The beautiful girl’s name that only exists in the Canary Islands
The Canary Islands are home to unique names that tell stories of the past. Some come from the time before the Spanish conquest and are still remembered today, carrying with them the culture and identity of the Guanche people.
One of the most special is a girl’s name that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. It means “the brightest star” and is tied to one of the most important moments in Gran Canaria’s history.
The name is Guayarmina, once given to the daughter of Tenesor Semidán, the last Guanche king (guanarteme) of Gáldar, who later became known as Fernando Guanarteme after converting to Christianity.
According to old chronicles, Guayarmina was not only from a noble family but also took part in the resistance against the Castilian troops. After her father was captured, she sought refuge in the mountains with her cousin and a group of warriors. But on 29 April 1483, she surrendered, a decision that saw the end of the organised Guanche resistance following the dramatic final stand of Bentejuí at the Fortress of Ansite.
After the conquest, Guayarmina adapted to the new world around her. She was baptised with the Christian name Margarita Fernández Guanarteme and travelled with her father to Castile, where they met the Catholic Monarchs. There she married Miguel de Trejo Carvajal, a nobleman from Extremadura, and had six children. Her life represented the meeting of two worlds, the end of the Guanche era and the beginning of a new society under Spanish rule.
Today, the name Guayarmina is still in use, though it remains very rare. According to Spain’s National Statistics Institute, only 328 women have this name, all of them in the Canary Islands, with an average age of 41.
Beyond being a personal name, Guayarmina has also become part of Canarian culture. It appears in books, historical accounts, and other traditions, and is remembered not only as the name of a woman but also as a symbol of the Guanche people and their resilience.
For many, it is more than just a name; it is a link to the history of the Canary Islands and a reminder of a time when a “brightest star” shone at the end of an era.
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