Spanish Boy Names
Spanish boy names have a rhythm all their own: crisp consonants, open vowels and a stress that lands exactly where the accent mark says it will. We’ve gathered more than 110 of them here, from the names topping Spain’s birth charts to royal classics, saints’ names and Basque and Catalan favorites.
Every name comes with its meaning and origin. For the bigger picture, start at our Spanish names hub, or pair your pick with one of our Spanish girl names if you’re naming twins. Families with Latin American roots may also like our Mexican boy names.
Popular Spanish boy names in Spain
These names consistently rank near the top of Spain’s newborn statistics (INE). Most are short, international and easy to say in English too.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Hugo | Mind, spirit, intellect | Germanic |
| Martín | Of Mars, the Roman god of war | Latin |
| Mateo | Gift of God | Hebrew |
| Lucas | Man from Lucania | Greek |
| Leo | Lion | Latin |
| Daniel | God is my judge | Hebrew |
| Alejandro | Defender of the people | Greek |
| Pablo | Small, humble | Latin |
| Manuel | God is with us | Hebrew |
| Álvaro | Guardian of all, or elf warrior | Germanic (Visigothic) |
| Enzo | Ruler of the home (via Lorenzo/Heinz) | Italian |
| Adrián | From Hadria, a town by the Adriatic | Latin |
| Mario | Of Mars; also linked to Marius | Latin |
| Diego | Possibly from Santiago, “Saint James” | Spanish |
| David | Beloved | Hebrew |
| Marco | Of Mars | Latin |
| Thiago | Saint James (variant of Santiago) | Portuguese/Spanish |
| Izan | Strong, firm (Spanish spelling of Ethan) | Hebrew |
| Gonzalo | Battle genius | Germanic (Visigothic) |
| Bruno | Brown, armor | Germanic |
Classic Spanish boy names
The names your abuelo and his brothers might have had. Many are making a comeback as parents look for solid, timeless picks.
| Name | Meaning | Nickname |
|---|---|---|
| Antonio | Priceless, of the Antonius family | Toño, Toni |
| Francisco | Frenchman, free | Paco, Curro, Pancho |
| Juan | God is gracious | Juanito |
| José | God will add | Pepe |
| Vicente | Conquering | Chente |
| Miguel | Who is like God? | Migue |
| Pedro | Rock, stone | Perico |
| Luis | Famous warrior | Lucho |
| Carlos | Free man | Carlitos |
| Jorge | Farmer, earth worker | Jorgito |
| Fernando | Bold voyager, or brave peace | Nando |
| Ramón | Wise protector | Moncho |
| Enrique | Ruler of the home | Quique |
| Alfonso | Noble and ready | Poncho |
| Joaquín | God will establish | Quino |
| Andrés | Manly, brave | Andresito |
Strong and noble Spanish boy names
Several of these names were carried by Castilian kings and medieval heroes. For more, see our royal boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Why it stands out |
|---|---|---|
| Rodrigo | Famous ruler | Name of El Cid, Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar |
| Alfredo | Elf counsel | Old-school strength |
| Ricardo | Brave ruler | Classic and international |
| Felipe | Lover of horses | Name of Spain’s current king |
| Guillermo | Resolute protector | Spanish form of William |
| Leonardo | Brave as a lion | Artistic and bold |
| Arturo | Possibly “bear” | Spanish form of Arthur |
| Sancho | Holy, sacred | Kings of Navarre and Castile |
| Alonso | Noble and ready | Old Castilian form of Alfonso |
| Fausto | Fortunate, lucky | Latin, rare today |
| Hernán | Bold voyager | Short form of Hernando |
| Ramiro | Famous counsel | Kings of Asturias and León |
| Rafael | God has healed | Archangel name, strong in Spain |
| Maximiliano | Greatest | Nickname Max |
Spanish forms of biblical and saints’ names
Spain’s Catholic tradition means most boys historically received a saint’s name. These are the Spanish versions of familiar biblical names.
