🇪🇸 Most Popular Baby Names in Spain (2024)
Spain's ranking comes from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística, which publishes the most frequent names of newborns for each year. The INE writes names in capitals and without accents, so this list shows Lucia and Sofia where a Spanish birth certificate would say Lucía and Sofía. The registry act allows no more than two simple names or one compound name.
Data source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) · Year: 2024 · 50 girl names, 50 boy names
Before you settle on a name, it helps to know what the register will accept. Baby naming rules in Spain: the legal basis, the deadline and what a registrar may refuse.
Names Used Only in Spain
Spain has 52 names in its 2024 ranking that appear in none of the other twelve countries on this site. Accents are ignored in that comparison, so Léo and Leo count as one name, but different spellings such as Sofia and Sophia count as two.
Girls: 24 names
LuciaVegaValeriaCarmenCarlaLolaGalaDanielaJimenaClaudiaLaiaCandelaManuelaTrianaAlejandraAnaAitanaCarlotaBlancaAdrianaAbrilMarinaRocioAmira
Boys: 28 names
ManuelPabloAlejandroEnzoAlvaroGonzaloMarioBrunoGaelNicolasAlexMarcosJuanMiguelJavierIzanRodrigoMarcJoseAngelCarlosDarioJaimePauGuillermoJorgeHectorEric
2023 to 2024: What Moved
Compared with 2023, in the girls' ranking, 43 of the 50 names changed position, 0 are new and 7 kept exactly the same place; in the boys' ranking, 40 of the 50 names changed position, 2 are new and 8 kept exactly the same place.
Girls
Biggest climbers: Victoria (#36 → #29, +7), Vega (#10 → #5, +5), Vera (#37 → #32, +5), Carlota (#41 → #36, +5), Lia (#46 → #41, +5)
Biggest drops: Abril (#32 → #42, -10), Aitana (#26 → #35, -9), Daniela (#14 → #18, -4), Alejandra (#27 → #31, -4), Zoe (#34 → #38, -4)
Boys
Biggest climbers: Gonzalo (#20 → #14, +6), Luca (#17 → #13, +4), Rodrigo (#37 → #33, +4), Gael (#24 → #21, +3), Nicolas (#25 → #22, +3)
Biggest drops: Izan (#27 → #32, -5), Adrian (#13 → #17, -4), Diego (#16 → #20, -4), David (#21 → #25, -4), Dylan (#34 → #38, -4)
New in the ranking: Nico, Hector
Dropped out: Francisco, Sergio
Steady Through 2021–2024
Sofia tops the girls' ranking in Spain in 2024.
48 girls' names appear in every year from 2021–2024 without a gap. The 30 highest placed:
SofiaLuciaMartinaMariaVegaJuliaOliviaValeriaMiaEmmaPaulaCarmenAlmaCarlaLolaGalaLaraDanielaSaraJimenaChloeValentinaClaudiaNoaAlbaLaiaCandelaManuelaVictoriaTriana
Mateo tops the boys' ranking in Spain in 2024.
45 boys' names appear in every year from 2021–2024 without a gap. The 30 highest placed:
MateoHugoMartinLeoManuelLucasPabloAlejandroEnzoAlvaroDanielThiagoLucaGonzaloMarioLiamAdrianOliverBrunoDiegoGaelNicolasAlexMarcosDavidMarcoAntonioJuanMiguelGabriel
Five Years at the Top
How today's ten most common names ranked in each year since 2021. A blank cell means the name was not in that year's list.
Girls
Seven of today's top ten girls' names were already in the top ten in 2021.
| Name | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sofia | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Lucia | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Martina | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Maria | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Vega | 15 | 15 | 10 | 5 |
| Julia | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| Olivia | 12 | 9 | 7 | 7 |
| Valeria | 5 | 4 | 6 | 8 |
| Mia | 16 | 13 | 11 | 9 |
| Emma | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
Boys
Nine of today's top ten boys' names were already in the top ten in 2021.
| Name | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mateo | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Hugo | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Martin | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Leo | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Manuel | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| Lucas | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Pablo | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
| Alejandro | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
| Enzo | 10 | 11 | 9 | 9 |
| Alvaro | 11 | 10 | 11 | 10 |
Spain Among the Thirteen Countries
Where the most common names of Spain stand in the other twelve countries on this site, each in its most recent year. Accents are ignored; different spellings count as different names.
