Category Archives: Spanish Names

Griselda

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The_Story_of_Patient_Griselda_circa_1490Origin: German/Italian/Portuguese/Spanish
Gender: Feminine
Meaning: “grey battle; grey gravel.”
(grih-ZEL-dah)

The name is either derived from the Germanic gris meaning “grey” and hild meaning “battle” or the Germanic gries meaning “gravel, stone.” The name was used in folklore as a sort of euphemism for a patient and obedient woman. In the dark tale written by Italian poet Boccaccio, it is the name of the wife of a nobleman who is told by husband that her children must die. She obeys, but does not realize that she is being tested by her husband, who has taken the children away and hid them in another town, rather than kill them. Griselda’s husband then tells her that he must divorce her and marry another woman, when he introduces her to the “new wife” (a twelve year old little girl who is actually her daughter), Griselda wishes them well and at this her husband reveals that all he had put her through had been a test. The same tale is retold in Chaucer’s The Clerk’s Tale, in which case, Griselda is treated as an allegory for the Biblical Job. Charles Perrault took the same tale and wrote Patient Griselda. There was a play based off of the French version entitled Patient Grissel (1599). There are several Italian opera’s based off the story including La Griselda by Alessandro Scarlatti (1721). The name is used in Italy, Spain and was common in German speaking countries but is now considered dated. Other forms of the name include:

  • Grizelda (Czech/Slovak/Hungarian)
  • Selda (Dutch contraction)
  • Grissel (English)
  • Griselde/Grisold (German)
  • Zelda (German/English contraction)
  • Grizeldisz (Hungarian)
  • Grizel (Scottish)

Ursula

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ursulaBritishMuseumGender: Feminine
Origin: Latin
Meaning: “little she-bear; she-cub; little female bear.”
Eng (ERS-uh-LAH)

The name is of Latin origin but is suggested that is may be a latinization of the old Germanic female name Yrsa meaning “bear” and was popularized by a medieval Christian saint said to be martyred in Cologne. Not much is known about the saint, other that she was martyred under Huns along with 11,000 other virgins, which is now believed to be a misprint from the written source of the legend. What is known for sure is that there was a basilica built in honour of a virgin Christian martyr in Cologne and from this arose several different legends referring to a St. Ursula and St. Cordula. According to the legend, St. Ursula was a British princess who was sent by her father to Germany to marry a prince, along with her, were sent 11,000 maidens, however,  her ship was taken off course due to a storm and instead ended up in France where she then decided to do a pan-European Christian pilgramage before meeting her future husband. She made a pilgramage to Rome where she tried to pursuade the pope to do a pilgramage with her and her 11,ooo companions. When she reached cologne she and her companions were massacred by the Huns.

The legend is based off of a 4th century inscription written in the Basilica which was built in the saint’s honour. It is believed that the 11,ooo handmaidens was confused with a female martyr named Undecimilia, Undecimila or Xemilia and that the abbreviation XI.M.V was misread as a number. The same saint has also been referred to under the names Pinnosa or Vinnosa. The name was quite prevalent in Great Britain before the Reformation and went out of usage afterwards. The name is also borne by Swiss actress Ursula Andress (b. 1936). It has also appeared in popular culture as the name of the evil sea-witch in Disney’s the Little Mermaid and as the name of the wife of Nigellus Phineas Black in the Harry Potter Series.

In Poland, the name is associated with a great piece of Polish Literature written by Jan Kochanowski. Known as Laments (Treny) 1580, they are a series of 19 elegies which talk about the author’s grief after the death of his two and half year old daughter Orszola (Urzula) which he refers to as the Slavic Sappho.

