Spanish Cat Names

Shakespeare's Tempest has kept the name Prospero alive.

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.

A Latin name with a lot of tango flair.

Rhythmically appealing international spin on the stiff original.

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

A handsome and romantic-sounding European option.

Lively nickname form of overused biblical favorite.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

Rare, with a gleaming, golden image.

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.

Cayo is a rare and rhythmic Spanish name, all but unknown in the English-speaking world, that would make a lively choice.

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.

The Spanish word for "devil" makes for a very daring baby name, but in the era of babies names Hades, Azrael, Loki and even Lucifer, it feels like a plausible possibility. Indeed, 5 baby boys were named Diablo in 1975 – the only year the name has made the US extended list for either sex.

Commonly heard in Hispanic cultures, a rhythmic possibility here.