Gender Feminine
Usage Spanish (European, Rare)
Meaning & History
Means "holm oak" in Spanish (species Quercus ilex). It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary Nuestra Señora de la Carrasca meaning "Our Lady of the Holm Oak". She is the patron saint of the municipality of Villahermosa, in the province of Ciudad Real, Spain.According to folk legend, a shepherd from Villahermosa saw a carving of the Virgin and took it. He was accused of theft and received a prison sentence. The shepherd was later released and upon returning to his town, the Virgin appeared to him on top of a holm oak, while he was herding his sheep. After recognizing the miracle, the inhabitants of the municipality built a hermitage in her honor in 1494.