689 Spanish Boy Names (With Meanings & Popularity)

Ishmael is most familiar through "Call me Ishmael," the opening line spoken by the youthful narrator of Moby-Dick. Few American parents have followed that advice, though the Spanish and Arabic spelling, Ismael, ranks at Number 362. With its warm and pleasant sound, though, we could see Ishmael tagging along behind Isaiah and Isaac.

Tavo is a stylish-sounding short form of an antique name.

Widely used in the Hispanic community, as is the shorter Isai. While the original Isaiah and cousin Isaac are much more popular, Isaias commanded attention as the name of a storm in the summer of 2020.

Alonso is the Spanish and Portuguese diminutive version of Alfonso, itself deriving from an old Germanic name "Adalfuns" meaning "noble and ready." Although the Italian spelling Alonzo is more popular in the US, Alonso has its own strong history.

Richard is far from fashionable, but Ricardo is one of the most popular Spanish names for boys in the US. And it does sound far more appealing that the English version.

Softer and smoother than Alexander, this classic Spanish name for boys has made a seamless transition to this culture. Adding to its current impact: the Lady Gaga song Alejandro .

The final o adds a macho touch.

Relaxed western place-name that still has some masculine punch, but be warned: this whole posse of similarly trendy names, like Sierra and Dakota, will soon ride toward the sunset.

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.

More familiar to English speakers in the Italian Elio form.

A shiny and sylvan choice, this sleek yet spirited name feels familiar yet is rarely used.

A Hispanic classic that has lost some momentum in recent years. It could be misunderstood by some as Jamie -- which is how it's pronounced on Game of Thrones.

This is a Spanish variation of Maximilian that has begun to gain some popularity. It has a luxurious feel -- maybe it's the suggestion of "millions"? -- but this is one of those Spanish baby names that come with Anglicized nicknames that can make it work across cultures.

From the saintly name Eligius, Eloi is popular in Catalonia but rarely used by English speakers. There's potential for confusion with Eli - and with the Aramaic word eloi, said to mean "my God", which appears in the bible.

Adan is one of those names that feels familiar because it is in fact a variation of several other names. Used in Hispanic cultures, it is a form of Adam, more conventionally spelled with an accent as Adán. In English, it can be seen as a spelling variant of the uber-popular Aidan, Aiden, Aden, etc., while in Arabic, it is a unisex choice, and alternative form of Eden.

Iago, the villain of Shakespeare's Othello, was so treacherously evil that his name has hardly ever been heard offstage. Try the much-more-benign Inigo.

What with Paul Simon's classic lyric about Julio down by the schoolyard and several distinguished bearers, this livelier Spanish version of Julius is completely familiar to the non-Hispanic community and would make a great choice for a bicultural family. Popular in Brazil, it also ranks in the US Top 600 and given to more than 500 boys each year. NFL Atlanta Falcons star Julio Jones bears this name.

A more romantic form of old school Clement, which ranks in the Top 100 boy names in Chile. Clemente, like Clement, derives from the Late Latin name Clemens, the name of 14 popes and several saints.

One of the most popular Spanish names for boys in the US, Javier is embodied for many Americans in the magnetic persona of Spanish-born Oscar-nominated actor Javier Bardem.

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.