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Cruz
in reply to a message by Magia
The name Cruz in Latin America is mainly used as masculine except when used together with Maria -as in Maria de la Cruz-. However, in Spain is mainly a feminine name, used together with Maria -as in Maria de la Cruz, Maria Cruz o Maricruz- or stand alone as a remembrance of the Holy Cross. The masculine form is not unknown (e.g. Cruz Martinez Esteruelas, former Minister of Education who reformed the education system back in 70's) but quite unusual, to the point that when the soap opera Santa Barbara was on TV, the character of detective Cruz Castillo (interpreted by A. Martinez) called for such a curious name in a man for most of the people.A similar situation is the name of Reyes. While in Sevilla as mainly feminine -hence also among Sevillans across the country- as a remembrance to the Virgen de los Reyes, in the rest of provinces is mainly a masculine name -as in Reyes Estevez, athlet-Regarding Cruz, as a surprise and joke at the same time, there are two facts or situations. It's a name considered as ederly and not in use. Also, there's the significance of the cross -Cruz- as a dificulty in life, thus the sentence 'such a cross of name' -que cruz de nombre- in the sense of 'it has to be horrible to have that name' when talking about a person named Cruz.
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