A few references instead spell the birth name Romain Rivière,[1][2] and as Romaine was born on the Spanish side of Hispaniola, biographer Terry Rey suggests the French records may be giving the name (and those of Romaine's parents, given as Jean Rivière and Gabrielle Joseph) in gallicized form in either case: Romaine might have been born Román Rivera to parents Juan Rivera and Gabriela Jose, though it is also possible the family was originally from the French part of the island and only moved to the Spanish side prior to Romaine's birth and the French spellings are original.[3] Romaine's chosen name is sometimes given without hyphens as Romaine la Prophétesse, or (in English reference works) in translation as Romaine the Prophetess,[4] feminine forms sic.[5][6]
