The Spanish word 'secoya' comes from the English word 'sequoia', which refers to the giant redwood trees of North America. Interestingly, the word 'sequoia' itself was named after Sequoyah, a famous Cherokee chief and scholar who created the Cherokee syllabary writing system in the early 1800s. The scientific name for these magnificent trees was chosen to honor him, and the Spanish adapted the English word to fit their phonetic patterns, changing the 'qu' to 'c'.

There aren't any simpler or more common Spanish words that are etymologically related to 'secoya', as this is a relatively recent borrowing from English that specifically refers to these unique trees.

The English word 'sequoia' is directly related to the Spanish 'secoya'. English speakers will find it easy to remember the Spanish word since it sounds very similar to the English term, just with a slight spelling modification to match Spanish pronunciation patterns. Both words refer to the same magnificent trees that can grow to be among the tallest and oldest living things on Earth.