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Help[Surname] Use of "o" in Spanish Surnames
While during research in 17th and 18th century California Mission baptismal, marriage and death records I am occasionally finding two surnames divided by an "o" instead of the normal "y" for "and", e.g., Zuñiga o Vallejo, Perez o Nieto or Mendoza o Aceves.
Does anyone know what the "o" stands for or why it is used instead of "y"
Does anyone know what the "o" stands for or why it is used instead of "y"
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Could it be equivalent to 'alias' - Zuñiga or Vallejo? I noticed when reading a biography of the author Cervantes that there seemed to be no established order for his various family names in official documents, so the actual paternal surname might not be clear to someone who did not know the individual personally.
Also, an alternative for the y (for 'and') in Spanish is e. I wonder if the clerk had written an e that resembled an o.
Also, an alternative for the y (for 'and') in Spanish is e. I wonder if the clerk had written an e that resembled an o.
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