Spanish virgin names for girls

In this blog we have already seen how the Bible is a recurring source when looking for baby names, but apart from this sacred book, there are other religious customs and rites that also serve as inspiration when choosing a baby’s name. One of the most common is the use of names of virgins and Marian apparitions as girls’ names.

This tradition is very common in Spain and Latin America, where there are many examples of regional and local patron saints being used as female names:

I Love Candelaria

Religious names for girls with meaning and origin:

Candelaria:

Origin: Latin.
Meaning: “She who carries the light”. It comes from the Latin “candela”, which means “candle”.
Festivity: February 2nd, Virgin of the Candelaria.
Curiosities: Very popular name in the Canary Islands, where the feast of the Virgen de la Candelaria is celebrated with great fervour.

Fuencisla:

Origin: Latin and Arabic.
Meaning: “From the little fountain”. It comes from the Latin “fons” (fountain) and the Arabic “hisn” (fortress).
Festivity: 8th September, Our Lady of the Fuencisla.
Curiosities: Patron saint of the city of Segovia.

Fuensanta:

Origin: Latin.
Meaning: “From the holy fountain”. It comes from the Latin “fons” (fountain) and the Latin “sanctus” (saint).
Festivity: 8th September, Our Lady of Fuensanta.
Curiosities: Patron saint of the city of Murcia.

Goretti:

Origin: Italian.
Meaning: “Pearl”. It comes from the Italian “gorella”, which means “small pearl”.
Festivity: 6th July, Saint Maria Goretti.
Curiosities: Name of a very popular Italian saint.

Guadalupe:

Origin: Arabic and Spanish.
Meaning: “Valley of the wolves”. It comes from the Arabic “wadi” (valley) and “lubb” (wolf).
Festivity: 12 October, Virgin of Guadalupe.
Curiosities: Name of the patron saint of Mexico and Extremadura.

Henar:

Origin: Spanish.
Meaning: “Place of hay”. It comes from the Latin “fenarius”, which means “of hay”.
Festivity: 8th September, Our Lady of Henar.
Curiosities: Patron saint of the city of Guadalajara.

Maria:

Origin: Hebrew.
Meaning: “Beloved of God”. It comes from the Hebrew “Miriam”, which means “bitter”.
Festivity: September 8th, Nativity of the Virgin Mary.
Curiosities: Name of the mother of Jesus, one of the most popular names in the world.

Nieves:

Origin: Spanish.
Meaning: “Related to snow”. It comes from the Latin “nix” (snow).
Festivity: 5th August, Our Lady of the Snows.
Curiosities: Very popular name in mountainous areas.

Regla:

Origin: Latin.
Meaning: “Norm” or “principle”. It comes from the Latin “regula”, which means “rule”.
Festivity: 24th August, Saint Rule.
Curiosities: Name of a Spanish saint very popular in the Middle Ages.

Rocio:

Origin: Spanish.
Meaning: “Aromatic plant”. It comes from the Latin “ros”, which means “dew”.
Festivity: 8th September, Our Lady of El Rocío.
Curiosities: Patron saint of the village of El Rocío in Huelva.

Sonsoles:

Origin: Spanish.
Meaning: “Solitary”. It comes from the Latin “solus” (alone) and “sol” (sun).
Festivity: 8th September, Our Lady of Sonsoles.
Curiosities: Patron saint of the city of Ávila.

Transito:

Origin: Latin.
Meaning: “Passage” or “journey”. It comes from the Latin “transitus”, which means “passage”.
Festivity: 17th August, Santa María del Tránsito.
Curiosities: Uncommon name, but with a deep meaning.

Valle:

Origin: Spanish.
Meaning: “Depression between mountains”. It comes from the Latin “vallis”, which means “valley”.
Festivity: It does not have a specific festivity.
Curiosities: Very popular name in mountainous areas.

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