# What does “de la frontera” in Spanish place names mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 19, 2021, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-de-la-frontera-in-spanish-place-names-mean/954606 "2021-11-19T05:58:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2021, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-de-la-frontera-in-spanish-place-names-mean/954606/1 "2021-11-19T05:58:03Z")
I’m currently travelling through Andalusia, and lots of place names end in “de la frontera”. I know, of course, that “frontera” means border, and I also know that it’s common in Spain to distinguish between different towns with the same name by attaching another component with “de”. But which border is this referring to here? Is it a very ancient reference to the frontier between Christian and Muslim Spain? ---
**Author:** ![UDS1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47774/32.png) [@UDS1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS1)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2021, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-de-la-frontera-in-spanish-place-names-mean/954606/2 "2021-11-19T06:26:45Z")
Not _that_ ancient - more medieval. But, yes, it refers to the border area between what used to be the Christian and Moorish regions of Spain. The most prominent use of the suffix is in Jerez de la Frontera, which was under Arab/Moorish rule from the early eighth century until the mid-thirteenth century. Even after the final conquest of Jerez by Castile in 1264 the city and its environs retained a substantial Muslim population for some time and it was not far from the borders of the Emirate of Granada, which survived under Muslim rule until the late fifteenth century. So this would still have been regarded as a frontier area. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2021, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-de-la-frontera-in-spanish-place-names-mean/954606/3 "2021-11-19T15:24:20Z")
Thanks. I suppose the “de la Frontera” city you mean is Jerez? ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2021, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-de-la-frontera-in-spanish-place-names-mean/954606/4 "2021-11-19T22:20:13Z")
I found [this article](https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2018/06/10/how-andalucias-de-la-frontera-towns-got-their-names-and-what-they-mean/) that addresses the subject - it’s not a scholarly source but it is interesting. Make sure to scroll down to the comment below the line, putting forward the intriguing suggestion that the period between 640 and 916 in Europe was fake: Charlemagne, Charles Martel, the battles of Tours and Poitiers, all fake. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2021, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-de-la-frontera-in-spanish-place-names-mean/954606/5 "2021-11-19T22:24:53Z")
> [@Schnitte](#): > > I’m currently travelling through Andalusia, I envy you; it’s one of my favorite places on Earth. Like my native Southern California, but mostly empty. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2021, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-de-la-frontera-in-spanish-place-names-mean/954606/6 "2021-11-19T22:43:31Z")
This is one of the most annoying conspiracy theories around, it is so difficult to disprove! I had a friend (he has sadly passed away) that strongly believed this “did not happen, was invented” fairy tale - or so he said and acted. His dates were a bit different, he claimed the added years included the year 1000 and that _that_ was the aim: to avoid the passing into a new millenium. So the ominous _them_ added 300 years around the year 800 and presto! we are over the evil mark that heralds the end of the world. As if anyone would plan 200 years into the future! Oh, he drove me mad with that one, I never knew if he said it just to annoy me or if he really meant it; whatever I said he would never concede! And to the OP: The answer has been given, so enjoy Andalucía. I have never been there in autumn, but I am sure it is gorgeous. Fantastic people, great food! I envy you too.