Spanish Names for Boys, 2022 Edition
Spanish names for boys are more popular in the US than ever before, with Spanish boy names used both in the Hispanic community and crossing over to achieve widespread popularity.
Nameberry's audience includes Spanish-speaking countries around the world along with countries where Spanish may not be the primary language but Spanish names fit an international style. The Top 20 Spanish names for boys on Nameberry currently are:
Arlo
Hugo
Mateo
Joaquin
Marco
Diego
Rafael
Inigo
Leonardo
Teo
Lorenzo
Leandro
Santiago
Valentino
Cruz
Emilio
Antonio
Rio
Sol
Francisco
The most popular Spanish names for boys in the US include Mateo, Angel, Jose, and Santiago. Many of the most familiar Spanish boys' names end with the letter O, which in itself has been a major trend and has helped boost the popularity of baby names of Spanish origin.
Along with Mateo and Angel, other Spanish boy names in the US Top 1000 include Leonardo, Diego, Luis, Antonio, Miguel, Gael, Alejandro, and Lorenzo. Other Hispanic baby boy names include the dashing celebrity-influenced Joaquin along with Nameberry's Number 1 Arlo, which counts Spanish and Basque among its international origins.
Baby boy names popular in Spain and Latin America include Hugo, Pablo, Alvaro, Mario, Manuel, and Javier. Other intriguing and unique Spanish names for boys in style today include Dario, Thiago, Gonzalo, and Izan.
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- Arlo
Origin:
Irish or EnglishMeaning:
"between two hills"Description:
Arlo has many possible derivations along with its Irish and English roots. It may be a shortened form of the Italian name Carlo or the Spanish Carlos, and in Basque-speaking regions it is the word for area. In English, Arlo was used as a place name, Arlo Hill, by Edmund Spenser in his epic poem The Faerie Queene and is thought to derive from the Celtic word Aherlow, meaning “between two highlands.”
- Hugo
Origin:
Latinized form of HughMeaning:
"mind, intellect"Description:
Hugo, the Latin form of Hugh, has more heft and energy than the original -- and of course we love names that end (or begin, for that matter) with an o. This one is especially appealing because it's backed up by lots of solid history and European style.
- Mateo
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
Mateo is a Latinate form of Matthew, which derived from the Hebrew name Mattiyahu, consisting of the elements mattan, meaning "gift" and yah, which references the Hebrew God. Mateo can also be spelled Matteo, which is the Italian variation. Matheo is an archaic Spanish spelling, although it is used in France as Mathéo.
- Marco
Origin:
Italian and Spanish form of MarkMeaning:
"warlike"Description:
Simple and universal, Marco is a Latin classic that would make a much livelier namesake for an Uncle Mark. It was used for her son by actress Jill Hennessy and goes well with surnames of any nationality.
- Rafael
Origin:
Spanish variation of RaphaelMeaning:
"God has healed"Description:
Rafael is perhaps the ultimate romantic Latino name, not a bad gift to give your son. The Raphael spelling is the original Hebrew version.
- Diego
Origin:
Spanish variation of JamesMeaning:
"supplanter"Description:
The energetic Diego is rising rapidly along with a lot of other authentically Spanish baby names that work perfectly well with surnames of any origin.
- Archibald
Origin:
Scottish from GermanMeaning:
"truly brave"Description:
The short form Archie is so open and friendly --and very trendy in the British Isles--that some parents are now beginning to consider the formerly fusty Archibald as well. SNL comedians Amy Poehler and Will Arnett are one couple who made this breakthrough choice.
- Santiago
Origin:
Place-name or LatinMeaning:
"Saint James"Description:
Santiago is a spirited Spanish name with great crossover potential: a place-name (it's a city in Chile), a surname, and the patron saint of Spain. It's a name on the rise in the charts.
- Leonardo
Origin:
Italian and Spanish variation of Leonard, GermanMeaning:
"brave lion"Description:
For centuries this name was associated primarily with the towering figure of Italian Renaissance painter-scientist-inventor Leonardo da Vinci, and was scarcely used outside the Latin culture.
- Teo
Origin:
Diminutive of Teodoro, SpanishMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
An international take on Theo that would be easily wearable for a child in the US. Teo is traditionally a nickname for Theodore, but like Theo can stand on its own.
- Lorenzo
Origin:
Italian variation of LaurenceMeaning:
"from Laurentium"Description:
Latinizing Lawrence gives it a whole new lease on life. Like Leonardo, Lorenzo has been integrated into the American stockpot of names, partly via actor Lorenzo Lamas. Other associations are with Lorenzo de' Medici, the Florentine Renaissance merchant prince and art patron, Renaissance artists Ghiberti and Lotto, and the upstanding young man who married Shylock's daughter Jessica in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.
- Joaquin
Origin:
Spanish variation of JoachimMeaning:
"God will judge"Description:
Actor Joaquin Phoenix (brother of River, Rain, Liberty and Summer) highlighted this one, then Kelly Ripa began talking about younger son Joaquin on her daily TV show, and presto—it's now one of the hottest and most appealing multicultural baby boy names.
- Inigo
Origin:
Basque, medieval Spanish variation of IgnatiusMeaning:
"fiery"Description:
Inigo, almost unknown in the U.S., is an intriguing choice, with its strong beat, creative and evocative sound, and associations with the great early British architect and stage designer Inigo Jones. The sixteenth-seventeenth century Jones shared his name with his father, a London clockmaker, who received it when Spanish names for boys were fashionable in England, especially among devout Roman Catholics.
- Emilio
Origin:
Spanish and Italian variation of EmilMeaning:
"rival"Description:
Dashing and popular Italian and Spanish favorite, as is Emiliano.
- Cruz
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"cross"Description:
For a single-syllable Latino surname, this new popular kid on the block packs a lot of energy and charm and is one of the most stylish Spanish names for boys in general use today. Victoria and David Beckham named their third son Cruz, following Brooklyn and Romeo, and it was also picked up on by tennis star Lleyton Hewitt for his son. Other parents may prize its Christian associations.
- Sol
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"sun"Description:
Although pinochle-playing partner Sam came out of retirement, we don't see it happening to Sol. Near soundalike Saul has more of a shot.
- Rio
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"river"Description:
Rio is a reductive ranchero place-name with an attractive Tex-Mex lilt. No Doubt's Tom Dumont has a son named Rio Atticus.
- Antonio
Origin:
Spanish and Italian variation of AnthonyDescription:
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.
- Raul
Origin:
Spanish variation of RalphMeaning:
"wolf counsel"Description:
Raul and French brother Raoul are much more appealing than flat-footed daddy Ralph. Puerto Rican actor Raul Julia, who starred in the Addams Family movies, brought fame to the name before his death in 1994.
- Leandro
Origin:
Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian variation of LeanderDescription:
Leandro is the Portuguese, Italian, and Spanish variant of the English name Leander. A blend of two Latin words (Leo "lion" and Andro "man"), Leandro is a name that suggests its bearer has strength and power. Despite this very masculine meaning, Leandro also has a long romantic history, beginning with the myth of Hero and Leander (Ero et Leandro in Latin) to being an important figure in the history of the beautiful Spanish city of Seville.