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Name that does not follow traditional surname progression.


By NathanJones - Posted on 13 July 2006

I've run across a surname that does not comply with the traditional Mexican progression of surnames. In other words, the name of the person is not followed by the surname of the father, then the surname of the mother.

Instead, the name of the child is followed by the entire name, first name and surname, of the father.

The surname is Marcelo, also spelled Marselo.

The person in my tree is Salvador Marselo. Or Salvdr. Marcelo. Born around 1793.

I think Marcelino could be a variant of this surname.

I examined a wide range of Marcelos in familysearch, and this pattern holds up across Mexico, and across the centuries.

For instance, Maria, daughter of Juan Marcelo and Maria Gonzales, would be Maria Juan Marcelo.

And even more oddly, Juan, son of Marcos Marcelo and Juanita Verdugo, would be named Juan Marcos Marcelo.

This seems to run contrary to all other nomenclature.

The surname sounds of French, or possibly Italian origin to me. I don't know if that would have any bearing, or if other surnames might use this construction.

It certainly complicates searches.

It could be a holdover from a previous system of naming children.