Do these Spanish names cross over to English-speakers?

[veggiemama]

Hi there!

My husband and I both speak Spanish as a second language (English being first), although our families do not. Neither of us have latino/hispanic heritage. It is likely that once we leave New Zealand we will be living in a Spanish-speaking country, although many of our friends and all of our family reside in the US.

There are a few Spanish word names that we are considering for either first or middle names. Wondering if you non-Spanish speakers (and Spanish speakers too) might offer your opinion. Too difficult? Too out there? Cute, strong, etc.?

Girls:
Feliz- (pronounced: feh-LEES) meaning: happy
Jardín- (pronounced: har-DEEN) meaning: garden
Río- (pronounce: REE-oh) meaning: river

Boys:
Bosque- (pronounce: BOS-kay) meaning: forest
Arbol- (pronounce: AR-bohl) meaning: tree

[divedeep118]

I think you'll have a lot of pronunciation issues with Jardin... people will probably pronounce it pretty close to Jordan.
I could see Feliz working, maybe better as a middle name though? And I see Rio as more of a boys name, probably just because of the -o ending.
You might get pronunciation problems with Bosque too. And I just don't like the sound of Arbol as a name... but that's just me.
I'm not sure if I've been any help at all, but oh well :P

[thetxbelle]

I know it depends on what Spanish speaking country you might live in but I have a theory that countries whose culture and naming traditions are steeped in Catholicism think a majority of name words are a bad idea/absurd because at one point naming a child was serious business. I dont know that this is the case but if this is true then your child might face some teasing for having a name that's an every day word from a culture that theyre technically is not a part of.

As for the names themselves I live in a large hispanic community and enough of them are used as place names or food products so I recognize them and can pronounce them even though I dont speak Spanish. I think Jardin and Feliz work best. I dont care for Bosque or Arbol though.

[kerrie]

I would have problems with most of the names initially, but I took French, not Spanish, so that doesn't help

[hayleysaunt]

I love Arbol, its such a great name! I very much like Rio as well, for a boy or a girl. I think the j/h pronunciation is an issue for American English speakers at least, but that once you correct it, it's fine and most people get it.

Bosque is going to be harder - most people will likely pronounce it bosk with 1 syllable rather than 2. Feliz could work as well, after an initial correction. Most people in English-speaking places will probbaly be more familiar with the spelling Felice.

[elainelea]

That is a tricky situation! I like Río for a girl a lot, and Bosque for a boy, although I think it could easily be mispronounced. Some others I thought of are
Girls: Reina, Azul, Esperanza, Mariposa
Boys: Mar, Azul,
Obviously, I had an easier time with girls names! Hope this helps

[thetxbelle]

@elainelea Mariposa is slang for a bad word to call gay men (it's probably obvious) there are different variations of Spanish so I dont know if thats mainly slang used in Mexico/Texas or if other Spanish speakers say it too but I wouldnt put it on a names list since Ive overheard it :/

[scribe]

Hi there!

My husband and I both speak Spanish as a second language (English being first), although our families do not. Neither of us have latino/hispanic heritage. It is likely that once we leave New Zealand we will be living in a Spanish-speaking country, although many of our friends and all of our family reside in the US.

There are a few Spanish word names that we are considering for either first or middle names. Wondering if you non-Spanish speakers (and Spanish speakers too) might offer your opinion. Too difficult? Too out there? Cute, strong, etc.?

Girls:
Feliz- (pronounced: feh-LEES) meaning: happy
Jardín- (pronounced: har-DEEN) meaning: garden
Río- (pronounce: REE-oh) meaning: river

Boys:
Bosque- (pronounce: BOS-kay) meaning: forest
Arbol- (pronounce: AR-bohl) meaning: tree

Bosque is a little out there but cool. I would keep it as a middle.
Arbol can come across as "herbal" when spoken in a latin accent to an English-speaker. Try it and see if you can understand my meaning.

Feliz is close to "Felice" or "Felicia." It's not a terrible first or last name. It has a hint of familiarity in both sound and in writing. Considering it is highly probable that you will move to Spanish-speaking country, Feliz will be very recognizable.
And your family can at least appreciate how close it is to "Felicia."

Jardin. To be honest, it sounds like "Harden" and I don't think that will fare well in some grown up circles. And in French, it's pronounced "JAR-dahn" but is spelled the same way without the accent on the "i."
This may or may not bother you when encountering a French-speaker (depending on which Spanish-speaking country you end up living in).

Rio is simple yet it means something cool like river. It would make a nice first or middle name. You have a place in Brazil called, "Rio de Janiero" that puts it on the map for useability. Go for it.

And that's all for now.

Were there more you thought about?

[amarette]

I speak Spanish and English, and live very near the border of Texas and Mexico. I can easily pronounce all the names you have chosen, however there are all just words to me. I can see how you chose these names based on meaning, but unlike most names these are just literal translations. There are a few names I have come across that you might consider: Flor (flower), Esperanza (hope), Luna (moon), Dulce (candy, sweet), and Estrella (star). I really hope you find a name that works for your situation.

[ybp]

I know it depends on what Spanish speaking country you might live in but I have a theory that countries whose culture and naming traditions are steeped in Catholicism think a majority of name words are a bad idea/absurd because at one point naming a child was serious business. I dont know that this is the case but if this is true then your child might face some teasing for having a name that's an every day word from a culture that theyre technically is not a part of

I agree completely. The nontraditional word name thing never took hold in Spanish-speaking countries. None of the words on your list is ever used as a first name in Spanish. You may not even be allowed to use those words as names by law! Some countries have official name lists that you have to choose from. For example, here's a link to Argentina's list: http://www.buenosaires.gov.ar/regist...php?offset=750 None of the words you suggested appears on the Civil Registry list.

If you'd like to ease your children's assimilation into a Spanish-speaking society, I urge you to use a traditional name. There are plenty that work in both languages.