Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Joaquin

Joaquín is the Spanish version of the Biblical name Joachim (probably from the Hebrew Johoiachin) which translates to ‘God has established’ or ‘he whom Jehovah has set up’. In the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament, Jehoiachin was a late 7th century BC King of Judah (from the House of David) but was defeated by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II and exiled to Babylon. However, Joaquín is more commonly associated with Saint Joachim who became firmly established as the father of the Virgin Mary in medieval tradition. Joachim and Anne (Mary’s mother in Catholic tradition) are not mentioned in the actual Bible but rather in the Gospel of James which is an apocryphal Gospel (i.e., from the “hidden books” claiming to be historic accounts of Jesus’s life which the Roman Church deemed functional but not necessarily divinely inspired as the rest of Scripture). Regardless, cults and legends grew up around St. Joachim and St. Anne in the Middle Ages which served to spread and popularize their names. Saint Joachim was considered a “forebearer of God” as the grandfather of Jesus. San Joaquín is simply the Spanish equivalent of Saint Joachim. The name is still quite common in Spain, but sees more success in Latin America, specifically the nations of Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.

All About the Baby Name – Joaquin

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME JOAQUIN

Romance is the hallmark of the Six personality. They exude nurturing, loving, and caring energy. Sixes are in love with the idea of love in its idealized form - and with their magnetic personalities, they easily draw people toward them. Like the number Two personality, they seek balance and harmony in their life and the world at large. They are conscientious and service-oriented, and a champion for the underdog. These personalities naturally attract money and are usually surrounded by lovely material objects - but their human relationships are always primary. They thrive in giving back to others rather than being motivated by their own desires. This is when they achieve great things. Sixes are natural teachers, ministers and counselors.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME JOAQUIN

Joaquin bounced around the U.S. popularity charts between 1880 and 1950 yet never firmly established itself as a name of choice. It wasn’t until the 1950s that the name started to latch onto the charts and likewise show some growth in usage. This was mainly driven by the growing Hispanic and Latino populations in the United States which has seen a fivefold increase since the 1970s. Joaquín is a Spanish name with no real English counterpart (kind of like Emilio and Emiliano), which makes it a great candidate as a cross-over name. Joaquin is a cosmopolitan name that fits nicely on poets, heartthrobs, soccer players, musicians or baseball players. The name certainly got a boost in popularity around 2003; the year TV personality Kelly Ripa named her youngest son Joaquin Antonio. The talented actor Joaquín Phoenix added celebrity currency to the name around this time as well. Although etymologically speaking, a couple thousand years ago Joaquin was “established by God”; the name is not yet established in mainstream America. That just makes it a more original choice for parents looking for something different. Joaquin is a great alternative to more common and ho-hum Spanish names like Juan and José.

Quick Facts

ON JOAQUIN

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Spanish

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

340

PRONUNCIATION:

HWA-keen

SIMPLE MEANING:

Established by God

Characteristics

OF JOAQUIN

Humanitarian

Community-minded

Family-oriented

Loving

Affectionate

Compassionate

Sensitive

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Joaquin

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME JOAQUIN

Joaquin is a minor but memorable character in Ernest Hemingway’s 1940 novel of the Spanish Civil War, For Whom the Bell Tolls. He is a teenager in the anti-Fascist guerilla group, El Sordo, whose true dream was to be a bullfighter. Life was not to be so kind to Joaquin, however. Having seen his whole family massacred, he has turned toward a deep sadness, and he embraces Communistic propaganda whole-heartedly. At heart, however, he is just a frightened boy, intimidated by the powerful Pilar, smitten by the beautiful Maria, and resorting to the prayers of his childhood as the bombs fall around him.

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME JOAQUIN

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Joaquin


Popular Songs

ON JOAQUIN

Joaquin
a song by Tish Hinojosa

Dreams of the San Joaquin
a song by Linda Ronstadt

Famous People

NAMED JOAQUIN

Joaquín Phoenix (actor)
Joaquin Miller (poet)
Joaquín Andújar (baseball player)
Joaquín Árias (baseball player)
Joaquín Balaguer (President of the Dominican Republic)
Joaquín Benoit (baseball player)
Joaquín Cortés (flamenco dancer)
Joaquín De Luz (ballet dancer)
Joaquín Rodrigo (Spanish composer)
Joaquín Turina (Spanish composer of classical music)

Children of Famous People

NAMED JOAQUIN

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Joaquin

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME JOAQUIN

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Joaquin