The Surname Ledesma in Mexico
The Surname Ledesma
When you search the online White Pages for the Los Angeles, California, area, you will find that there are about one hundred Ledesma’s living in the L.A. area. This surname – while not very common in the overall population – is prevalent in several parts of both Mexico and the United States (especially Texas and California). Members of my own family are descended from the Ledesma’s who lived in Guanajuato for more than three centuries. But Ledesma’s have lived in other areas of Mexico too. So, one is tempted to ask, where did this surname get its origins?
In the “Dictionary of Surnames,” Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges indicate that Ledesma is a habitation name from places so called in the provinces of Logroño, Salamanca and Soria. They explained that Ledesma is a place name that may have derived from a superlative form of a Celtic adjective meaning “Broad” or “wide.”
According to Richard D. Woods and Grace Alvarez-Altman, “Spanish Surnames in the Southwestern United States: A Dictionary,” the surname Ledezma was derived from Leda” in Castilian which comes from “lada – meaning everything related to a noble woman. Woods and Alvarez-Altman also described Ledezma as a Castilian name from the villa of Ledesma in Salamanca. Ledesma also has variant forms, Ledezma and Ledesmo.
Ledesma Has Multiple Origin Points in España
Alberto García Carraffa and Arturo García Carraffa’s “Diccionario Heráldico y Genealógico de Apellidos Españoles y Americanos” discusses the surname Ledesma in Book 48 on pages 66-72 (Images 41 to 44) at the following link:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSDL-HSSF-C?cat=534889&i=40&lang=en
Ledesma is a surname that has multiple origin points in España (Spain). Other surnames such as Rubalcava and Siqueiros have only one place of origin in either Spain or Portugal. The fact that Ledesma has originated in several parts of Spain means that not all persons named Ledesma are not necessarily related.
Origins in Salamanca
The “Diccionario Heráldico y Genealógico de Apellidos Españoles y Americanos” states that the surname Ledesma originated in the area of the Villa de Ledesma in the province of Salamanca. Habitation names like Ledesma were usually acquired by a person who lived by or close to a place of that name. In this case, a person living near the village of Ledesma who moved to another area may have been referred to as “the man from Ledesma” – or simply known as “de Ledesma.” And hence a surname was born.
Even today, the small villa of Ledesma only has about 2,000 inhabitants. The province of Salamanca is located in western Spain and is part of Castile and León. The capital city of Salamanca is approximately 200 kilometers (120 miles) west of the Spanish capital, Madrid, and 80 kilometers (50 miles) east of the Spanish-Portuguese border. The Diccionario also states that the surname spread to many other areas of Spain but was particularly prominent in Castilla la Vieja (Old Castile), which was located in the northern part of the former Kingdom of Castile.
Other Locations in Spain
One branch of the surname appears to have originated in the City of Zamora, a city in Castile and León not far from the border with Portugal. The progenitor of this branch was Pedro Gonzalo de Ledesma, a native of Zamora, who married María de Herrera. Their grandson, Gonzalo de Ledesma y Avila, also a native of Zamora, became a Knight of the Military Order of Santiago in 1528.
Another branch of the Ledesma surname originated in Alba de Tormes, another municipio of Salamanca. The progenitor of this branch was Francisco de Ledesma, a native of Alba de Tormes and the husband of Ana de Ortega, a native of Valladolid. They were the parents of Andres de Ledesma, also a native of Alba de Tormes, who was married to Juana de la Puerta y Robles, a native of Madrid. Their son, José de Ledesma y de la Puerta, a native of Madrid, also became a Knight of the Military Order of Santiago in 1674.
Still another branch of the surname came from Madrigal de las Altas Torres, a municipio in the province of Ávila, where the progenitor Rodrigo de Ledesma married Teresa Arias. Their grandson, Fernando de Ledesma was a resident of Cantalapiedra (in Salamanca) who was made a nobleman by the Royal Chancellery of Valladolid in 1489.
