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Home › Baby Names Directory › Caguax

Caguax

♂ Boy

Pronounced kah-GWASH

Meaning: name of a Taino cacique of the Caguas region of Puerto Rico; the city of Caguas is named after him

In 30 seconds: Taino name of the cacique of Turabo in eastern Puerto Rico, attested in 16th-century colonial records — the city of Caguas preserves his name to this day.
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Origin Taino
Meaningname of a Taino cacique of the Caguas region of Puerto Rico; the city of Caguas is named after him

History & Origin

Caguax was the Taino cacique of the yucayeque (village) of Turabo in east-central Puerto Rico at the time of Spanish arrival. His mother was Cacica Yayo. He organized agricultural production worth 255 gold pesos in 1510 and, after the Taino uprising of 1511, accepted Spanish peace terms — one of only two caciques to do so. He was baptized as Francisco Guaybanex Caguax, later banished to Hacienda del Toa, and died in captivity around 1518–19, succeeded by his daughter María Bagaaname. The city of Caguas, Puerto Rico, takes its name from him.

Did you know? Caguax was one of only two Puerto Rican Taino caciques to accept Spanish peace terms after the 1511 uprising; he was later baptized and died in captivity around 1518–19.
Caguax — Wikipedia — Documents the historical cacique, his family, 1510 agricultural records, and the naming of CaguasRicardo E. Alegría — Taino historical scholarship — Puerto Rican anthropologist and historian cited for colonial-period Taino cacique documentation

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

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If you like Caguax…

Caonabo— Powerful Taino cacique of Hispaniola, from the same pre-Columbian Caribbean Arawakan tradition
Guacanagarí— Taino cacique documented at first European contact in 1492, same Arawakan heritage
Deminán— Key figure in Taino mythology, from the oldest Arawakan Caribbean record
Agüeybaná— Greatest Taino cacique of Puerto Rico, from the same island and tradition

Frequently Asked

Who was Caguax?

Caguax was the Taino cacique of Turabo in east-central Puerto Rico at the time of Spanish contact. He accepted Spanish peace terms after the 1511 uprising and died in captivity around 1518–19. The city of Caguas, Puerto Rico is named after him.

How do you pronounce Caguax?

kah-GWAS — two syllables, with the -x in Taino colonial transcription representing a sh-like sound.

What does Caguax mean?

The meaning of Caguax is not confirmed by any authoritative linguistic source. Two possibilities have been proposed — a relation to a Taino word for snail or for a clay cooking pot — but neither is verified.

Is Caguax a boy or girl name?

Caguax is a masculine name, borne by a historical male cacique.

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