Guadalupe
A name taken from a revered Marian place-name in Spain and Mexico, later used as a given name and sometimes as a surname.
The #6,892 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 63,306 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Guadalupe is ultimately a place-name that became a personal name and then a surname. In Spain it is associated with the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Extremadura, and the first element is often traced to Arabic wadi, meaning “river” or “valley.” The second element is usually linked to a Latin word for “wolf,” though the exact formation is uncertain and medieval. In Mexico, the name was also associated with the Marian apparition at Tepeyac, which helped spread Guadalupe widely as a devotional name.
History
The surname is relatively uncommon and is more often encountered as a given name in Spanish-speaking communities. Its wider popularity comes from deep Catholic devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe, especially in Spain and Mexico. In the Americas it can reflect either Spanish devotional naming or family naming after a given name. The historical excerpts supplied describe it as a name favored in honor of the shrine and Marian image.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Guadalupe is one of the best-known devotional names in the Spanish world, and it can be used for both women and men in some traditions.
From the historical record
“Gryia, f. Lith. Gr. pearl, 121 Grzegorz, m. Pol. Gr. watchman, 114 Guadalupe,/, m. Span. 371 Gimlberto, m. It. Teu. slaughter bright, 317 Gualter, m. Fort. Teu. powerful army,”
— History of Christian Names