A separate branch of the Ledesma family appears to have lived in Madrid in the person of Pedro de Ledesma, a native of Madrid, who married Inés Sánchez de Vargas during the Sixteenth Century. They were the ancestors of a long line of Ledesma’s in Spain’s capital, including Francisco Isidro de Ledesma y Verdugo who became a Knight of the Order of Santiago in 1623.
Ledesma in the Geneat Database
Geneat is a genealogy subscription database. On it you can find the frequency of a surname that has been submitted by its subscribers and users. Thus, this estimate is based solely on Geneat’s collections (which are formidable but spread across time). Geneat has a historical geographic distribution of 22,759 individuals with the surname LEDESMA, which is represented heavily in parts of Spain, as well as Venezuela and Mexico. According to Geneat, Ledesma is a “habitational name from any of the places called Ledesma in the provinces of La Rioja Salamanca and Soria. The placename is ancient and probably derives from a superlative form of a Celtic adjective meaning ‘broad wide’.” In a listing of common municipalities where the surname Ledesma has been historically recorded, four locations in Valladolid, Spain, contained 2,861 individuals with the surname Ledesma. But the reader should be cautioned that these are historical mentions of the surname Ledesma, not actual tallies conducted by a government-sponsored census or city directory at a specific time.
The Ledesma’s Arrive in the Americas
With the migration of Spaniards to the Americas in the Sixteenth Century, many persons with the surname Ledesma are known to have embarked to Peru, Popayán (Columbia), or Nueva España (Mexico), including the following persons who were cited in “Pasajeros a Indias: Libros de Asientos:”
Pedro de Ledesma, the son of Pedro de Ledesma and Isabel de Grado, residents of Zamora, left for Nueva España on June 26, 1535.
Luis de Ledesma, the son of Pedro de Ledesma and Elvira Ximénez, residents of Madrid, left Spain for Peru on January 8, 1537.
Pedro de Ledesma, the son of Diego de Ledesma and Isabel López, residents of Zalamea, embarked for Nueva España on May 12, 1537.
Isabel de Ledesma, a native of Nueva España, daughter of Juan de Ledesma and an Indian woman, embarked with her daughters (María de la Hoz, Francisca Ruiz and Isabel de Ledesma) on July 23, 1569 for Nueva España.
Bernardino de Ledesma, native of Vitigudino, a single man, son of Francisco de Ledesma and Ana Martínez, embarked to Yucatán as the servant of Capitán Hernando de Mena on June 19, 1599.
Early Ledesma’s in Nueva España
According to Hugh Thomas’ “Who’s Who of the Conquistadors,” Pedro de Ledesma, a native of Salamanca, Spain was a “secretario y escribano de Audiencia” in Santo Domingo from 1511. He took part in the Narváez Expedition (1527-28) and later appeared in the Yucatan.
The Ledesma’s of Puebla and Distrito Federal
In Nueva España, one Salvador de Ledesma Mercado was a resident of Puebla de los Angeles and married Rosa María de Ortega. Their descendants lived in the area of Puebla starting the Ledesma Mercado branch of the surname. Starting in the latter half of the 1500s and continuing through the generations, various members of this family were baptized in the Cathedral of Puebla de Zaragoza (in the present-day state of Puebla) and in some Mexico City churches.
On November 6, 1620, Juan Alonso de Ledesma a resident of Puebla de Zaragoza, was married in the Cathedral to Ana Franca. Seven years later, on May 25, 1627, Antonio de Ledesma (the son of Antonio Ledesma and Juana de Meneses – both deceased) was married to Mariana Enriquez, a widow. Seventeen years later, in the same Cathedral, Antonio de Ledesma Espinoza was married to Maria de Leon on July 24, 1637. This Antonio may have been the son of the earlier cited Alonso Ledesma and his first wife.
