New Mexico History/Albuquerque Reminiscing

12/24/2025

🎄✨ The Ultimate New Mexico Christmas Feast Checklist ✨🎄
No Christmas in the Land of Enchantment is complete without these staples! How many are on your table this Nochebuena? Share this with your familia to plan the menu! 👇

1. Biscochitos (The Official State Cookie) 🍪
The King of NM Christmas. These crumbly, anise-flavored shortbreads are non-negotiable.
* 📝 The Mix: Lard (tradition is key!), flour, sugar, anise seeds, and a splash of brandy or sweet wine.
* 🔥 Quick Method: Cream lard and sugar until fluffy. Mix in anise and liquids, then flour. Roll out, cut into fleur-de-lis shapes, bake until golden, and dunk in cinnamon-sugar while warm.

2. Red Chile Pork Tamales 🫔
The "Christmas Eve" labor of love. Unwrapping these is the best gift of all.
* 📝 The Mix: Corn husks, masa harina (whipped with lard and broth), and shredded pork shoulder simmered in red chile.
* 🔥 Quick Method: Spread masa on soaked husks. Add a dollop of red chile pork in the center. Fold, tie, and steam for 1-2 hours until the masa separates easily from the husk.

3. Posole (Red or Green) 🍲
The cure for everything. Not just hominy—this is Posole (nixtamalized corn).
* 📝 The Mix: Frozen fresh posole (or dried corn treated with lime), pork shoulder, garlic, oregano, and dried red chile pods (or green).
* 🔥 Quick Method: Simmer the corn until it "blooms" (pops open). Add browned pork, onions, garlic, and chile. Simmer low and slow for hours until the broth is rich and sticky.

4. Empanaditas (Sweet Meat) 🥟
The unique Northern New Mexico classic. Don't knock "sweet meat" until you try it!
* 📝 The Mix: Ground beef or pork, piñon nuts, raisins, sugar, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon.
* 🔥 Quick Method: Cook the meat with spices and sugar until it forms a moist, jam-like filling. Fold into small rounds of yeast dough, crimp the edges, and deep fry until golden brown.

5. Red Chile Sauce (Chile Colorado) 🌶️
The mother sauce. It smothers the burritos, the eggs, and the potatoes.
* 📝 The Mix: Dried New Mexico red chile pods (seeds removed), garlic, water, and salt.
* 🔥 Quick Method: Boil pods until soft, blend with garlic and water until smooth. Simmer in a pan with a little lard (and a pinch of flour if you like it thicker) to "fry" the sauce.

6. Green Chile Stew 🥘
The ultimate comfort food.
* 📝 The Mix: Roasted chopped green chile (Hot!), pork or beef chunks, potatoes, onions, and garlic.
* 🔥 Quick Method: Brown the meat, sauté the onions. Add potatoes, stock, and chile. Simmer until the potatoes are tender and the meat falls apart. Serve with a tortilla.

7. Natillas 🍮
Clouds in a bowl. A Spanish-style custard distinct from flan.
* 📝 The Mix: Milk, eggs (separated), sugar, flour, vanilla, and cinnamon.
* 🔥 Quick Method: Simmer sweetened milk. Temper in egg yolks and flour to thicken. Pro Tip: Whip the egg whites into a stiff meringue and fold them into the hot custard for that fluffy "cloud" texture. Top with cinnamon.

8. Sopaipillas 🍯
The edible utensil.
* 📝 The Mix: Flour, baking powder, salt, shortening/lard, water.
* 🔥 Quick Method: Mix dough and let it rest (crucial!). Roll out thin, cut into squares, and deep fry in hot oil. Splash oil over them so they puff up like pillows. Drizzle with honey immediately.

9. Pastelitos (Prune or Apricot) 🥧
Little fried pies.
* 📝 The Mix: Dried apricots or prunes (cooked down to a paste with sugar), sweet dough.
* 🔥 Quick Method: Similar to empanaditas but strictly fruit filling. Fill dough rounds, crimp, and fry (or bake). These are often the "breakfast" dessert.

