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ArchivesRe: the meaning of the portuguese girls name Alzira
in reply to a message by Villy Klit-Johansen
The name is of German origin al (all) and zire (ornament and beauty). The name became known from voltaire's literary work Alzire the Les Américains. The story inspired Guiseppe Verdi to create an opera that immortalized it, an opera that was first presented to the public on August 12, 1845 at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples. Nowadays, there are rare girls named Alzira, all over the world. In Brazil, the most famous Alzira is Alzira Soriano and the most famous Alzira in the world is Alzira Peirce. My name is Alzira and I'm also Brazilian.
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ooohh, this another example of folk etymology, or perhaps wishful thinking. If Voltaire didn't make it up out of thin air (entirely possible) then he probably got it from the Spanish town, which is derived from the earlier, longer Arabic name Jazirat Shukr which means "Island of the Jucar (River)". The Germanic element being referred to is OHG Ziari/Zeri, "splendid, beautiful", recorded only as the first element of a mere two names Zierhild and Zierolf; the possibly related Tir- (glory, honor) is hardly more common, although it is more widely recorded (Saxon, English, Norse), but again, only as a first element, never a second.
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