Many individuals surnamed Ledesma continued to be baptized or married in the Puebla and Mexico City churches in the course of the next two centuries. For example, on August 23, 1807, one Jose Rafael de Ledezma y Mercado – the son of Jose Ygnacio de Ledezma y Mercado and Gertrudis Grajales – was married to María Marciala Gomez Malpica y Arinez – the daughter of Facundo Gomez and Francisca Dominga De Arinez – in Asunción Parish in Mexico City (Distrito Federal) [Family History Film Number 35278].
Pedro Ledesma in Guadalajara: The Conquistador
One of the earliest inhabitants of the young settlement of Guadalajara (Jalisco) in the 1540s was Pedro Ledesma, who had accompanied Francisco Vásquez Coronado in his search for Cibola in 1540 and with Viceroy Mendoza in the pacification of Jalisco. As mentioned earlier in Pasajeros, Pedro Ledesma was born circa 1514-1526 to Pedro de Ledesma and Isabel de Grado in Zamora, Spain and came to the Americas in June 1535 with the newly-appointed Viceroy, Doñ Antonio de Mendoza. After his exploits had been finished, Pedro spent most of his life in Guadalajara in various governmental posts and as an encomendero. He married the daughter of fellow expeditionary Melchior Pérez: Catalina Mejía de la Torre. He probably died sometime before 1582 in Guadalajara. The details of his life can be seen at the following link:
https://coronado.unm.edu/node/7807
The Ledesma’s in Jalostotitlán
According to the Padrón (church register) of Jalostotitlán (Jalisco) for 1650, three Ledesma’s were recorded as members of the Jalostotitlán Parish, all three living in separate households:
Clemente de Ledesma español
Felipa de Ledesma (10 years old)
Lucas de Ledesma (20 years old and single) español
Twenty years later, the Jalostotitlán church census of 1670 also recorded three Ledesma’s:
Diego de Ledesma (the spouse of Luisa de Orozco)
Nicolás de Ledesma (their child)
Doña Felipa de Ledesma (the spouse of Manuel de Escoto).
When the church records in Jalos (or Xalos) commenced in the early 1700s, family history researchers find several Ledesma’s married and baptized in the church. The first Ledesma to be married in Jalostotitlán, Jalisco, was Antonio Ledesma, who was married on October 15, 1707. He was described as Spanish and the son of Josepha Muñoz de la Barba (deceased), but his “padre no conocido.” In other words his father was not known. In reality, his father was probably known but perhaps he was not living in the good graces of the church or had died many years earlier. Antonio Ledesma married Isabel de Chavarri, Española, the daughter of Ana Muñoz de la Barba. They received a dispensation for a relationship in the 2nd degree, which means they were “first cousins” and most likely their respective mothers were sisters.
On June 4, 1715 in Jalos, Martin de Ledesma, a Spanish resident of the parish and the legitimate son of Juan Ledesma and Mariana Casillas, was married to Margarita Alvarez Tostado, who was also Spanish and the legitimate daughter of Antonio Alvarez Tostado (deceased) and Doña Mariana Ramirez.
The Ledesma’s of Teocaltiche
A rancher named Juan de Ledesma had lived in Silao (Guanajuato) and married Mariana de Vargas. At some point, this family moved about 85 miles northwest from Silao to Teocaltiche (Jalisco). Here their son, Salvador Morán de Ledesma was probably born around 1635 and was married in 1658 to Maria de Ibarra y de Escobar. They had at least five children in Teocaltiche from about 1660 to 1675. This family is discussed Mariano González-Leal’s “Retoños de España en la Nueva Galicia” (Book 6, Volume 1, pp. 196-199).
Ledesma’s in Paso del Norte
Some branches of the Ledesma family also made their way to the north. Researchers Aaron Magdaleno, John B. Colligan and Terry L. Corbett have organized and published some of the Paso del Norte (now Ciudad Juarez) records, providing researchers with some insight to the Ledesma family of El Paso del Norte. On March 21, 1757, a mulato called Pedro Ledesma, the son of Joseph Ledesma and Maria Candelaria Gomez , was married to Barbara de la Peña, also a mulata (the daughter of Cristobal de la Peña and Maria Olguin), in Paso del Norte. A year later, on September 11, 1758, the widower Geronimo Ledesma was married to his second wife, Micaela Moreno. And three years later, on November 4, 1761, Ramon Ledesma married one Gertrudis Leyva.
