the surname derives from the Marquisate of Ontiveros, lands
which were first granted to this family in 1677; the title Marquis of
Ontiveros has been held by Don Joaquin Cabrera Trillo Figueroa since 1916.
Thus the surname Ontiveros signifies "one from Ontiveros".
The place name derives from the Basque word "ote, ota" meaning
"stack, vine" and Latin word "verus" meaning "true,
real, genuine".
References to the surname Ontiveros include one Isabela de Ontiveros, as registered in the Index of Noble Surnames of the Order of Carlos III, a Spanish military order. At the same time, this surname was established on the American continent in areas where the Spanish influence was most notable in the sixteenth century. Isabel de Ontiveros is mentioned in "Americans in the Orders of Nobility"; she was married to Don Juan de Torre Luna, "Alcalde Ordinario" of San Sabastian de Leon in 1687. In the index of the personal expenditures of the "Archivo General Militar de Segovia" are registered some bearers of the name who served in the ranks of the Royal Army of Spain. Among them were: Jose Ontiveros - nobleman, who served in the Artillery Regiment in 1796; Antonio Ontiveros Ruiz of the Volunteer Battalion in 1896, and Pascual Ontiveros Medrano, also of the Volunteers in 1822. Listed in the "Biographical Index of Spain, Portugal and Latin America" was the Spanish writer, professor and veterinarian, in the year 1814.
Also know that there were two sets of Ontiveros' that came across the Atlantic in the 1500's. The first ones stopped into Mexico after Cortez and remained there. These are the Ontiveros' from Mexico. The second wave stayed on the boat around the horn to Spanish California. These are the Californian Ontiveros'.
Brazon Of Arms: Argent, a willow tree vert (green).
Translation:
Argent (white) signifies Sincerity.
Vert (green) denotes
Hope.
Crest: Three ostrich feathers
Origin: Spain