Mendoza ( name ) - wikipedia Mendoza ( name ) For other uses, see Mendoza. Mendoza is a Basque surname, also occurring as a place name. The name Mendoza means `` cold mountain '', derived from the Basque words mendi ( mountain ) and ( h ) otz ( cold ) + definite article ' - a ' ( Mendoza being mendi+ ( h ) otza ). The original Basque form with an affricate sibilant ( / ts /, Basque spelling / tz / ) evolved in Spanish to the current form. Originally the noble family line bearing the surname was based in the castle of the same name, not far from Vitoria - Gasteiz, Basque Country, where it still stands out. However, one of the family branches comes from Laudio, 50 km away to the northwest from Vitoria - Gasteiz. The family got involved in the medieval bloody War of the Clans. Not only that, the house of Mendoza set up close ties with Castile since the High Middle Ages, with its members participating in their civil wars and the Castilian expansion south. They got wider renown after their involvement in the conquest of America after 1492. In Erandio, a baserri exists with the same name. Its original name `` mendotza '' developed to `` mendontze '' in the 1890s, `` mendoche '' in the 1920s, `` mendotxe '' in the 1980s to the restored original of `` mendotza '' being the current. Contents 1 Notable people with the surname 1.1 Business 1.2 Arts & Entertainment 1.3 Fiction 1.4 Military 1.5 Politics and government 1.6 Religion 1.7 Royalty 1.8 Science 1.9 Sport 2 References Notable people with the surname Business Eugenio Mendoza, Venezuelan businessman Lorenzo Mendoza, Venezuelan businessman Tom Mendoza, Vice Chairman of NetApp, Inc. and namesake of Notre Dame 's business school Arts & entertainment Amalia Mendoza, a Mexican singer Brillante Mendoza, a Filipino film director Dayana Mendoza, a Venezuelan actress, model who won Miss Universe 2008. Eduardo Mendoza Garriga, a Spanish novelist Hazel Ann Mendoza, a Filipina actress Javier Mendoza, singer - songwriter and composer Javier Mendoza ( boxer ), Mexican professional boxer June Mendoza, portrait painter Linda Mendoza, an American film and television director Lydia Mendoza, a Tex - Mex singer and interpreter of `` corridos '' Maine Mendoza, a Filipina actress Marco Mendoza, bass player Margot Rojas Mendoza ( 1903 -- 1996 ), Cuban pianist and teacher Natalie Mendoza, a Hong Kong - born Australian actress and musician Philip Mendoza, a British artist and cartoonist Rebecca Jackson Mendoza, an Australian actress, singer and dancer Thristan Mendoza, a Filipino musician Mario Mendoza Zambrano, a Colombian Writer Loy Mendonsa, an Indian music composer Roberto Mendoza, United States Home builders with headquarters in Louisiana Vince Mendoza, an American jazz composer and arranger Fiction Rodrigo Mendoza, fictional character of the movie The Mission Kerry - Anne Mendoza, inventor of The Canary Mendoza, fictional character of the `` Company '' books by Kage Baker Aristotle `` Ari '' Mendoza, main character from the book `` Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe '', written by Benjamin Alire Sáenz Military César Mendoza, member of Government Junta of Chile ( 1973 ) as chief of Carabineros de Chile Pedro de Mendoza, conquistador Bernardino de Mendoza, Captain General Politics and government Antonio de Mendoza, first Viceroy of New Spain Bernardino de Mendoza, Spanish statesman and ambassador Carlos Antonio Mendoza, acting President of Panama César Mendoza, Chilean soldier Cristóbal Mendoza, First President of Venezuela Eduardo Mendoza Goiticoa, a Venezuelan cabinet minister and scientist Eugenio Mendoza, a Venezuelan cabinet minister and industrial García Hurtado de Mendoza, a Spanish governor of Chile Inés Mendoza, wife of Puerto Rico Governor Luis Muñoz Marín Juan González de Mendoza, Spanish minister and historian Leandro Mendoza, Philippine Secretary of Transportation and Communications Pedro González de Mendoza, Spanish cardinal and statesman Susana Mendoza, Chicago, Illinois politician Victoria Muñoz Mendoza, Puerto Rico politician Religion Pedro González de Mendoza, Spanish cardinal and statesman Royalty Ana de Mendoza y de la Cerda, Spanish aristocrat Beatriz Fajardo de Mendoza y de Guzmán, Baroness of Polop and Benidorm Science Josef de Mendoza y Ríos, ( 1761 -- 1816 ) Spanish astronomer and mathematician Sport Alvin Mendoza, Mexican football ( soccer ) player Ana Mendoza, Mexican breaststroke swimmer Carlos Mendoza, baseball player Daniel Mendoza, English boxer Elías Mendoza Habersperger Gabriel Mendoza, Chilean football ( soccer ) player Jessica Mendoza, American softball player Jesús Mendoza, Mexican football player Jonny Mendoza, Venezuelan boxer Luis Mendoza Benedetto, Venezuelan footballer Luis Mendoza, baseball player Mario Mendoza, baseball player Michael Mendoza, American football player Mike Mendoza, baseball player Ramiro Mendoza, baseball player Rigoberto Mendoza, Cuban marathon runner Saúl Mendoza, disabled athlete Stiven Mendoza, Colombian footballer References Jump up ^ `` Toponimia de Erandio ''. This page lists people with the surname Mendoza. If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person 's given name ( s ) to the link. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mendoza_(name)&oldid=823786220 '' Categories : Surnames Basque - language surnames Spanish - language surnames Hidden categories : All set index articles Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Español Scots Edit links This page was last edited on 3 February 2018, at 11 : 37. About Wikipedia

Question: where does the last name mendoza originate from
Answer: "cold mountain", derived from the Basque words mendi (mountain) and (h)otz (cold) + definite article '-a' (Mendoza being mendi+(h)otza).