scampicat

Dolores

angiescarr

Yes the 'ense just seems so mean 'person/s of' people from Huelva are therefore Onubenses from as you said Onuba. Ha Ha! People from the shady area!!!
Anyway. Christian names for women here are very religious and thus a bit weird
'Conche' short for Concepcion which in itself is short for Inmaculada Concepcion. We have several of these!
I know one 'Asuncion' Assumption and a 'Reyes'-Kings
Loads of different forms of Maria of course Maria Jose being the most obvious and common. This is the female form of Jose Maria.
a few 'Maria Del Mar' s *apparently NOT to be shortened to Maria*!
Lots and lots of Maria Luisas which can be shortened to Mari or Mari lou
Rosario (rosary) is quite common here too.

angiescarr

Ah Yes. Forgot that one. we have quite a few 'Pains' here too. Although they're always really jolly
The big church in Aracena is the church of the Virgen del Mayor Dolor. And there's a Calle Virgen del Mayor dolor. These names sound really weird to my atheist sensibilities. But I kind of like the history and tradition. and even I follow Santiago round the village even though I should be 'agin' im'(Yorkshire for against him) on more than one point. Very difficult to work out how Saint James of Biblical fame also became one and the same Santiago Matamoros. (Killer of Moors). Can anyone enlighten me on this?
Of couse because he's our 'Santo patron' there are also a smattering of Santiagos in the village.

scampicat

I know a Maria del Mar whose name is shortened to Marimar.

scampicat

Is he the same Saint James?

Our Patron is El Niño (no, not the changing ocean currents, but the Christ Child himself). As a (non-Catholic) Christian I like this much more than worshipping a saint and am privileged to follow El Niño around the village on January 3rd.

We have a Virgin on our house, in tiles, she was there when we bought it and she is part of the history and heritage of our village and the house so we have kept her. She is La Virgen del Rocio (Madonna of the Dew) and we were going to name the house after her but someone told me that our Spanish neighbours would take that to mean that she was actually present in our house, so we didn't.

I'll see what I can find out about Santiago Matamoros for you.

Here's a bit to be going on with, from this site: http://www.bookdrum.com/books/the-al...rks-26-50.html

" Saint Santiago Matamoros " by sammycumes
Santiago Matamoros means "Moor Slayer". St James, one of the twelve apostles, was said to have appeared miraculously at the Battle of Clavijo in 844, riding on a white charger, sword in hand. The Christian army was greatly outnumbered by the Moors, led by the Emir of Cordoba, but was saved from defeat by St James's intervention. Santiago/St James was thus made the patron saint of Spain.

Cervantes mentions the saint in Don Quixote: "St James the Moorslayer, one of the most valiant saints and knights the world ever had".

bil

A matamoros is a bullshitter.......

JLFS

Do you mean KIKO or COTO?

bil

¿Que?

My OH's hairdresser is called Kiki, (not kiko, which as well as being shortened form of Fransisco is a snack) and echar un kiki is to have a shag, so we call him shaggy, which as well as being an hommage to Scooby doo, is a great name for a hairdresser.

agoreira

Talking of Santiago, have you seen the satue of him on his well endowed horse? Gives rise to the saying "Tienes más cojones que el caballo de Santiago:"

bil

Not seen that before. I'll keep an eye out.

agoreira

bil

Blimey. That's enough to make your eyes water....

steviedeluxe

I've met Spanish chaps called Santiago. I thought it was after the saint, but now I'm beginning to wonder....

Dick Dasterdly

Jeez, this is all mind boggling for me.

I always thought that every Spanish guy was called Paco.

angiescarr

Is Gilan a shortening of a Spanish name? Some kid has scribbled it all over our dusty car!