I would like to know the history behind the last name: BENAVIDES or
BENAVIDEZ.  This last name belongs to my wife whose parents are from
the Philippines.  Her last name is spelled with the 'S' at the end,
but her Fathers is spelled with a 'Z'.  Obviously the name comes from
the Spanish conquerers... Just a history on the name (also which
version of the name is correct - S or Z end).  Also pictures of Family
Crests/Coat of Arms...Only histories in regards to
Philippine/Spanish/Hispanic origin.

Hi!!


According to my research the correct form of this Spanish surname is
BENAVIDES, the result of research at Spanish genealogy and heraldry
sites lead to this conclusion. There are practically no results for
"Benavidez" since Benavides gives a succes in almost all of them. I am
pretty sure that (as happened with many other surnames) the Z-ended is
a derivation of the original S-ended, at the point that, for example
in my country Argentina, Benavidez became the "common" form.

See for example the results for each different form at the following sites:
BENAVIDEZ:
"Arte y Heraldica : heraldica apellidos genealogia escudos linaje armas heraldry":
Zero matches.
http://www.arte-heraldica.com/b.htm

"Expedientes de hidalguía de Granada":
Zero matches.
http://www.heraldicahispana.net/pag/expedientesg.htm

"Expedientes de hidalguía de Valladolid":
Zero matches.
http://www.heraldicahispana.net/pag/expedientes.htm


At the above pages Benavides appears listed, the same happens in many other pages.
The only success, related to heraldry, for Benavidez was at
Heraldaria.com; but compare by yourself the search results and take
your conclusions:
"3 Registros encontrados con la palabra Benavides"
"1 Registros encontrados con la palabra Benavidez"
Take into account that the Benavidez entry is the same that one of the
Benavides entries (the Galician one), surely a misspelled derivation.
The result page for Benavides shows three Coat of Arms, to see them go
to the following page and search for Benavides at the "Apellidos" box:
"Heraldaria - Heráldica y Genealogía Hispana":
http://www.heraldaria.com/index.php


For a brief history of the origin of the surname and an image of the
Coat of Arms of the Galician branch see:
"Buscar en la Heraldica de los Apellidos - Benavides":
http://www.ciudad-real.es/varios/heraldica/buscar.php?ape=Benavides


But there are two other branches:
"Benavides.- Unos tratadistas sostienen que es de origen gallego,
descendiente de la casa de Biedma. Son sus armas: De oro, un bastón en
palo de gules, resaltado de un león coronado de oro y envuelto en una
cinta o banda de plata. Bordura de plata con ocho calderas de sable.

Otros mantienen que es de origen castellano, descendiente de D.
Fernando Alfonso de Benavides, hijo natural de Alfonso VII de
Castilla. Trae por armas: De plata, un león rampante de gules barrado
con tres barras de oro.

El emperador Carlos I concedió a D. Ruflo de Benavides, vecino de
Antequera, en el valle de Oaxaca (Méjico), por privilegio otorgado el
25 de Abril de 1.532 en Medina del Campo, estas armas: Cuartelado, 1º
de azur, un castillo de oro, y bordura de plata con ocho aspas de
gules; 2º de gules, una peña al natural y, sobre ella, un león pardo;
3º de azur, una corona real de oro; y 4º de plata, sembrado de armiños
de sable, y bordura de azur con seis flores de lis de oro. Escuson de
oro con una banda de sinople."
"Benavides":
http://heraldicahispana.com/ApA/belloch-beratua.htm#Benavides


For a large image of the Castillan Coat of Arms see:
http://heraldicahispana.com/ApA/Benavides.swf


You can see the Mexican Coat of Arms at the result page for Apellido
"Benavides" at Heraldaria.com:
http://www.heraldaria.com/index.php


Benavides is a well known surname in Philippines, the oldest existing
university in the Philippines and in Asia, the University of Santo
Tomas Aquino, was founded by the third archibishop of Manila, Miguel
de Benavides:
"The See of Manila, with jurisdiction over all the Philippine Islands
and suffragan to Mexico, was erected in 1578. The first bishop,
Domingo de Salazar (born 1512), arrived in Sept., 1581.
...
Salazar died at Madrid, 4 Dec., 1594
...
The first archbishop to reach Manila was the Franciscan, Ignacio de
Santibañez. He took possession of his see in 1798, but died three
months later. Five years passed before a successor was appointed, in
the person of Miguel de Benavides, a Dominican and first Bishop of
Nueva Segovia in Northern Luzon. The new archbishop had come to the
Philippines in 1587. He had laboured among the Chinese of Manila and
built the hospital of San Gabriel for them. He was the founder of the
celebrated University of Santo Tomás at Manila, which exists to this
day."
Summed up from "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Archdiocese of Manila":
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09597b.htm


It is very famous the Miguel de Benavides' Monument at UST in Manila:
"University of Santo Tomas - Benavides Monument":
http://www.ust.edu.ph/sitelinks/insideust/geninfo/landmarks.asp?recno=21


If you like a further reading about bishop Miguel de Benavides you can
buy this book:
"Miguel De Benavides, O.p. (1550 - 1605)":
http://www.kabayancentral.com/book/ust/mb5063306.html


Useful search keywords:
benavides heraldica
benavides filipinas
benavides historia filipinas
benavides historia españa 


I hope this helps you. Feel free to request for a clarification if you
need it, for example if you find difficult to understand the Spanish
texts, just let me know and I will gladly give you assistance on that.


Regards,
livioflores-ga

Great job!  Thank you for your thorough research and great presentation!