Spanish Girl Names
Spanish girl names manage to be romantic and grounded at once. Some come straight from everyday Spanish words (Paloma means “dove,” Luz means “light”), others from the long list of Marian titles that shaped Catholic Spain, and a growing number from the Basque and Catalan languages.
Below are 110+ Spanish girl names grouped by style, each with its meaning and origin. Browse the rest of our Spanish names, find a brother’s name among our Spanish boy names, or compare with Mexican girl names for a Latin American feel.
Popular Spanish girl names in Spain
The names below regularly appear near the top of Spain’s birth statistics (INE). Soft sounds and names ending in -a rule.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Lucía | Light | Latin |
| Sofía | Wisdom | Greek |
| Martina | Of Mars, the Roman god | Latin |
| María | Beloved, or bitter (debated) | Hebrew |
| Julia | From the Roman family Julius | Latin |
| Paula | Small, humble | Latin |
| Valeria | To be strong | Latin |
| Emma | Whole, universal | Germanic |
| Daniela | God is my judge | Hebrew |
| Carla | Free woman | Germanic |
| Alba | Dawn | Spanish/Latin |
| Noa | Movement (Hebrew Noa) | Hebrew |
| Olivia | Olive tree | Latin |
| Vega | Meadow; also the star Vega | Spanish/Arabic |
| Mía | Mine (Spanish); also short for María | Spanish |
| Chloe | Young green shoot | Greek |
| Sara | Princess | Hebrew |
| Carmen | Garden (Mount Carmel) | Hebrew/Spanish |
| Lola | Short for Dolores, “sorrows” | Spanish |
| Adriana | From Hadria | Latin |
Classic and vintage Spanish girl names
Names that filled Spanish classrooms in the 1950s–70s. Several, like Inés and Elena, are fashionable again.
| Name | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Elena | Bright, shining light | Spanish form of Helen |
| Isabel | God is my oath | Spanish form of Elizabeth |
| Ana | Grace | Timeless and simple |
| Teresa | Possibly “harvester” | St. Teresa of Ávila |
| Inés | Pure, holy | Spanish form of Agnes |
| Beatriz | She who brings happiness | Dante’s muse |
| Cristina | Follower of Christ | Popular in the 1970s |
| Marta | Lady, mistress of the house | Biblical sister of Lazarus |
| Margarita | Pearl; also the daisy flower | Nickname Marga |
| Josefina | God will add | Nickname Pepa or Fina |
| Eva | Life | Biblical, short and strong |
| Silvia | Of the forest | Latin |
| Raquel | Ewe | Spanish form of Rachel |
| Juana | God is gracious | Juana la Loca, Queen of Castile |
| Lourdes | From the French Marian shrine | Nickname Lulu |
| Montserrat | Serrated mountain | Catalan; nickname Montse |
Spanish girl names from titles of the Virgin Mary
A uniquely Spanish tradition: many girls were named after a title or shrine of Our Lady. These names are rare outside the Hispanic world.
| Name | Meaning | From |
|---|---|---|
| Dolores | Sorrows | Our Lady of Sorrows |
| Mercedes | Mercies | Our Lady of Mercy |
| Pilar | Pillar | Our Lady of the Pillar, Zaragoza |
| Rosario | Rosary | Our Lady of the Rosary |
| Consuelo | Consolation | Our Lady of Consolation |
| Soledad | Solitude | Our Lady of Solitude |
| Remedios | Remedies | Our Lady of Remedies |
| Rocío | Dew | Our Lady of El Rocío, Andalusia |
| Macarena | From a Seville neighborhood | Virgin of La Macarena |
| Begoña | Basque place name | Our Lady of Begoña, Bilbao |
| Covadonga | Cave of the lady | Asturian shrine |
| Anunciación | Annunciation | Feast of the Annunciation |
| Milagros | Miracles | Our Lady of Miracles |
| Almudena | The little city (Arabic) | Patron of Madrid |
Spanish girl names inspired by nature
These names are actual Spanish words, which makes their meaning instantly clear to any Spanish speaker. See also our flower names for girls.