Several years later on November 14, 1768, Juan Joseph Ledesma, classified as Español, the son of the earlier cited Geronimo Ledesma and his first wife, Barbara Micaela Moreno, was married to Manuela Torres (the daughter of Cristobal Torres and Francisca Sandoval). And on November 2, 1788, Jose Domingo Ledesma, the son of Jose Ledesma and Maria Manuela Torres, was married to María Andrea Balencia (the daughter of Juan Balencia and Petrona Paula Rivas.
The Ledesma’s of Guanajuato
In 1603, the Villa de Salamanca was established in Guanajuato by Viceroy Gaspar Zúñiga y Acevedo, himself a native of Salamanca in Spain. San Marcos Irapuato – located a short distance away – had already been established in 1589. A considerable number of early Spanish settlers in these towns were from Salamanca, including the Ledesma’s who settled in the area during the early 1600’s.
Melchor de Ledesma Comes to Guanajuato
In 1623, one Melchor de Ledesma was confirmed in his office as the Royal Notary of the Indies in the service of the King Philip IV (1605-1665) [https://pares.mcu.es/ParesBusquedas20/catalogo/search, Reference Code: ES.41091.AGI/24//MEXICO, 182, N.71]. According to the document created in Mexico City on the 26th day of October of 1623, Melchor de Ledesma was the legitimate son of Alonso de Ledesma, a public servant of Tordesillas in the Kingdom of Castilla, and his wife Maria Nuñez. In this document, Melchor de Ledesma swore that his parents were married in the Catholic Church and were always known as being of Christian origin. In other words, he was stating that he was not of Jewish or Moorish origin. The 11-page document can be viewed at:
https://pares.mcu.es/ParesBusquedas20/catalogo/show/366402?nm
It is believed that Melchor de Ledesma was born in 1596 in Tordesillas, Valladolid. Although his baptism has not been located, the marriage of his parents, Alonso de Ledesma and Maria Nuñez, took place at San Miguel del Arroyo Church in Tordesillas on October 18, 1589. The marriage has been reproduced below.
It is believed that Melchor was the ancestor of many of the Ledesma’s in the area of Valle de Santiago, San Jose Parangueo, Guarapo, Irapuato, and Salamanca. Tradition has stated that the earliest known Ledesma to arrive in the area of Valle de Santiago was Leandro Ledesma, who is believed to have arrived in the area during the first half of the Seventeenth Century. What has been proven so far is that one Melchor de Ledesma came to Guanajuato in the early 1630s and, together with his wife, Leonor de Aguirre, had the following known children whose baptisms have been located:
Melchor Ledesma Aguirre, baptized 26 April 1637, Santa Fe, Ciudad de Guanajuato.
Margarita Ledesma Aguirre – baptized 2 August 1638, Santa Fe, Ciudad de Guanajuato.
Melchor Ledesma Aguirre, baptized 28 January 1642, Santa Fe (in 1677, he was married in Marfil, Guanajuato).
Between 1637 and 1650, at least eleven indios and three mestizos baptized at Irapuato were the children of people who worked as servants or laborers for Melchor de Ledesma. Another ten indios were baptized as the children of servants of Juan de Ledesma and Maria de Ledesma. In several baptisms, the Hacienda de Melchor de Ledesma is referenced. So it is clear to anyone researching this area that Melchor de Ledesma was a person of great wealth.
The Marriage of Juan de Ledesma (1648)
On June 24, 1648, Juan de Ledesma, the son of Melchor de Ledesma and Leonor de Aguirre, Españoles, was married to Maria Velasquez, the daughter of Agustin Marquez and Ysabel Velasquez, in Irapuato, as shown in the following document. Juan’s mother Leonor was deceased by that time.