Girls
Four of the top ten girls' names rank in at least six other countries; three rank in no other country at all.
| Name | Rank here | Other countries where it ranks | Highest elsewhere |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sofia | 1 | 11 | #1 in Switzerland |
| Lucia | 2 | 0 | |
| Martina | 3 | 1 | #25 in Italy |
| Maria | 4 | 1 | #32 in Switzerland |
| Vega | 5 | 0 | |
| Julia | 6 | 5 | #4 in the Netherlands |
| Olivia | 7 | 11 | #1 in Canada |
| Valeria | 8 | 0 | |
| Mia | 9 | 10 | #3 in Switzerland |
| Emma | 10 | 10 | #1 in Austria |
Boys
Two of the top ten boys' names rank in at least six other countries; five rank in no other country at all.
| Name | Rank here | Other countries where it ranks | Highest elsewhere |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mateo | 1 | 4 | #8 in the United States |
| Hugo | 2 | 5 | #2 in Sweden |
| Martin | 3 | 1 | #34 in France |
| Leo | 4 | 9 | #3 in Canada |
| Manuel | 5 | 0 | |
| Lucas | 6 | 8 | #7 in the Netherlands |
| Pablo | 7 | 0 | |
| Alejandro | 8 | 0 | |
| Enzo | 9 | 0 | |
| Alvaro | 10 | 0 |
Which countries name most alike
Of its 100 names, Spain shares the most with Switzerland (27), the United States (24) and Canada (23), and the fewest with England and Wales (10). Germany is left out of this comparison, because its list has only ten names per sex.
Where the Names of Spain Come From
The most frequent origin among the 100 names of 2024 is Latin, with 35. The largest change since 2021 is in Hebrew names: 21 then, 23 now. A name with two origins, such as Lucas with Greek and Latin, counts for both. More on the groups in the guide to name origins.
| Origin | Names in 2021 | Names in 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Latin | 37 | 35 |
| Hebrew | 21 | 23 |
| Greek | 18 | 18 |
| Spanish | 13 | 14 |
| Germanic | 13 | 13 |
| Arabic | 2 | 3 |
👧 Most Popular Girl Names in Spain (2024)
#1SofiaGreek
Meaning: Wisdom
Sofia is the spelling of Sophia used in Italian, Spanish, the Scandinavian languages and the Slavic languages. It goes back to the Greek sophia, wisdom.
#2LuciaLatin
Meaning: Light
Lucia is the feminine of Lucius, from the Latin lux meaning light. Saint Lucy of Syracuse is celebrated with candles in Scandinavia every December.
#3MartinaLatin
Meaning: Of Mars; warlike
#4MariaHebrewLatin
Meaning: Wished-for child; sea of bitterness
#5VegaSpanishArabic
Meaning: Meadow, and the star
Vega is the Spanish word for a fertile plain. The star Vega takes its name separately from the Arabic phrase for the swooping eagle.
#6JuliaLatin
Meaning: Youthful
Julia is the feminine form of Julius, the Roman family name of Julius Caesar. Paul greets a Christian woman named Julia in his letter to the Romans.
#7OliviaLatin
Meaning: Olive tree
Olivia is linked to the Latin oliva, olive. Shakespeare gave it to the countess in Twelfth Night, and the play made it familiar in English.
#8ValeriaLatin
Meaning: Strong, healthy
Valeria is the feminine of the Roman family name Valerius, from valere meaning to be strong or in good health.
#9MiaHebrewScandinavian
Meaning: Mine; wished-for child
Mia began as a short form of Maria in Scandinavian and German usage. In Italian and Spanish the same word means mine.
#10EmmaGermanic
Meaning: Whole, universal
Emma began as a short form of Germanic names built on ermen or irmin, meaning whole or universal. Emma of Normandy was queen of England twice in the eleventh century, married first to Æthelred and then to Cnut.
#11PaulaLatin
Meaning: Small, humble
#12CarmenHebrewLatin
Meaning: Song, or the Carmel title of Mary
Carmen is the Spanish form of the Marian title Our Lady of Mount Carmel, from the Hebrew karmel meaning garden. The Latin carmen, meaning song, reinforced the spelling.
#13AlmaLatinArabic
Meaning: Nourishing, soul
Alma is linked to the Latin almus, meaning nourishing or kind, and is also the Spanish word for soul. In Britain it came into use after the Battle of the Alma in 1854.
#14CarlaGermanic
Meaning: Free woman
Carla is the feminine form of Carlo or Karl, from the Germanic karl meaning a free man.
