Valdez

Valdés is a surname of Asturian (Northern Spain) origin.

Both in North and South America the spelling Valdez is very common.

The exact meaning of "Valdés" is not clear. It may come from "Valle del Ese" in the Valdés County, Asturias (Spain), where the name originates, or as an evolution from the Germanic voice "balderich".

The name refers to:

• People
  • Antonio Valdés y Basán (Spanish naval officer), for whom Valdez, Alaska is named
  • Bebo Valdés, (born 1918), Cuban jazz composer and arranger
  • Cayetano Valdés y Flores (1767–1834), Spanish naval officer and explorer
  • Chayito Valdez (born 1945), Mexican musician and entertainer
  • Chucho Valdés, (born 1945), Cuban jazz musician and pianist
  • Cynthia Valdez (born 1987), Mexican rhythmic gymnast
  • Germán Valdés (1915–1973), Mexican actor, singer and comedian
  • Juan Dominguez y Valdez (1784 -?) military of Texas
  • Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés (1478–1557), Spanish historian
  • Jerónimo Valdés (1785–1855), Spanish general and governor of Cuba
  • Juan de Valdés (1500–1541), Spanish religious writer
  • Juan Meléndez Valdés (1754–1817), Spanish poet
  • Juan Valdez, a Costa Rican man whose affidavit certifying that he drinks Costa Rican coffee played a role in the Juan Valdez drinks Costa Rican coffee litigation
  • José Ramón Guizado Valdés (dates unknown), President of Panama 1955
  • José Travassos Valdez (1787–1862), Portuguese soldier and statesman
  • Miguel Alemán Valdés (1902–1983), President of Mexico 1946–1952
  • Nelson Haedo Valdez (born 1983), Paraguayan footballer
  • Peter Valdes (died before 1219), founder of a Christian sect
  • Ramon Maximiliano Valdés, President of Panama 1916–1918
  • Ramón Valdés (1923–1988), Mexican actor
  • Rodrigo Valdez (born 1946), Colombian former middleweight boxer
  • Roy Valdés (born 1920), Cuban Major League Baseball player
  • Víctor Valdés (born 1982), Spanish football goalkeeper
  • Wendy Valdez (born 1982), Filipina beauty queen, former reality star, and actress
  • Gov. Juan Valdez, colonial governor of Texas
• Fictional people
  • Juan Valdez, fictional character appearing in advertisements for Colombian coffee

• Place names
  • Valdés (Asturias), a Spanish municipality in the province of Asturias, birthplace of the name.
  • Valdez, Alaska, seaport city in Alaska
  • Valdez oil terminal, oil port in Valdez, Alaska, at the southern end of the Alaska Pipeline
  • Valdez, California, in Yolo County
  • Valdez, Esmeraldas, Ecuador
  • Valdez, Florida, a populated place in Volusia County, Florida
  • Valdes Island, one of the Gulf Islands located in the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada
  • Valdes Peninsula, peninsula along the Atlantic coast of Argentina

• Oil tanker
  • Exxon Valdez, oil tanker involved in an oil spill in Alaska in 1989
  • Survivors of the Valdez Oil Spill, organization that claims to represent the victims of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill

• Other
  • Valdez (gymnastics), a back walkover that begins in a sitting position
  • Valdez Blockade, a protest by Alaskan fishermen in 1993