Afonso

What's the difference between Alexander, the usual English spelling of this deeply classical name, and Alexandre, the French version? English speakers might find the proper French pronunciation challenging: a-lehk-SAHN-dreh, but that last syllable is barely pronounced. Americans might an an a or an ee on the end of the name, or simply pronounce it as Alexander, for better or worse.

Alexandre

Ambrosia combines some of the more whimsical qualities of more popular Aurora and Isabella, with a heavenly meaning. 

In Greek mythology, Ambrosia was not a goddess or other figure but literally the food and drink of the gods, said to confer immortality. The Ancient Greek word ambrosios, meaning immortal, gave rise to the Latin name Ambrosius, which became the modern Ambrose.

Only a dozen baby girls were named Ambrosia in the US in the most recent year counted.

Ambrosia

Amelia is one of the hottest <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls' names</a>, a successor to the megapopular Emma and Emily. Amelia, which spent several years at Number 1 in England, is now comfortably ensconced in the US Top 10.
 
Now the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/a">girl name starting with A</a>, Amelia is also a Top 10 girls' name in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland and Poland. So while Emilia and Emelia are sound-alike names, it's the Amelia version that's on the fast track. 
 
Amelia is derived from the German name Amalia, which in turn is a variation of Amalberga. The root, amal, is a Germanic word meaning "work," and in the context of female given names suggests themes of fertility as well as productivity. Aemilia, the name from which Emily is derived, is unrelated to Amelia.
 
Kids might associate Amelia with the wacky children's book character Amelia Bedelia, while adults could appreciate it as the eponymous heroine of the Henry Fielding novel. Amelia also appears in novels by Trollope and Thackeray, as a Harry Potter name, and as detective Amelia Peabody in the Elizabeth Peters series. Angelina Jolie played patrol cop Amelia Donaghy in The Bone Collector.
 
Amelia became a British royal name via the daughters of Kings George II and III. American heroes who have inspired a new generation of namesakes are aviatrix Amelia Earhart and feminist Amelia Bloomer.
 
Trivia tidbit: Amelia is the birth name of Minnie Driver.

Amelia

Confident and compact, Ana is a widely used variation of the Biblical Hannah. Favored in Spain, Slovenia, Bosnia, Portugal, and Croatia, this shorter spelling has the same substance and versatility of its longer counterparts. 
 
Derived from channah meaning "grace", Ana is one of the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/495/spanish-names-for-girls">Spanish names for girls</a> in the US.
 
While the Biblical Hannah still remains the preferred choice in the States, with classic Anna not too far behind, Ana is still given to more than 1300 girls every year - and occasionally to a handful of boys.
 
Notable namesakes include Cuban actress Ana de Armas of Knives Out and James Bond fame; singer Ana Matronic of The Scissor Sisters; tennis player Ana Ivanovic; romance writer Ana Huang and many more.
 
While its use as a slang term will put some parents off, its concise, international feel may be very appealing to others, especially with other 3-letter favorites like Ivy, and Mia ranking so highly.
 
If you do love Ana but want to explore more options, other Hannah variants include Anya, Annika, and Anouk. If it's the brevity of it that you like, Lia, Aya, Ida, and Lua might be places to start.

Antonia is stronger than most feminized <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ names</a>, reflecting the pioneer spirit of Willa Cather's classic novel My Antonia. Antonia is hovering near the bottom of the US popularity list, which may be an excellent reason for you to use it.
 Antonia was borne by several prominent women in ancient Rome, including the mother of the Emperor Claudius. A recent distinguished namesake is British historian/biographer Lady Antonia Fraser. It is also the full name of actress Nia Vardalos.

Antonia

Antonio is a Shakespearean favorite -- the Bard used it in no less than five of his plays, and has long been a ubiquitous classic in Spanish-speaking countries, where the nickname Tonio is also prevalent. Antonio is also among an elite group of perennially popular names in the US, where it has always been among the boys' Top 1000 since baby name record-keeping started in 1880.

Antonio

With the current craze for ancient Roman names, variations of the Latin Augustus with its majestic meaning are becoming more popular in many cultures. Month name August, also drawn from the original Augustus, is the most popular form in the US, but Augusto may start showing up on international popularity lists.

Augusto

Aldegundes

Assuncao

Baltasar

Barbara is back! Among the fastest-rising names of 2023, Barbara came back from oblivion at the very bottom of the Top 1000, gaining nearly 100 places on the popularity list.
 
Credit 2023's breakout movie Barbie, which gave a new stylish feel to the classic Barbara. Rooted in ancient Greek and ranking in the Top 10 in the US throughout the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, Barbara is now poised to become fashionable again for the next generation of babies.
 The name Barbara has the same root as the word barbarian, meaning stranger or foreigner. There is the popular third century St. Barbara, who was reputed to have been imprisoned in a tower and may have been the inspiration for Rapunzel. She became the patron of architects, stonemasons, fortifications, and geologists, and protects against fire and lightning.
 