The Marriage of Juan de Ledesma and Maria Velasquez (1648)
Juan de Ledesma y Maria Velasquez had the following known children:
Agustin Ledesma, Bapt. 3 March 1649, Irapuato.
Melchior Ledesma, Bapt. 8 November 1650, Irapuato.
Theresa Ledesma Velasques, Bapt. 17 May 1661, Nuestra Senora De Guanajuato.
The Family of Domingo de Ledema
But it is also believed that Juan de Ledesma may have had a son, Domingo de Ledesma, who was later married to Micaela Espinosa, and had at least three children:
Antonio Ledesma, Bapt 16 March 1675, Salamanca.
Gertrudis Ledesma, Bapt. 6 May 1676, Irapuato.
Marcelino Ledesma, born in Salamanca (date unknown) and married on June 25, 1704 in Salamanca to Josefa Rodriguez.
Antonio Ledesma Espinoza from Salamanca was married to Ines Perez Ramos on May 31, 1706 in Salamanca. According to S. Ledesma Valero, Antonio moved his family to Valle de Santiago in the late 1720s where most of his children were baptized. It is believed that he worked with his brother Marcelino de Ledesma at the “Hacienda de Guantes” from 1712 to 1730. Many of his children would be married in San Jose Parangueo. Today, many people living in Valle de Santiago are descended from Antonio and from his brother Marcelino.
The Family of Marcelino de Ledesma
The baptism of Marcelino, the son of Domingo de Ledesma, has not been located. However, the June 25, 1704 marriage of Marcelino de Ledesma states that he was a son of Domingo de Ledesma and Micaela de Espinosa, casticos [probably castizos] of Salamanca. Castizo or castiza was a racial category used in Colonial Mexico to refer to people who were three-quarters Spanish by descent and one-quarter Amerindian. He was married to Josepha Rodriguez, Española, legitimate daughter of Joseph Rodriguez de la Torre and Juana Melendez. The marriage record is shown below:
The Ledesma’s of San Jose Parangueo
Marcelino Ledesma and Josefa Rodriguez were the parents of several children, including Pablo Jose Ledesma, who was married on Feb. 28, 1729 to Gertrudis Garcia, who was from Celaya (about 40 miles away). The marriage of Pablo has been translated below and also reproduced.
The Marriage of Pablo de Ledesma (1729)
Translation: In the year of Our Lord of 1729, on the 28th day of the month of February, I, Father Miguel Martines, deputy priest of this parish of Parangueo married and veiled in the face of the church by the words of those present… Jose Pablo de Ledesma, Español, originally of Salamanca and resident of this parish, 20 years old, legitimate son of Marcelino de Ledesma and Josepha Rodriguez, deceased, with Maria Gertrudes Garcia, Española, originally from Zelaya [Celaya] and resident of this jurisdiction since… legitimate daughter of Nicolas Garcia (deceased) and Josepha Martines…
Together Pablo Ledesma and Gertrudis Garcia had several children, including:
Juan Francisco Ledesma, baptized in San Jose Parangueo on April 29, 1731.
Joseph Antonio Basilio Ledesma, baptized in San Jose Parangueo on June 29, 1732.
Nicolas Joseph Ledesma, baptized in San Jose Parangueo on December 11, 1733 and married to Maria Ygnacia Gonzalez in the same parish on September 12, 1756.
Maria Ledesma, married to Jose Antonio Ramirez on January 21, 1761 in San Jose Parangueo.
Jose Maximiliano Ledesma, baptized July 21, 1738 in San Jose Parangueo and married to Maria Guadalupe Garcia in the same parish on February 10, 1768.
Maria Gertrudis Garcia, married May 10, 1786 to Felipe Santiago de la Duena.
Jose Maximiano Ledesma was baptized on July 21, 1738 in San Jose Parangueo. As noted in the baptism — which has been reproduced below — Joseph “Maxcemiliano” — was Español — and was the son of Pablo Ledesma and of Gertrudes Garcia.