Other forms of the name are (divided alphabetically by nationality):

  • Orsula (Corsican)
  • Uršula (Croatian/Czech/Slovakian/Slovenian)
  • Yrsa (Danish/Faroese/Icelandic/Norwegian/Swedish)
  • Orsel (Dutch)
  • Ursule/Ursuline (French)
  • Ursula/Ursel (German/Dutch/Estonian/Finnish/Spanish: German diminutive forms are Ulla, Uli and Uschi)
  • Orsolya (Hungarian: or-SHOH-lah was the 56th most popular female name in Hungary in 2006)
  • Úrsúla (Icelandic)
  • Orsina/Orsola/Orsolina (Italian)
  • Ursa (Latin)
  • Urzula (Latvian)
  • Uršulė (Lithuanian)
  • Urszula/Orszola/Warszula (Polish: Latter two forms are older forms and are rarely used. Diminutive form is Ula and Urszulka. Older diminutive forms are Ulicha and Ulita)
  • Úrsula (Portuguese)
  • Ursetta/Ursina/Urschla (Romansch)
  • Urška (Slovenian: originally a diminutive now used as an independent given name, it was the 51st most popular female name in Slovenia in 2005)
  • Orscheli (Swiss-German: ORSH-lee)

There are a few male equivalents which include:

  • Orso/Orsino/Ursio/Ursino (Italian)
  • Urs (German)
  • Ursinus/Ursus (Latin)
  • Ursyn/Ursycjusz (Polish: very rare)
  • Ursin/Urosin (Romansch)

Vesta

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522px-Pompejanischer_Maler_um_80_v._Chr._001Gender: Feminine
Origin: Latin
Meaning: “hearth; fireside.”
(VES-tah)

The name is borne in Roman mythology by the goddess of the hearth, home and family. Not much is really known about her as she is not mentioned in any myths, but it is believed that she was a leftover ancient Etruscan goddess and it has been suggested that she actually had no relation with the Greek goddess Hestia as is popularly believed.

It is believed that the name is derived from the Greek Hestia which means “hearth; fireside.” In ancient Rome, the Vestals were women who took a vow of chastity for 30 years in order to keep the fire of the goddess kindled. It is said that if they broke their vow of chastity, they would be severely punished by being buried alive. In ancient Rome there was also a yearly festival called the Vestalia dedicated to the goddess, it usually occurred between June 7-15.

In Europe, its designated name-day is October 17. Another form of the name is the Estonian Veste. Italian forms are Vestia and Vestina. There is a Polish form: Westyna.

Begoña

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TallabegonaGender: Feminine
Origin: Basque/Spanish
Meaning: “lower foot”

This floral sounding appellation is actually taken from the name of a place in the Basque country of Spain, it is a municipality of Biscay and lies at the foot of Mount Artxanda, the name is believed to be derived from the older form of Begoina which means “lower foot.” The name is usually used in reference to Nuestra Señora de Begoña (Our Lady of Begona), who is affectionately referred to as Amatxu which is Basque for “mother.” Legends of her appearance in Begona have been around for centuries. There is a Basilica built in her honour in the same area. She is considered the patron saint of Biscay and Begona is a relatively common feminine given name in the region. The designated name-day in Spain is October 11.

Callistus, Callista

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443px-François_Boucher_012Origin: Greek/Late Latin
Meaning: “most beautuful.”

Callistus and Callista is a Late Latin form of the Greek Καλλιστοσ (Kallistos) meaning “most beautiful” which is ultimately derived from the Greek feminine name Kalliste or Kalliste.

In Greek mythology, Callisto was the daughter of King Lycaon of Arcadia, she was a hunting companion or nymph of the goddess Artemis, and took an oath to remain a virgin. Zeus disguised himself as Artemis in order to get close to the virgin, upon embracing the false image of Zeus, Zeus took on his true form and raped Callisto. When Artemis discovered that one of her virgin maids was pregnant and defiled, she turned Callisto into a bear and Callisto gave birth to her son Arcas. Zeus placed Callisto and her son in the constellation Ursa Minor. Later, Kallisto became an epithet for the goddess Artemis Kalliste. A moon of Jupiter was also named in the nymph’s honour.

In later years, the masculine form of Callistus was borne by three popes, also known as Callixtus, one of which was canonized a saint. His designated name-day is October 14.

