Díaz (surname)

Díaz is a common surname of Spanish origin with multiple meanings in multiple languages. First found in the Kingdom of Castile, where the name originated in the Visigoth period, the name accounts for about 0.17% of the Spanish population, ranking as the 14th-most frequently found surname in both 1999 and 2004.

Variants and related names
There is minor evidence that Díez may be equivalent to Díaz, in the form of Spanish language listing of most frequent surnames in 1999 Spain. However, a 2008 in-press academic manuscript about Spanish naming in 2004 suggests otherwise, listing statistics for "Díaz" and "Díez" separately. The surname is a cognate with the Portuguese language surname Dias.

Usage
Díaz and the anglicized form Diaz appear to be surnames only, without evidence for use as given names. Use of Diaz may arise through Anglicization of Portuguese language Dias.

Many examples of the surnames Díaz exist among historically notable people as a patronymic of Diego. Among the earliest such examples is El Cid, whose real name was Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, and whose father's given name was Diego.

Geographical distribution
As of 2014, 21.5% of all known bearers of the surname Díaz were residents of Mexico (frequency 1:132), 11.4% of Colombia (1:96), 9.1% of Argentina (1:108), 8.0% of Spain (1:134), 7.2% of Venezuela (1:96), 6.7% of the United States (1:1,242), 5.2% of Peru (1:142), 5.0% of Cuba (1:53), 4.6% of Chile (1:87), 3.1% of the Philippines (1:742), 2.9% of the Dominican Republic (1:83), 2.5% of Puerto Rico (1:33), 2.4% of Guatemala (1:155), 2.0% of Honduras (1:100), 1.4% of El Salvador (1:107), 1.3% of Nicaragua (1:103), 1.2% of Ecuador (1:293) and 1.0% of Paraguay (1:161).

In Spain, the frequency of the surname was higher than the national average (1:134) in the following autonomous communities:
 * 1. Canary Islands (1:53)
 * 2. Asturias (1:54)
 * 3. Extremadura (1:85)
 * 4. Cantabria (1:89)
 * 5. Castilla-La Mancha (1:97)
 * 6. Galicia (1:112)
 * 7. Andalusia (1:114)
 * 8. Community of Madrid (1:121)

In Puerto Rico, the frequency of the surname was higher than the national average (1:33) in the following municipalities:


 * 1. Manatí (1:14)
 * 2. Peñuelas (1:16)
 * 3. Arecibo (1:16)
 * 4. Morovis (1:16)
 * 5. Yauco (1:17)
 * 6. Barceloneta (1:17)
 * 7. Guayanilla (1:17)
 * 8. Florida (1:17)
 * 9. Ponce (1:19)
 * 10. Hatillo (1:19)
 * 11. Isabela (1:19)
 * 12. Utuado (1:20)
 * 13. Cabo Rojo (1:20)
 * 14. Ciales (1:21)
 * 15. Lares (1:21)
 * 16. Naranjito (1:21)
 * 17. Camuy (1:22)
 * 18. Quebradillas (1:22)
 * 19. Rincón (1:22)
 * 20. Canóvanas (1:22)
 * 21. Aguadilla (1:23)
 * 22. San Juan (1:23)
 * 23. Loíza (1:24)
 * 24. Juana Díaz (1:25)
 * 25. Río Grande (1:25)
 * 26. Trujillo Alto (1:28)

The following matrix contains available information on the frequency of this surname in various countries across a span of years.