#15LolaSpanish
Meaning: Sorrows
Lola is a Spanish pet form of Dolores, from the Marian title Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, Our Lady of Sorrows.
#16GalaSpanish
Meaning: Calm, or festive
Gala is used in Spain and Catalonia, where it is linked both to the Latin Galla, meaning a Gaulish woman, and to the word for a festive occasion.
#17LaraLatinGreek
Meaning: Protection, citadel
Lara is a Russian short form of Larisa, a name taken from the ancient Greek city of Larisa. Boris Pasternak's novel Doctor Zhivago brought it to readers outside Russia.
#18DanielaHebrew
Meaning: God is my judge
Daniela is the feminine form of Daniel, from the Hebrew dan meaning judge and el meaning God.
#19SaraHebrew
Meaning: Princess
#20JimenaSpanish
Meaning: Disputed, of medieval Iberian origin
Jimena is a medieval Spanish name whose root is not settled; a Basque origin is often proposed. Jimena Díaz was the wife of El Cid.
#21ChloeGreek
Meaning: Blooming, verdant
#22ValentinaLatin
Meaning: Strong, healthy
Valentina is the feminine form of Valentinus, a Roman name formed from valens, meaning strong or healthy. Saint Valentine bore the masculine form.
#23ClaudiaLatin
Meaning: Lame
Claudia is the feminine of the Roman family name Claudius, from claudus meaning lame. It was one of the great families of the republic.
#24NoaHebrew
Meaning: Movement
Noa is a girls' name in the Hebrew Bible, one of the daughters of Zelophehad, and is unrelated to Noah of the flood. The root means movement or motion.
#25AlbaLatin
Meaning: Dawn, white
Alba comes from the Latin albus meaning white, and in Spanish and Italian it means dawn. It is also the Gaelic name for Scotland, a separate root.
#26LaiaGreek
Meaning: Well-spoken
Laia is the Catalan short form of Eulàlia, from the Greek eu meaning well and lalein meaning to speak. Saint Eulalia is a patron of Barcelona.
#27CandelaLatin
Meaning: Candle
Candela is a Spanish name taken from the title of the Virgin of Candelaria, and the Latin candela means candle, from candere meaning to shine.
#28ManuelaHebrew
Meaning: God is with us
Manuela is the Spanish feminine form of Manuel, from the Hebrew immanu el meaning God is with us.
#29VictoriaLatin
Meaning: Victory
Victoria is the Latin word for victory and the name of the Roman goddess of victory. Queen Victoria reigned over Britain from 1837 to 1901.
#30TrianaSpanish
Meaning: The Seville quarter
Triana is the district of Seville across the Guadalquivir, long associated with flamenco. The place name is of disputed, probably Roman, origin.
#31AlejandraGreek
Meaning: Defender of men
Alejandra is the Spanish feminine form of Alexander, from the Greek alexein meaning to defend and aner meaning man.
#32VeraLatinSlavic
Meaning: Truth; faith
#33AnaHebrew
Meaning: Grace
#34ElenaGreek
Meaning: Bright, shining
#35AitanaSpanish
Meaning: From the Aitana range
Aitana is taken from a mountain range in Alicante. The poet Rafael Alberti gave the name to his daughter in the 1940s and it spread from there.
#36CarlotaGermanic
Meaning: Free woman
Carlota is the Spanish form of Charlotte, a French feminine diminutive of Charles, from the Germanic karl meaning free man.
#37BlancaSpanish
Meaning: White
Blanca is the Spanish word for white, from the same Germanic root as the Italian Bianca and the French Blanche.
#38ZoeGreek
Meaning: Life
#39InesGreek
Meaning: Pure, holy
Ines is the Spanish and Portuguese form of Agnes, from the Greek hagnos meaning pure or holy.
#40AdrianaLatin
Meaning: From Hadria (Adriatic region)
#41LiaHebrewGreek
Meaning: Weary; bringer of good news
Lia has more than one root. It is a German and Dutch form of Leah, the wife of Jacob in Genesis, whose Hebrew name is usually read as weary, and a short form of names such as Julia, Rosalia and the Greek Evangelia, meaning good news.
#42AbrilLatin
Meaning: April
Abril is the Spanish word for April, from the Latin Aprilis. The month name is traditionally connected with aperire, meaning to open, for the opening of buds.
#43NoraLatinIrish
Meaning: Honour
Nora began as a short form of Honora and Eleanor. Henrik Ibsen gave it to the heroine of his 1879 play A Doll's House.
