ooc:: Panama's Human Name | Explained

May 6, 20143 min read

Deviation Actions

c-entral

Published: May 6, 2014

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While Maria is a popular name for some OCs, I chose it for multiple reasons.

^ Here’s a map of Spain’s first colonies in America - Panama included because
she was, indeed, among the first, known as "Castila de Oro". Please read on...

Maria + Núñez ⇨ The first Spanish settlement in Panama, founded by Vasco Núñez de Balboa, was called “Santa María la Antigua del Darién”. He is glorified in text books and his whole figure is best known for having crossed the Isthmus of Panama to the Pacific Ocean in 1513. He founded the settlement of Santa María la Antigua del Darién in present-day Panama around 1510 (Darién is a Panamanian province), however Panama was discovered for the first time in 1501, being the first continental colony situated the mainland. Santa María la Antigua del Darién, in turn, was the first permanent European settlement on the mainland of the Americas (a settlement by Alonso de Ojeda the previous year at San Sebastián de Urabá had already been abandoned) - That makes her Spain’s earliest mainland colony, yes! It makes sense for him to choose Maria for her specifically once finally colonized (after 2 previous failures).

Maria also seems to be a name mentioned in Panama’s women which added to history: “Miss Maria T.” was the woman who persuaded the congress to choose The Holy Spirit Orchid to be Panama’s national flower and Maria Ossa (Maria de la Ossa Amandor) was the woman that created the national flag of Panama. Both “Maria” and “Núñez” are rather popular in Panama as well.

Inés ⇨ It’s just a name. A “second first name” / “middle name” - In Panama, traditionally, the second name is a baptismal name (coinciding with Panama’s Roman Catholic majority - both in modern day and historically) and in turn Inés means “pure” and “holy” to match it’s original given purpose. Along with that, she possesses this second name due to it being popular with Spanish language naming customs.

Delmara ⇨ Delmara is a rare variation of the Spanish surname Del Mar. It is a surname derived (due to the influence of the English language on Panamanian Spanish) from Del Mar itself, meaning “Of The Sea” - due to Panama connecting the oceans, as well as the only country in the world where you can see the sun rise on the Pacific and set on the Atlantic, I thought it’d be a rather good name to add in. Panama’s geographical location was always key, it made her an important spot because she is the most narrow land between Pacific and Atlantic. Panama also depends on the oceans a lot (hydro power is Panama’s main source of energy, the canal and such generates over 30% of Panama’s entire revenue, etc. Panama is also known as a symbol of the oceans meeting, called ‘Kiss of the Oceans’ as an alternative to ‘Bridge of the World’).