Spanish Baby Name Basics

Baby names in spanish and what they tell us

We have to admit that some spanish baby name should have only been keep while they were a baby and not for an adult person. Or maybe a name from a fairytale that seems to have been invented to sound funny, horrifying or strange yet somebody´s parents decided to name their child like that.

Most spanish boy name have come from the Bible which has Greek, Hebrew, Germanic and Latin bases. Names like Jacob-Jacobo, David, Adam o Isaac are frequently used in Spanish boy name but have not been spelt differently. Others were given names of famous writers, philosophers or discoverers with the hope that the name of this person would influence on their character and that their great knowledge would somehow be a part of them because they have the same name. Others, especially spanish boy name, thanks to the masculine, ´macho´ dominance that has always prevailed, have names of war heroes and feel that they have to live up to this name. And a name in spanish can just have come from the adorable grandma or grandpa, or mom and dad so that their is more confusion at home when someone calls and we have to ask, “ Peter, granddad, father or son”!

How other countries baby names came to be a name in spanish

Many times when we hear a name, we know that even though it is pronounced in that particular language, its origin has come from another country. With all the wars and invasion that had gone on in the world, and the intermarriages of people, it is inevitable that a Germanic name only remained in Germany or the same with Scandanavian or French names. With royal families between the French and German, names like Charles-Carlos, Louis-Luis, Henry-Enrique or Frederick-Federico came to Spain. Old English names such as Edward-Eduardo or William-Guillermo or a Scandanavian name like Gustav-Gustavo have also become part of the spanish name.

Boy name in spanish and what they tell us

The meaning of some spanish name are the following:

• Alejandro – protector of men
• Alvaro – extremely cautious
• Andres – manly, courageous
• Antonio – worthy of praise
• Esteban – crown
• Federico – peaceful ruler
• Manuel – God is with us
• Noe – peace, rest

Yet others are compound spanish baby names:

• Ric/ardo – powerful / hardy

and some have two: the full and a nickname in the local dialect:

• Jose – Pepe
• Ignacio – Nacho
• Santiago – Chemo

Whatever name your parents have given you, it is your life time identification and you should be proud to have the spanish baby name you have.