10. Atole (Blue Corn) ☕
Warmth for the soul.
* 📝 The Mix: Roasted blue cornmeal, water (or milk), and sugar.
* 🔥 Quick Method: Whisk cornmeal into boiling water until it thickens into a porridge-like drink. Drink it grey and grainy—it's tradition! (Add chocolate to make it Champurrado).
Red or Green this Christmas? Drop a comment below! 👇🌶️

12/23/2025

Holiday traditions may evolve, but the spirit remains.

12/23/2025

12/23/2025

Here is the history and meaning behind the "ponsetta" (poinsettia), specifically regarding its deep roots in New Mexico and the Southwest.

The Name: "Ponsetta" vs. Poinsettia
In New Mexico, especially among older generations and Manito families, it is very commonly pronounced "Pon-setta" rather than the standard English "Poin-sett-ee-ah."

This isn't just a mispronunciation; it’s a regionalism that likely came from how the English word was adapted into local Spanglish or New Mexican English after the plant was introduced to the U.S. from Mexico.

The New Mexican & Mexican Meaning
In New Mexico, the plant is culturally tied to La Noche Buena (Christmas Eve). Before it was an American commercial symbol, it was a religious one.

* Flor de Nochebuena: In traditional New Mexican Spanish, the flower is known as La Flor de Nochebuena (The Christmas Eve Flower).

* The Legend (The Meaning): The story passed down (which originated in Mexico but is told in New Mexico too) is about a poor girl—often named Pepita or Maria—who was on her way to Mass on Christmas Eve. She had no money for a gift for the baby Jesus. In tears, she picked a handful of common weeds from the roadside. When she entered the church and placed the weeds at the altar, they miraculously bloomed into brilliant red stars.

* The Lesson: The "meaning" of the plant in this region is about humility and faith—that a humble gift given with love is more valuable than gold.

* Religious Symbolism: The shape of the leaves symbolizes the Star of Bethlehem, and the red color represents the blood of Christ.

The History: How it got here..
The plant is native to Mexico (specifically the Taxco area), which explains why it is so deeply embedded in New Mexico's heritage compared to the rest of the US.

* Aztec Roots: Long before the Spanish arrived, the Aztecs called it Cuetlaxochitl (kwet-la-sho-she). It symbolized purity and was used for red dye and medicine (the sap helped with fevers).

* Franciscan Friars: In the 1600s, Franciscan priests in Mexico began using the flower in nativity processions because it naturally bloomed red during the winter solstice. This is where the association with the Nativity began.

* Joel Poinsett (The "Villain" of the Name): The plant got its English name from Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. In 1828, he saw the red flowers in Mexico and sent cuttings back to his greenhouse in South Carolina.

* Historical Note: Poinsett was actually quite disliked in Mexico for meddling in their politics, so while the US named the plant after him, in Mexico (and traditional NM households), it remained Flor de Nochebuena.

In New Mexico, the ponsetta isn't just a decoration; it is often placed specifically for Misa de Gallo (Midnight Mass). You will frequently see them lining the altars of historic adobe churches alongside luminarias or farolitos, bridging the gap between the indigenous/Spanish roots of the region and modern American Christmas.


©️New Mexico History and Reminiscing

12/22/2025

Here is a breakdown of the "strange" habits and distinct cultural quirks that separate Northern New Mexico (often called "El Norte" or "Manito" country) from the rest of the state.

1. Northern New Mexico (The "Manitos")
The North is an alpine, distinct cultural island. The habits here are rooted in 400 years of isolation, Spanish Colonial tradition, and a specific dialect.

* The "Eeee" & "A la ma": Northern New Mexicans have a vocal habit that doesn't exist anywhere else. "Eeeee" (high pitch) is used for everything—shock, agreement, excitement ("Eeee, I know, huh?").

* Burning a Giant Puppet: The North is obsessed with Zozobra (Old Man Gloom). In Santa Fe, burning a 50-foot marionette to cure depression is considered a normal annual mental health requirement.

* Hoarding Piñon: Come fall, you will see people stopped on the side of the highway, butt-in-the-air, picking piñon nuts off the ground. A Northerner will hoard coffee cans of piñon in their freezer for years like it’s gold bullion.

* The "Manito" Wave: When driving on rural roads (like towards Chimayó or Mora), the driver will lift one or two fingers off the steering wheel to acknowledge you. If you don't do it back, you are seen as an outsider.

