What was the surname of Pablo Picasso's father?

Pablo Picasso’s father had the surname Ruiz.

Picasso was born Pablo Ruiz Picasso in Málaga, Spain, on 25 October 1881. His father was José Ruiz y Blasco, a painter and art teacher who specialized in naturalistic images of birds and other game. He also served as a professor and museum curator during much of his career.

The name reflects Spanish naming custom: Ruiz was Picasso’s paternal surname, while Picasso was his maternal surname, inherited from his mother, María Picasso y López. Picasso eventually became known internationally by his mother’s surname alone, making “Picasso” seem like his original family name when it was not.

His full baptismal name was considerably longer and included numerous saints’ names and family references. The surname Picasso itself had Italian roots, associated with Liguria in northwestern Italy. Thus, “Picasso” is both the artist’s famous professional name and his maternal family surname.