The mysterious origins of the name Patagones and the Tehuelche people

Countries & Cities · Published 12 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: For centuries, explorers called the Indigenous people of Patagonia 'Patagones' due to their supposedly massive feet. While some speculate this name was inspired by a dog-headed monster from a 16th-century novel, the truth lies in the complex cultural landscape of South America's southern tip.

The Tehuelche people, also known as the Aónikenk, are Indigenous to eastern Patagonia. Their history is marked by significant cultural shifts, including influence from the Mapuche people during the 18th and 19th centuries, which led many to adopt the use of horses. This era also saw the 'Araucanization' of the region, as Mapuche expansion caused the intermixing and absorption of various ethnic groups across the Pampas and Patagonia.

The nomenclature used for these groups has long been a source of scholarly debate. In 1520, Antonio Pigafetta referred to the people he encountered in San Julian Bay as 'Patagoni'. By 1535, Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés and Francisco López de Gómara suggested they were called 'Patagones' because of their large feet. Some researchers have even speculated that Magellan might have been inspired by 'Pathogan', a dog-headed monster from the 1512 novel Primaleón, though this lacks verifiable evidence.

Classifying these populations is notoriously difficult due to seasonal migrations, the vastness of the territory, and the extinction of certain groups. Researchers have struggled to agree on whether a distinct 'Pampas' subdivision exists or how the various groups relate to the Mapuches. While some scholars have proposed a 'Tehuelche complex' to group these peoples based on shared traits, others note that their languages were not actually related to one another.

The 19th century brought profound disruption. The colonization of Patagonia by Argentina and Chile, alongside the establishment of large sheep farming estates, devastated traditional economies. Furthermore, contact with European outsiders introduced infectious diseases that caused deadly epidemics among tribes lacking immunity. Today, most Tehuelche people reside in the cities and towns of Argentine Patagonia.

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