Joaquina

This name derives from the Hebrew “Yehôyâkı̂yn > Yehoyakhin” meaning “established by Yahweh, raised by God.” In the Old Testament, it is the name of a king of Judah imprisoned in Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar II. The name was widespread in Christian Europe during the Middle Ages thanks to St. Joachim’s popularity, the father of Madonna. Saint Joachim is considered by Christian tradition the father of Mary, mother of Jesus, and is venerated as a saint. Joachim is never mentioned in the canonical biblical texts; his story is told in three apocryphal gospels. Joachim, a virtuous and wealthy man from the tribe of the Kingdom of Judah and David’s lineage, married Anne in old age after she had already been married and had remained a widow.