Arismendi (surname)

Arismendi is a Basque surname, formed from "aritz" (oak) + "mendi" (mountain), and thus meaning "mountain of oaks". The Basque people are indigenous to the area of northeast Spain and southwest France, a historical region known as the Basque Country.
History.
A branch of the family immigrated to Latin America. One of the first to do so was probably Juan Bernardo de Arismendi, who was from Fuenterrabía, Spain. He immigrated to present-day Venezuela, and was commander of the fortress in Araya during the second half of the 17th century. Through him, the Arismendi family became one of the most prominent families in Venezuela, and many historical figures in Venezuelan history derive from the family.