* Spanglish Code-Switching: Sentences change language mid-stream comfortably. "I was going to the store, pero like, se me olvidó my wallet, you know?"
* Acequia Politics: Cleaning the irrigation ditch (the acequia) is a social event. People fight over water rights with shovels but then drink beer together afterward.

2. Northern vs. Southern New Mexico
The South (Las Cruces, Deming, Alamogordo) is geographically part of the Chihuahuan Desert and culturally closer to the Mexican border and Texas.

* Green Chile vs. Red Chile Dominance:
* North: Obsessed with Chimayó Red and eating "Christmas" (both). They put chile on pizza and burgers as a default.
* South: It is the land of Hatch Green Chile. They take the specific crop of the chile more seriously (Big Jim, Sandia) and are proud of the farming industry of it.

* The "Tex-Mex" Creep:
* North: Food is strictly "New Mexican" (blue corn enchiladas, sopaipillas).
* South: You start seeing "Tex-Mex" habits like yellow cheese (queso) and white flour tortillas
that are slightly different (thinner) than the thick northern "tortillas de manteca."

* Pecans & Onions:
* North: Grows apples, apricots, and chokecherries.
* South: Strangely obsessed with pecans (Stahmanns) and onions. Driving through the South means driving through miles of perfectly straight pecan orchards, which freaks Northerners out.

3. Northern vs. Eastern New Mexico
Eastern NM (Clovis, Portales, Roswell, Hobbs) is affectionately known as "Little Texas."
* The Accent Shift:
* North: The accent is a distinct, sing-songy rhythm influenced by Spanish dialects ("I'm all, 'no you diiiidnnnt'").
* East: The accent immediately turns into a slow West Texas drawl ("Y'all," "Fixin' to").

* Time Zones (Unofficially):
* North: Operates on "New Mexico Time" (late, relaxed, "mañana").
* East: Culturally operates on Central Time values (early risers, ranching schedules, strictly punctual).

* Friday Night Lights:
* North: High school basketball is the religion (The Pit in ABQ).
* East: High school football is the religion, similar to Texas. Whole towns shut down for Friday night games.

* Cheese Dip:
* North: Chile con queso is not a main food group; Chile is.
* East: You will find "Queso" (melted cheese dip) at every gathering, which a Northern grandma might look at with suspicion.

4. Northern vs. Western New Mexico
The West (Gallup, Grants, Farmington) is rugged, high desert, and deeply Indigenous (Navajo/Diné & Zuni influence).

* Jewelry Habits:
* North: People wear "heirloom" silver, often religious crosses or filigree.
* West: The "Squash Blossom" necklace and heavy turquoise cuffs are everyday wear. It is common to see people wearing thousands of dollars of turquoise to the grocery store.

* The "Mutton" Factor:
* North: The staple meat is pork (carne adovada) or beef.
* West: Mutton (sheep) is king. Roast mutton and mutton stew are comfort foods here that you rarely find in Santa Fe or Taos.

* Rodeo Culture:
* North: Rodeos exist, but they are often small Spanish/Ranchero style.
* West: Rodeo is life. In Gallup, the "Indian Capital of the World," the rodeo circuit determines the social calendar.

* Dry Towns & Driving:
* North: Drinking is often done at home or local dive bars.
* West: Because of the reservation borders (where alcohol is often prohibited), "border town" dynamics create very different (and stricter) habits around buying alcohol and driving long distances to get it.

©️New Mexico History and Reminiscing

12/22/2025

The Crescent and the High Desert: The Hidden Islamic History of New Mexico

When we talk about New Mexico history, we typically focus on three pillars: Indigenous (Pueblo/Apache/Navajo), Spanish, and Anglo. However, there is a fourth thread that has been woven into the state since the very beginning: the influence of Islam and North African culture.
From the first explorer to set foot in Zuni to the words we use for our homes and water, the legacy of the Moorish world is deeply embedded in the Land of Enchantment.