| Name | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Paloma | Dove | pah-LOH-mah |
| Luz | Light | LOOS (Spain: LOOTH) |
| Estrella | Star | es-TREH-yah |
| Perla | Pearl | PEHR-lah |
| Rosa | Rose | ROH-sah |
| Azucena | White lily | ah-soo-SEH-nah |
| Violeta | Violet | vee-oh-LEH-tah |
| Marina | Of the sea | mah-REE-nah |
| Aurora | Dawn | ow-ROH-rah |
| Celeste | Heavenly, sky blue | seh-LES-teh |
| Flor | Flower | FLOR |
| Jazmín | Jasmine | has-MEEN |
| Esmeralda | Emerald | es-meh-RAHL-dah |
| Nieves | Snows | nee-EH-bes |
Unique Spanish girl names
Authentic but uncommon, these names stand out while still sounding elegant in Spanish and English.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Jimena | Possibly “one who listens” | Spanish/Basque |
| Candela | Candle | Spanish |
| Triana | Seville neighborhood | Spanish |
| Leire | Basque place and Marian name | Basque |
| Irene | Peace | Greek |
| Carlota | Free woman | Spanish form of Charlotte |
| Catalina | Pure | Spanish form of Katherine |
| Cayetana | From Gaeta, Italy | Latin |
| Elvira | Possibly “all true” | Visigothic |
| Guiomar | Possibly “famous battle” | Germanic/Portuguese |
| Leonor | Possibly “light” | Spanish form of Eleanor; name of Spain’s crown princess |
| Ximena | Hearing, listening (older spelling of Jimena) | Spanish |
| Zaida | Fortunate, growing | Arabic |
| Aitana | From the Aitana mountains, Alicante | Basque/Valencian |
| Oriana | Golden, or sunrise | Latin |
| Dulce | Sweet | Spanish |
Basque, Catalan and Galician girl names
Regional names are fashionable across Spain. Many Basque girl names have a distinctive -ne or -oa ending.
| Name | Meaning | Language |
|---|---|---|
| Ainhoa | From the Basque village and Marian shrine | Basque |
| Maite | Beloved | Basque |
| Nerea | Possibly “mine” | Basque |
| Amaia | The end | Basque |
| Irati | From the Irati forest in Navarre | Basque |
| Itziar | Basque Marian shrine name | Basque |
| Garazi | Grace | Basque |
| Nahia | Desire, wish | Basque |
| Laia | Short for Eulàlia, “well spoken” | Catalan |
| Núria | From the Marian shrine of Núria | Catalan |
| Mireia | Admirable | Catalan |
| Meritxell | Andorran Marian shrine | Catalan |
| Uxía | Well born (Eugenia) | Galician |
| Antía | Galician form of Antonia | Galician |
Short Spanish girl names
Short names balance long Spanish surname pairs and travel easily between languages.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Ada | Noble | Germanic |
| Ena | Fire, or short for Irene | Spanish |
| Gala | From Gaul; also “gala, celebration” | Latin |
| Lía | Weary (Leah), or short for Julia | Hebrew |
| Ona | Wave (Catalan) | Catalan |
| Pía | Pious, devout | Latin |
| Zoe | Life | Greek |
| Nora | Honor, or light | Latin/Greek |
| Mar | Sea (from María del Mar) | Spanish |
| Rut | Friend (Ruth) | Hebrew |
| Bea | Short for Beatriz, “she who brings happiness” | Spanish |
| Iria | From Iria Flavia, an ancient Galician town | Galician |
| Clara | Clear, bright | Latin |
| Vera | True, or faith | Latin/Russian |
| Luna | Moon | Latin |
| Abril | April | Spanish |
How to pick a Spanish girl name
- Learn the nickname first: Dolores becomes Lola, Concepción becomes Concha and Mercedes becomes Merche. In Spain the nickname often replaces the name entirely.
- Mind the accent mark: Lucía without the accent is pronounced “LOO-sha” by most Americans. Keeping the accent helps teachers get it right.
- Pair a Marian name with something short: María Luz or Ana Belén follow a very Spanish compound-name tradition.
- If you want a name meaning light or life, Spanish offers Lucía, Luz, Elena and Vida. Our names that mean light have more.
- Say it out loud with your surname, especially if it’s English: vowel-ending first names flow best before consonant-starting last names.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular Spanish girl name?
Lucía has been the top girl’s name in Spain for years, followed closely by Sofía, Martina and María. María is by far the most common name among all Spanish women.
What is a pretty Spanish girl name?
Paloma (dove), Estrella (star), Valeria (strong), Isabel, Catalina and Alba (dawn) are among the prettiest and most loved.
Why are so many Spanish girls named María?
María honors the Virgin Mary. It was traditionally combined with a Marian title, as in María de los Dolores or María del Pilar, and the title often became the everyday name.
What are unique Spanish girl names?
Candela, Triana, Jimena, Cayetana, Leire, Aitana and Guiomar are authentic Spanish names that are rare in the US.
What are Basque girl names?
Popular Basque girl names include Ainhoa, Maite, Nerea, Amaia, Irati, Itziar and Garazi.