Ignacio

Ignacio is the Spanish form of the Latin masculine name Ignatius. Both versions find their roots in an Old Roman family name Egnatius believed to be of ancient Etruscan origin. The Etruscan language is now extinct having been replaced by Latin long ago so the name Egnatius has uncertain meaning. However, the name was altered to “Ignatius” in the first few centuries after Christ in order to connect it with the Latin “ignis” meaning “fire” (consider the modern English word “ignite” also borrowed from the Latin “ignis”). The name Ignatius was borne by an important 1st century Christian leader, St. Ignatius of Antioch, who was martyred for his Christian beliefs around 108 A.D. However, most people associate the name with St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), the founder of the Society of Jesus (more commonly known as the Jesuits). The Jesuits are a religious order of priests highly regarded among Catholics for their extensive missionary work and establishment of many colleges and universities since the 16th century. The Spanish call him Ignacio de Loyola but he was actually born Iñigo Loiolakoa (a Basque name). He started using Ignacio as a similar sounding name to mitigate language confusion. His real name (Iñigo) comes from the Basque “eneko” meaning “my little one” (which is quite charming). Ignatius and Ignacio are names used almost exclusively by Roman Catholics. Common nicknames include Iggy and Nacho.