1. A History Older Than the United States
The history of Muslims in New Mexico is not continuous, but it is ancient. It can be broken down into three distinct eras:
* The First Arrival (1539): Estevanico the Moor

The first non-Native person to enter what is now New Mexico was not a Spanish Conquistador, but a North African man named Estevanico. Originally from Azemmour, Morocco, he was enslaved and brought to the New World. He served as the lead scout for the Fray Marcos de Niza expedition. In 1539, he made contact with the Zuni people at Hawikuh. While he was killed there, his arrival marks the beginning of non-Indigenous history in the Southwest.

* The Colonial Era (1598–1800s): The Hidden Moriscos
Following the Reconquista in Spain (1492), Muslims (Moors) and Jews were forced to convert to Catholicism or be expelled. Those who converted were known as Moriscos. Historians believe many early Spanish settlers in New Mexico had Morisco roots and moved to the northern frontier to escape the scrutiny of the Spanish Inquisition in Mexico City. They could not practice Islam openly, but they brought their architecture, agriculture, and culture with them.

* The Modern Era (1979–Present): Dar al-Islam
In 1979, New Mexico became home to a significant Islamic landmark: Dar al-Islam in Abiquiú. Designed by famous Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy, the mosque is built entirely of adobe, proving that North African Islamic design and traditional New Mexican architecture are virtually identical.

2. The Language: Spanish, Not Pueblo
A common misconception is that the "Moros" (Moors) mentioned in New Mexico folklore are connected to the Pueblo tribes.

* Do they speak Pueblo languages?
No. The Pueblo languages (Tiwa, Tewa, Towa, Keres, Zuni) are Indigenous.

* The "Moros y Cristianos" Connection:
You will often see a dance at New Mexico Pueblos or Hispanic villages called Los Matachines or a play called Moros y Cristianos. This is not evidence that the participants are Muslim. These were dramatic plays introduced by Spanish priests to teach the Indigenous people about the Catholic victory over the Moors in Spain. The Pueblo people adopted these dramas as part of their own feast days, but they are cultural performances, not religious ones.

* What language did they speak?
The early figures (like Estevanico) likely spoke Spanish and Arabic. The later settlers spoke the developing New Mexican Spanish dialect. Today, the Muslim community in NM speaks English, Spanish, and Arabic.

3. The Words We Use: An Enduring Legacy
The most permanent mark of the Moors in New Mexico is the Spanish dialect itself. Because the Moors ruled Spain for nearly 800 years, they contributed thousands of words to Spanish—words that became survival tools in the New Mexico desert.

Here are common New Mexican terms that are actually Arabic in origin:
The Land & Water (The Survival Tools)
* Acequia (from al-sāqiya): The irrigation ditch. The entire system of community-managed water in New Mexico is a direct transplant of Islamic water laws from North Africa.
* Alberca (from al-birka): A pool, cistern, or reservoir used to store water.
* Noria (from al-nā‘ūra): A well or water wheel.
* Alfalfa (from al-faṣfaṣa): "The best fodder." Still a primary crop in the Rio Grande Valley.
The Home (Architecture)
* Adobe (from al-ṭūb): The mud brick. The iconic New Mexico building style traveled from the Middle East, to North Africa, to Spain, and finally to the Southwest.
* Azotea (from al-suṭayḥa): The flat roof or terrace common on adobe homes.
* Alacena (from al-khazāna): A cupboard or wall cabinet, often built into the adobe plaster.
Daily Life
* Ojalá (from law shāʾ Allāh): Meaning "God willing" or "I hope." It is the direct equivalent of "Inshallah."
* Sandía (from sindiyya): Watermelon.
* Azúcar (from al-sukkar): Sugar.

This image is a visual synthesis of the history we just discussed—blending the North African (Moorish) aesthetic with the Northern New Mexican landscape.

Here are the specific elements represented in the image:

The Architecture (The Fusion):
The building features a large central dome and pointed arches, which are distinct hallmarks of Islamic architecture. However, the entire structure is built from adobe (mud brick), demonstrating perfectly how North African construction techniques were adapted to the New Mexico high desert. It bears a strong resemblance to the real Dar al-Islam mosque in Abiquiú.

The Foreground (The Acequia):
Running through the bottom of the image is a community irrigation ditch, or acequia. This visually represents the linguistic connection we discussed—the Arabic word al-sāqiya becoming the lifeblood of New Mexican agriculture.

