Hispanic Baby Names

  1. Jesus
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "the Lord is salvation"
    • Description:

      Jesus -- pronounced hay-SOOS -- is used exclusively and extensively among Spanish speakers, though JEE-zus as in the first name of Christ is never used in the Anglophone world. Jesus Quintana was a character in The Big Lebowski and Jesus Velasquez appeared on True Blood.
  2. Fernando
    • Origin:

      Spanish and Portuguese variation of Ferdinand
    • Meaning:

      "bold voyager"
    • Description:

      Can you hear the drums Fernando? Although 58% of Nameberries prefer Ferdinand to Fernando, the Iberian variant has a softer, more romantic feel that makes it a better fit with all those Javiers, Lorenzos and Matteos.
  3. Ernesto
    • Origin:

      Spanish and Italian variation of Ernest
    • Description:

      A Latin classic, widely used here and abroad, though in the U.S. it has fallen on the charts in recent years.
  4. Octavio
    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Octavius
    • Meaning:

      "eighth"
    • Description:

      The most popular of the number names used by Hispanic parents, open to all. Octavia and Octavio are two Spanish baby names that are moving out into the wider world.
  5. Benicio
    • Origin:

      Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "blessed"
    • Description:

      Softer than Benedict, less popular than Benjamin, and bolder than Bennett, Puerto Rican actor Benicio Del Toro introduced this name to the American mainstream in the early 2000s, before which the name was hardly use. Popular in Argentina, Benicio debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2016, when it was the third-fastest-rising boys' name, and while it hasn't skyrocketed then, it remains comfortably in the charts.
  6. Esteban
    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Stephen, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "garland, crown"
    • Description:

      One of several Latino favorites on U. S. popularity list, Esteban sounds solid and strong. Esteban has ranked among the US Top 500 names for boys for half a century now, making it a familiar name that successfully crosses cultures.
  7. Guillermo
    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of William
    • Description:

      As with Guillaume (see above), Liam, Willem, and Wilhelm, everyday Williams in their own countries, Guillermo is a captivating possibility here. Giermo, Gigermo, Gijermo, Gillermo, Gillirmo, Giyermo, Guermillo, Guiermo Guilermón, Guille, Guillelmo, Guillermino, Guillo, Guirmo, Gullermo, Llermo, Memo, Quillermo.
  8. Dulce
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "sweet"
    • Description:

      Popular Portuguese and Spanish name that refers to "dulce nombre de Maria" -- the sweet name of the Virgin Mary. English variant Dulcie has a different pronunciation.
  9. Camilo
    • Origin:

      Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "young ceremonial attendant"
    • Description:

      The increasing popularity of Camila may have pushed this underrated Spanish name into the Top 1000 — though it remains far less popular than its feminine counterpart. A perfect familiar-but-rare choice.
  10. Armando
    • Origin:

      Spanish, Italian and Portuguese form of Herman, German
    • Meaning:

      "soldier"
    • Description:

      Armando takes the flat-footed Herman and makes it romantic. This is another of the Latin names we expect to be seeing more of.
  11. Andres
    • Origin:

      Spanish form of Andrew
    • Meaning:

      "strong and manly"
    • Description:

      The Spanish form of Andrew is popular enough in the US to rank near the Top 200. As Andrew, Andy, and Drew feel less fresh, Andres is still up-and-coming, with a global feel that could travel well anywhere. Andres has been used in the US dating all the way back to when name data began to be kept, and has never fallen out of the Top 1000. Despite this, it has only been since the 90s that Andres has cracked the Top 200. Andre is a similar-sounding alternative that has French and Portuguese roots.
  12. Santos
    • Origin:

      Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "saint, holy"
    • Description:

      The Spanish and Portuguese variation of the all-saints name. Santos is a name that has appeared in the US Top 1000 every year except for two: 1913 and 1915.
  13. Margarita
    • Origin:

      Spanish, Russian, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "pearl, daisy"
    • Description:

      Margarita is an international form of Margaret that shares its meaning of "pearl", but also directly translates to "daisy" in Spanish and Greek. Despite being widely associated with the alcoholic beverage in English, it has a long history of use in Spanish, Greek and several Slavic languages — most notably being the name of the heroine of Mikhail Bulgakov's 1966 novel Master and Margarita. It currently ranks in the Top 30 girl names in Russia.
  14. Soledad
    • Origin:

      Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "solitude"
    • Description:

      This strong Spanish name that refers to the Virgin Mary (Our Lady of Solitude) has been made accessible by broadcaster Soledad O'Brien -- who shows how well it combines with an Anglo surname. Her birth name was Maria de la Soledad Teresa O'Brien.
  15. Maximo
    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Maximus, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "greatest"
    • Description:

      With the ubiquitous Max heard at every playground across the country, international versions have been gaining traction in an attempt to provide a fresh avenue to the highly sought nickname. This Spanish iteration has been in the US Top 1000 since the early 2000s and is currently trending upwards.
  16. Leonel
    • Origin:

      Variation of Lionel, French
    • Meaning:

      "young lion"
    • Description:

      A variation of Lionel that has made slow but substantial gains in recent years, perhaps helped by the resurgence of Leo. It is also the Spanish and Portuguese variant.
  17. Vicente
    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Vincent, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "conquering"
    • Description:

      This classic Spanish name is well-used throughout Latin America and easily crosses cultures, ranking in the US Top 1000 for over a century. Vicente is notable as the name of Vicente Fernandez, the king of mariachi.
  18. Enrique
    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Henry
    • Description:

      This is an appealing name that could cross cultural borders, but it has lost ground in recent years.
  19. Marcelo
    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Marcellus
    • Meaning:

      "little warrior"
    • Description:

      Both the Spanish Marcelo and Italian Marcello would work well for children of any backgrounds. The name has been in the US Top 1000 consistently since the mid-90s and has been steadily climbing upwards. Deriving from the Roman family name, Marcellus, itself a diminutive of Marcus, Marcelo currently ranks above Marcello and Marcel in the states.
  20. Cesar
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "head of hair"
    • Description:

      Cesar is the sleeker version of Caesar, as in emperor Julius, used in the US most frequently by Hispanic parents who put the emphasis on the second syllable. With ancient Roman names back in vogue, Cesar might become more popular.