Submitted Place Name Revision History

Four theories exist over the origin of the name. The first theory is that it may come from Tupi para'nã ("great river" or "sea") and buka, meaning "hole", thus meaning "hole in the sea", perhaps indicating the Canal de Santa Cruz, which separates the island of Itamaracá from mainland Brazil.

A second hypothesis is that pernambuco was an indigenous word for brazilwood.

A third hypothesis is that the name has its origin in the Tupi word paranãbuku, meaning "long river", possibly indicating what is now known as the Capibaribe River.

A fourth hypothesis claims that the name comes from Pernão Boca or Pernambuka, a native alteration of Portuguese Boca de Fernão, an old name for the Canal de Santa Cruz.

This is the name of a state in Brazil.