The Landscape:
The background features the iconic mesas and sagebrush of Northern New Mexico (likely the Chama River Valley area), grounding the foreign architectural shapes in the local geography.



©️New Mexico History and Reminiscing

12/22/2025

Here is a breakdown of the "strange" habits and distinct cultural quirks that separate Northern New Mexico (often called "El Norte" or "Manito" country) from the rest of the state.

1. Northern New Mexico (The "Manitos")
The North is an alpine, distinct cultural island. The habits here are rooted in 400 years of isolation, Spanish Colonial tradition, and a specific dialect.

* The "Eeee" & "A la ma": Northern New Mexicans have a vocal habit that doesn't exist anywhere else. "Eeeee" (high pitch) is used for everything—shock, agreement, excitement ("Eeee, I know, huh?").

* Burning a Giant Puppet: The North is obsessed with Zozobra (Old Man Gloom). In Santa Fe, burning a 50-foot marionette to cure depression is considered a normal annual mental health requirement.

* Hoarding Piñon: Come fall, you will see people stopped on the side of the highway, butt-in-the-air, picking piñon nuts off the ground. A Northerner will hoard coffee cans of piñon in their freezer for years like it’s gold bullion.

* The "Manito" Wave: When driving on rural roads (like towards Chimayó or Mora), the driver will lift one or two fingers off the steering wheel to acknowledge you. If you don't do it back, you are seen as an outsider.

* Spanglish Code-Switching: Sentences change language mid-stream comfortably. "I was going to the store, pero like, se me olvidó my wallet, you know?"

* Acequia Politics: Cleaning the irrigation ditch (the acequia) is a social event. People fight over water rights with shovels but then drink beer together afterward.

2. Northern vs. Southern New Mexico
The South (Las Cruces, Deming, Alamogordo) is geographically part of the Chihuahuan Desert and culturally closer to the Mexican border and Texas.

* Green Chile vs. Red Chile Dominance:
* North: Obsessed with Chimayó Red and eating "Christmas" (both). They put chile on pizza and burgers as a default.

* South: It is the land of Hatch Green Chile. They take the specific crop of the chile more seriously (Big Jim, Sandia) and are proud of the farming industry of it.

* The "Tex-Mex" Creep:
* North: Food is strictly "New Mexican" (blue corn enchiladas, sopaipillas).
* South: You start seeing "Tex-Mex" habits like yellow cheese (queso) and white flour tortillas that are slightly different (thinner) than the thick northern "tortillas de manteca."

* Pecans & Onions:
* North: Grows apples, apricots, and chokecherries.
* South: Strangely obsessed with pecans (Stahmanns) and onions. Driving through the South means driving through miles of perfectly straight pecan orchards, which freaks Northerners out.

3. Northern vs. Eastern New Mexico
Eastern NM (Clovis, Portales, Roswell, Hobbs) is affectionately known as "Little Texas."

* The Accent Shift:
* North: The accent is a distinct, sing-songy rhythm influenced by Spanish dialects ("I'm all, 'no you diiiidnnnt'").
* East: The accent immediately turns into a slow West Texas drawl ("Y'all," "Fixin' to").
* Time Zones (Unofficially):

* North: Operates on "New Mexico Time" (late, relaxed, "mañana").
* East: Culturally operates on Central Time values (early risers, ranching schedules, strictly punctual).

* Friday Night Lights:
* North: High school basketball is the religion (The Pit in ABQ).
* East: High school football is the religion, similar to Texas. Whole towns shut down for Friday night games.

* Cheese Dip:
* North: Chile con queso is not a main food group; Chile is.
* East: You will find "Queso" (melted cheese dip) at every gathering, which a Northern grandma might look at with suspicion.

4. Northern vs. Western New Mexico
The West (Gallup, Grants, Farmington) is rugged, high desert, and deeply Indigenous (Navajo/Diné & Zuni influence).

* Jewelry Habits:
* North: People wear "heirloom" silver, often religious crosses or filigree.
* West: The "Squash Blossom" necklace and heavy turquoise cuffs are everyday wear. It is common to see people wearing thousands of dollars of turquoise to the grocery store.

