Hidalgo Family History

Spanish: from hidalgo ‘nobleman’ a shortening of the phrase hijo de algo ‘son of something’. The expression hijo de (from Latin filius ‘son’ + de ‘of’) is used to indicate the abundant possession of a quality probably influenced by similar Arabic phrases with ibn; algo (from Latin aliquid ‘something’) is used in an elliptical manner to refer to riches or importance. As in the case of other surnames denoting high rank the name does not normally refer to the nobleman himself but is usually an occupational name for his servant or a nickname for someone who gave himself airs and graces. Hispanic (Mexico): probably also a habitational name from Hidalgo the name of a state in Mexico.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022