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Home › Baby Names Directory › Moacir

Moacir

♂ Boy

Pronounced moh-ah-SEER

Meaning: born of suffering, son of pain

In 30 seconds: Moacir is an Old Tupi name meaning son of pain or born of suffering, coined from the Tupi root for grief. Made famous by José de Alencar's 1865 novel Iracema.
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Origin Tupi
Meaningborn of suffering, son of pain

History & Origin

Moacir was coined by Brazilian writer José de Alencar in his 1865 novel Iracema, drawing on the Old Tupi word moasy meaning to grieve or suffer. In the novel the Tupi woman Iracema names her son Moacir — son of pain — at birth, alone while her Portuguese husband was absent. Alencar framed the child as the symbol of Brazil's mixed Indigenous-European heritage. The name entered common use in Brazil following the novel's popularity and remains a documented Brazilian given name today.

Did you know? In Alencar's Iracema, the mother names the child Moacir at the moment of his birth, saying he is born of her suffering — making the name the novel's central symbol of Brazil's mestizo identity.
Iracema — Wikipedia — Documents Alencar coining Moacir from Tupi moasy (to suffer/grieve) in 1865 novelMoacir — Wiktionary — Etymology entry confirming Old Tupi moasy root and Alencar coinage

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

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If you like Moacir…

Iracema— The mother in Alencar's novel who names Moacir — a Tupi name meaning lips of honey
Guaraci— Another Old Tupi name, meaning sun, widely used in Brazil from the same language tradition
Araci— An Old Tupi name meaning dawn, from the same Brazilian Indigenous naming tradition
Paraguaçu— A famous Tupi name meaning great river, attested in Brazilian colonial records alongside Moacir's story

Frequently Asked

What does Moacir mean?

Moacir means son of pain or born of suffering, derived from the Old Tupi root moasy meaning to grieve. It was coined by José de Alencar in his 1865 novel Iracema.

How do you pronounce Moacir?

Moacir is pronounced moh-ah-SEER, with three syllables and stress on the last.

Where does the name Moacir come from?

Moacir was created from Old Tupi for the 1865 Brazilian novel Iracema by José de Alencar. The Tupi people were the Indigenous people of coastal Brazil.

Is Moacir a boy's or girl's name?

Moacir is a male name in Brazilian tradition, as the character in Iracema is a boy.

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