Ocasio is a Spanish surname found mostly in Puerto Rico. It is an archaic adjective form of the Spanish word “ocaso”, from the latin “occasus”, which refers to the last phase of the existence of something, strictly linked to its downfall or decadence. The suffix -io derives from the latin suffixes -ium and -ius and either denotes a sense of place and origin or alludes to the condition of being characteristic of the word it accompanies. For example: “Ocasio” refers to “ocaso” just as “sombrío” refers to “sombra”, “amazonio” to “Amazonas” or “ordinario” to “orden”. Alternatively, the suffix -io is used in the construction of abstract nouns as in the case of the verb “contagiar” which becomes “contagio” or the noun “señor” which becomes “señorío” and it is also present in the names of chemical elements like “potasio”, “germanio”, “calcio”, “helio”, “silicio”, etc. The noun “ocaso” may also refer to the sunset, the sun going down or the end of daylight. According to certain scholars, “Ocasio” could ostensibly derive from the Spanish word "ocasión" meaning "occasion", but its use as a Spanish surname is rather unclear and if such were the instance, it would share meaning with the word “ocaso” anyways, as the etymology of the word occasion is traced back to the latin words ob- ‘towards’ + cadere ‘to fall’, which means towards falling, leading into death or preceding destruction.[1] Notable people with the surname include:
- Aleshia Ocasio (born 1996), Puerto Rican softball player
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (born 1989), American politician and activist
- Bad Bunny (born 1994), real name Benito Martínez Ocasio, Puerto Rican artist
- Asunción Ocasio (born 1987), Puerto Rican taekwondo practitioner
- Billy Ocasio, American politician
- Cameron Ocasio (born 1999), American actor
- Daisy Ocasio (born 1964), Puerto Rican athlete
- Karina Ocasio (born 1985), Puerto Rican volleyball player
- Ossie Ocasio (born 1955), Puerto Rican boxer
- Ramon Ocasio III (born 1962), American judge
- Rauw Alejandro (born 1993), real name Raúl Alejandro Ocasio Ruiz, Puerto Rican artist
References
edit- ^ Patrick, Hanks (2003). Dictionary of American Family Names 3-Volume Set. Oxford University Press. p. 3.