Acedo - Name

This is a Spanish surname, but of Italian (Latin) origins. The surname was originally a nickname, and probably for a wise man, or perhaps the village elder, although a secondary possibility is that the name was job descriptive. The derivation in either case is from 'acetum' meaning shrewd, although the word may also describe cider or vinegar, so it is also possible that the name may be a metonymic for a maker of these drinks and savoury liquids. The origination is pre 5th century a.d. when Spain and Portugal formed part of the Roman Empire. Like most surnames from the Iberian Peninsula it is much later and probably 15th century. Occupational and nickname surnames were not usually hereditary, this status being at first reserved either for members of the church, which is odd as they were supposed to be celibate, or for members of the aristocracy who were usually known by the name of their estates. In the case of 'Acedo', this name travelled to the New World in the 18th century. The coat of arms granted in Spain, has the very distinctive blazon of a gold shield charged with five black ravens. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Jose Mariano Acedo, which was dated December 1st 1794, in the registers of the city of Asuncion, Mexico, during the reign of King Charles 1V of Spain and Emperor of Mexico, 1788 - 1808. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.