* The "Mutton" Factor:
* North: The staple meat is pork (carne adovada) or beef.
* West: Mutton (sheep) is king. Roast mutton and mutton stew are comfort foods here that you rarely find in Santa Fe or Taos.

* Rodeo Culture:
* North: Rodeos exist, but they are often small Spanish/Ranchero style.
* West: Rodeo is life. In Gallup, the "Indian Capital of the World," the rodeo circuit determines the social calendar.

* Dry Towns & Driving:
* North: Drinking is often done at home or local dive bars.
* West: Because of the reservation borders (where alcohol is often prohibited), "border town" dynamics create very different (and stricter) habits around buying alcohol and driving long distances to get it.

©️ New Mexico History and Reminiscing #

12/22/2025

The Pueblos of New Mexico: Living & Ancestral

At the time of the Spanish arrival in 1540, there were nearly 100 inhabited Pueblos. By the time of the Pueblo Revolt (1680), that number had dropped to about 46. Today, due to the consolidation of populations, disease, and warfare, there are 19 sovereign Pueblos in New Mexico.

Many of the "lost" villages listed below were not simply abandoned; their people migrated to join relatives in the surviving Pueblos, ensuring their lineages and traditions continued.

I. The 19 Sovereign Pueblos of New Mexico
(Grouped by Language Family)

Tewa Speakers (Northern Rio Grande)
* Ohkay Owingeh (formerly San Juan): North of Española.
* Santa Clara (Kha'p'o Owingeh): Española.
* San Ildefonso (Powhoge Owingeh): South of Española (near Los Alamos).
* Pojoaque (P'osuwaege Owingeh): North of Santa Fe.
* Nambé (Nambé O-Ween-Gé): East of Pojoaque.
* Tesuque (Tet-Sugeh): North of Santa Fe.

Tiwa Speakers
* Taos (Tuah-Tah): North of Taos.
* Picuris (Pe’ewi): Peñasco (Southern Taos County).
* Sandia (Tuf Shur Tia): Bernalillo / North Albuquerque.
* Isleta (Tue-I): South Albuquerque / Bosque Farms.

* Note: Ysleta del Sur (Tigua) is located in El Paso, Texas. It was established after the 1680 Revolt by refugees from Isleta and the Piro villages. While located in Texas, it is culturally a Pueblo.

Towa Speakers
* Jemez (Walatowa): Jemez Springs area (Red Rocks).
Keres Speakers
* Cochiti (Ko-Tyit): South of Santa Fe (Cochiti Lake).
* Santo Domingo (Kewa): South of Santa Fe (near I-25).
* San Felipe (Katishtya): North of Bernalillo.
* Santa Ana (Tamaya): Bernalillo (Old village is NW of town).
* Zia (Tsi-ya): Northwest of Bernalillo (off Hwy 550).
* Laguna (Ka'waika): West of Albuquerque (I-40).
* Acoma (Haak'u): West of Albuquerque (Sky City).

Zuni (Isolate Language)
* Zuni (Halona Idiwan’a): South of Gallup (McKinley County).

II. The "Lost" & Ancestral Pueblos
Major named villages inhabited at the time of Spanish contact (1540–1680) that are now ruins or historic sites.

The Salinas & Tompiro Pueblos (Manzano Mountains)
Inhabited by Piro and Tompiro speakers. Abandoned in the 1670s due to severe drought and Apache raids; survivors mostly moved to Isleta or south to El Paso.
* Gran Quivira (Las Humanas): South of Mountainair. The largest of the Salinas pueblos; now part of Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument.
* Abó: West of Mountainair. A major trading center with the Plains tribes.
* Quarai: North of Mountainair. Famous for its intact red sandstone mission walls.
* Tabira: A smaller outlier village near Gran Quivira.
* Tenabo: West of Abó (currently on private land).

The Galisteo Basin Pueblos (Tano / Southern Tewa)
Most inhabitants abandoned these villages during the Pueblo Revolt (1680–1696) and moved to the Hopi mesas in Arizona, founding the village of Hano.
* San Marcos: Near Lone Butte/Cerrillos. The inhabitants controlled the nearby turquoise mines.
* San Cristóbal: Located deep in the Galisteo Basin.
* San Lázaro: South of the modern town of Galisteo.
* Galisteo (Pueblo de los Tanos): Located beneath the modern village of Galisteo.
* San Lucas: Located near Galisteo.

