Monday, May 30, 2011

LOST SURNAMES : TANOÑA

I MAN MALINGO NA APEYIDO SIHA

TANOÑA

Not too long ago, there was a family living on Guam named Tanoña.  It means "His/her land."  It is an indigenous name, not foreign.

The family seems to have been centered in Hagåtña, which means it probably originated in the outlying districts of Aniguåk, Mongmong or Sinajaña; or perhaps even Pågo before the survivors of that village moved to Hagåtña after the epidemic of 1856.

The family disappeared because by the end of the 19th century it had produced only girls in the family.

In 1897, Josefa Tanoña, aged 65, was the widow of a man whose surname was Borja.

Another woman, Rufina Tanoña, was deceased by then, but her husband Juan Manibusan was still alive and living in Hagåtña with his many children, some of them in their 20s already.

And in Luta (Rota) there was a Ramona Tanoña, married to Gregorio Taisacan. 

All three women were in their 50s and 60s, so they could have been sisters for all we know.

On Guam today, we have many Mantanoña, but we have no more Tanoña.  Man malingo esta.

No comments:

Post a Comment