#44ClaraLatin
Meaning: Clear, bright, famous
Clara is the Latin word for clear or bright. Saint Clare of Assisi, a follower of Francis, founded the order of the Poor Clares in the thirteenth century.
#45MarinaLatin
Meaning: Of the sea
Marina comes from the Latin marinus, meaning of the sea. It has been used across the Mediterranean and in Russia since the early church.
#46LunaLatin
Meaning: Moon
Luna is the Latin word for moon and the name of the Roman goddess of the moon.
#47RocioSpanish
Meaning: Dew
Rocio is the Spanish word for dew, taken from the Marian title Nuestra Señora del Rocío, venerated in the marshes of Huelva.
#48MartaAramaic
Meaning: Lady, mistress
Marta is the Italian, Spanish and Scandinavian form of Martha, from the Aramaic marta meaning lady or mistress of the house.
#49AmiraArabic
Meaning: Princess, commander
Amira is the Arabic feminine of amir, meaning commander or prince. A separate Hebrew name meaning treetop shares the spelling.
#50AliciaGermanicSpanish
Meaning: Noble kind
👦 Most Popular Boy Names in Spain (2024)
#1MateoHebrewSpanish
Meaning: Gift of God
Mateo is the Spanish form of Matthew, from the Hebrew Mattityahu, meaning gift of God.
#2HugoGermanic
Meaning: Mind, intellect
Hugo is the Latin form of the Germanic Hugo, from hug, meaning mind or spirit, and is used in German, French, Spanish and the Scandinavian languages.
#3MartinLatin
Meaning: Of Mars; warlike
Martin comes from the Roman name Martinus, derived from Mars, the god of war. Saint Martin of Tours, a fourth-century bishop, is the saint most associated with it.
#4LeoLatin
Meaning: Lion
Leo is the Latin word for lion. Fourteen popes have taken it, from Leo the Great in the fifth century to Leo XIV, elected in 2025.
#5ManuelHebrew
Meaning: God is with us
Manuel is the Spanish and Portuguese form of Emmanuel, from the Hebrew immanu el meaning God is with us.
#6LucasLatinGreek
Meaning: Bringer of light
Lucas is the Latin form of Loukas, Luke, the name of the author of the third gospel. The Greek name probably meant man from Lucania, though it is popularly linked to the Latin lux, light.
#7PabloLatin
Meaning: Small, humble
Pablo is the Spanish form of Paul, from the Roman family name Paulus meaning small or humble.
#8AlejandroGreek
Meaning: Defender of men
Alejandro is the Spanish form of Alexander, from the Greek alexein meaning to defend and aner meaning man. Alexander the Great carried the name across three continents.
#9EnzoItalianGermanic
Meaning: Uncertain, linked to Heinz
Enzo arose in medieval Italy, most often explained as an Italian rendering of the Germanic Heinz, a short form of Heinrich. Enzo of Sardinia, son of Emperor Frederick II, carried it in the thirteenth century.
#10AlvaroGermanic
Meaning: Guardian of all
Alvaro comes from the Visigothic name Alvarus, usually read as a compound of all and ward, meaning guardian. It has been a Spanish name since the early Middle Ages.
#11DanielHebrew
Meaning: God is my judge
#12ThiagoSpanishHebrew
Meaning: Saint James
Thiago is a Portuguese and Spanish form derived from Santiago, itself a contraction of Sant Iago, meaning Saint James.
#13LucaLatinItalian
Meaning: Bringer of light
Luca is the Italian form of Luke, from the Greek Loukas, which is usually explained as man from Lucania and popularly linked to the Latin lux, light.
#14GonzaloGermanic
Meaning: Battle elf
Gonzalo comes from the Visigothic Gundisalvus, joining gunth meaning battle with a second element usually read as elf or salvation. It is one of the oldest Spanish names still in use.
#15MarioLatin
Meaning: Of Mars; warlike
#16LiamIrishGermanic
Meaning: Resolute protector
Liam began as the Irish short form of Uilliam, the Irish form of William, which comes from the Germanic wil, will, and helm, protection.
#17AdrianLatin
Meaning: From Hadria
Adrian comes from the Roman Hadrianus, meaning a man from Hadria, a town that also gave its name to the Adriatic Sea. The emperor Hadrian carried it into general use.
#18OliverLatinNorse
Meaning: Olive tree
Oliver comes from Olivier, one of Charlemagne's paladins in the medieval Song of Roland. It is usually linked to the Latin oliva, olive, though a Germanic root has also been proposed.