The feminine version is borne by actress Calista Flockhart (b.1964). It was also borne by a 19th-century American female Baptist missionary Calista Vinton (1807-1864).

Spelled Callista, it is the name of a genus of molusc, and an orchid genus. It was also the name of the title character in the 1855 novel by John Henry Newman (Callista). A fictionalized version of Christians in ancient Rome.

Kallista is the name of a suburb of Melbourne Australia, and Kalista is the name of a village in Bulgaria.

Other forms of the name include, male versions:

  • Calistu (Corsican)
  • Kalist (Croatian/Slovak)
  • Calixus (Danish)
  • Kallistus/Kalixtus (German)
  • Kallistos (Greek)
  • Callisto (Italian)
  • Callixtus/Callistus (Late Latin)
  • Kalikstas (Lithuanian)
  • Kalikst (Polish)
  • Calisto/Calixto (Spanish/Portuguese)

Female forms include

  • Kalliste/Kallisto (Classic Greek)
  • Calista (English spelling, has been in usage since at least the 18th-century. Also used in Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries)
  • Callista (Late Latin/Italian)
  • Kallisti (Modern Greek)
  • Kalista/Kaliksta (Bulgarian, Czech/Slovak, Croatian, Polish)
  • Calixta (Spanish/Portuguese)

English nickname options include Calla and Callie.

Pilar

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pillerGender: Feminine
Origin: Spanish/Portuguese
Meaning: “piller”
(pee-LAHR)

The name comes directly from the Spanish word for pilar, its evolution as a name is due to religious associations with the Virgin Mary, usually used in honour of Señora del Pilar (Our Lady of the Piller) according to legend, the Virgin Mary appeared to the apostle St. James the Great, while he was evangelizing in what is now Saragosssa Spain, where she appeared to him floating over a piller. There is a shrine and church dedicated to the occurrence in Saragossa Spain and the name is extremely popular in that particular area of Spain. Popular nickname is Pili. It is sometimes used in conjunction with María or María del. The name is also common in Portuguese speaking countries as well as in the Philippines. In 2002, Pilar was the 94th most popular female name in Spain.

The name is borne by Pilar Ramirez a Mexican synchronized swimmer (b.1964), María del Pilar Pereyra an Argentine butterfly swimmer (b.1978) and Pilar Pallete, Peruvian actress and third wife to the actor John Wayne (b. 1936).

The designated name-day is October 12.

Séraphin, Séraphine, Serafina

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Seraphim_-_Petites_Heures_de_Jean_de_BerryOrigin: Hebrew
Meaning: “burning ones.”

In the Old Testament, the seraphim (plural for seraph) were a class of celestial beings, in Isaiah they are mentioned as having human forms and in Christian tradition, the seraphim are thought of as the highest ranking group of angels. The word itself is a latinization of the Hebrew word serap meaning “to burn” a word also used to describe the venom of snakes e.g. Isaiah 30:6, the word is used interchangeably with the Hebrew word nachash meaning “serpents.” In Isaiah 6:1-3, the seraphim are described as follows:

“…I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne with the train of His garment filling the temple seraphim were stationed above; each of them had six wings: with two they veiled their faces, with two they veiled their feet, and with two they hovered aloft.” ‘Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts’ they cried one to the other. ‘All earth is filled with His glory!'”

This is the sole use of the word seraphim to describe angelic beings in the canonic Hebrew Bible. In the Book of Enoch, however, the word seraphim appears several times in which they are described as standing closest to the throne of God.

According to Maimonides, a medieval Jewish Rabbi and Scholar, the seraphim are the fifth rank of the ten ranks of angels and the seraphim are apart of the angelarchy of Orthodox Judaism, they are referred to in the Kedushah.

In Christian theology, the seraphim are the highest ranking choir of angels, they are mentioned in Revelations 6-8, they are believed to be the attendants of God’s throne, they are mentioned numerous times by St. Thomas Aquinas and several other famous Christian theologians.

