• For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here.
    (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation)

Search 69,459 Camino Questions

Camino-themed Baby Names For English Speaker

Montater

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Francés (2014)
Hello Pilgrims,

My wife and I did the Camino Frances in 2014 and both still think about the experience every day. It has shaped the way we live our life, and we are both actively seeking out our next opportunity to return to the Camino.

In the meantime, we are expecting our first child this summer! And because the Camino is still (and will always be) such an important part of our lives, I wanted to get some Camino/pilgrim-themed male/female/unisex baby name ideas.

Though I love the beautiful español/galego/português names we encountered, I'm looking for names that would also fit well in an English-speaking family, as my wife does not speak any of those languages and we live in the U.S.

Thank you in advance for your help and creativity!

Patrick
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
One that leaps to mind is Peregrine, for a boy.
 
I myself was pleasantly surprised to learn that my own name, Perry, is derived from Peregrine. That comes from the Latin name Peregrinus, originally meaning "one from abroad", thus a foreigner, traveller, or pilgrim.
And as a result of all that etymology my first name on my compostella is filled in as Peregrino. My parents must have been clairvoyant...
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
What a cool question!
Ángel is nice, it's a boy's name in Spain, but I have met lady Angels too. Or just James for St James? / Jamie for a girl?
 
Last edited:
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
I think it's a shame we don't have a name that we all get, like Haji for people who have been to Mecca.
 
The most obvious choice Spanish would be Santiago. In France it would be Jacques (with derivations in English as Jacob, but apparently, not Jack); pilgrims to Compostela are called "jacquets".
If Compostela sounds as too much, remember that one of the theories about its origin is "Campus Stella" (from Campus Stellae, "field of the star"). I would not go into the discussion of the merits of this etymology, but it would suffice to remember that the star (or Stella) is a traditional pilgrimage symbol and it appears in our beloved signposts. I like it.
There is a list of patron saints of pilgrims here (but no, I would not recommend "Niño de Atocha").
For some reason, Saint Roch (which is the origen of Rocco, Rocky) does not appear in the list. There are lots of churches dedicated to Saint Roch in south Germany and southwest France, and he is represented always as a pilgrim. But in present days everybody would rather remember a movie character....
Another choice are cities or villages names. Leon has been already mentioned. What about Sarria (for a girl) or Zubiri (for a boy)? Or Estella...
Anyway, remember that it is a very nice idea, but the boy/girl will carry the name for an entire life, with all the benefits and eventual problems that an usual or unusual name could have. I mention this because I have some first hand experience with the issue...o_O:rolleyes:
 
Last edited:
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
Galician names are:

For Girls:
Lua (Moon), Estrela (Star), Uxía (Eugenia), Xoana ( Jane), Leda(happy)
For boys:
Iago (Sp Santiago), Brais (Sp Blas), Roi (Sp Rodrigo), Xan (John), Lois (Louis).
Galician X sounds like English SH
 
Rosalía for a girl, after the great Rosalia de Castro (1837 - 1885) " the unquestioned poet laureate of Galicia."
She published the first work written in the Galician language. The day her 'Cantares Gallegos' appeared later became an official holiday in Galicia, Día das letras Galegas.
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
The most obvious choice Spanish would be Santiago. In France it would be Jacques (with derivations in English as Jacob, but apparently, not Jack); pilgrims to Compostela are called "jacquets"...o_O:rolleyes:

Santiago actually translates into English as Saint James.
Iago in Hebrew translates to Jacob.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
For a girl it could be Rachelle (French for Rachel) and pronounced rah-shell, with Shelly as a nickname.
Or what about Jacqueline, anther French female name for James.
 
Join our full-service guided tour and let us convert you into a Pampered Pilgrim!
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Hello Pilgrims,

My wife and I did the Camino Frances in 2014 and both still think about the experience every day. It has shaped the way we live our life, and we are both actively seeking out our next opportunity to return to the Camino.

