Pilar

Pillar; from the Marian title Our Lady of the Pillar.

Pilar is a Spanish feminine name meaning “pillar,” taken from the title Virgen del Pilar, Our Lady of the Pillar. Its setting is Zaragoza, where a statue of Mary stands on a column in the basilica. Catholic tradition tells of Mary appearing to the apostle James there; that devotional story gives the ordinary word its particular significance as a name. The longer form María del Pilar makes the connection to Mary explicit. In Spanish, Pilar is pronounced /piˈlaɾ/, approximately pee-LAR, with the emphasis at the end. The brief first syllable and open a give it a clean, decisive rhythm. Its pillar imagery adds a feeling of solidity, while the flowing l keeps the sound from feeling heavy. There is something spare and dignified about those five letters: a substantial image in a very compact name.

Etymology: The Spanish noun pilar ultimately comes from Latin pila, “column.” The given name comes through the veneration of the Virgen del Pilar in Zaragoza.