Reference codes, see : (a)=OcioTotal 1999, (b)=Mateos & Tucker 2008, (c)=Longley, et al., (d)=United States Census Bureau 1995, (e)=United States Census Bureau 2000

Arts and entertainment

 * Alirio Díaz (1923–2016), Venezuelan guitarist
 * Álvaro Díaz González (born 1972), Chilean screenwriter, producer and director
 * Alyssa Diaz (born 1985), American-Colombian actress
 * Andres Rafael Diaz Rosa (born 1976), Spanish/Norwegian rapper "Diaz"
 * Cameron Diaz (born 1972), American actress, producer, and former fashion model
 * César Díaz (guitarist) (1951–2002), Puerto Rican guitar amplifier technician and guitarist
 * Dilia Díaz Cisneros (1925–2017), Venezuelan teacher and poet
 * Diomedes Díaz (1957–2013), Colombian singer, singer, songwriter and composer
 * Elisa Ruiz Díaz (1964–2021), Paraguayan diplomat
 * Francine Diaz (born 2004), Filipina actress and model
 * Gloria Diaz (born 1951), Filipina actress, TV host and beauty queen, first Filipina to win Miss Universe
 * Gregoria Díaz (1964-2023), Venezuelan journalist.
 * Hernan Diaz (born 1973), writer and academic
 * Joey Diaz (born 1963), Cuban-American stand-up comedian, actor, podcast host
 * Johnny Diaz, American novelist and a journalist
 * Joko Diaz, Filipino actor and action star
 * Jonny Diaz (born 1984), American contemporary Christian musician
 * José Manuel Díaz (1936–2013), Venezuelan actor and comedian in television and film known by the mononym Joselo
 * José María Díaz (1813–1888), Spanish romanticist playwright and journalist
 * Julio Díaz (disambiguation), several people
 * Junot Díaz (born 1986), American writer
 * Lav Diaz or Lavrente Indico Diaz (born 1958), Filipino independent filmmaker
 * Leandro Díaz (composer) (1928–2013), Colombian composer
 * Mariano Díaz (born 1929), Venezuelan photographer
 * Narcisse Virgilio Díaz de la Peña (1807–1876), French painter of the Barbizon school
 * Paquito Diaz (1937–2011), Filipino actor and director; father of Joko Diaz
 * Priscilla Diaz (MISSPSTAR/P-Star) (born 1994), American rapper, singer and actress
 * Rafael Díaz Ycaza (1925–2013), Ecuadorian poet and writer
 * Ramón Díaz Sánchez (writer) (1903–1968), Venezuelan writer
 * Robert Alan Diaz (1975–2015), American rapper better known as "Pumpkinhead"
 * Rocsi Diaz (born 1983), Honduran-born, American television personality and model
 * Romy Diaz (1941–2005), Filipino actor
 * Roxana Díaz (born 1972), Venezuelan television actress
 * Simón Díaz (1928–2014), Venezuelan singer and composer
 * Sixto Diaz Rodriguez (1942–2023), Mexican-American singer-songwriter
 * Ulpiano Díaz (1900–1990), Cuban percussionist
 * Zadi Diaz, American podcaster and video blogger

Politics and military

 * Adam Perez Diaz (1909–2010), the first Hispanic elected to the Phoenix City Council and also the first Hispanic to serve as Phoenix's Vice-Mayor
 * Antoni Gutiérrez Díaz (1929–2006), Catalan physician and politician
 * Armando Diaz (1861–1928), Italian General and a Marshal of Italy during World War I
 * Domingo Díaz Arosemena (1875–1949), Panamanian politician, president from 1948 to 1949
 * Edwige Diaz (born 1987), French politician
 * Elimar Díaz (born 1989), Venezuelan politician
 * Héctor A. Díaz, American politician
 * Joaquín Díaz de Vivar (1907 – 2002), Argentine lawyer and politician, also a descendant of El Cid
 * José Díaz, Spanish Communist and trade unionist
 * José E. Díaz (1833–1867), Paraguayan general, hero of the Paraguayan War
 * Pedro Díaz de Vivar (1740–1820), Spanish soldier and official, descendant of el Cid
 * Porfirio Díaz (1830–1915), Mexican soldier, politician, dictator who served seven terms as President of Mexico, President of Mexico following the French intervention in Mexico
 * Ramón Díaz (1926–2017), Uruguayan lawyer, economist and journalist, Chairman of the Central Bank
 * Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (c. 1043–1099), better known as El Cid, or Rodrigo, Castilian nobleman and military leader in medieval Spain

