The language corner: How do you spell the surname “De la Cruz”? Should the preposition be capitalized?

As a general rule, all surnames begin with a capital letter: Cross. If preceded by a preposition or by an article plus a preposition, these elements are lowercase when next to the given name: Professor Leandro de la Cruz. If the surname is mentioned without the given name, the preposition is capitalized: Professor De la Cruz.

When a surname is constituted only with the preposition of an article, it is written with a capital letter whether or not it is next to the name: Robert La Cruz. When the second surname has a preposition plus an article, these two components are lowercase: Leandro Jazmani (first name) Roger de la Cruz (surnames). The rule also indicates that in compound surnames made up of simple surnames that are joined by connectors (del, de la, etc.), the conjunction “and” can be used to mark the border between the two surnames: Ramon Gomez de la Serna y Puig. The use of the conjunction between the two surnames can also be applied to the previous case (Rogel de la Cruz) to avoid inaccuracies.

When the preposition “of” is used to indicate the marital status of married women, the lowercase preposition is used next to the husband’s surname, whether or not it is with the given name: Mercedes de Cruz, Mrs. Cruz. If the husband’s last name begins with the preposition “of”, this is capitalized and the preposition of the marital status must also be written: Mercedes de De la Cruz, Lady of De la Cruz.

It is pointed out that, since they are family names, the form that governs is the one that is established in the official records or inscriptions. Therefore, the owner of the name has the last word on this deed. (Updated from language corner II, 2018). (F)

Sources:

Spanish dictionary (electronic version), Pan-Hispanic Dictionary of Doubts (2005), Spelling of the Spanish language (2010) and The good use of Spanish (2013), from the Royal Spanish Academy and the Association of Spanish Language Academies; The language corner II (2018), by Piedad Villavicencio Bellolio.