Barbaras appear in works by Dickens and Thackeray and, most notably, as the idealistic protagonist of the George Bernard Shaw play Major Barbara. Noteworthy bearers include real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran, actress Barbara Stanwyck (born Ruby), novelist Barbara Pym, TV's Barbara Walters, and "My Name is Barbra" Streisand. Barbara Gordon was the original Batgirl in the comic books.
 And the of course there's Barbie, though today, Bebe, Bobbie, or even Babs might make a cuter retro nickname.

Barbara

Attractive translation of Beatrice, popular with Hispanic parents. Beatriz is currently a Top 10 girl name in Portugal.
 
The original Latin form of the name, Beatrix, was in early sources spelled Viatrix, meaning "voyager". They may have been two commonly-confused names, or the spelling could have been deliberately changed to resemble the Latin word beatus, "blessed". Either way, there is room for both meanings in this name's rich history.

Beatriz

Benedita is easy for an English speaker to pronounce yet sounds just uncommon enough to be intriguing. And with Benedict more in mainstream use, Benedita feels possible.

Benedita

Berengaria was one of the medieval queens of England - married to Richard I (also known as Richard the Lionheart). She was originally from Navarre (in modern northern Spain) and despite being the Queen of England, she only lived in England after her husband had died. Despite its royal roots, Berengaria is one of the less attractive medieval names, although it gets points for having an unusually strong meaning for a feminine name.

Berengaria

Branca

Carlos is the Spanish and Portuguese variation of Charles, which has been used in solid numbers in the US for as long as data has been kept. Carlos has never fallen out of the Top 600, but peaked from the 70s-early 2000s. Today Carlos is still within the Top 200. 

Notable namesakes include musician Santana, writers Fuentes and Castaneda, and numerous athletes. Carlos Irwin Estevez is the birth name of Charlie Sheen.

Carlos

One of the most popular names of all time in Portugal and Brazil, with a romantic, lively sound. The main risk is confusion with other names that sound similar: Catalina, Katrina, and so forth. Caterina, with an "e," is more common in Italy.

Catarina

Clara is a strong, lovely girls' name that's always ranked among the US Top 1000 girl names but has been climbing since the turn of this century. It now ranks right around Number 100, making it a modern classic that's neither too popular nor unfamiliar.
 
Long relegated to an Olde World backwater, the European-flavored Clara was long less fashionable than sleeker sister Claire. Now, though the vintage chic Clara is still less popular, it's arguably the more stylish of the two names. 
 Clara was a Top 10 name in the 1880's, at one time associated with the silent screen 'It Girl,' Clara Bow, and before that with German musician and composer Clara Schumann and Red Cross founder Clara Barton, who was born Clarissa.
 Clara is beloved for her leading role in The Nutcracker ballet and as Heidi's invalid friend. Actor Ewan McGregor was an early celebrity adopter of the name for one of his daughters.
 Other Clara variations you might want to consider include Clarissa and Clarina, though Clarabelle seems still fit mainly for cows.

Clara

The Spanish version, with its -eena ending, takes the name out of the Oh My Darlin' realm, which for many American parents may be just the thing.

Clementina

Conceicao

Constanca

Dinis

Diogo is the much-less-known brother of Diego, both forms of James, which is itself a form of the Biblical Jacob. And Diego itself probably started life as a short form of Santiago, aka Saint Jago, aka Saint James. 

That's a lot of variations for one name. In Diogo's case, Americans will forever mistake it for Diego, which was used for nearly 3000 baby boys in the US last year, while Diogo was given to fewer than five.

Diogo

Incredibly handsome and super smooth, Duarte sounds like it came straight out of a romance novel. You almost wouldn’t believe it’s derived from Edward.

Duarte

Doroteia

Eugenia, a name scarcely used at all since the 1980's, is another that flourished a century ago and could be due for a revival.
 Eugenia has some interesting literary references, including the fascinating Baroness Eugenie Munster in Henry James's The Europeans and Eugenia Alabaster, a leading character in A. S. Byatt's Angels and Insects, and it was also the birth name of Skeeter in the book and film The Help.
 The third century St. Eugenia, an early Roman Christian martyr, is remembered for disguising herself as a man to escape persecution.
 Music lovers will be familiar with the name of renowned flute virtuoso Eugenia Zukerman.

Eugenia

The name of four popes and several saints: a promising Italian import. 

Eugenio

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.

Fernando

Filipa

Filipe

Spanish and Portuguese form of Frances or Francesca

Francisca

Francisco is one of the more popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/496/spanish-names-for-boys">Spanish names for boys</a> in the US, which is unsurprising given its popularity back in Spain and Portugal as well as Latin America, coupled with its classic status. It also has a cool hipster vibe to it, given the reputation of the city of San Francisco.