Sports

 * Aledmys Díaz (born 1990), Cuban professional baseball player
 * Alexis Díaz (baseball) (born 1996), Puerto Rican baseball player
 * Ana Díaz (born 1954), Cuban volleyball player
 * Antonio Díaz Jurado (1969–2013), Spanish footballer
 * Brahim Díaz (born 1999), Spanish footballer
 * Diomar Díaz (born 1990), Venezuelan footballer
 * Edwin Díaz (born 1994), Puerto Rican baseball player
 * Elías Díaz (born 1990), Venezuelan baseball player
 * Hernán Díaz, Argentine footballer
 * Hidilyn Diaz (born 1991), Filipino weightlifter and Olympic Champion
 * Hugo Díaz, multiple people
 * Isidoro Díaz (born 1938), Mexican footballer
 * Jhonathan Díaz (born 1996), Venezuelan baseball player
 * Joaquin Carlos Diaz (1948–2015), Cuban chess master
 * Jordan Díaz (baseball) (born 2000), Colombian baseball player
 * Joselo Díaz (born 1980), Major League Baseball pitcher
 * Juan Díaz Sánchez (1948–2013), Spanish footballer known as Juanito
 * Lewin Díaz (born 1996), Dominican baseball player
 * Linus Diaz (born 1933), Sri Lankan long-distance runner
 * Luis Díaz (disambiguation), several people
 * Matt Diaz (born 1978), American professional baseball player and sportscaster
 * Miguel Díaz (baseball) (born 1994), Dominican baseball player
 * Nate Diaz (born 1985), American mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter
 * Nick Diaz (born 1983), American mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter
 * Patricia Díaz Perea (born 1984), Spanish professional triathlete
 * Raquel Diaz (born 1990), ring name of American professional wrestler and burlesque dancer Shaul Guerrero
 * Rubén Toribio Díaz (born 1952), Peruvian footballer
 * Salvador Diaz (born 1933), Venezuelan chess master
 * Tony Diaz (born 1977), Dominican baseball coach
 * Víctor Díaz (basketball) (born 1968), Venezuelan basketball player
 * Yainer Díaz (born 1998), Dominican baseball player
 * Yandy Díaz (born 1991), Cuban professional baseball player
 * Yennsy Díaz (born 1996), Dominican Republic professional baseball player
 * Yusniel Díaz (born 1996), Cuban baseball player

Others

 * Antonio Díaz (disambiguation), several people
 * Bartolomeu Dias (c. 1451–1500), first European known to have sailed around the Southern tip of Africa
 * Bernal Díaz del Castillo (1492 to 1496, precise birth date is uncertain–1584), Spanish conquistador
 * California Odha Zertuche Díaz (1923–1991), Mexican civil engineer, first woman to graduate from the UNAM School of Engineering
 * Federico Díaz Legórburu, Venezuelan scouting leader
 * Franklin Chang-Díaz (born 1950), former NASA astronaut from Costa Rica
 * Matthew Diaz, American military lawyer
 * Miguel H. Díaz, American diplomat
 * Virgilio Morales Díaz, one of the last National Chief Scouts of Cuban scouting

Fictional characters

 * Alex Claremont-Diaz, the main protagonist of the novel Red White & Royal Blue by Casey MacQuiston and its film adaptation of the same name
 * Edmundo "Eddie" Diaz, a character in the television series 9-1-1
 * Ernesto Diaz, the main antagonist of Time Crisis II
 * Marco Diaz, a character in the animated series Star vs. the Forces of Evil
 * Marco Diaz, a character in the television series Bloodline
 * Rosa Diaz, a main character in the television series Brooklyn Nine-Nine
 * Sean Diaz, the main protagonist of Life is Strange 2
 * Miguel Diaz, one of the main characters of in the Netflix series Cobra Kai
 * Kait Diaz, one of the main characters of Gears of War