To All The Nadals Out There...

A little bit of family name history. Thank you to Tito Sandro for providing this.

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The Spanish surname Nadal is of nickname origin, deriving from a nickname that was attributed to the original bearer of the name. In this instance, the surname deries from the Catalan word "Nadal", which means "Christmas", further derived from the Latin "dies natalis", or "date of birth", from the verb "nasci", meaning "to be born". In the earliest days of Christianity, "dies natalis" primarily referred to the day of martyrdom, which in turn was also the day of being born into eternal life. However, beginning with the fourth century, the phrase referred to the day of birth of Jesus, or Christmas. Since the ecclesiastical calendar became deeply rooted in folk tradition, many surnames arose from names of religious holidays. The nickname Nadal was thus given to someone who was born during the Christmas season or on Christmas Day. The name may have also arissen from the practice of owing a particular feudal duty to the lord of the manor during the month of December, or may have even been applied to an individual who gave a memorable performance in a church pageant depicting the events surrounding Christmas. The surname Nadal thus means "son or descendant of the one nicknamed Nadal". It is interesting to note that surnames are found in other European countries that derive from a similar origin, such as the English and French surname Noel and the Italian surname Natale.

In the archives we find the listing of several noble families bearing the surname Nadal whose ancestral seats were located in Catalonia, Aragon, and Mallorca. Notable bearers of the name included Father Jeronimo Nadal, who died in 1581, a Jesuit priest and friend of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, who helped to establish the Order of the Society of Jesus. Records also show that one Juan Bautista Nadal defended he town of Pollensa against the Moors in 1560.

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Of course, let's not forget Rafael (the tennis hotshot), and Kitchie. Hehehe.