The Piro Pueblos (Socorro Region)
The Piro people lived furthest south along the Rio Grande. They did not join the Pueblo Revolt and largely moved south to El Paso (founding Ysleta del Sur) with the retreating Spanish.
* Pilabó: Located exactly under the modern city of Socorro (San Miguel Mission stands on the site).
* Senecú: South of Socorro (San Marcial area). Famous for its vineyards before abandonment.
* Teypana: Located opposite modern Socorro.
* Qualacú: Located near the Bosque del Apache.
* San Pascual: Located opposite the Bosque del Apache refuge.

The Jemez Mountain Pueblos
The Jemez people occupied dozens of massive stone pueblos on the mesas before consolidating into the single village of Walatowa.
* Giusewa: Jemez Historic Site (Jemez Springs). Famous for the San José de los Jemez mission ruins.
* Amoxiumqua: Located on the mesa rim above Jemez Springs.
* Unshagi: Located near Jemez Falls.
* Nonyishagi: Located near Unshagi in the Jemez Mountains.

The Pajarito Plateau (Ancestral Tewa)
Cliff dwellings and mesa villages ancestral to Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, and Cochiti.
* Puyé: Santa Clara Canyon. The ancestral home of Santa Clara Pueblo.
* Tyuonyi: Bandelier National Monument (Frijoles Canyon).
* Tsankawi: Near White Rock (part of Bandelier).
* Tsirege: Near White Rock; a large village meaning "Place of the Bird."

Major Historic "Outliers"
* Pecos (Cicuye): Pecos National Historical Park. Once the most powerful pueblo in NM and the "Gateway to the Plains." Abandoned in 1838; the last survivors moved to Jemez Pueblo.

* Kuaua: Coronado Historic Site (Bernalillo). A Tiwa pueblo famous for its painted kiva murals
* Puaray: Near Bernalillo. Historically the "guide" village for Spanish expeditions; often associated with the martyrdom of the friars.

* Tunque: Northeast of Sandia Pueblo (Placitas/Diamond Tail area). A major center for pottery manufacturing (Tunque Ware).

* Hawikuh: Near Zuni. The first Zuni village encountered by Coronado (one of the "Seven Cities of Gold"). Destroyed during the Revolt period.

* Pottery Mound: Rio Puerco (West of Los Lunas). Famous for intricate kiva murals; abandoned just prior to Spanish arrival.


©️New Mexico History and Reminiscing

12/22/2025

This list reflects the naming traditions of New Mexico from the colonial period (1600s) through the Territorial era (1900s).

Historically, New Mexico was administratively and culturally divided into two regions: Río Arriba (Upper River, roughly north of La Bajada/Santa Fe) and Río Abajo (Lower River, roughly south of Albuquerque/Belen to Socorro and later Las Cruces).

While many core names (Juan, José, María) were universal, distinct patterns emerged in the isolation of the North versus the trade-heavy South.

Río Arriba (Northern New Mexico)
Areas: Santa Fe, Taos, Española, Mora, San Luis Valley, Chama
Families here were often more isolated, preserving archaic Castilian names and religious naming conventions longer than other regions. You will see a heavy reliance on obscure saints and heavy "Manito" distinctiveness.

