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My mothers name is Coyita (Ca wee ta). Does anyone know what the origin is? Her mother friend said it is Indian, but would like to know more about her name.
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Anyone who knows Spanish, help me out here . . .
This sounds to me like a variation on a Spanish name - Spanish names which were incorporated early into the Native American population are often mistaken for genuine Native American names. If it were spelled Cojuita or even Cojita it would be pronounced approximately "co-WEE-ta" - I'm pretty sure? Or something similar enough to have been corrupted to that pronunciation?
"ita" is an extremely common ending to Spanish feminine names, which makes me pretty sure that the origin of Coyita would be Spanish. I don't know what name it would be based on, though - I'll have to keep looking.
This sounds to me like a variation on a Spanish name - Spanish names which were incorporated early into the Native American population are often mistaken for genuine Native American names. If it were spelled Cojuita or even Cojita it would be pronounced approximately "co-WEE-ta" - I'm pretty sure? Or something similar enough to have been corrupted to that pronunciation?
"ita" is an extremely common ending to Spanish feminine names, which makes me pretty sure that the origin of Coyita would be Spanish. I don't know what name it would be based on, though - I'll have to keep looking.
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i had the same idea
so i took a look on Google searching for different spellings but came back with none result (sorry)
so i took a look on Google searching for different spellings but came back with none result (sorry)
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Coyita would mean 'little coya' in Spanish, like Conchita means little conch (shell).
It is possible to find a meaning for 'coya'. On http://buscon.rae.es/diccionario/drae.htm it says: 1. Coya. f. Entre los antiguos incas, mujer del emperador, señora soberana o princesa.
So Coyita means 'Little Exalted Inca-Lady' or 'Little Inca Princess' in Spanish.
It is possible to find a meaning for 'coya'. On http://buscon.rae.es/diccionario/drae.htm it says: 1. Coya. f. Entre los antiguos incas, mujer del emperador, señora soberana o princesa.
So Coyita means 'Little Exalted Inca-Lady' or 'Little Inca Princess' in Spanish.
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Ditto. Coya means "Empress" in Inca. The coya was the wife and the eldest sister (!) of the Empreror.
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