My Favorite Latino Names!
By Fiery~Red~Fox
Updated Tue May 23 2023
Share
Copy link
Here's a list of my very, VERY favorite Latino names. My first: Santiago. Please enjoy! Woohoo!
- Mateo
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
Mateo is a Latinate name that like Mia and Luca, is becoming popular far beyond its native Spanish community. With its fresh feel and charm, it made a surprise entrance to the boys' Top 10 in 2023.
- 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.
- Santiago
Origin:
Place-name or LatinMeaning:
"Saint James"Description:
Santiago is a spirited Spanish name with great crossover potential. It's a place-name (a city in Chile), a surname, and the name of the patron saint of Spain.
- 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.
- Cato
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"all-knowing"Description:
Cato conjures up images of ancient Roman statesmen and southern antebellum retainers; it could have revival potential, with its 'O' ending and the current interest in the names of Greek and Roman antiquity.
- Carlos
Origin:
Spanish variation of CharlesMeaning:
"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.
- Miguel
Origin:
Spanish and Portuguese variation of Michael, HebrewMeaning:
"Who is like God"Description:
Mike Tyson put a twist on his own name by naming a son Miguel. It's the first name of Cervantes, the great Spanish novelist and poet who wrote Don Quixote.
- Ignacio
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"fiery"Description:
Ignacio, like Horacio, makes its gray-bearded English equivalent name sound positively dashing. While the Ig- beginning summons up such associations as ignoble and ignorant, the era for Ignacio and Ignatius and Iggy may be nigh.
- Pablo
Origin:
Spanish variation of PaulMeaning:
"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.
- Pedro
Origin:
Spanish; Portuguese variation of Peter, GreekMeaning:
"rock, stone"Description:
Pedro is one of the most familiar Spanish names for boys, via baseball star Pedro Rodriguez and many others.
- Benicio
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"blessed"Description:
Softer than Benedict, less popular than Benjamin, and bolder than Bennett, Puerto Rican actor Benicio Del Toro introduced this name to the American mainstream in the early 2000s, before which the name was hardly use. Popular in Argentina, Benicio debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2016, when it was the third-fastest-rising boys' name, and while it hasn't skyrocketed then, it remains comfortably in the charts.
- Mario
Origin:
Italian variation of Marius, form of mythological name MarsMeaning:
"warlike"Description:
Many may associate Mario with the popular platform game - unsurprising when it's the 5th best-selling video game worldwide, and was voted the 2nd best game ever by IGN in 2024. The titular plumber was apparently named after American businessman, Mario Segale, who rented a warehouse to Nintendo, and this in itself reflects that Mario is much more established than just a name for a video game character.
- Lucio
Origin:
Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese variation of LuciusMeaning:
"light"Description:
About 100 baby boys were named Lucio in the US last year, a number we expect to increase with the growing popularity of all names in the Lu family. It's a family united by sound, with three main branches.
- Maximo
Origin:
Spanish variation of Maximus, LatinMeaning:
"greatest"Description:
With the ubiquitous Max heard at every playground across the US, international versions have been gaining traction in an attempt to provide a fresh avenue to the highly sought nickname. This Spanish iteration has been in the US Top 1000 since the early 2000s and is currently trending upwards.
- Jorge
Origin:
Spanish and Portuguese variation of GeorgeDescription:
The classic Jorge is one of the most popular and classic Spanish names for boys in the US. Some Latine families pronounce it the same way as George.
- Festus
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"joyous, festive"Description:
A name from the ancient world that may get a mixed reception today. On the one hand, festive! On the other hand, fester. In the Bible, Porcius Festus was a Roman official who rubbed up against St Paul. In modern times, this name has had more love in African countries than anywhere else.
- Maximiliano
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"greatest"Description:
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.
- Octavio
Origin:
Spanish variation of OctaviusMeaning:
"eighth"Description:
The most popular of the number names used by Hispanic parents, open to all. Octavia and Octavio are two Spanish baby names that are moving out into the wider world.
- Alvaro
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"elf warrior"Description:
Traditionally written with an accent (Álvaro), this is a well-used Spanish saint's name with a lot of flair that could definitely cross over to more general usage. It reached its peak in the United States in 1985, when it ranked Number 456. In Spain, Álvaro is a Top 20 boys' name.
- Benito
Description:
Benito is a masculine name of Spanish and Italian origin, derived from the Latin name 'Benedictus,' meaning 'blessed.' It's essentially the diminutive form of 'Benedicto' in Spanish. The name carries significant historical associations, most notably with Italian political figure Benito Mussolini and Mexican president Benito Juárez. Outside of Spanish and Italian-speaking countries, the name remains relatively uncommon but recognizable. Benito has a warm, friendly sound with its soft consonants and ending with an 'o,' typical of Italian and Spanish masculine names. The name conveys a sense of heritage and tradition while maintaining a certain musicality that makes it appealing across cultures.
Introducing the Nameberry App
Find your perfect baby name together with our new mobile app.
- Swipe through thousands of names with your partner
- Names you match on are saved to your shared list
- Get personalized recommendations that learn based on your and your partner's preferences
- Partner with friends and family to find names you all love
- Backed by Nameberry's 20 years of data around name preferences.
Sign up to be notified when the app launches and to receive a discount on full access.