The Origins and Meanings of the Names Innocenza and Eva

It derives from Latin ‘Innocens’, ‘Innocentis’, a compound name formed from the particle ‘in’ and ‘nocens’, the past participle of the verb ‘nocère’ (to cause harm, to harm). Its meaning is therefore literally ‘harmless’, ‘not causing harm’. It was primarily used as a nickname; it was the Christians who adopted it as a given name.

From ‘Innocens’ also came ‘Innocentius’ (more innocent), from which our name Innocenza originates. According to religious sense, this name signified ‘she who bears no guilt, who is without sin’.

Origin of the name Eva

It derives from the Hebrew ‘Hawah’, which, according to popular interpretation, means ‘life’, as it comes from ‘hayoh’, to live. However, the true meaning remains uncertain even today.

In Genesis, it reads: ‘with the rib that the Lord God had taken from Adam, He formed a woman; and she shall be called ‘Virago”. Virago was equivalent to the Latin Virgo, meaning ‘virgin’, although the true meaning was ‘virgin with a masculine soul’.

Virago is composed of ‘vir’ (male) and ‘ago’ (I lead). Essentially, the name of the first woman originally meant ‘I lead the male’. It was Adam, according to the Bible, who changed the name to Eva (mother of all living).

Among the famous Evas, we mention Eva Duarte, wife of Juan Domingo Perón, the Argentine president (Evita Perón).