Query on the name "Martinez"

[Gerald Cohen]

><< This is a bit off-topic, but maybe someone can help. The "-ez"
>of Spanish surnames like "Martinez" supposedly means "son of," so
>"Martinez" is "son of Martin," just as (for example) "Johnson" is
>"son of John."
>       But where did this "-ez" come from?  Would anyone know?
>  >>
>
>Is this true? Then Gomez means "son of Gom" and Lopez means "son of Lop"?
>These don't sound like Spanish given names.
>
>Steve Boatti

    Elsdon C. Smith, _American Surnames_  (Baltimore: Genealogical
Publishing Co.), 1986, says on p.33: "GOMEZ 'son of Gomo,' LOPEZ 'son
of Lope,' MENDEZ  'son of Mendel',..." ---On p. 27: "LOPEZ 'wolf'..."
---There was a Spanish dramatist and poet named Lope Felix de Vega
Carpio (1562-1635).

    But I still don't have a clue about how "-ez" got here.

---Gerald Cohen