“Wait, is that really someone’s name?”
In Peru, some bank branches use a system where your name appears on a screen when it is your turn at the counter. As I waited for my turn, I would casually look at the names displayed on the screen.
Then, one name after another would appear that made me, as a Japanese person, think, “What an unusual name.”
At some point, quietly wondering, “What kinds of names will I see today?” as I looked at the display became one of the little pleasures of my daily life.
For example, Domingo.
In Spanish, it means “Sunday,” but in Peru it has long been used as a male name. When someone says, “Hello, Domingo,” I can’t help hearing it as “Hello, Mr. Sunday.”
But when I looked into it, I found there was a proper reason behind it.
Domingo is a name with deep ties to Christianity.
The Spanish word “Domingo” (Sunday) comes from a Latin word meaning “the Lord’s Day.” In Christianity, Sunday is a special day that commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. For that reason, Domingo has been used not simply as the name of a day of the week, but as a personal name connected to faith.
In the Spanish-speaking world, place names such as Santo Domingo are also common. Since santo means “holy,” “Santo Domingo” means “Saint Domingo.” The name comes from Saint Dominic, a 13th-century Catholic friar.
In other words, a name that sounds to me like “Mr. Sunday” is, in the Spanish-speaking world, a perfectly proper personal name with history and religion behind it. It still sounds like Sunday to me, though...
“Mr. May” and “Mr. Head”!?
So, “If there are people named Sunday, are there people named Saturday or Wednesday too?” I asked a Peruvian friend. That was when they told me about the surname Mayo.
Mayo means “May” in Spanish.
To my Japanese ears, it sounds like “Mr. May?” It almost makes me want to ask again, just to make sure I heard correctly.
I then asked, “Are there any other names that are just as surprising?” and was told that there is also the surname Cabeza. Cabeza means “head” in Spanish. If you translate it directly into Japanese, it becomes “Mr. Head.” I have not actually met anyone with this name yet. If I ever come across a Cabeza, I will be sure to report back.
There Are People Named “Peru”!?
Peru’s National Registry of Identification and Civil Status, RENIEC, sometimes introduces unique names that are actually registered in the country. The one that surprised me most among them was none other than the name PERÚ.
According to an announcement by RENIEC, the name “Perú” is indeed registered. In other words, a person named “Peru.” There are also names such as Patria (homeland) and Independencia (independence).
That means people named “Homeland” and “Independence.” They certainly make an impact.
And these are not the only names that reflect a love for the country.
There are even people named Bandera, which means “flag.” Of course, the person did not choose the name themselves, but just hearing it makes me think, “This person must really love Peru.”
Even “Dollar” and “Euro” Can Become Names
From here, the names become even more surprising. Among the names RENIEC has introduced in the past are, amazingly, Dólar (dollar) and Euro.
There are also Éxito (success), Riqueza (wealth), and Feliz (happy).
“Dollar,” “Euro,” “Success,” “Wealth,” and “Happy.”
In Japan, parents might use kanji such as “wealth” or “happiness” in their child’s name to express wishes like “I hope you become prosperous” or “I hope you live happily.”
But when it becomes someone named “Dollar” or “Euro,” it feels quite dynamic, or perhaps very direct.
And another especially interesting one is Silencio, meaning “silence.” A name that means “Silence.”
I wonder what kind of wish was behind giving a child that name. By the way, Peru has so much more everyday noise than Japan that I have never once felt “silence” there.
And amazingly, even names such as Director and Presidente (president, company president, chairperson, and so on) have been registered.
At this point, I can’t help thinking, “In Peru, is there any word that cannot become a name?” That is how it starts to feel.
So What Are Common Peruvian Names Like?
After introducing so many unusual names, you might be wondering, “Are all Peruvian names like this?” Of course, that is not the case.
Names often heard in Peru include José, Juan, Carlos, and Luis.
For women, names such as María, Rosa, Ana, and Carmen are also familiar.
These names are widely used throughout the Spanish-speaking world, and there are many people with these names in Peru as well.
The fact that many names, especially María, José, and Jesús, come from Christianity and saints may be due in large part to Spanish colonial history and the influence of Catholicism.
In other words, when you look at Peruvian names, you can even glimpse the history of the culture and religion that came from Spain.
Andean Names Mean the Sun and the Moon!?
However, Peru also has names that come not from Spanish, but from Indigenous cultures.
For example, in Quechua, Inti means “sun,” Killa means “moon,” Chaska means “morning star,” and Amaru means “serpent” from Andean mythology.
And these are not just unusual names.
Even today in Peru, names that evoke the sun, the moon, the stars, nature, and similar images are still used.
Names Are Filled with a Family’s Wishes
Names such as “Peru,” “Homeland,” and “Independence” carry feelings for the country.
Names such as “Success” and “Wealth” carry hopes for a child’s success and prosperity.
A name meaning “Happy” carries the wish that the child will live a happy life.
And names meaning “Sun” or “Moon” reflect feelings for Andean nature and culture.
They may be very direct, but names seem to hold the wishes a family entrusts to a child and the culture that has been passed down in that place.
Because Japanese uses kanji, a single character can carry many different meanings. For example, the wish “I hope you will be happy” can be expressed with just one character: 幸.
In Peru, on the other hand, that wish may sometimes become the name itself. Perhaps that is why, to me as a Japanese person, some names make me think, “Wait, this is a name?”
Peruvians also often ask me, “What does your name mean?”
My name is Shoko, but explaining its meaning in Spanish without using kanji is not easy.
So I start by saying, “In Japanese, we have kanji. Each kanji has its own meaning...” and before I know it, a conversation about my name has turned into a Japanese lesson: “In Japanese, we have kanji, hiragana, and katakana.”
We are only talking about names, but before I realize it, I am explaining Japanese culture.
That, too, is one of the interesting experiences that comes with living overseas.
At first I was surprised by names like “Mr. Sunday,” “Mr. May,” and “Mr. Head,” but as I looked into these names, I found that each one has its own history, family wishes, and culture behind it. Perhaps the same is true in Japan.
They only sound strange because they are in a foreign language. To the person who chose the name, it carries an important meaning. Thinking about it that way makes me look forward even more to seeing the names displayed on the bank screen. There is still so much about Peru that I do not know. Well, here’s where I say “Adios!”