Rosa

This name has different origins: 1) From the Latin “rŏsa,” associated with the word for the fragrant flower “rose.” Etymologically, the word derives from the Ancient Greek ródon (ρόδον), maybe from “roe osme (ροή οσμή),” meaning “flux of smell.” The name is linked to a Proto Indo-European root “*wrdho,” meaning “thorn (referring to a flower with thorns).” 2) However, it is not excluded that may be born from “Roza,” a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element “*hrōþiz” (praise, fame, glory, renown, honor) such as Rosalinda and Roswitha. Rosalie in English-speaking countries was introduced in the second half of the 19th-century. In the Roman Empire, Rosalia or Rosaria was a festival of roses celebrated on various dates, primarily in May, but scattered through mid-July. 1) Rose of Lima (1586–1617), was a Spanish colonist in Lima, Peru, who became known for both her life of severe asceticism and her care of the needy of the city through her private efforts. 2) Rose of Viterbo (1233–1251), was a young woman born in Viterbo, then a contested commune of the Papal States. 3) Saint Rosalia (1130–1166), also called La Santuzza or “The Little Saint,” and in local dialect as “Rusalia” is the patron saint of Palermo in Italy, and three towns in Venezuela: El Hatillo, Zuata, and Anzoátegui.