Cereceres - Name

This old Spanish name is baptismally well recorded - in Mexico. It derives originally from the French "Cerisier", itself a derivative of the Latin "Cerasarius", and describes one who owned or resided near a cherry orchard. Perhaps given the popularity of the fruit, it is not surprising that the name has developed into a wide range of variant spellings. These range from the original French Serie or Cerie, to the Italian Ceresa and Cereso, the English Cherry, and many others in addition to patronymic, collective and diminutive forms. In this case, the name is not well recorded in its native Spain; however, this is due more to a paucity of published records than to a lack of popularity. It is shown below in its earliest form of Cerezo, although an interesting recording is that of Joseph Chaparro Cereceres, who married Xaviera de Villa at Valle de Allende, Chihuahua, Mexico, on September 20th 1761. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Catalina Cerezo, which was dated August 15th 1581, marriage to Juan Demidina, at St. Maria Magdalena, Valladolid, Spain, during the reign of King Phillip 11 of Spain, 1556 - 1598. 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.