Category: Black History Month

Its etymology comes from the Latin word “L’Aquillare”, translating to “Haunt of the Eagle”, “Of the Eagle”, or perhaps “Place of the Eagle”, etc. Local names such as these originally denoted the proprietorship of a village or estate. In this regard, many of these Spanish local names reflect Arabic descriptive words or place-names. This is because the Islamic “Moors” (Black Africans and Middle Eastern Arabs) conquered Spain between the 8th – 12th centuries. Even the apparent middle name of “da Silva” seems to denote the migration of the family from Spain into Portugal – as this is also used as a surname amongst the Portuguese. The surname “Da Silva” was first found in the town of “Silva” in the Portuguese province of Valenca do Minho. The name of the town is derived from the Portuguese word “Silva” which means ‘”forest” – and indicating that the area was once heavily forested. The surname “Da Silva” means “Of the Forest” – or “From the Forest”. Of course, this individual’s entire family name could be “Da Silva Aguiar” – meaning the “Forest Haunted by an Eagle”. The Moorish “Eagle” people of Spanish descent had finally settled in the Portuguese “Forest”!