Spanish Cat Names

Shakespeare's Tempest has kept the name Prospero alive.

Rhythmically appealing international spin on the stiff original.

Another winning and relaxed but energetic o-ending Latin name, sometimes associated with designer Paco Rabanne.

Not unless you want your son to grow up to be just like a wacky Jack Black character.

Sounds exactly like Ray—but with an on-trend royal vibe. The central protagonist in the newest Star Wars trilogy is a woman named Rey.

Lively nickname form of overused biblical favorite.

A Latin name with a lot of tango flair.

Y is a very rare initial, and this feisty mini-name packs a double punch with its spiky final Z. Inez or Inez are the more familiar spellings of this chic name, which is related to Agnes and could be an interesting way to honor a relative with that name.

A handsome and romantic-sounding European option.

Ala is the Igbo earth goddess whose symbol is the crescent moon. In a very different vein, Ala can be a diminutive for Alicja or Alexandra or really any other name with an A at both ends and an L in the middle. Ala is also an Arabic name meaning "excellence, supremacy"; could be confused as a homonym for Allah, or as part of a phrase like a la mode.

Consistently popular Latina gem name; good choice for those who can't shake Pearl's grandmotherly vibe.

Although Gracia is the literal Spanish translation of Grace and is used as the Grace equivalent in Spanish-speaking countries, where it's pronounced grah-see-a, it's also a long-time if unusual Grace variation pronounced gray-sha. You might consider Gracia if Grace is getting too commonplace for you.

Overly trendy western place-name, as stated in the title of our book Beyond Jennifer & Jason, Madison & Montana.

Diablo Cody, self-named (she's really Brook Busey) screenwriter of Juno, singlehandedly helped popularize not just her heroine's name and her own but all o-ending names for girls. You don't need us to tell you that it takes a brave parent, in every way, to name a baby Diablo. Diablo is one of the Spanish baby names that diverges furthest from the well-paved camino.

Possibly a derivative variation of Yara, a popular name in Spanish-speaking countries meaning butterfly, Yareli was given to more than 400 baby girls in the US last year.

Rare, with a gleaming, golden image.

Commonly heard in Hispanic cultures, a rhythmic possibility here.

Palma is an appealing Latin name that's both geographical -- it's the romantic city on the Spanish island of Majorca -- and botanical, relating to the palm frond. Sometimes given to girls born on Palm Sunday, it appeared in the US Top 1000 in the early 20th century. Its elaborated form is Palmina.

High-kicking cohort of Coco, Gigi, Fifi, Kiki, et al.

Paz is an appealing Spanish name meaning "peace", derived from the Latin "pax". It's usually feminine in Spanish, but could also make an interesting literary choice for a boy, honoring the writer Octavio Paz.