Jiménez (archaic forms, Ximénez or Ximenes; Galician and Portuguese: Ximenes, Catalan: Ximenis or Eiximenis) is a surname of Iberian origin, first appearing in the Basque lands. Jiménez is a patronymic construction from the modern-styled given name Jimeno, plus the Spanish suffix -ez, meaning "son [of]". The root appears to stem from Basque semen ('son'), attested in the Aquitanian inscriptions as Sembeconnis and like forms. Variants of the surname include the archaic Ximénez, Ximenes, as well as Giménez, Gimenes, Jimenes, Chiménez, Chimenes, Seménez and Semenes.
In Spanish orthography, the variations of Jiménez that end with a z are written with an acute accent on the second syllable. In English, all variations are commonly written without the diacritic.
In Portuguese orthography, there is no diacritic used for Ximenes.
As the modern name Ximenes has an -es suffix, it is almost certainly of Portuguese, Galician or Old Spanish origin, as the orthographic change to -ez (and indeed, the consonant shift from X to J) was revised in Spain only in the late 18th century. This obviously was not the case in Portugal.
Other languages in Castilian-dominated lands like Aragon, Asturias, Galicia, etc. often retained the -es ending, and their descendants bear witness to this historical anomaly. In Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearics, the ending -is is used instead of -es (or -ez), hence, the spelling Ximenis (or the variant with vowel epenthesis, Eiximinis or Eximenis).
The name Ximenes itself is thought to derive as both surname and place name from the common Iberian territory of Galicia, since Lusophone linguists believe the Galician language is the forebear of both Modern Portuguese and Modern Spanish.
Ximenes, as such, exists most commonly in Portugal, and in all of the ex-Portuguese Crown territories, especially in Brazil. Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, Nobel Laureate from East Timor in 1996, and Brazilian actress, Mariana Ximenes, are prime examples of this historical difference.
JimenesJuan Isidro Jimenes Pereyra (1847–1919), President of the Dominican RepublicJiménez or JimenezAlex Jimenez (1982–), United States Army soldier missing in action in Iraq and IranJose F. Jimenez (1946-1969), Lance Corporal Jimenez, United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient for heroismCarmita Jiménez (1944–2003), Puerto Rican singerChristian Jimenez (1986–), American soccer playerElvio Jiménez (1940–), Major League Baseball playerEmma Laura Gutiérrez Jiménez, Mexican actressEustacio Jiménez (1976-2010), a Mexican professional wrestler better known as El Hijo de Cien CarasFlaco Jiménez (1939–), Mexican-American musicianFrancisco Jiménez (1979-), colonial Nahua noble from TecamachalcoGarcía Jiménez of Pamplona, ninth century Pamplona royaltyIker Jiménez (1973–), Spanish journalistJesús Jiménez Zamora, President of Costa Rica (1863–1866 and 1868–1870)Jose Jimenez (baseball) (1973–), Major League Baseball playerJosé Alfredo Jiménez (1926–1973), Mexican singer-songwriterJoyce Jimenez (1978–), Filipino-American actressJuan Ramón Jiménez (1881–1958), Spanish poet, Nobel LaureateJulio Jimenez (writer), Colombian writerJulio Jiménez (born 1934), Spanish cyclistJulio Jiménez Rueda (1896–1960), Mexican lawyer, writer, playwright and diplomatJulio César Jiménez (born 1954), Uruguayan footballerLuis Antonio Jiménez (1984–), Chilean soccer playerManny Jiménez (1938–), Major League Baseball playerMarcos Pérez Jiménez (1914–2001), President of Venezuela 1952–1958Michele Jimenez, ballet dancerMiguel Ángel Jiménez (1964–), top Spanish professional golferÓscar Jiménez (disambiguation)Pete Jimenez (1917-2006), American soldier in World War IIPhil Jimenez (contemporary), American comic book writerRamón Jiménez Gaona (1969–), Paraguayan discus throwerRicardo Jiménez Oreamuno, son of Jesús Jiménez Zamora; President of Costa Rica (1910–1914, 1924–1928 and 1932–1936)Roberto Jiménez (1983–), Peruvian soccer professionalSérgio Jimenez (1984–), Brazilian racing driverTado Jimenez (1974–2014), Filipino actor and radio personalityTony Jimenez, Spanish businessman and property developerXimenesCarlos Filipe Ximenes Belo (1948–), Roman Catholic Bishop of East Timor, Nobel laureateClaudio de Jesus Ximenes (contemporary), Supreme Court Chief Justice of East TimorGeneral Sir David Ximenes (died 1848), KCH, Berkshire magistrate, owner of stately home Bear Ash, youngest brother of Morris XimenesDidacus Ximenes (died 1560), Spanish monk, theologian, rector of the University of SalamancaEttore Ximenes (1855–1926), Italian sculptorFrancisco Ximenes de Cisneros (1436–1517), Spanish Cardinal, inquisitor and statesman (called in his lifetime "Ximenes de Cisneros")Francisco Ximenes de Texada (1703–1775), Portuguese Grand Master of the Order of St. JohnJoão Ximenes Braga (contemporary), Brazilian journalist and soap opera writerJulio Ximenes Senior (1901–1975), Brazilian scientist, author, and World War II Army generalLeonardo Ximenes (1716–1786), Italian mathematician, engineer, astronomer and geographerMariana Ximenes (1981–), Brazilian actressMichel Ximenes (1939–), French politician, lawyerMoäng Ratu Dona Ines Ximenes da Silva of Flores (c. 1700), lady sovereign and member of the Portuguese Ximenes da Silva ruling family of the island-principality of Flores, in present-day IndonesiaMorris Ximenes (c. 1762-1830), English Jewish businessman who converted to Christianity; had a son, also named Sir David Ximenes, named for his uncleOrion Ximenes Filho (1945–), Brazilian actor, voice-over artistPaulo César Ximenes (1943–), Brazilian economistSebastiano Ximenes (c. late-16th century), Italian banker of Portuguese origin in Florence, patron of the artsVicente T. Ximenes (1919-2014), Mexican-American civil rights pioneer and politicianIllustration for the Ximenes of Poissy, France clan. Their descendants also reside in Brazil.Motto (Latin):
In Deo Æternum (Into God Eternally).An alternate coat of arms is assigned to the Ximenes of Bear Ash/Place clan by the College of Arms, in the United Kingdom. The coat of arms is described as follows, "
Ximenes of Bear Place. Or two bars gules with a pale countercoloured over all and a border azure."
Ximénez or XimenezFortún Ximénez (unknown–1533), Spanish sailor and founder of first known European settlement in Baja CaliforniaJosé Ximénez (1601–1672), a Spanish organist and composerXimenisJosep Manel Ximenis, Catalan politicianEiximenisFrancesc Eiximenis (14th century), Franciscan Catalan writerXimenes, pseudonym of Derrick Somerset Macnutt (1902–1971), British crossword compilerJosé Jiménez, fictional character created by comedian Bill DanaColonel Jimenez, a corrupt officer in the San Theodoran military in the fictional work The Broken Ear, part of the Adventures of Tintin by HergéMarcelo Jimenez, head doctor at Beacon Mental Hospital in the 2014 survival horror game The Evil WithinThe Jiménez dynasty in 905 became kings of Pamplona, eventually expanding control to most of Christian Spain.
