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Spanish Names of Places in Jamaica

by Denny
(Manchester, Jamaica)

spanish names of places

spanish names of places

Places in Jamaica with Spanish names

QUESTION:

Can you tell me some places in Jamaica with Spanish names - and there meanings?




ANSWER: Feb-28-2009 by Wellesley Gayle

Hi Denny,

The following Spanish place names have been found with short notes on each place.

These were taken from Frank Cundall’s text "Jamaica Place Names" (pages 4-7) published in 1909.

Thanks to Burnadette and Nicole at the National Library.

Some of the place names are:



  • Auracabeza.

    Aura, air or breeze. Cabeza, head or high
    land. (This is now Oracabessa in St. Mary. Others derive it from Oro Cabeza, the golden head.)

  • Alta Mela.

    Deep Gap (Alta MEla Savanna, St. James.)

  • Agua Alta Bahia.

    Deep Water Bay, corruptly Wag Water. Still known as Wag Water, probably the name is Arawak,
    Guayguata.

  • Los Angelos.

    The Angels. (Angels in St. Catherine was the first terminus of the railway.)

  • Rio Bonito.

    The Pretty River.

  • Cabo Bonito.

    The Pretty Cape. (In St. Catherine.)

  • Cabarita Punta

    Kid or goat point. (In Westmoreland, where there is a river of the same name: there is another
    Cabarita point in Old Harbour Bay, and a Cabarita Island in Port Maria Harbour.)

  • Rio de Camarones.

    Perhaps from Gambaro, a crab, from the abundance of black crabs hereabouts.

  • Cobre Rio.

    Copper River or Cobra Port, Snake River. (Still known as Rio Cobre.)

  • Caborido.

    Quasi Caba Arido, the dry or withered cape. Part of Healthshire highlands.

  • Carvil or Caravel Bahia.

    Carvela signifies a light round kind of a ship fornmerly used by the Spaniards.

  • Diablo Monte.

    Devil’s Mount. Now called Mount Diablo.

  • Flora Ria.

    Flower River.

  • Fortaleza Punta.

    Fort Point.

  • Gallina Punta.

    Hen Point. Galina Point St. Mary.

  • Guada Bocco.

    Guada- brook of water, bocca- mouth.

  • Hoja Rio.

    River of leaves, now corruptly called Rio Hoe.

  • Jarisse Punta.

    Cross-bow or arrow, probably refers to some action with the Indians.

  • Lacovia. Quasi Lago-Via, or the way by the lake? (A village in St. Elizabeth.)

  • Liguanea.

    Lia-white-guana, the name of an animal, probably one frequent in that part of the island. (That

    part of Lower St. Andrew, bordered by the Long Mountain, St. Andrew Mountains and the Red Hills.)

  • Moneque, or Monesca Savannah.

    Savannah of monkeys. (Now confined to the village of Moneague. This word is Arawak but was perhaps brought by the Spaniards from Cuba where manique’ still means ‘thicket’.

    Spanish documents have ‘manegua’ for 'Moneague’.)

  • Mario bona.

    Maria-buena, Mary the good. (Maria Buena Bay is in Trelawny.)

  • Mantica Bahia.

    Butter (now Montego Bay.)

  • Ocho Rios

    Oor ‘Tehi Rios’, said to mean eight rivers.
    (In St. Ann, it was more commonly called Chareira. As late as 1841 William Rob wrote "Ocho
    Rios, called to this day by the old inhabitants ‘Cheireras’ its early and appropriate name ‘the Bay of Waterfalls’, but has now gone back to Ocho Rios".

  • Perexil Insula.

    Samphire Island, now known as Tower Isle.

  • Sombro Rio.

    Shady River. (Now called the Sambre.)

  • Yalos.

    Frosts (whence, perhaps corruptly, Yallahs) the high white cliffs having the appearance of a
    frosty covering. (Now called Yallahs.)

  • Luidas.

    Perhaps from Luzida; gay, fine or from Lluvias rains? (Lluidas Vale is in St. Catherine.)

  • Martha Brea.

    Martha- a woman’s name; Brea, tar; perhaps a nickname of some Spanish sailor’s Dulcinea like
    the English vulgar appellation of Jack Tar. (Martha Brea Village and river are in Trelawny.)

  • Bog Walk is supposed to be the Spanish Boca de Agua, for which there is no early authority.

    The old English name was Sixteen Mile Walk and the Walk of Bog Walk must have been suggested by
    the older Spanish name which may have been bogua and the same name as Bogue.

  • Porus

    ...is probably called after some well sunk there, or from the porus nature of the soul "pitted with holes".



By the way, the Spaniards called the Black River, el Caovana, meaning the Mahogany River.

I hope that helped. Stay in touch Denny




Related Pages:

Famous Places in Jamaica

The Colonial History of Jamaica

The Jamaican Maroons.

Comments for Spanish Names of Places in Jamaica

Click here to add your own comments

Jul 29, 2017
servicial
by: Javier Castillo de la Fuente

Este artículo era muy útil. Sólo estaba haciendo algunas investigaciones y luego vi esto ...... Te doy un pulgar hacia arriba!

Jan 27, 2017
More school names & rivers
by: Shaun Derby

Thanks for the help with Spanish places, but next time can you add more rivers and schools.

Nov 07, 2016
tema
by: tweedyann

Este tema no tiene algunos de los lugares que conozco en espanol

Nov 04, 2016
senorita me
by: Anonymous

Este tema muestra los lugares en jamaica que todavia tiene nombre en espanol

Sep 19, 2016
SO HLPFUL
by: sashihola batone-ez

this site has been so hepful for me to do my home work in souch a short notice thank u alot and its quick and fast like whithin a few secs like A.S.A.P

May 21, 2016
about the Spaniards
by: Anonymous

What are some of the contribution made by the Spanish in the development to Jamaica. And names of some of the plains in jamaica by the Spaniards besides from st. Jago de la vaga

Apr 14, 2015
soo helpful
by: Jadia Ffrench

This is amazing thank you Danny for helping me you are the best i got 100% in my class thank you for creating this site

Jan 17, 2015
homework
by: Anonymous

thank you this help me alot

Nov 30, 2014
thanks
by: ariel

that helped me so much thank you.

