My Favorite Latino Names!

Mateo

Spanish

"gift of God"

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.…

Santiago

Place-name or Latin

"Saint James"

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. Santiago has been rising through the…

Carlos

Spanish variation of Charles

"free man"

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…

Diego

Spanish variation of James

"supplanter"

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. Possibly a derivative of Santiago, Diego is a…

Alejandro

Spanish variation of Alexander

"defending men"

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 .

Miguel

Spanish and Portuguese variation of Michael, Hebrew

"Who is like God"

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 . Miguel has always charted in the US, but…

Maximiliano

Spanish

"greatest"

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…

Jorge

Spanish and Portuguese variation of George

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.

Marco

Italian and Spanish form of Mark

"warlike"

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…

Pablo

Spanish variation of Paul

"small"

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…

Mario

Italian variation of Marius, form of mythological name Mars

"warlike"

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…

Pedro

Spanish; Portuguese variation of Peter, Greek

"rock, stone"

Pedro is one of the most familiar Spanish names for boys , via baseball star Pedro Rodriguez and many others. Like its Anglo equivalent Peter, Pedro is not as popular as it once was. But it's among…

Maximo

Spanish variation of Maximus, Latin

"greatest"

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…

Benicio

Spanish

"blessed"

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…

Alvaro

Spanish

"elf warrior"

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…

Ignacio

Spanish

"fiery"

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…

Benito

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…

Cato

Latin

"all-knowing"

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…

Columbo

Latin

"dove"

Grandmas will remember the old TV detective show; playmates won't. This is a name that has many variations in different cultures, from Columbus to Columba to Colum to Colm.

Diaz

Spanish from Latin

"days"

Perfect example of a surname that would work well as a first.