Francisco

Gloria is beginning to move beyond its de-glamorized Grandma image, most recently thanks to glamorous young Hollywood parents Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard, who chose it for their second daughter. Gyllenhaal was quoted as saying they had been inspired by Patti Smith's rendition of the Van Morrison song "Gloria" at a concert and thought " 'We'll name our daughter that one day'."
 George Bernard Shaw was one of the first to use this form of the ancient Latin name GLORIANA in his 1898 play You Never Can Tell It was a Top 25 name in the Gloria (born Josephine) Swanson era of the 1920s,--reaching as high as Number 20 in 1925-26) and held on in the Top 50 until 1955.
 Most prominent current adult bearers: Gloria Steinem and Gloria Estefan. Glorias have also figured prominently in TV sitcoms--as Archie and Edith's only child on All in the Family and the sexpot character played by Sofia Vergara on Modern Family.

Gloria

Henrique

Isabel derived from Elizabeth in southwest Europe during the Middle Ages. It was originally written as Elisabel, but the first syllable was dropped as it spread across the continent. In Spain and Portugal, Isabel and Elizabeth are considered to be variations of the same name, but they are treated as separate names in other European countries and the US.
 
The charming Isabel is hugely fashionable again, a century after its first wave of success. And it's easy to see why: it's ladylike (a la Isabel Archer in Henry James's Portrait of a Lady) and melodic, traditional yet slightly offbeat. Isabel sounds smart as well as pretty. 
 Two noted cultural namesakes are Chilean author Isabel Allende and painter Isabel Bishop, as well as Cuban-American fashion designer Isabel Toledo.
 The only downside: with Isabella's recent popularity, there are so many other little Isabels, Isabelles, Isabellas, Belles, and Bellas, yours would be far from unique.
 The Office's Angela Kinsley named her baby girl Isabel, and Annette Bening and Warren Beatty have a teen-aged Isabel.
 Isabelle is the French version, Isabella the Italian one, and Isobel the Scottish spelling, which has a definite character of her own, the 'o' giving her an extra infusion of strength. 
 Nifty nicknames include Izzy, Ibby, Isa and Belle.

Isabel

Way before January Jones made this month a fashionable girls' name, there was Princess Januaria of Brazil, daughter of the King of Portugal and the Archduchess of Austria. One of the most pointed yet most original <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/629/71-wonderful-names-for-january-babies">January baby names</a>.

Januaria

Joana

Jose is as widespread in the Hispanic community as Joseph and Joe are elsewhere in the U.S., though its numbers here are starting to decrease somewhat. Jose is one of those <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/161/spanish-names">Spanish baby names</a> that has never crossed over into the Anglo naming culture.
 The Spanish and Portuguese version of Joseph, Jose has legions of famous bearers, both past and present, from baseball's Jose Conseco to opera's Jose Carreras, to musician Jose Feliciano to actor Jose Ferrer.
 Peppy nicknames include Pepe, Pepito, Peppino and Che.

Jose

Josefa

Joao

This streamlined variation of Eleanor is common in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries, particularly Portugal itself, where it has ranked among the Top 3 baby girl names for over a decade.

In Spain, Leonor is the name of the princess -- Leonor de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Ortiz, Princess of Asturias -- who is the heir presumptive to the Spanish throne.

The "lioness" meaning is given because of Leonor's similarity to Leona or Leonie, names with a Latin root meaning lioness. But technically, Leonor is a variation of Eleanor, one of the most prominent names with an unknown meaning.

Leonor

Properly spelt Lourenço, this is the Portuguese form of Laurence.

Lourenco

Luis has long been one of the most popular Hispanic names in America — it was in the Top 100 every year from 1980 to 2014, though it's dropped a bit in popularity. It's familiar, yet would add a worldly touch to a basic surname. 
 Luis has many notable namesakes, from film director Luis Bunuel to baseball Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio.

Luis

This streamlined Italian and Spanish spelling of Louisa is currently very popular in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Portugal, where it's usually spelt Luísa.

Luisa

Mafalda is nearly unknown in the English-speaking world, despite an appearance in Harry Potter. Indeed, it does have a witchy feel.  Matilda itself is preferable, or her French form Mathilde, Spanish Matilde, or abbreviation Maud.

Mafalda

Popular among Hispanic communities but also used internationally, Manuel is a name with a regal history. 
 
In use since the 13th century, Manuel was likely brought to Spain and Portugal from the Byzantine Empire thanks to connections between their royal families. Borne by two Byzantine emperors and two Portuguese kings, Manuel has been used fairly consistently throughout history and into the present.

