Iker

Iker is a Basque name; it is the equivalent to the Spanish “Visitación” in reference to the Biblical visit between Mary and Elizabeth in Luke 1:39-56. Yes, we know, Iker and Visitation seem far too dissimilar words to even be related, right? That’s because the Basque language is an isolated language which developed naturally and has no linguistic relationship with other European languages (such as Latin, Celtic or Germanic). As such, the survival of the Basque language in and of itself is remarkable. In any case, Iker is a Basque name that basically refers to the liturgical feast day in observance of the visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Elizabeth. In the Bible, Mary (who is pregnant with Jesus) goes to visit Elizabeth (who is pregnant with John the Baptist). “And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb!’” Elizabeth is humbled that Mary should pay her a visit because she acknowledges Mary as “the mother of my Lord.” Elizabeth’s own baby, John the Baptist, will also play a future important role in accepting Jesus as the Messiah and baptizing Him in the River Jordan. The two women are basically celebrating their miraculous pregnancies (later traditions pair them as cousins); for obvious reasons, this passage in the Bible is very important to Christians (particularly Catholics). As a masculine given name, Iker was brought to the international stage by the Spanish footballer and goalkeeper Iker Casillas who helped lead Spain to the 2010 World Cup Championship. Not surprisingly, Iker has become an enormously popular name in both Spain and Catalonia.