Family name: Cuiabano/Cuyabano

Cuiabano is the demonym for those born in the city of Cuiaba, the capital of Mato Grosso, one of Brazil's 27 states. There are different non-proven theories on the Cuiaba etymological origin: one states that the word would be derived from the native Bororo tribe term Ikuiapá, (the "place of the ikuia," "ikuia" being a harpoon arrow used for fishing and "pá" referring to a place, probably where the Bororos used to go fishing). The name is also considered a derivation of the native Guarani word Kyyaverá (the river of the shining otter), later transformed into cuyaverá, cuiavá, until reaching Cuiabá. It is also said that the term comes from the other native Tupi term Kuîaba, which designates a type of gourd. Or even that the Cuiabá river would be the "vessel creator" river, where "cuia" = vessel and "abá" = creator.

I don't know when the family name Cuiabano started to be used. I know, from documents, that my great-great grandfather, Honorary Major Joao Luiz Pereira, married Maria Luiza Pereira Cuyabano in 1878 and registered all their children as Pereira Cuyabano/Cuiabano (the "y" was abolished with the Portuguese reform in 1943). It is said that his father-in-law asked him to keep the surname Cuyabano at the end, out ruling the usual patrilinear Portuguese tradition. Otherwise, the surname would disappear. Joao Luiz Pereira, son of a Guato native baptized as Benedita Pereira, fought in the Paraguay War (1864-1870). His seven children, born ten years later, kept the Cuiabano last name. 

Recently, with the support of researchers from the Federal University of Mato Grosso, we found that Major Joao's father-in-law, Manoel Felippe Fernandes Cuyabano, was appointed as the State's official Treasury accountant in 1837 (see the document above). According to prof. de Sena (2006), mr. Cuyabano was a member of the local parliament representing the liberal group, challenging the conservatives who defended the orders coming from the court. This was a controversial period in Brazilian history: after the independence from Portugal in 1822, animosities between the Portuguese nobility and the local population increased. The local aristocracy, born in Brazil, owned properties and trade chains, but the political life was ruled by a few linked to the court in Rio de Janeiro. Given these historical findings, it is very plausible that the family name has been used since the 18th century.  

Official records state that Cuiaba was raised to village status in 1719 because of the abundant gold in the river's margins. Similar to the run to the west in the USA and Canada or east in Russia and South Africa, the alluvial gold attracted Portuguese and Brazilians from all over the country. However, with the decline of mineral activity, the region's economy shrunk. Cuiaba is more than 3000 km from the coast, so those who could migrate to other regions. The remaining population lived out of agriculture and trade activities, creating a population mixed with original Natives, enslaved Black people, and white Portuguese/Brazilian descendants. 

In the 20th century, the central government decided to occupy the "empty" land, particularly after the conflict with Paraguay. The plan was to incentivize the migration of European descendants from the south to the west of Brazil because they were more entrepreneurial and perceived as a more productive, superior race. When I started going to school, many of my colleagues were children of migrants who had never heard of Cuiabano as a family name and mocked me because I did not have a traditional European name. Until one professor of history called my attention to the importance of learning my ancestors and the region's history. 

As I grew older and moved to the capital of Brazil, I realized I carried more than just a name but an identity. Although I felt prejudice when I spelled my surname or used my local accent, I learned to navigate the strangeness. In addition, living abroad helped me understand the source of my origins and be proud of them. 

Sources: 

Abreu, Rafael Assumpção de (2015). A boa sociedade: história e interpretação sobre o processo de colonização no norte de Mato Grosso durante a Ditadura Militar. Doctoral dissertation, UERJ. Available at <https://www.bdtd.uerj.br:8443/bitstream/1/12457/1/tese%20Rafael%20Abreu.pdf>

Campos, Cristina (Org.). Grupiaras; Ulisses Cuiabano. 1ª edição. Cuiabá-MT: Carlini & Caniato Editorial, 2021. Available at<https://academiamtdeletras.com.br/images/conteudo-dos-academicos/maria_cristina/grupiaras_ulisses_cuiabano-cristina_campos.pdf>

Figueiredo, Lucas (2012). Boa Ventura!: A corrida do ouro no Brasil (1697-1810). Editora Record.

IBGE (2014). Cidades, Mato Grosso. Available at <https://cidades.ibge.gov.br/brasil/mt/cuiaba/historico>

de Sena, Ernest Cervejeira (2006). Entre anarquizadores e pessoas de costumes : a dinâmica política e o ideário civilizatório em Mato Grosso (1834-1870). Doctoral dissertation, UnB. Available at <https://core.ac.uk/reader/33538150>.