Why Art”z”?

Recorded in the spellings of Garcia, Garci, Garza, and Garces, this is a surname of Spanish origins, whose ‘roots go back into the very mists of time. It is believed to be the most popular surname in the region, and this is not perhaps surprising as it derives from the word ‘artz’ meaning ‘the bear’.

The origins of the name are pre-historical, which is to say before any known writings, probably two thousand b.c., and relate to the times when man lived by hunting and fishing. In consequence these ‘hunters’ often became known by the names for the animals they hunted, and particularly when these were associated with strength, bravery and power. The bear possessed all these qualities, as did the wolf and the lion, and all at one time or another found their way into the mythology and the later heraldry, of the different regions, and their surnames. Perhaps not surprisingly this surname was one of the first into the New World of the Americas.
Reference: https://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Garcia