Simon Bolivar (1783-1830) who was a descendant of a family of Basque origin established in Venezuela since the end of the XVI century and which occupied a distinguished social and economic position in the province, played an important role in the campaigns against Spanish rule at the beginning of the 19th century. He was a president of Venezuela from 1813-1814 and from the Republic of Colombia from 1819-1830.

His parents were Colonel Juan Vicente Bolívar y Ponte, and Concepción Palacios Blanco. He had two older sisters and a brother: María Antonia, Juana and Juan Vicente. There was another girl, María del Carmen, who died at birth. Before he was three years old, Simón lost his father, who passed away in January of 1786.

This surname Bolivar is the Spanish form of the Basque Bolibar, a habitation name from a place in the province of Biscay, so called from Basque BOLU (mill) and IBAR means riverside, or bank, or little valey near the river Proves of Nobility: there are a lot, is documented that people with this surname lived in Onate in 1388, other lived in Motriko in 1370, in Mondragon 1530 (all in Gipuzkoa). In the 8th century, Spain fell under the control of the Moors, and this influence, which lasted into the 12th century, has also left its mark on Hispanic surnames.

There is a small village in Bizkaia named Bolibar, and this is clearly the origin of the surname, but there are also houses with this name in other parts of Bizkaia: In Bolibar 2 houses, In Zamudio 4 houses, in Areatza-Villaro 1 house.

Basque surnames are names of houses, so your surname can be originated by any of these houses, although we don't know which of them are originals and which derivations of the originals ,of course we know that the ones of Bolivar are originals, and we can think than the others are derivations. There are many branches of this surname in the Basque Country, in Spain and of course and as you know very well in Venezuela.

Belonging to the noble Bolivar family he bore a coat of arms being:

Arms: Per fess, the base per pale:

1. Or (Golden Enamel), four leaves Vert (Green Enamel), 2 and 2 in pale;

2. Gules (Red Enamel), a bend Or (Golden Enamel), voided of the field, issuant from two dragons’ muzzles in dexter chief an sinister base Vert (Green Enamel) — The Arms of the Orden de la Banda: Order of the Bend [1], in sinister chief an eight-pointed star Or (Golden Enamel).

3. Argent, a tree eradicated Vert (Green Enamel).

Crest: On a helmet lambrequined, three ostrich feathers Or (Golden Enamel) and Vert (Green Enamel).

[1] The second quarter is of the arms of The Orden de la Banda (Order of the Bend) founded by Alfonso XI of Castile in 1332. It remains to be researched which member of the Bolivar family was actually honoured with the order.

The Order of the Band, Knights of the Band, or Equites Bindae, were a military order in Spain, instituted by Alfonso XI, King of Castile in 1332. It takes its name from the banda, band, sash or red ribbon which came across over the right shoulder and under the left arm of the knight.

The order was awarded to certain distinguished knights and squires of the king, and has roots back as far as 1324. This order was for none but nobles; the eldest sons of grandees were excluded; and a prerequisite to admittance was to have served at least ten years either in the army, or at court.

They were bound to take up arms for Catholicism against infidels. The King himself was Grand Master of the order. After a period of decline it is considered to have been extinct by 1474.