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Araújo

Surname list From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Araújo or Araujo or Araúxo, and various other spellings, (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐɾɐˈuʒu], Spanish: [aɾaˈuxo], Galician pronunciation: [aɾaˈuʃʊ]) is a Galician and Portuguese surname of noble medieval origin. The name is topographic and derives from various places named "Araújo" found on both sides of the bordering regions. The most prominent origin is likely the parish of Araújo in Valença, Portugal, near the Spanish border. The meaning of "Araújo" is debated, but a common theory traces it back to the Latin "altariculus" or "arauciculus," meaning "small altar." This suggests the original settlements named Araújo may have been located near ancient religious sites or places of worship. Therefore, it likely originated with people who lived in or were associated with these "Araújo" locations, with the name spreading as families migrated and established themselves elsewhere.

Don Rodrigo Anes (or Annes) de Araujo, lord of the ruined Araujo Castle and its lands located in present-day Ourense, Galicia, was the first to adopt the use of the surname.

His great-grandson Pedro Anes de Araújo relocated to the Kingdom of Portugal, around 1375, being the first Araújo to settle there.

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Origins

The use of the surname Araújo is believed to have been adopted by Don Rodrigo Anes, lord of Araújo Castle and its lands, located in the southern part of the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, in what is now the province of Ourense, Spain. [1] The fortress occupied a strategic position on the frontier between southern Galicia and northern Portugal. Some historians attribute the earliest use of the surname to Vasco de Araujo, a medieval nobleman who may have used it as a distinguishing nickname.[2]

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Lineage and the Reconquista

Rodrigo Anes is said to have descended from the royal houses of France and Burgundy through the knight Iohannes Tirante (Jean Tyranothe).[3] Tirante, along with other knights from France and Burgundy, participated in the campaigns of the Reconquista, assisting in the expulsion of the Moors and the defense of Galicia. In return, the knights were granted lands, noble titles, and privileges.[4]

Historical records

Iohannes Tirante is documented in royal charters issued by Alfonso VII of León and his son Sancho III of Castile, where his name appears among nobles receiving privileges.[5] He is also mentioned in a scroll dated 1139, which records his involvement in the reconstruction of a church in southern Galicia.[6]

Tirante was the son of Fernando Annes, a Galician nobleman who was among the most powerful figures in the kingdom, and a French woman of noble origin, possibly descended from King Philip I of France or Duchess Hildegarde of Burgundy. [7]

In 1128, Tirante was in Galicia with his father. He fought against the Moors and supported Alfonso VII in defending Galician interests against Prince Afonso Henriques, who sought to establish Portugal as an independent kingdom.[8]

The Battle of 1139

According to Alexandre Herculano, Fernando Annes—known as Princeps Limiae (“principal of the Lima area”) for his governorship in southern Galicia—led the defense against Afonso Henriques in 1139. Chroniclers note that Iohannes Tirante, together with his father and allies, fought in this battle, defeating Henriques.[9]

Marriage and descendants

Iohannes Tirante married Mayor Garces de Asa, daughter of Count Don Garcia de Asa. The Asa family, descended from the Infantes of León, was one of the most influential in the kingdom. This marriage is often cited as the link between the Araújo family and the Asa lineage.[10] From this union, Tirante had at least one son, Xoán Annes, who served as Captain of Arms under Alfonso VII. Xoán Annes is considered an ancestor of Rodrigo Anes, lord of the Araújo castle.[11]

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Later history

In 1492, the Kingdom of Galicia, along with other Iberian realms, was incorporated into the Crown of Castile. During Spain’s colonial era (16th–19th centuries), Galician nobles bearing the Araújo surname migrated to the Americas in service of the crown, contributing to the colonization of territories in North and South America.[12]

Similarly, during Portugal’s colonial expansion, individuals with the Araújo surname settled across the Portuguese overseas empire. Over time, the name Araújo became widely commemorated, appearing in place names, neighborhoods, streets, valleys, buildings, businesses, wineries, and even the plant species Araujia sericifera.[13]

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See also

Tributes

The bishop of Malacca, D. João Ribeiro Gaio, dedicated this quintilla to the Araújos:

Across the Bitorinho
in the land watered by the Miño River
there are now-worn graves of
famous Araújos,
ancient and magnified.

Notable people with the surname

Religion

Arts and humanities

Science and technology

Politicians

Sportspeople

Footballers

Victims of crime

  • Cheryl Araujo (March 28, 1961 – December 14, 1986), assault victim from New Bedford, Massachusetts, United States
  • Dorothy Alma de Araujo (1921 - September 11, 2001), victim of the September 11 attacks from Naples, California, United States
  • Gwen Araujo (February 24, 1985 – October 4, 2002), transgender teenager murdered in Newark, California, United States

Fictional

  • Araújo family, Portuguese Americans in the film Mystic Pizza
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Bibliography

  • ARMORIAL LUSITANO, Editorial Enciclopédia Ltda., Lisboa, 1961, Prof. Afonso Eduardo Martins Zuquete.

References

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