Alonso

Alonso is a Spanish form related to Alfonso, ultimately descending from a Germanic name with elements for nobility and readiness. The meaning is usually summarized as “noble and ready.” It is an established historical form, rather than a new invention made by removing a letter from a familiar modern name.

Cervantes used Alonso Quijano as the personal name of the man who becomes Don Quixote. That literary association gives Alonso a place in one of Spanish literature’s best-known works. It also appears as a surname, including that of racing driver Fernando Alonso. Alonzo is a related spelling, while Alfonso preserves the fuller form that makes the names’ shared history easier to see.