Fernanda

Fernanda is the Spanish, Portuguese and Italian equivalent of the German male name Ferdinand. The masculine Ferdinand is derivative of the Germanic elements “farði” meaning ‘journey’ and “nanð” meaning ‘brave, daring’. The Visigoths brought this name to Hispania in the 5th century, shortly after they famously sacked Rome in 410 A.D. As a Germanic tribe who migrated, settled and eventually exerted their authority throughout southern Gaul, the Visigoths occupied the Iberian Peninsula (displacing the Vandals) most notably. Their kingdom came to an end by the 8th century when the Moors moved in and the Iberian Peninsula came under Islamic rule. This is how Spain and Portugal became influenced by both the Germanic language and, later, Arabic. Ferdinand was a common name among the Habsburg royal family in Austria, and it was also the name of Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer credited with the first expedition to sail around the world (we’d call that a ‘daring journey’ – how apropos!) We are not surprised that the female Fernanda became a popular name among the Spanish, Portuguese and Italians. It is currently ranked highest in Mexico and the South American country of Chile.