The Marriage of Jose Maximiliano Ledesma (1768)
At the age of 29, Jose Maximiliano was married to Maria Guadalupe Garcia on Feb. 10, 1768 at the Church of Santa Rosa in San Jose Parangueo. The translation and the marriage document are shown below:
Translation: In the year of 1768 on the 10th of February, I, Father Ysidro Futute, deputy priest of the Parish of Santa Rosa, married and veiled in the face of the church by the words of those present Jose Maximiliano Ledesma, Español, originally from the Rancho de las Canos of this parish of San Rosa, legitimate son of Pablo Jose Ledesma and Gertrudis Garcia (deceased) with… Maria Guadalupe, Española, originally from and a resident of this Parish of Santa Rosa in the said Rancho de Las Canos, legitimate daughter of Pablo Garcia (deceased) and Maria de la Asuncion Bargas….
The Marriage of Jose Ubaldo Baca
Maximiliano Ledesma and his wife María Guadalupe Garcia, had among other children, Jose Ubaldo Baca, who would marry María Ygnacia Baca (the daughter of Manuel Baca and María Josefa Redondo) on October 18, 1809 in San Jose Parangueo.
The Marriage of Jose Ubaldo Ledesma (1809)
Jose Ubaldo Ledesma was married on Oct. 18, 1809 in San Jose Parangueo to Maria Ygnacia Baca (born Aug., 8, 1792, daughter of Salvador Manuel Baca and Maria Josefa Redondo). Jose Ubaldo was the son of Maximiliano Ledesma and Maria Guadalupe Garcia (FHL Film #1111554). In this marriage document, Jose Ubaldo Ledesma, Español, single, resident of the Jurisdiction of El Rodeo, legitimate son of Mascimiliano [Maximiliano] Ledesma (deceased) and Maria Guadalupe Garcia, was married to Ygnacia Baca, Española, originally from El Charco of this jurisdiction, the legitimate daughter of Manuel Baca and Maria Josefa Redondo. The marriage record has been reproduced below:
Ubaldo Ledesma and Ygnacia Baca would have the following known children:
Jose Antonio Rafael Ledesma Baca, baptized in San Jose Parangueo on Jan. 17, 1811.
Santiago Ledesma, born around 1818.
Maria Manuela Teodocia Ledesma, baptized in Santuario de Guadalupe, Valle de Santiago, on May 29, 1820.
The Other Jose Ubaldo Ledesma
At around the same time, there was another Jose Ubaldo Ledesma, who married Maria Antonia Garcia on February 8, 1800 in San Jose Parangueo. This Ubaldo Ledesma was the son of Jose Antonio Bacilio Ledesma and Anna Gertrudes Moreno and the grandson of Pablo de Ledesma and Gertrudes Martin. Jose Antonio Bacilio Ledesma was born in 1732 as an older brother of Maximiliano Ledesma. This would mean that the two Ubaldo Ledesma’s were first cousins. This Ubaldo Ledesma had at least four children with Antonia Garcia. All four children were baptized in San Jose Parangueo:
Jose Andres De La Trinidad Ledesma Garcia, baptized Nov. 30, 1806.
Jose Maria Silberio Ledesma Garcia, baptized on June 25, 1809.
Jose Gerardo De Jesus Ledesma Garcia, baptized on Oct. 7, 1814.
Jose Marcos De La Trinidad Ledesma Garcia, baptized on Oct. 19, 1815.
The Ledesma’s of Guarapo
Ubaldo Ledesma and Maria Ygnacia Baca’s younger son, Jose Santiago Ledesma, was married on April 2, 1838 in La Asuncion Parish in Guarapo, Guanajuato to María Gregoria Gutierres (the daughter of Leandro Gutierres and Maria Teresa Gonzales). Santiago and Maria Gregoria Gutierres had at least ten children, including:
Jose Ines Francisco Ledesma, baptized April 23, 1839 in Guarapo – he married Ramona Garcia on Nov. 1, 1865 in Guarapo.
