Rare Spanish Girl Names

Camala

Camala is a feminine name with multiple potential origins. It may be a variant spelling of Kamala, which has Sanskrit roots meaning 'lotus flower' and is associated with the Hindu goddess Lakshmi.…

Chara

Greek

"joy"

Chara is the name of a star in a constellation that represents hunting dogs, recently named as one of the most likely to host extraterrestrial life. Also, Chara is a variation of both Sarah and…

Claudina

Spanish variation of Claudia, Latin

"lame"

Claudina — a traditional Spanish diminutive of Claudia — was a Top 500 name in Spain for the first half of the 20th century. It never caught on as a given name in the US. At its peak, Claudina was…

Consuelo

Spanish from Latin

"she who brings consolation"

Consuelo is a chic, highly sophisticated Spanish name that works well with Anglo surnames. It was regularly on the U.S. popularity list through 1983, reaching as high as Number 339 in 1930. The name…

Alba

Latin, Germanic, Spanish , Italian., "white, light; elf; dawn"

"white, light; elf; dawn"

Bright, lively, and multicultural, Alba has the vintage mellowness of Alma but spirited feel of Ebba, Phoebe, and Pippa too. Derived from multiple different sources, a recent year saw it appear as a…

Alexia

Diminutive of Alexandria, Greek

"defending men"

This diminutive, similar to Alex or Alexis, has been yo-yoing in popularity since the turn of the 21st century.

Ariadna

Spanish, Catalan, Russian, Polish variation of Ariadne, Greek

"most holy"

Romantic and elegant but tough and sparky at the same time, Ariadna is a variation of the Greek Ariadne, predominantly used among Spanish speakers. In Greek mythology, Ariadne was the daughter of…

Aroa

Basque

"era, time"

Part of a group of lovely A-starting names popular in Spain, along with Ainhoa and Aitana. Spanish actress Aroa Gimeno introduced this one.

Berta

Spanish, Catalan, Italian, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Slovene, Scandinavian variation of Bertha

"bright"

A pan-European variant of Bertha and nickname for -berta ending names, such as Alberta and Roberta. It's certainly much more appealing than its predecessor, but unlikely to become a hit in the US…

Blanca

Spanish

"white"

More colorful than Blanche, but blanker than Bianca.

Carlota

Spanish, Portuguese variation of Charlotte

"free man; Frenchman"

Carlota is the preferred version of Charlotte in Spain and Portugal, each where it ranks among the Top 50 most popular girl names. Carlotta, with two Ts, is the Italian spelling.

Ciara

Irish

"little dark one"

Ciara is very popular in Ireland, more familiar here as the Anglicized Kiera or Keira. The uninitiated will tend to pronounce Ciara as the Italian Chiara, a form of Claire—kee-AHR-a or even…

Cristina

Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, and Romanian variation of Christina, Greek

"a Christian"

Cristina is one case where the streamlined version feels more alluring. Cristina is found more often than Christina in many European countries and cultures, including Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking…

Gala

Russian and Slavic feminine form of Galina

Festive name of the wife of Salvador Dali. In Spanish, Gala comes from the Roman name Galla, a feminine form of Gallus meaning "rooster" or "a person from Gaul".

Ines

Italian, Portuguese, Slovene and Croatian variation of Agnes

"pure, virginal"

This form of Agnes, Ines has always been popular since the true story of the thwarted lovers Queen Ines of Castro and King Peter of Portugal. This has to be one of the most heartbreaking and bloody…

Iria

Portuguese variation of Eirene

"peace"

Iria is a diminutive version of Eirene / Irene and is therefore associated with the Greek goddess of peace.

Jana

International feminine variation of Jan

A sweet name with many cross-cultural ties: it's an equivalent of Jane in languages including Czech, Slovak, Dutch, German, Slovene, Catalan, Estonian, and Latvian.

Laia

Catalan diminutive of Eulalia

"sweet-speaking"

Saint Eulalia was born in Spain and is the patron saint of Barcelona, so her name and its derivatives are popular throughout the land — especially in her native Catalonia.

Leire

Basque place name

Also spelled Leyre and taken from the name of a monastery fortress, the popular and lilting choice in Spain will pose pronunciation problems elsewhere. Among the Top 100 girls' names in Spain, Leire…

Crisanta

Spanish from Greek

"golden flower, chrysanthemum"

Crisanta, while not related to Christine, would make a pretty and highly unusual alternative to that tried-and-true name. Because of its relationship to the chrysanthemum, the flower of the month of…