IGARZABAL (also YGARZABAL)

The origins of this surname are found in Bizkaia (Vizcaya) and in Ezkioga.

Most of the authors I consulted were not really clear on a meaning for this surname. Other similar names: Igar, Igarza and so forth have their root in the word that means mill. Yet, in this case the suffix "zabal" (which means wide or open space) is said to refer to the Igar o Igarza family, which would infer that the family had become widespread. It may simply mean, however, that the original house was near a mill in a wide and open area.

On a field of blue the coat of arms contains a golden chain that goes from the top left corner to the bottom right corner ("en banda" is the term that describes this). On either side of the chain appears a shell (like the shell oil company logo) and both of these shells are silver. The shell (venera) is a symbol of those who had returned from the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela and was also used to represent some orders of knights or military orders.

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