Jose Eraclio Bernave De Los Dolores Ledesma, baptized June 11, 1841 in Guarapo.
Maria Pabla Ladislada Ledesma, baptized on June 27, 1843 in Guarapo.
Jose Filogomio Visente Ledesma Gutieres, baptized Dec. 30, 1845 in Guarapo.
Vicente Ledesma, born circa 1847, married on June 9, 1872 to Maria Razo in Guarapo.
Jose Carmen Ledesma, born circa 1849, married on Aug. 4, 1882 in Guarapo to Maria Dolores Silva.
Jose Maria Rafael De La Asumpcion Ledesma, baptized August 15, 1850, married in Guarapo on May 3, 1876 to Maria Trinidad Razo; with a second marriage on May 67, 1891 to Margarita Arredondo.
The oldest born child of Santiago, Francisco Ledesma, was – as noted above – married to one Ramona Garcia and together they had the following children, all of whom were baptized in Guarapo (except the last child):
Tiburcio Juan Ledesma Garcia, baptized Aug. 11, 1866.
Ma. Modesta Jesus Ledesma Garcia, baptized Feb. 24, 1868.
Ma. Eulogia Rozario Ledezma Garcia, baptized March 11, 1870.
Jose Trinidad Sabino Ledesma Garcia, baptized Aug. 30, 1871.
Ma. Rita Eulogia Ledesma Garcia, baptized March 11, 1873.
Maria Magdalena Ledesma Garcia, baptized July 22, 1874.
Jose Luciano Francisco Ledesma Garcia, baptized Jan. 7, 1876.
Maria Cayetana Magdalena Ledesma Garcia, baptized Aug. 7, 1877.
Maria Eugenia Aurelia Ledesma Garcia, baptized Nov. 15, 1878.
Maria Jesus Josefa Isabel Ledesma Garcia, baptized Nov. 5, 1880.
Maria Eufrocina Virginia Ledesma Garcia, baptized Jan. 1, 1883.
Maria Jesus Josefa Marta Ledesma Garcia, baptized July 29, 1884.
Jose Anselmo Ledezma, baptized April 21, 1886 in Santuario de Guadalupe, Valle de Santiago, Guanajuato, Mexico.
The Ledesma’s of Guanajuato Today
Today the surname Ledesma is very common in the region surrounding Valle de Santiago in Guanajuato. The offspring of Domingo Ledesma and Micaela Espinosa have had three centuries to multiply across the entire area, as indicated by the large families noted above. The Ledesma surname remains a prominent surname in the region around Valle de Santiago. Valle de Santiago is about 28 miles southeast of Irapuato and about 16 miles directly south of Salamanca.
The Ledesmada Guanajuato (2024)
Each year, the Ledesmada Guanajuato is held in Valle de Santiago. In December 2024, the XXVI Ledesmada Guanajuato took place in Valle de Santiago as a “traditional family reunion,” as indicated by a portion of the invitation below.
The Invitation to the 26th Ledesmada Guanajuato
Each year, the Ledesmada Guanajuato reunion features fine food, music, and social interaction among the many cousins who attend. On Facebook, José Carmen Ledesma Fonseca posted the following photograph from the 26th Ledesmada on December 24, 2024.
The XXVI Ledesmada Guanajuato Official Photograph
Ledesma in the United States (2010)
In 2010, the surname Ledesma was ranked as the Number 1768 surname in the United States (as determined by the Decennial U.S. census). There were 20,311 persons in the U.S. who carried this surname. Of these individuals, 88.39% considered themselves to be Hispanic.
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements and thanks to: Aaron Magdaleno, John B. Colligan, Terry L. Corbett, Sergio Gutiérrez, José Carmen Ledesma Fonseca, S. Ledesma Valero, and Maria Mercedes Tavera Sosa de Ledesma.
Copyright © 2025 by John P. Schmal. All Rights Reserved.
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