| Name | English equivalent | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Santiago | James | Saint James, patron of Spain |
| Tomás | Thomas | Twin |
| Josué | Joshua | God is salvation |
| Gabriel | Gabriel | God is my strength |
| Samuel | Samuel | God has heard |
| Elías | Elijah | My God is Yahweh |
| Isaac | Isaac | He will laugh |
| Jesús | Jesus | God saves |
| Ignacio | Ignatius | Possibly “fiery” |
| Sebastián | Sebastian | Venerable |
| Esteban | Stephen | Crown, wreath |
| Bartolomé | Bartholomew | Son of Talmai |
| Cristóbal | Christopher | Christ-bearer |
| Benito | Benedict | Blessed |
Short Spanish boy names
One- or two-syllable names that are easy to call across a playground and translate well into English.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Iván | God is gracious | Slavic via Spanish |
| Blas | Stammering | Latin |
| Gil | Young goat, shield bearer | Latin/Greek |
| Luca | Man from Lucania | Italian |
| Noé | Rest, comfort | Hebrew |
| Unai | Cowherd | Basque |
| Teo | Gift of God | Greek |
| Paco | Short for Francisco, “free” | Spanish |
| Nico | Victory of the people | Greek |
| Rubén | Behold, a son | Hebrew |
| Saúl | Asked for, prayed for | Hebrew |
| Eloy | Chosen | Latin |
| Óscar | Deer lover, or divine spear | Irish/Norse |
| Lope | Wolf | Latin |
| Raúl | Wolf counsel | Germanic |
| Tito | From Titus, possibly “honored” | Latin |
Unique Spanish boy names
Less common but authentic, these names stand out in the US while remaining familiar to Spanish speakers.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Amador | Lover | Latin |
| Baltasar | God protect the king | Babylonian |
| Casimiro | Proclaimer of peace | Slavic |
| Ciro | Sun, or throne | Persian |
| Dámaso | Tamer | Greek |
| Evaristo | Well pleasing | Greek |
| Fidel | Faithful | Latin |
| Galo | From Gaul | Latin |
| Horacio | Timekeeper (from Horatius) | Latin |
| Leandro | Lion man | Greek |
| Lisandro | Liberator | Greek |
| Marcelo | Little warrior | Latin |
| Nazario | From Nazareth | Hebrew |
| Rolando | Famous land | Germanic |
| Valentín | Strong, healthy | Latin |
| Zacarías | God has remembered | Hebrew |
Basque, Catalan and Galician boy names
Names from Spain’s regional languages have become fashionable across the country. The Basque ones in particular are loved for their strong sound.
| Name | Meaning | Language |
|---|---|---|
| Iker | Visitation | Basque |
| Aitor | Name of the legendary Basque forefather | Basque |
| Asier | The beginning | Basque |
| Eneko | Little one (medieval Basque name) | Basque |
| Ander | Basque form of Andrew, “manly” | Basque |
| Gorka | Basque form of George, “farmer” | Basque |
| Jon | God is gracious | Basque |
| Xabier | The new house | Basque |
| Jordi | Farmer (George) | Catalan |
| Pau | Small, humble; also “peace” | Catalan |
| Oriol | Golden | Catalan |
| Pol | Small, humble (Paul) | Catalan |
| Xoán | God is gracious | Galician |
| Brais | Stammering (Blaise) | Galician |
Tips for choosing a Spanish boy name
- Test the English pronunciation: names like Jorge or Joaquín are often mispronounced outside Spanish-speaking communities. If that bothers you, Mateo, Diego or Leo are safer.
- Consider the full name: in Spain a child carries two surnames, so a short first name (Pau, Leo, Hugo) balances a long surname pair.
- Honor family with a compound name: Juan Pablo or José Luis let you combine two relatives’ names.
- Look at the nickname culture: Francisco becomes Paco, Enrique becomes Quique. Make sure you like the diminutive too.
- Need something bolder? Our names that mean warrior include several Spanish options.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular Spanish boy name?
In Spain, Hugo, Martín, Mateo and Lucas have traded the top spots in recent INE data. Among all living men in Spain, Antonio and Manuel are the most common.
What Spanish boy names are popular in the US?
Mateo, Santiago, Diego, Gael, Leonardo and Adrián rank well in US Social Security data, often among Hispanic families.
What is a strong Spanish boy name?
Rodrigo (famous ruler), Álvaro (guardian of all), Gonzalo (battle genius) and Ricardo (brave ruler) all carry strong meanings.
Why do so many Spanish boy names come from saints?
For centuries Catholic tradition encouraged naming children after a saint, often the one whose feast day fell near the birth. Spain even kept a saints’ calendar used to pick names.
What are Basque boy names?
Popular Basque boy names include Iker, Unai, Aitor, Asier, Eneko, Ander and Jon.