This is a Spanish locational surname, recorded in the spellings of Cordova, Cordoba, Cordobes,Cordoves, Kordova, Kordovani, and Kurdvani. The city itself is ancient, the name pre-dating known records and the meaning is uncertain, however a probable translation is 'the new place' from the Roman (Latin) 'cordarius' meaning 'new' and 'obra', a construction. The Romans occupied most of the Spanish mainland from the 1st century a.d. until the collapse of their empire in 410. Many Spanish words and names derive from this period, although the surnames did not become hereditary until around the 16th century in many areas of the country. The name is also one of the first into the New World of the Americas, and the recordings have been taken from the civil and religious records of the Mexico. These recordings include Simon Cordobas, born at San Juan Bautista, Coyoacan, on September 29th 1645, Guerro de Jesus Cordula, at Santa Anna, Districto Federal, on May 21st 1780, and Vertis Cordova, christened at Santa Catarina, Mexico, on April 4th 1795. The coat of arms has the blazon of a silver field, on a green mount a tree charged with two wolves passant palewise. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Melchor de Cordoba, which was dated August 11th 1630, born at Asuncion, Districto Federal, Mexico, during the reign of King Phillip 1V of Spain, Emperor of Mexico, 1621 - 1665. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.