What is the etymology of the Spanish word "bexar", as in "San Antonio de Bexar?"

Question

I'm interested in the origin of the Spanish word "bexar" as in "San Antonio de Bexar," the original name for the city of San Antonio, Texas, USA.

Answer 1

This information is from a genealogy site.

The name Bejar, or Béxar, is the name of a town in the Spanish province of Salamanca. Founded in pre-Roman times, Bejar was turned into a Moorish fort during the 11th century. The name was brought to the New Philippines and the Province of Tejas in Nueva España (New Spain as the territory was known) where it was commonly used to refer to the presidio of San Antonio de Béxar, the mission San Antonio de Valero, the Villa de Béxar and after the arrival of the Canary Islanders, the Villa of San Fernando de Béxar. This entire group of settlements on the San Antonio river was often referred to as San Antonio de Béxar and developed into the present city of San Antonio as well as to the municipality from which modern Bexar County has evolved.

The Portuguese St. Anthony, whose feast day is on June 13, is the San Antonio referred to. How the name Bejar, a Spanish town, became associated with him, I can't figure out.

A commonly accepted origin in South Texas is that the name refers to the cottonwood trees common on the banks of the San Antonio River - michaela51, Aug 17, 2011

Answer 2

I think it is a surname from Arabic origin, meaning "all mighty". The x used to be used to represent the sound of the modern Spanish J (well, there is more to it), by the way.