Its feminine form of Serafina, was very popular in medieval Italy, it was borne by a Christian saint, whose cult is paticularly popular in Tuscany. Also known as St. Fina (1238-1253) she was the daughter of a local nobleman by the name of Cambio dei Ciardi. She was paralysed from tuberculosis at a very young age, and suffered miserably on an oak table she used as a bed (of her own volition),

SFinadish

she died at the age of 15. Many miracles and legends are attributed to her, and in the town of San Gimignano where she was born and is buried, a festival is held in her honour on March 12. It is borne by another Italian saint Serafina Sforza  (borne Sveva da Montefeltro) 1434-1478 an Italian noblewoman who chose to live the life of a poor clare after the death of her husband.

Serafina Pekkala is a fictional character in Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials triology, the famed Golden Compass and the Amber Spyglass are two notable books of the series. Serafina Ouistit is the pseudonym of Dutch musician and artist Bloem de Wilde de Ligny.

Recently, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner named their second daughter Seraphina Rose Elizabeth.

Séraphine is the French feminine counterpart and Séraphin the masculine form. It was borne by Séraphine de Selis Louis a famous French painter (1864-1942). It is also the name of a musical wind instrument. On its masculine front, the name is borne by an Italian saint Serafino de Montegranaro (1540-1604), he was known for his dedication in comforting the poor. Sanctus Seraphin1699-1758 (aka Santo Serafino) was a famous violin maker, it was also borne by Kenyan olympic runner Seraphino Antao (b. 1937) of Goan parents.

Serafim_and_a_bearIt was also borne by a Russian saint Serafim of Sarov (1759-1833) known as one of the first Starsys (Elders) and greatest starsys of the 19th-century.

Serafin is the name of a village in east-central Poland.

Other masculine forms of the name include: (alphabetical by nationality)

  • Séraphin (French)
  • Serafeim (Greek)
  • Serafino (Italian)
  • Seraphinus (Late Latin)
  • Serapinas (Lithuanian)
  • Serafin (Polish/Romansch/Serbo-Croatian)
  • Serafim (Russian/Romanian)
  • Serafín (Spanish)

Feminine forms include:

  • Séraphine (French)
  • Serafina (Italian/Romanian/Spanish/Polish/Serbo-Croatian)
  • Fina (Italian: often used as an independent given name)
  • Serapina (Lithuanian)
  • Serafima (Russian/Romanian)
  • Serafia (Swedish: archaic)

    • The designated name-day in Western European calenders is October 12.

    Maximilian

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    Durer Maximilian I 1518 BRGender: Masculine
    Origin:  Latin
    Meaning: “one who is great.”

    The name is derived from the Roman cognomen Maximilianus which refers to someone of greatness. The name was borne by a 3rd century martyr. It was borne by several other Christian martyrs, including Maximilian of Lorch, a Christian martyr of Austrian heritage and Maximilian of Antioch. The name was especially popular amongst the Habsburgs, starting with Frederick III who gave it to his son Maximilian I (1459-1519) to honour the two ancient Roman generals Fabius Maximus and Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus, in this case the name was suppose to be a blend of Maximus and Aemilianus. It was also borne by Maximilian II of the Holy Roman Empire, another Habsburg (1527-1576). Maximilian I Duke Bavaria (1573-1651), Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria (1662-1726), Maximilian III Joseph, Elector of Bavaria (1727-1777), Maximilian I of Bavaria (1756-1825), Maximilian II of Bavaria (1811-1864), Prince Maximilian of Baden (1867-1929) and Maximilian I of Mexico (1832-1867). It was also borne by a 20th-century Polish Catholic priest who was killed at Auschwitz known as St. Maximilian Kolbe.