In the meantime, we are expecting our first child this summer! And because the Camino is still (and will always be) such an important part of our lives, I wanted to get some Camino/pilgrim-themed male/female/unisex baby name ideas.

Though I love the beautiful español/galego/português names we encountered, I'm looking for names that would also fit well in an English-speaking family, as my wife does not speak any of those languages and we live in the U.S.

Thank you in advance for your help and creativity!

Patrick
Frances
 
I know. But from the linguistic point of view, it does not seem a logical evolution to me. But I am not an expert.
"James is the English language New Testament (Vulgar/Later Latin) form of the Hebrew name Yaʻaqov (known as Jacob in its earlier Latin form).[1] The name James came into the English language from the Old French variation James[2] of the late Latin name Iacomus. This was a Vulgar/Later Latin (proto-Romance) variant of the earlier Latin form Iacobus, from the New Testament Greek Ἰάκωβος (Iákōbos), from Hebrew יעקב (Yaʻaqov) (Jacob). The development Iacobus > Iacomus is likely a result of nasalization of the o and assimilation to the following b (i.e., intermediate *Iacombus) followed by simplification of the cluster mb through loss of the b. Diminutives include Jim, Jimmy, Jimmie, Jamie, Jimbo and others." Wikipedia.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Tiago, Benedict, Roland or Muxia for a boy.
Faith, Maria or Sarria for a girl.
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
Galician names are:

For Girls:
Lua (Moon), Estrela (Star), Uxía (Eugenia), Xoana ( Jane), Leda(happy)
For boys:
Iago (Sp Santiago), Brais (Sp Blas), Roi (Sp Rodrigo), Xan (John), Lois (Louis).
Galician X sounds like English SH
From a practical standpoint, Iago is a pretty rare name in the English-speaking world and I suspect most people that recognize it will associate it with the villain in Shakespeare's "Othello." If you have a boy and name him that, it may cause some distress later in life as most kids -- his peers while growing up -- will not associate the name with the saint of the Camino, especially once they get introduced to Shakespeare (do they teach that in schools any more?). FWIW, my name, James, as it appears on my Compostela, is Iacobum -- but I'm not suggesting that as a choice for your child.
Jim
 
More ideas from the Camino.........Cizur, (Ceasar), Reina (Queen), Santo (Saint), Juan (John), Rei/Rey (King), Viana (Vivian), Jean (John), Cruciero/Cruz (Cross), Michel (Michael), Arleta (Arlette), Capilla (Chapel), Sebastian (Steven), Rio (River), Martin (Martin), Clara (Clara), Calzada, Gaudi, Isodoro (Isador), Palacio/Palacia (Palace), Pieros (Peter), Melide (Melinda?), Xulian (Julian), Anton (Anthony), Matias (Mathias), Faba (Fabian), Cebreiro, Sarela/o, ...
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
I think it's a shame we don't have a name that we all get, like Haji for people who have been to Mecca.

A Muslim barista in town, aware of my Camino-ing, does call me Haji.

As far as names go, a German academic of my acquaintance fell pregnant on her Camino a few years ago. After some thought, she decided that the child should be named after the town in which it was conceived, and came to the conclusion that Puente la Reina was the spot, her calculations suggesting that her first identification of Estella was wrong. This caused her some distress as she had no intention of calling her daughter Puente la Reina, when Estella was so excellent a choice. I suggested that she instead call the girl Estefania, who was one of the bridge-building queens. This went down well and little Steffi is about to head into her first year of school next year. I wondered why she had not consulted the father on this question but did not have the nerve to enquire.

In any case, it is as well that nothing untoward happened in Villalcazar de Sirga or Mansilla de las Mulas. Still, Atapuerca could be workable, although I would not recommend Belorado. Burgo is an occasional boy's name in England.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
A Muslim barista in town, aware of my Camino-ing, does call me Haji.

