Michelle Keegan and Mark Wright have welcomed their first child together and called her Palma – but there’s a deeply personal meaning behind this geographical name.
The British actress, 37, announced the happy news via a picture of the Towie star, 38, with the newborn on social media.
Revealing Palma Elizabeth Wright was born on March 6, the new parents wrote: ‘Together we have a new love to share… Our little girl.’
Fans took to social media to point out that the unique name could well be a nod to the couple’s Spanish bolthole in Palma.
The seafront property, which they bought in 2019 for a reported £1.3 million and renovated two years ago, boasts a sleek cream and marble design and sweeping ocean views.
Michelle has previously described Mallorca as her and Mark’s ‘favourite place’ to holiday, as she declared on social media just before Christmas.
The pair also chose the island as the location for their pregnancy photoshoot, with sources revealing to The Sun it is their ‘second home’.
Palma baby name full meaning
Palma is derived from the Latin word for palm tree, which is how the Spanish city – famed for its cobbled streets and impressive cathedral – got its name.
Palm trees line the streets of the ancient city, which was founded in 123BC by the Romans.
In Christian iconography the palm leaf symbolises victory, peace, eternal life and triumph, as Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ return to Jerusalem.
In ancient Egypt, palm trees were associated with eternal life. Tomb decorations depicting palm trees have been found and they were used in burial practices.
In Ancient Greece palm trees became associated with the god Apollo, who was born beneath one, and who symbolised victory.
In Judaism, the palm tree symbolises righteousness and peace.
Michelle Keegan and Mark Wright’s deep family links to Spain
As well as owning a property in Mallorca, both Michelle and Mark have family ties to Spain, which they both discovered on ancestry TV show Who Do You Think You Are?
In 2019 Michelle said she wanted to learn Spanish after discovering the life of her great grandmother Leonor OIrfila, who was born in Gibraltar and lived there throughout her childhood.
Scandalously, Roman Catholic Leonor married Charles Stuart Wiltshire, who was Church of England, for love despite frowns at the time.
Michelle told HELLO! magazine of the discovery: ‘I love the culture and the hidden gems of the island and it feels more special now when I visit. My family, friends and I love to holiday in Spain and it’s on my bucket list to learn the language.’
Mark meanwhile learnt on the programme of a terrible part of his heritage at the hands of the Spanish Inquisition – a judicial institution established in 1478 to oust heresy.
He discovered that his 9x great-grandfather, whose Jewish name was David de Mendoza and his Spanish name Antonio, was arrested in 1696 by the institution for secretly practising Judaism.
He was born in around 1660 and worked as a master swordsman in Jaen, Andalucia, in the south of Spain, until his arrest.
In a Seville prison, he was tortured for over two years with horrific methods including having a rag placed in his mouth and water poured over it, intended to emulate the feeling of drowning.
David did not confess despite efforts, though his nephew was burnt at the stake for being Jewish.
His punishment was to lose half his assets and serve six months in jail.
Records saw him making it to Amsterdam, where many Jews went to evade persecution at the time. He eventually ended up in England.
Without knowing about their heritage, some of Mark’s family actually now live in Andalucia, having emigrated there from England.
When he found this out, Mark said: ‘Southern Spain, right near Marbella! No carbs before Marbs!
‘On the beach, Plaza Beach, cocktail in hand, I can now, when I’m sat there like that, say “this is home”. Straight outta Marbs!’
He added: ‘How weird is that, it’s done a whole circle!’
He told The Sun’s Bizarre TV column at the time: ‘I always thought I might have been a bit Italian, so I’d tell the girls that in the playground at school.
‘To find out I’m Spanish is amazing. We’ve been going on holiday to that area for years and my brother lives out there. It’s ridiculous.’
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