In the US, Manuel has been a staple feature in the Top 1000 since the data began to be collected in the late 19th century. Until recently, this Spanish variant had always outranked its English counterpart, but since the mid 2000s, Manuel has been in decline while Emmanuel has been on the rise.

Still in the Top 500, but at its lowest ever rank, Manuel is currently given to around 1000 boys each year in the States.
 
Across the globe, Manuel has fared better. It remains well used in Spain, Portugal and Italy, across South America, and in The Netherlands and Germany too.

Manny and Manu are popular nickname options, with Manu gaining traction as a stand-alone choice in The Netherlands.

Manuel

Manuela is one feminine form that's more energetic than the male original, and is worth considering if you're seeking an easily assimilated Spanish name.
 In the 1948 film The Pirate, set in the Caribbean village of Calvados, Judy Garland plays a spirited senorita named Manuela. Manuela Santos is a fictional character in Degrassi: The Next Generation and there is a Manuela in the James Bond film Moonraker.

Manuela

This Portuguese version of Marguerite, Margherita, or Margaret is not a chic as the French, nor as fresh as the Italian, and not as familiar as the English.

Margarida

As a highly popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ name</a> in all Spanish-speaking countries, this saintly Latin variation of Mary retains a timeless beauty. Through the centuries, Maria remains one of the most widely-used <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/m">girl names starting with M</a>.
 This widespread name understandably has produced notable namesakes in almost every field – opera's Maria Callas (born Sophia Cecelia), tennis's Sharapova, education's Montessori, ad infinitum. And she's been celebrated in song as well, from Ave Maria to the eponymous song in West Side Story to "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" in The Sound of Music. 
While the usual English pronunciation these days is the same as it is in non-English-speaking countries – mah-REE-ah – the British used to pronounce it mah-RYE-ah, like Mariah Carey.

 Maria ultimately dervies from the Hebrew name Maryam/Mariam. The original meaning of Maryam is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).

Maria

The original versions of Micaela have morphed into all manner of "inventive" spellings -- Makayla, McKalla et al -- but we prefer the genuine international versions, like this one.

Micaela

Mike Tyson put a twist on his own name by naming a son Miguel. It's the first name of Cervantes, the great Spanish novelist and poet who wrote Don Quixote.

Miguel has always charted in the US, but peaked in the 80s and 90s along with other classic Hispanic names such as Jesus, Luis, and Jorge.

Older Gen Zs may know of the popular PBS kids show from the early 2000s, Maya and Miguel, while kids today have the adorable, guitar-playing Miguel from the sensational Pixar film Coco.

Miguel

A name that refers to a title of the Virgin Mary -- "Maria des Neves," or Maria of Snows. 

Neves

Paula still seems somewhat stuck in the era of duo Paul and Paula bopping out the song "Hey, Paula." Two pronunciations are possible—the English "PAW-la" and the Portuguese "POW-la."
 Modern bearers of the name include singer-songwriter Paula Abdul and comedian Paula Poundstone, as well as a character on My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Paula is still a common choice in Puerto Rico.

Paula

Pedro is one of the most familiar <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/496/spanish-names-for-boys">Spanish names for boys</a>, via baseball star Pedro Rodriguez and many others. 

Like its Anglo equivalent Peter, Pedro is not as popular as it once was. But it's among the elite group of boys' names that has ALWAYS ranked among the US Top 1000.

That final O sound, so fashionable today, gives this name an extra spin of style.

Pedro

Raimundo

Sancha of Leon was an 11th century princess who became Queen of Spain after her brother was killed by Ferdinand I, whom she then married. A twisted tale indeed, but Sancha is one of those names that is both historic and extremely rare -- no babies were named Sancha or Sancho in the US in 2021. Sancho Panza was the sidekick of the fictional Don Quixote.

Sancha

Name of nine provincial Spanish kings, but more likely to conjure up Sancho Panza, the hapless squire of Don Quixote. 

Sancho

Sebastiao

Teodosio

How do you spell Teresa? Teresa, the simpler phonetic form of this name, was the most popular variation for its early life, when it was used exclusively in Spain and Portugal. Other spellings of Teresa include Theresa, the usual English form, and the French Therese.
 
Teresa and all its variations are far off their mid-20th-century peak now, though the name has many worthy namesakes including Saint Teresa and Mother Teresa. Short forms Tess and Tessa are now more fashionable.

Teresa

The pronunciation may be slightly different—toe-MAHS—though some parents use this as a phonetic spelling of Thomas.

Tomas

Urraca was the name of many infantas and queens of several medieval Iberian kingdoms (most notably Leon). Despite its royal roots, Urraca is one of the names best left to the history books.

Urraca

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.


Vicente

Vitoria

thesilenceinbetween's list "Portuguese Royal Baby Names" of 65 great name ideas: Afonso - Vitoria!

Portuguese Royal Baby Names

Names given to the (legitimate) children of Portuguese monarchs.