Nieves

“Snows,” the plural of the Spanish word for snow.

Nieves is a Spanish feminine name meaning “snows.” It comes from Nuestra Señora de las Nieves, the title “Our Lady of the Snows” given to the Virgin Mary. The title recalls a legend of snow falling in Rome in August, associated with the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. The summer setting is the surprising part of the story behind an otherwise wintry image. In Spanish, Nieves has two syllables, with the stress on the first and the ie flowing together. The v has the usual soft Spanish sound made with both lips. To the ear, the gliding opening and light final s give it a quiet, airy quality; the snowy meaning adds a vivid image to its compact shape.

Etymology: From the Marian title Nuestra Señora de las Nieves, “Our Lady of the Snows.” The word nieve comes from Latin nix, nivis.