Antropônimos de motivação católica no sertão alagoano: os casos de Sizo e Tereza

Abstract

This study investigates the occurrence of two personal names with the nominal bases Sizino and Tereza in the Alagoan backlands in the present time. The research corpus analyzes phono-morphological and socio-historical aspects surrounding these denominatives and shows that these anthroponyms are motivated by religious factors, such as practices of vows and religious homage, given the devotion to two Catholic referents: Father Sizino Lemos Telles Júnior (Alagoas, 1965–) and Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus (France, 1873–1897). The theoretical and methodological framework is grounded in studies within Onomastics and its subfield Anthroponymy, drawing on authors such as Biderman (1998), Carvalhinhos (2005), Seide (2013), and Soledade (2025). The study is based on official statistical data from the 2024 Demographic Census, available on the Nomes do Brasil platform of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), as well as on student records provided by the Municipal Department of Education of Mata Grande, Alagoas. The analysis of IBGE data reveals that the name Sizino and its morphic variants, such as Sizina, Cizina, Sisina, and Siziane, show predominance in the states of Alagoas and Paraíba, suggesting a regionalized naming practice closely linked to religious traditions. The name Tereza, in turn, presents nationwide diffusion, with strong presence in the Northeast and Southern regions of Brazil. Thus, even in a context of lower demographic density such as the Alagoan backlands, the occurrence of these anthroponyms is shown to be marked by symbolic centrality, anchored in Catholic devotion and family memory. The results indicate a recurrent naming of individuals with the nominal base Terez- in comparison to the base Siz-, the popularity of these names in the 2020s in the backlands region of Alagoas, and morphological diversity, including their occurrence in surname position.