Guadalupe

Marian name from a Spanish place-name whose full literal meaning is disputed.

Guadalupe is a Spanish Marian name taken from a place-name in Extremadura, whose full literal meaning remains disputed. The sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary took its name from the Guadalupe river; “river of the wolf” is one proposed reading of the older geographical name. In Mexico, Guadalupe carries the story of the Virgin of Guadalupe: Catholic tradition places her appearances to Juan Diego at Tepeyac in 1531. The name is borne by women and men, so its religious association does not make it exclusively feminine. In Spanish, the four syllables move toward the stressed lu: gua-da-LU-pe. The full name has a spacious, ceremonial sound, while Lupe feels warm and direct. Lupita gives the same name a more affectionate turn.

Etymology: From Our Lady of Guadalupe and the place-name in Extremadura. Guada- comes from Arabic wādī, “river” or “valley”; a link between -lupe and Latin lupus, “wolf”, is one disputed explanation.