    In recent years, in the United States, the name has grown significantly in popularity, it currently comes in at # 300 of the Top 1000 Male Names. It is popular in other countries, especially in Germany and in Sweden. In Sweden, it was the 88th most popular male name in 2007. Its designated name-day is October 12. Other forms of the name include (listed alphabetically by nationality):

    • Maximilián (Czech/Slovak)
    • Maximiliaan (Dutch)
    • Maximilien (French)
    • Miksa (Hungarian)
    • Massimiliano (Italian)
    • Maksymilian (Polish)
    • Maksimiljan/Makso (Serbo-Croatian/Slovenian)
    • Maximiliano (Spanish/Portuguese)
    • Maksimilian/Maks (Russian/Ukrainian)

    Feminine forms include:

    • Maximiliana (Czech/Slovak, German, Spanish, Portuguese)
    • Maximilienne (French)
    • Massimiliana (Italian)
    • Maksymiliana (Polish)

    A common diminutive is Max

    Francis, Frances, Francesco, Francesca

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    Saint_Francis_statue_in_gardenOrigin: Latin
    Meaning: “Frenchmen.”

    Francis has an interesting origin in that it seems to have first appeared in the 13th-century, the first recorded bearer being St. Francis of Assisi. Known as Francesco d’Assisi, Francesco was actually the saint’s childhood nickname, his real name being Giovanni. He was the son of a French mother and a wealthy Italian businessman, Francis was born in his mother’s homeland, and was baptized Giovanni in honor of St. John the Baptist, but as soon as his parents returned to Italy, his father started to call him Francesco (Frenchman) due to the fact that his son was born in France and also in honour of his successful business ventures in France. St. Francis of Assisi was known for his formation of the Franciscan order, and his disdain for wealth. He is said to have miraculously received the stigmata and his feast is held on October 4, traditionally a day when household pets are blessed by the priests in honor of the Saint’s love of animals. The name caught on immediately after the saint’s cult became widespread throughout continental Europe. It did not reach England till around the 16th-century. Other notable Francis bearers include St. Francis Xavier (1506-1552) , Francis Bacon (1561-1626), Sir Francis Drake (1540-1595) and Frank Sinatra (whose full name was Francis Albert). There are several other notables not mentioned here. Francis is the English form but it also occasionally used in France, pronounced (frahη-SEES).

    Francis currently stands at # 656 in the U.S. Top 1000 Male Names of 2008.

    Variations include: (listed alphabetically by nationality)

    • Françesko (Albanian)
    • Francho (Aragonese)
    • Franciskos (Armenian)
    • Xicu (Asturian)
    • Frantzisko/Patxi (Basque: latter is pronounced PAHT-shee)
    • Francišak (Belarusian)
    • Frañsez (Breton)
    • Frantsisk (Bulgarian)
    • Francesc (Catalan: diminutive forms include Cesc, Cesco and Xesc)
    • Francescu (Corsican)
    • Frano/Franjo (Croatian: latter is pronounced FRAHN-yo)
    • František (Czech/Slovak: pronounced frahn-TEESH-ek. Diminutive forms include Franêk, Frank, Fraño, Franta and Išek.
    • Franciscus (Dutch/Estonian/Late Latin)
    • Frank (English/Dutch/German/Scandinavian: originally a nickname for Francis, it is often used as an independent given name)
    • Ransu (Finnish)
    • François (French: pronounced frahη-SWAH, the name was particularly common among French nobility and royalty.)
    • Fransiskus (Frisian/Swedish/Indonesian: Swedish diminutive is Frasse)
    • Frans/Franz (German/Dutch/Finnish: originally a nickname, it is commonly used as an independent given name)
    • Franziskus (German)
    • Frangiskos/Fragiskos (Greek Modern)
    • Ferenc (Hungarian: diminutive forms are Feri and Ferkó)
    • Proinsias (Irish)
    • Francesco/Franco (Italian: pronounced frahn-CHASE-ko)
    • Fransisks (Latvian)
    • Pranciškus (Lithuanian: pronounced prahn-TSISH-koos, diminutive form is Pranas)
    • Francesch (Lombard/Piedmontese)
    • Franġisk (Maltese)
    • Francés (Occitanian)
    • Franciszek (Polish: pronounced frahn-TSEE-shek, diminutive form includes Franek)
    • Francisco (Portuguese/Spanish: an obscure frankinized form includes Francisque. Common Spanish diminutives include: Curro, Paco, Pancho and Paquito. Portuguese nickname is Chico)
    • Francisc (Romanian)
    • Frang/Frangag (Scottish)
    • Franc/Franšicek (Slovene: latter is pronounced frahn-SHEE-chek)
    • Ffransis (Welsh)

