Chihuahua Names

  1. MinnieHeart
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Wilhelmina
    • Meaning:

      "resolute protection"
    • Description:

      Minnie was wildly popular at the turn of the last century — it was the fifth or sixth most popular name throughout the 1880s — but is completely obscure today. Blame Mickey's girlfriend. Regardless, it's possible that the up and coming trend toward old-fashioned nickname-names — think Maisie, Mamie, Millie — may give Minnie (all on its own, not as a short form of anything) a new moment in the sun. Minnie Driver (born Amelia) has given it some modern celeb cred.
  2. SantiagoHeart
    • Origin:

      Place-name or Latin
    • Meaning:

      "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.
  3. MariaHeart
    • Origin:

      Hebrew or Egyptian
    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
    • Description:

      As a highly popular girls’ name in all Spanish-speaking countries, this saintly Latin variation of Mary retains a timeless beauty. Through the centuries, Maria remains one of the most widely-used girl names starting with M.
  4. FranciscoHeart
    • Origin:

      Spanish, Portuguese
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      Francisco is one of the more popular Spanish names for boys in the US, which is unsurprising given its popularity back in Spain and Portugal as well as Latin America, coupled with its classic status. It also has a cool hipster vibe to it, given the reputation of the city of San Francisco.
  5. ValeriaHeart
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "strength, health"
    • Description:

      Valeria -- the original form of the name, used by early Christians --has been experiencing significant popularity in recent years. While Valeria was nearly always on the charts, the name peaked in 2009 at #72, surpassing the longtime Franco-American version Valerie. Today Valeria and Valerie are at about equal rankings, sitting in the 150s.
  6. CarmenHeart
    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Carmel
    • Meaning:

      "garden"
    • Description:

      Carmen has long been associated with the sensuous, tragic heroine of Bizet's opera, based on a novel by Prosper Merimee; more recently it has called to mind two other bombshells: Carmen Miranda (born Maria) and Carmen Electra (born Tara), as well as the great jazz singer Carmen McRae. In the celebrity baby name world, this classic Spanish name for girls was used by Hilaria and Alec Baldwin for their daughter.
  7. GaelHeart
    • Origin:

      Breton
    • Meaning:

      "Gaelic"
    • Description:

      This cross-cultural name, found in Wales, Brittany, and Spain, is a surprise star in the U.S. in recent years, largely thanks to actor Gael Garcia Bernal. It's especially popular in Texas.
  8. ItzelHeart
    • Origin:

      Mayan
    • Meaning:

      "rainbow lady"
    • Description:

      This name, stemming from the Mayan mythological figure of the Rainbow Lady, is a surprising pop hit, primarily among Hispanic parents.
  9. SantinoHeart
    • Origin:

      Italian
    • Meaning:

      "little saint"
    • Description:

      A name introduced here by The Godfather: James Caan played the anything-but-saintly Santino "Sonny" Corleone, and comedian Adam Carolla used it for his son.
  10. CarinaHeart
    • Origin:

      Italian
    • Meaning:

      "dear little one"
    • Description:

      Carina is a pretty feminissima name whose fall from popularity may be speeded by similarity to (hurricane name) Katrina.
  11. ConanHeart
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little wolf"
    • Description:

      The fierce image of the Barbarian made a complete turnaround thanks to amiable talk show host O'Brien, making Conan one of the newly desirable Irish choices, a perfect alternative to Conor/Connor.
  12. BrutusHeart
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "heavy, dull"
    • Description:

      Brutus is the quintessential brute--far too close to the word brutal. And any child with this name would spend much of his life hearing "Et tu."
  13. VegaHeart
    • Origin:

      Arabic, Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "swooping eagle; meadow"
    • Description:

      Another astral name, this one relating to one of the largest and brightest stars in the heavens, is popular in Scandinavia and Spain, where it ranks among the Top 50 girls' names. Although still very rare in the US, we think it has serious potential to follow the likes of Luna and Lyra up the charts.
  14. AngelHeart
    • Origin:

      Spanish and English
    • Meaning:

      "angel"
    • Description:

      Angel is a perennial Hispanic boys’ name, but it was Buffy the Vampire Slayer that brought it into the Anglo-male camp, where it's now heard more frequently, though it still poses some gender confusion. Angel is very popular, and very traditionally masculine, in the Latino community.
  15. PabloHeart
    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Paul
    • Meaning:

      "small"
    • Description:

      Pablo, the commonly used Spanish version of Paul, has the added bonus of some fantastic artistic bearers: painter Picasso, cellist Casals, and poet Neruda. Pablo has been consistently in the US charts since records began, and has been within the Top 500 since the mid 60s. However, Pablo has never cracked the Top 200, making it familiar but not overused or tired.
  16. JavierHeart
    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Xavier
    • Description:

      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.
  17. PipHeart
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Philip
    • Meaning:

      "lover of horses"
    • Description:

      The original Pip was the main character in Great Expectations (full name Philip Pirrip). Cute for a tike, maybe too cute for an adult.
  18. FiorellaHeart
    • Origin:

      Italian
    • Meaning:

      "little flower"
    • Description:

      Not only are individual flower names more popular (and out-there) than ever, but so too are the more generic names like Florence and Flora. While brother name Fiorello became known via long-term New York Mayor LaGuardia, the lovely Fiorella has never crossed cultures. She could join Arabella as a post-Isabella ella choice.
  19. BambiHeart
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Bambina, Italian
    • Meaning:

      "child; baby girl"
    • Description:

      Although Disney's cute deer was a male, Bambi has always been used for girls. It first appeared on the charts in 1943, the year after the Disney movie was released. Bambi featured in the Top 1000 from 1954-1964 — a decade where girl names ending in I, like Lori and Teri, were big — and again from 1977-1982.
  20. CarlosHeart
    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Charles
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      Carlos is the Spanish and Portuguese variation of Charles, which has been used in solid numbers in the US for as long as data has been kept. Carlos has never fallen out of the Top 600, but peaked from the 70s-early 2000s. Today Carlos is still within the Top 200. Notable namesakes include musician Santana, writers Fuentes and Castaneda, and numerous athletes. Carlos Irwin Estevez is the birth name of Charlie Sheen.