As far as names go, a German academic of my acquaintance fell pregnant on her Camino a few years ago. After some thought, she decided that the child should be named after the town in which it was conceived, and came to the conclusion that Puente la Reina was the spot, her calculations suggesting that her first identification of Estella was wrong. This caused her some distress as she had no intention of calling her daughter Puente la Reina, when Estella was so excellent a choice. I suggested that she instead call the girl Estefania, who was one of the bridge-building queens. This went down well and little Steffi is about to head into her first year of school next year. I wondered why she had not consulted the father on this question but did not have the nerve to enquire.

In any case, it is as well that nothing untoward happened in Villalcazar de Sirga or Mansilla de las Mulas. Still, Atapuerca could be workable, although I would not recommend Belorado. Burgo is an occasional boy's name in England.

Before naming any child Atapuerca, please look up the meaning of 'ata' (from 'atar') and 'puerca'.
The same goes for 'Muxía' or 'Mugía' as it used to be written in Spanish. 'Mugir' as a verb refers to the sounds that cows make, especially when they do not stop. That same verb can be used in case of a howling child, the kind of darling that never sleeps when it is supposed to.
 
'Elias', after Fr Elias Valina Sampedro, who did so much to stop the Camino dying out in the late 20th Century by painting the first yellow arrows etc.

He is also referred to with the Spanish honorific 'Don' (i.e. Don Elias), which would also work. :)
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Before naming any child Atapuerca, please look up the meaning of 'ata' (from 'atar') and 'puerca'.
The same goes for 'Muxía' or 'Mugía' as it used to be written in Spanish. 'Mugir' as a verb refers to the sounds that cows make, especially when they do not stop. That same verb can be used in case of a howling child, the kind of darling that never sleeps when it is supposed to.

Muxia is Galician and Mugia was the Spanish official name in Franco's times . But don´t mean the same:
The name Muxia that I´m sure has another origin, in Galego means milked (past) from verb to milk, whereas Mugia in Spanish refers to the sounds that cows make.
There were some more cases of Galician toponomy that translated into Spanish changed completely their meanings, the most notorious was Niño da Aguia (Eagle Nest) that officially was Niño de la Guia (Child of the Guide).
 
Muxia is Galician and Mugia was the Spanish official name in Franco's times . But don´t mean the same:
The name Muxia that I´m sure has another origin, in Galego means milked (past) from verb to milk, whereas Mugia in Spanish refers to the sounds that cows make.
There were some more cases of Galician toponomy that translated into Spanish changed completely their meanings, the most notorious was Niño da Aguia (Eagle Nest) that officially was Niño de la Guia (Child of the Guide).

I do not recommend any name for a child that may be confused with a word with completely different meaning. Moreover, in my opinion, there is no grace in calling a boy "Milked" either. Nor a girl.
 
...in the English-speaking world and I suspect most people that recognize it will associate it with the villain in Shakespeare's "Othello." If you have a boy and name him that, it may cause some distress later in life as most kids -- his peers while growing up -- will not associate the name with the saint of the Camino, especially once they get introduced to Shakespeare (do they teach that in schools any more?).
I don't have much faith in today's education system and would not worry about Shakespearian references. :(
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Muxia is Galician and Mugia was the Spanish official name in Franco's times . But don´t mean the same:
The name Muxia that I´m sure has another origin, in Galego means milked (past) from verb to milk, whereas Mugia in Spanish refers to the sounds that cows make.
There were some more cases of Galician toponomy that translated into Spanish changed completely their meanings, the most notorious was Niño da Aguia (Eagle Nest) that officially was Niño de la Guia (Child of the Guide).
And Muxia is pronounced Moochee'a, unlike mugir.
 
As far as names go, a German academic of my acquaintance fell pregnant on her Camino a few years ago.
...
I wondered why she had not consulted the father on this question but did not have the nerve to enquire
.
Who on earth has the energy for such things on the Camino? :eek: Let's just hope she was visiting pensiones claiming to do so because of other people's snoring. :eek:
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
No, I don't think so ..... just stirring the pot here ...
The 'cheea' in Moocheea is pronounced, I would think, as in 'cheese.'
The 'sheea' in Moosheea is pronounced, again, I would think, as in 'she.'
Which is it? :)
Ch and sh are the same in French o_O. No t sound.
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Well, I think we can safely conclude that Muxía would make life difficult for a child of that name, even more so when living in an English-speaking environment.