    Of course, how could we forget the beautiful feminine forms, which include, again divided by nationality alphabetically

    • Frantziska (Basque)
    • Franseza (Breton)
    • Franka (Croatian/German)
    • Františka (Czech/Slovak)
    • Francien (Dutch: pronounced frahn-SEEN)
    • Frances (English: common nicknames include: Fran, Frannie, Fanny and Frankie)
    • Françoise (French: pronounced frahη-SWAHZ. Other French offshoots are Fannie, France, Francette, and Francine)
    • Franziska (German: diminutives and offshoots include, Fanni, Franni, Franzi, Fränzi, Sissi and Ziska)
    • Franciska (Hungarian: diminutive forms include Franci and Fanni)
    • Franca (Italian)
    • Francesca (Italian)
    • Franciszka (Polish: diminutives are Frania, Franunia, Franusia and Franka)
    • Francisca (Portuguese/Spanish: popular Spanish diminutive forms include Paca and Paquita. Portuguese diminutive is Chica.
    • Frančiška (Slovenian: diminutive form is Francka pronounced FRAHNTS-kah)

    Michaela

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    Dr-Quinn-Medicine-Woman-dr-quinn-medicine-woman-7360888-1024-768Gender: Feminine
    Origin: German
    Meaning: feminine form of Michael
    Germ/Czech (mee-kah-EH-lah); Eng (mih-KAY-lah)

    This name is basically just a feminine form of Michael a Biblical male name that I will go further into in a future post. The reason why I have chosen to list her as separate is due to her explosive popularity and her tryndification over the last eleven years. Before I go any further, a “tryndification” is a word I have coined referring to name that has been respelled all sorts of weird ways to make it look “cuter.” This has been a common trend ever since the early 90s, though there are some instances of them going even further back to the late 60s. Such name that this have occurred to are names like Miles: Myles, Brice: Bryce. The most drastic that I have ever seen in the naming world has to be Michaela. Hence is why I felt she deserved a post all of her own. Plus, in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, September 30 is the name-day for Michaela.

    In the United States, poor Michaela has been butchered mercilessly ever since her inception in 1993 via the popular TV series Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. She has appeared as Mikayla, Makayla, Mckayla and the list goes on and on ever since the series ended. In fact, I sadly report that the traditional spelling currently appears in the top 1000 at # 357, while the tryndified form of Makayla comes in at # 37 and is rising, she jumped 70 places since 1997, when Michaela first seems to have made an impression on the American public. Between 1998 and 1999, the Mikayla spelling reached # 86 and # 82. Back in 97, Michaela had made it to the top 100, coming in at exactly # 100. Since then, she has dropped 257 places, while her tryndier alternatives seem to be rising. I personally believe that many parents thought that this was just a more elaborate form of Kayla, so they spelled the name phonetically to easily shorten it to Kayla. I think a nickname does not have to correspond with the spelling of a given name. Look at Bill from William and Bob from Robert. So why change the spelling of Michaela? She can still go by Kayla or Kaylie. There is a legitimate trendier looking spelling and that is the Swedish Mikaela.

    The name is quite popular in other countries as well. In Germany, she was hit in the 1960s and 1970s. In Argentina, spelled Micaela, she comes in as the 6th most popular girls name in 2008, while in Uruguay she comes in at # 10.

    There is the Italian form of Michela, pronounced the same as Michaela, which recently came in as the 6th most popular female name on the Island of Malta.

    Other forms of the name include the Romanian Mihaela and the Spanish Miguela. Look for Michelle and Michalina in a future installment.