Nieves, the Spanish plural form of nieve (English: snow), is a surname and female given name derived from the title of the Virgin Mary Nuestra Señora de las Nieves (Our Lady of the Snows), a reference to the 4th-century Catholic miracle of a summertime snowfall on the Esquiline Hill in Rome.[1] The surname is most prevalent in Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, and particularly Puerto Rico, where it is most densely concentrated. Within Spain, it is most common in Andalusia, Madrid, Canary Islands, and Galicia.[2] According to Roser Saurí Colomer and Patrick Hanks of Brandeis University, the Spanish surname Nieves is of Asturian-Leonese origin.[3] The Portuguese variant is Neves, and it is most common in Brazil.[2] There is also a Scottish Nieves surname that originated in Nevay, located in Angus, Scotland, and thus can be found in the United Kingdom.[4]

Nieves
Origin
Meaningsnow
Region of originSpain, Scotland
Other names
Variant form(s)Neves

Notable people with the given name Nieves

edit

Notable people with the surname Nieves

edit

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "Popularity for the surname Nieves".
  2. ^ a b "Neves". Forebears. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  3. ^ Colomer, Roser Saurí; Hanks, Patrick. "Iberian Names in North America: the Case of Asturian" (PDF). Roser Saurí Colomer. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  4. ^ "Nieves History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms". houseofnames.com. Retrieved 22 September 2023.