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Home › Baby Names Directory › Paraguaçu

Paraguaçu

♀ Girl

Pronounced pah-rah-gwah-SOO

Meaning: great river; great water

In 30 seconds: Paraguaçu is a Tupi name meaning 'great water' or 'great river,' from y (water) and guaçu (great) — the name of a major river in Bahia, Brazil, and a historical figure.
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Origin Tupi
Meaninggreat river; great water

History & Origin

In Old Tupi, paraguaçu combines y (water or river) and guaçu (great or large), yielding 'great water' or 'great river' — a compound pattern also seen in the name Iguaçu (great water). The Paraguaçu River in the state of Bahia, Brazil, takes its name from this Tupi root. The most historically documented bearer of this name is Catarina Paraguaçu (c. 1503–c. 1583), a Tupinambá woman who accompanied explorer Diogo Álvares to France, was baptized in Rouen circa 1528, and later co-founded the city of Salvador, Bahia. Her story is one of the earliest documented cross-cultural biographies in Brazilian history.

Did you know? Catarina Paraguaçu (c. 1503–c. 1583) was a Tupi woman who traveled to France, was baptized in Rouen, and returned to Brazil — one of the earliest known Brazilian travelers to Europe.
Wikipedia — Tupi language — Old Tupi spoken by coastal Tupi people of Brazil; source of place names including Paraguaçu and Iguaçu.

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

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If you like Paraguaçu…

Iracema— Tupi name also from a 19th-century Brazilian literary context honoring Indigenous heritage
Guaraci— Old Tupi name widely used in Brazil, same language family
Tainá— Old Tupi name meaning star, popular in modern Brazil as a feminine name
Cauã— Old Tupi name meaning hawk, from the same Tupi coastal tradition

Explore names like Paraguaçu

By themeriver
By meaningSea / Water

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Frequently Asked

What does Paraguaçu mean?

Paraguaçu is Old Tupi for 'great water' or 'great river,' built from y (water) and guaçu (great or large). The same roots appear in Iguaçu and the Paraguaçu River in Bahia, Brazil.

How do you pronounce Paraguaçu?

pah-rah-gwah-SOO. The cedilla (ç) gives the final syllable an 's' sound. Four syllables.

Who was Catarina Paraguaçu?

Catarina Paraguaçu (c. 1503–c. 1583) was a Tupinambá woman who traveled to France, was baptized in Rouen around 1528, and later returned to Brazil, becoming one of the earliest known Brazilian travelers to Europe.

Is Paraguaçu a girl's name?

Historically yes — it is best known as a feminine name through Catarina Paraguaçu, though the root describes a river and is not grammatically gendered in Tupi.

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