Surnames

[pblanco]

Is the surname Galan a Spanish one? I don't see it much in my research. What part of Spain would you find it common?

[Terechu]

Galán is quite common in Asturias, there's lots of "Galanes" in Gijón and Oviedo and a few in the Nalón valley.
Check out the White Pages: www.paginasblancas.es

[jomaguca]

Lo qué sí te puedo decir es qué en salinas hay una calle qué se llama Galán y por cierto también la confitería Galán,qué hacen unos pasteles ríquísimos.saludos

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Translated by Bob

What I can tell you is that in Salinas there is a street named Galán, and also a Galán confenctionery hat makes the most delicious pastries. Greetings.

[Chris]

The origin of th surname or lastname of galán is "Aragonés"


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Origen: Aragonés.Extendido por toda la península.
Descripción del Escudo de Armas: En campo de plata tres bandas de azur. Partido de gules con un castillo de oro.


Link

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Translated by Bob

Origin Aragon. Found throughout the peninsula.
Description of the coat of arms. On a field of silver three blue stripes.
One red quarter with a gold castle.

[pblanco]

Are the surnames Galan and Yndan related or is it an error on ship manifest or possibly another family surname with Galan?

[Bob]

Ynclán or Inclán is a separate surname. Those in my family were from Muros de Nalón.

Bob Martínez

[Terechu]

Ynclán or Inclán is indeed an Asturian surname, from the Pravia area (Muros del Nalón is the neighbouring county, down the Nalón River).
I know the Incláns of Pravia have a coat of arms, I don't know about the others.
By the way, there is are very extended misconception about coats of arms. A certain surname having a coat of arms does not mean that everybody by that surname has a right to use it. In fact one surname can have many different coats of arms for different branches of the family.
A coat of arms was usually part of the privileges granted to someone for bravery in the field of battle or for having excelled in the service of his king/queen. It was for him only and he could pass it down to his children, but other members of his family, i.e. siblings, cousings, etc. had no right to use it.

I'm happy to say that, except for "Díaz de Guiana" an ancestor from Llanes who was lieutenant in the Great Armada, I have no other ancestors of military excellence
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Ynclán o Inclán sí es un apellido asturiano, de la zona de PRavia (Muros del Nalón es el concejo vecino río abajo). Sé que los Inclán de Pravia tienen escudo de armas, pero no sé si lo tendrás los demás.

Por cierto existe un error muy extendido sobre los escudos de armas. El que un apellido tenga escudo de armas no significa que todos los que lleven ese apellido lo puedan usar. De hecho un apellido puede tener muchos escudos de armas distintos, según la rama de la familia.
Era parte de los priviligios que se concedían a personas concretas por valor en el campo de batalla o por su excelencia en los servicios prestados a su rey/reina.
Era exclusivamente para esa persona y su familia inmediata, lo podían heredar sus hijos, pero no sus hermanos, primos, etc.

Me alegra decir que, a excepción de "Díaz de Guiana", un antepasado llanisco que fue teniente en la Armada Invencible, no tengo más antepasados de excelencia militar.

[pblanco]

Thanks for replies. I am researching a name from Castrillon and on manifest it was written Nicholas Galan Yndan or is it Ynclan? Could it be an error? He was born 1878. Any help would be appreciated.

[Bob]

Its probably not an error. Under the usual system of Spanish names, the given name (Nicolas) is followed by the surname of the father (Galan)and then that of the mother (Ynclan ). Ynclan and Inclan are the same name, just alternate spellings.

The Inclan in my family was originally from Muros de Nalon, but moved to Castrillon.

Bob Martinez

[Terechu]

Just a remark about the spelling. It was Ynclán or Inclán for sure (not Yndan, which doesn't exist in Asturias). As to "Y" or "I", there seems to have been a period when lots of surnames starting with an "I" were changed to "Y", especially Basque names (Ybarra = Ibarra, Yturriaga, Yrizar, etc.), I don't know why though. Maybe somebody here knows?

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Una pequeña observación sobre la ortografía. El apellido es Ynclán o Inclán seguro (no Yndan, que no existe en Asturias). En cuanto a escribirlo con Y griega o I latina, creo que hubo una época en que los apellidos que empezaban por "I" se cambiaban a "Y", sobre todo apellidos vascos (Ybarra, Ytrriaga, Yrizar, etc.). No sé por qué ni cuándo, ¿alguien tiene idea?

[Bob]

Thanks Terechu. I posted from the computer in one of the labs at work. I must have hit the "d" instead of the "c" and left out the "l." Witht my reading glasses it's hard to fell "d" from "cl." I also don't have the program I use for accent marks on that computer, so I just left them off. I've fixed my original post.

Bob

[pblanco]

My ancestor was a Nichola Galan and married in Spain. His wife traveled to US under name Maria Alvarez Suarez, with son and daughter to meet husband in St. Louis. The daughter was my grandmother. I have no earlier info about their life in Spain before they came over. I think he came from Castillion but not sure if I have right Nicolas as the ages differ.

[Bob]

You mentioned that you are not sure it if the same person because the ages differ. Do you mean that there is a difference in the birthday reported within the family and the age recorded in the Ellis Island records?

If you are searching the Ellis Island records, by the way, be sure to search for likely mispellings and for using a second surname as a first, as well as for the correct information. Most of the entries were handwritten, and some of these can be hard to read.

You are fortunate to have the full name of your greatgrandmother, Maria Alvarez Suarez. This will make searching parish records and the registro civil much easier. The name tells you that her father's first surname was Alvarez and her mother's first surname was Suarez.

Bob

[Kathi Menendez Law]

I have been told that my great grandmother (Etelvina Galan Lopez/born 1889) --she married my great grandfather Jose G. Menendez/born 1877) mother's surname was Galan (Rosa Galan Lopez)--she married Jose Lopez. I understand they were from Aviles. Have you found any Galan relatives from Aviles?

[Bob]

Have you tried looking for the family name in the Spanish white pages at http://blancas.paginasamarillas.es/jsp/home.jsp or in Infobel at http://www.infobel.com/world/default.asp? You can narrow the search by province and city or town.