Male Names (Norteños)
* Juan (The universal standard)
* José (Often compounded: José María, José de Jesús)
* Antonio
* Francisco
* Manuel
* Pedro
* Miguel
* Diego (Deeply historic; de Vargas era)
* Cristóbal
* Gabriel
* Rafael
* Lorenzo
* Agustín
* Salvador
* Felipe
* Nicolás
* Luis
* Vicente
* Andrés
* Santiago (Patron Saint of Spain/Soldiers)
* Tomás
* Gregorio
* Matías
* Ignacio
* Ramón
* Jesús (Very common in NM, rare in English colonies)
* Hilario
* Eulalio
* Epimenio (Distinctly popular in the North)
* Donaciano
* Facundo
* Apolonio
* Esquipula (After the shrine in Chimayó/Guatemala)
* Atanacio
* Bonifacio
* Perfecto
* Lázaro
* Rumaldo (Archaic form of Romualdo)
* Teodoro
* Patricio
* Fidel
* Seferino
* Vidal
* Amarante
* Elias
* Onofre
* Celestino
* Demetrio
* Abel
* Bernardo
Female Names (Norteñas)
* María (Almost every woman had this as a first name)
* Juana
* Francisca
* Josefa
* Antonia
* Manuela
* Ana
* Guadalupe (Often María de Guadalupe)
* Dolores (María de los Dolores - "Lola")
* Isabel
* Margarita
* Rita (Very popular saint in NM)
* Rosa
* Teresa
* Catalina
* Lucía
* Gertrudis (Very common 1700s-1800s)
* Ignacia
* Petra
* Paula
* Mónica
* Soledad (María de la Soledad - "Chole")
* Refugio (Often María del Refugio - "Cuca")
* Librada
* Ramona
* Encarnación
* Eulalia
* Filomena
* Teodora
* Piedad
* Gregoria
* Feliciana
* Jesucita
* Apolonia
* Clara
* Loreta
* Bijil (Rare, archaic)
* Candelaria
* Albina
* Bences (Short for Benceslada)
* Lugarda
* Natividad
* Socorro
* Trinidad
* Vicentita
* Beatriz
* Magdalena
* Inés
* Felipita
* Amalia

Río Abajo (Southern New Mexico)
Areas: Albuquerque, Belen, Socorro, Las Cruces, Mesilla
Families here were connected to the Camino Real trade route. You see more names that were popular in Chihuahua and Durango, as well as "newer" names introduced during the American territorial expansion in the late 1800s.

Male Names (Sureños)
* José
* Juan
* Francisco
* Manuel
* Antonio
* Jesús
* Pedro
* Miguel
* Ramón (Higher frequency in South/Mexico)
* Carlos
* Eduardo
* Enrique
* Fernando
* Ricardo
* Daniel
* Adolfo
* Federico
* Guillermo
* Alfredo (Late 1800s popularity)
* Mariano
* Justo
* Severo
* Néstor
* Telesforo
* Melquiades
* Albino
* Canuto
* Pánfilo
* Anastacio
* Sostenes
* Ygnacio (Spelled with Y often in older records)
* Cipriano
* Florencio
* Octaviano
* Tiburcio
* Eusebio
* Desiderio
* Porfirio (Popular during Porfiriato in Mexico)
* Eugenio
* Félix
* Macario
* Tranquilino
* Benigno
* Ambrosio
* Leandro
* Maximiliano (Mid-1800s political influence)
* Valentín
* Prudencio
* Silvestre
* Camilo
Female Names (Sureñas)
* María
* Guadalupe (Extremely high frequency in the South)
* Juana
* Josefa
* Francisca
* Refugio
* Concepción ("Co**ha")
* Jesusa
* Carmen (More common in South than North historically)
* Rosario
* Consuelo
* Mercedes
* Luz (María de la Luz)
* Paz (María de la Paz)
* Elena
* Sara
* Carlota (Influence of Empress Carlota/Mexico)
* Adela
* Amada
* Leonor
* Emilia
* Elvira
* Otilia
* Aurelia
* Josefina
* Virginia
* Sofia
* Matilde
* Julia
* Victoria
* Angela
* Raquela
* Herminia
* Eloisa
* Clotilde
* Barbarita
* Simona
* Delfina
* Tomasa
* Cruz (Used for both genders, common female name in South)
* Pilar
* Lorenza
* Mariquita
* Modesta
* Nicolasa
* Serafina
* Viviana
* Zenaida
* Braulia
* Celsa

Important Cultural Context
* Compound Names: It is nearly impossible to find a female baptismal record in this era without "María" as the first name (e.g., María Juana, María Antonia). The woman would go by the second name in daily life.

* Saint's Days: Children were almost always named after the Saint on whose feast day they were born (or baptized). If a child was born on San Lorenzo's day, he was likely named Lorenzo. This is why you see "obscure" names like Tiburcio or Eulalia appearing frequently.

* Male "Maria": It was common for men to have María as a second name, such as José María or Juan María.

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