Encarnación
A Spanish surname from a religious name meaning “the Incarnation,” referring to the doctrine of Christ’s becoming human.
The #4,909 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 43,055 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Encarnación comes from Spanish encarnación, meaning “incarnation” or “embodiment,” ultimately from Latin incarnatio. In Christian usage, it refers to the Incarnation of Christ, the belief that God became human. As a surname, it most likely began as a devotional or religious name, often given in honor of a feast, chapel, or family devotion associated with the Incarnation.
History
The surname is found in Spanish-speaking regions and in communities shaped by Spanish naming customs, including Latin America and the Philippines. Like many religious surnames, it probably arose in the late medieval or early modern period from a personal or place-based devotional association rather than from a family trade or physical trait. It is also used as a given name in some Spanish-speaking traditions, which can blur the line between surname and forename in historical records.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In Spanish, Encarnación can function as both a surname and a given name, and it is linked to one of the core doctrines of Christianity.