However, with a slight alteration, it does become an extraordinary name for a cat, as Meoxía or Mouxia depending on character and talent.
 
No, I don't think so ..... just stirring the pot here ...
The 'cheea' in Moocheea is pronounced, I would think, as in 'cheese.'
The 'sheea' in Moosheea is pronounced, again, I would think, as in 'she.'
Which is it? :)

It is Moosheea. (Muxia)
Moocheea (Muchia) sounds different in Galego.
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
My daughter's name is "Faith", so named because her mother was very nervous during the pregnancy. Whenever she worried, I would say "Just have faith". When a little girl was born, it seemed the natural name for her. Faith is now 12 years old and she I recently walked the Camino Portugese. Many people on the camino liked her name.

17883777_1404089906320481_1102615273893512306_n.jpg
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
"James is the English language New Testament (Vulgar/Later Latin) form of the Hebrew name Yaʻaqov (known as Jacob in its earlier Latin form).[1] The name James came into the English language from the Old French variation James[2] of the late Latin name Iacomus. This was a Vulgar/Later Latin (proto-Romance) variant of the earlier Latin form Iacobus, from the New Testament Greek Ἰάκωβος (Iákōbos), from Hebrew יעקב (Yaʻaqov) (Jacob). The development Iacobus > Iacomus is likely a result of nasalization of the o and assimilation to the following b (i.e., intermediate *Iacombus) followed by simplification of the cluster mb through loss of the b. Diminutives include Jim, Jimmy, Jimmie, Jamie, Jimbo and others." Wikipedia.
Iago in Spain,Seamus in Ireland, Hamish in Scotland,
 
Thank you everyone for the thoughtful replies, I appreciate your creativity! Burn camino
 
Hello Pilgrims,

My wife and I did the Camino Frances in 2014 and both still think about the experience every day. It has shaped the way we live our life, and we are both actively seeking out our next opportunity to return to the Camino.

In the meantime, we are expecting our first child this summer! And because the Camino is still (and will always be) such an important part of our lives, I wanted to get some Camino/pilgrim-themed male/female/unisex baby name ideas.

Though I love the beautiful español/galego/português names we encountered, I'm looking for names that would also fit well in an English-speaking family, as my wife does not speak any of those languages and we live in the U.S.

Thank you in advance for your help and creativity!

Patrick

Thank you everyone for the thoughtful replies, I appreciate your creativity! Burn camino

Is it there yet? ;-) Buen Camino, SY
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
A selection of Camino Jewellery
I stayed in a gite in SJPdP and the owner's name was Maristella. The meaning is slightly different depending where you look: star or sea star. When I stayed at Albergue A La Sombra Del Laurel the owner was Esperanza: hope. Both of these names seem perfect for a Camino girl!
 

Most read last week in this forum

Could I ask what may be naive question. This will be my 1st Camino and I will be mostly staying in alberques. Could you please explain the bathroom/shower etiquette to me? I have no idea what...
Do i need both these apps? I want to spend as little time my device as possible so if one app will do fine that’s my preference.
I was planning to document my journey through my blog (or Vlog, as I would probably take lots of videos). I was thinking of using my iPhone, and I ordered a foldable keyboard to facilitate typing...
I did the Norte in 2017. This set off a wild ride of changes in life - shifting many things. I am now at a new plateau and it feels like the right time to do Camino #2, this time the...
Hi to all, I'm looking for a really, really good place (an artist) to get a Tattoo in Santiago, it could be before Santiago but I presume in Santiago I will be ready to have my first one. The...
My daughter and I will be on the Portuguese on June and July starting in Lisbon. We will arrive in Porto about the 27th of June. We want to stay for three nights. Can we stay in an albergue for...

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Similar threads

Forum Rules

Forum Rules

Camino Updates on YouTube

Camino Conversations

Most downloaded Resources

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
Back
Top