Sep 07, 2014
great help
by: Niguel

I got a homework to find places with spanish names and their meanings and this helped me extremely well.Thanks alot

Sep 07, 2014
great help
by: Niguel

I got a homework to find places with spanish names and their meanings and this helped me extremely well.Thanks alot

Dec 01, 2013
THNKS
by: tevii

thank you you have helped me with my graded assignment. t.swg.......signature.711 st catherine high school





Sep 14, 2013
spanish names of places in jamaica
by: cherry

Gracias. Muy interesante informacion

Sep 09, 2013
ugh
by: Anonymous

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Apr 02, 2013
tanks
by: Anonymous

well apreciated

Mar 03, 2013
thats useless.
by: Anonymous

thats useless, it dosen't make any sense. do you have any sense girl?

Feb 14, 2013
thanks
by: Anonymous

thank you this helped me alot

Nov 13, 2012
More Spanish place names in Jamaica
by: John Blenkiron

Puerto Seco: Dry harbour (Now named Discovery Bay. Reputed site of Columbus crew landing in search of drinking water. Finding none they moved along the coast to another site named..

Rio Bueno: Good river (..where they eventually found water)

Rio Nuevo: New river (Site of a Spanish battle now an archaelogical site in St. Mary).

Spanish Town (Formerly Santiago De La Vega, the old Spanish capital. Later called Saint Jago by the English, and now Spanish Town)

Don Figueroa Mountains: The high plateau in Manchester named after a Spanish colonial official.

Nov 13, 2012
More Spanish place names in Jamaica
by: John Blenkiron

Puerto Seco: Dry harbour (Now named Discovery Bay. Reputed site of Columbus crew landing in search of drinking water. Finding none they moved along the coast to another site named..

Rio Bueno: Good river (..where they eventually found water)

Rio Nuevo: New river (Site of a Spanish battle now an archaelogical site in St. Mary).

Spanish Town (Formerly Santiago De La Vega, the old Spanish capital. Later called Saint Jago by the English, and now Spanish Town)

Don Figueroa Mountains: The high plateau in Manchester named after a Spanish colonial official.

Sep 16, 2012
thanks
by: sinthia

hey denny that was very helpful i am an high school student and i aced my social sudies in section 3 which was facts about jamaica thank you very very very very much. bye

Sep 16, 2012
thanks
by: sinthia

hey denny that was very helpful i am an high school student and i aced my social sudies in section 3 which was facts about jamaica thank you very very very very much. bye

Sep 16, 2012
thanks
by: sinthia

hey denny that was very helpful i am an high school student and i aced my social sudies in section 3 which was facts about jamaica thank you very very very very much. bye

Sep 09, 2012
THANKZ A BUNCH!!!!!
by: jade22101

i got a homework to list all the spanish names of places in jamaica with spanish names and when i decided to check out this page it was a relief so thx alot!!

Sep 09, 2012
THANKZ A BUNCH!!!!!
by: jade22101

i got a homework to list all the spanish names of places in jamaica with spanish names and when i decided to check out this page it was a relief so thx alot!!

Sep 08, 2012
WWW.MY ISLAND JAMAICA.COM
by: NIECEY HYPE

GRACIAS

Sep 04, 2012
great help
by: natasha stone

thanks but you could have added a lot more spanish plains and mountains like pedro plain

Jun 03, 2012
thanks
by: shacqueele

hey man,this really helped me out,i wanna say thanks alot.#respect

Jan 10, 2012
i love jamaica
by: Anonymous

i love jamaica so much .iwent their last year with ny boyfriend and we went to rio it was awesome i also went to jamaica grande and so many other hotels .i will have to tell my friends all about jamaica.I LOVE YOU JAMAICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i am sorry i did not answer your question because i do not know the answer but i will do some rsearch.

Nov 30, 2011
thank u
by: Anonymous

thank you very much
aloot of help
i had to hand it in tomorrow
i would have gotten a 0
so thank u very much

Sep 11, 2011
bad
by: Anonymous

not very helpful.

Sep 11, 2011
This is good.
by: Casey from Westmoreland

Thanks a lot, the information was very useful.

Sep 10, 2011
need help
by: hiype gyal

mi nuh find weh mi a look fa

Sep 09, 2011
QUE BIEN !
by: Senora Francis

MUCHISIMAS GRACIAS. All teachers and students of Spanish need this info. In our classes this historic info should be used to help students realize that Jamaicans are originally trilingual and Spanish is not an external language but rather a foundational one. VIVA ESPANOL!

Sep 08, 2011
gracias
by: alicia

gracias senora denny...:) thanxs this really helped me

Sep 06, 2011
tHANKS
by: cherry berry


Thanks alot this really really helped me!!

Mar 16, 2011
tnakx
by: kingsonic

well this website really put some light on some thing for me.

Mar 15, 2011
thanks
by: Anonymous

this info helped alot thank you

Mar 13, 2011
Gracias
by: Kimone-Elite

Thanks alot!!!! This really helped me too....

Jan 17, 2011
thanks
by: Anonymous

thanks

Jan 08, 2011
Helpful info
by: Pauline

Hi Denny

Very helpful
Thanks

Jan 05, 2011
sayin thank you
by: Anonymous

hi denny. thisinformation helped alot so i wanna say thank you . bye

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