#19BrunoGermanic
Meaning: Brown
Bruno comes from the Germanic brun, meaning brown, probably first as a byname for hair or armour colour. Several medieval saints and bishops carried it into wide use.
#20DiegoSpanish
Meaning: Uncertain, long linked to James
Diego developed in medieval Spain from Santiago, the name of the apostle James. The older derivation from the Greek didache, meaning teaching, is no longer generally accepted.
#21GaelCeltic
Meaning: Generous lord
Gael is generally read as a form of the Breton Gwenael, joining gwen meaning white or blessed with hael meaning generous. It is also taken as a reference to the Gaels.
#22NicolasGreek
Meaning: Victory of the people
#23AlexGreek
Meaning: Defender of men
Alex is a short form of Alexander, from the Greek alexein meaning to defend and aner meaning man. It is also given as a name in its own right.
#24MarcosLatin
Meaning: Of Mars
Marcos is the Spanish form of Mark, from the Roman Marcus, usually traced to the war god Mars. Mark is the author of the second gospel.
#25DavidHebrew
Meaning: Beloved
David is a Hebrew name usually explained as beloved. In the Bible he is the second king of Israel, who defeats Goliath as a young man.
#26MarcoLatin
Meaning: Of Mars; warlike
#27AntonioLatin
Meaning: From the Antonius family
Antonio is the Spanish and Italian form of Antonius, a Roman family name whose origin is probably Etruscan rather than Latin. Saint Anthony of Padua, a thirteenth-century Franciscan, is the saint most associated with it.
#28JuanHebrew
Meaning: God is gracious
Juan is the Spanish form of John, from the Hebrew Yochanan meaning God is gracious. It has topped Spanish naming records for much of recorded history.
#29MiguelHebrew
Meaning: Who is like God
Miguel is the Spanish and Portuguese form of Michael, from the Hebrew question mi kha el, meaning who is like God.
#30GabrielHebrew
Meaning: God is my strength
Gabriel is a Hebrew name meaning God is my strength. In the Bible the archangel Gabriel announces the births of John the Baptist and of Jesus.
#31JavierBasque
Meaning: New house
Javier comes from the Basque place name Etxeberria, meaning the new house. Saint Francis Xavier was born at the castle of Xavier in Navarre and made it a first name.
#32IzanSpanish
Meaning: Disputed, a recent Spanish form
Izan appeared in Spanish records in the early 2000s and has no long history. It is usually explained as a Spanish spelling of Ethan, and sometimes as a form of Ivan.
#33RodrigoGermanic
Meaning: Famous power
Rodrigo is the Spanish form of Roderick, from the Germanic hrod meaning fame and ric meaning power. Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar is known as El Cid.
#34MarcLatin
Meaning: Of Mars
Marc is the French and Catalan form of Mark, from the Roman Marcus, which is generally derived from Mars, the god of war.
#35JoseHebrew
Meaning: He will add
Jose is the Spanish form of Joseph, from the Hebrew yosef meaning he will add. In the Bible Joseph is both the son of Jacob and the husband of Mary.
#36AngelGreek
Meaning: Messenger
Angel is the Spanish form of the Latin angelus, itself from the Greek angelos meaning messenger. In Spain it is a common boys' name, unlike in English.
#37CarlosGermanic
Meaning: Free man
Carlos is the Spanish and Portuguese form of Charles, from the Germanic karl meaning a free man. Emperor Charles V made it a royal name in Spain.
#38DylanWelsh
Meaning: Son of the sea
#39DarioGreekPersian
Meaning: Possessing goodness
Dario is the Italian and Spanish form of Darius, the Greek rendering of the Old Persian Darayavahush, usually read as one who holds firm to the good.
#40NoahHebrew
Meaning: Rest, comfort
Noah is the Hebrew Noach, meaning rest or comfort. In Genesis he builds the ark and survives the flood with his family.
#41AdamHebrew
Meaning: Earth, man
#42JaimeHebrew
Meaning: Supplanter
Jaime is the Spanish form of James, which came through the Latin Iacomus from the Hebrew Yaakov. It has been a name of Aragonese kings since the thirteenth century.
#43SamuelHebrew
Meaning: Name of God; God has heard
Samuel comes from the Hebrew Shemu'el, usually explained as name of God or God has heard. He is the prophet who anoints Saul and David in the Books of Samuel.
#44NicoGreek
Meaning: Victory of the people
#45SantiagoSpanishHebrew
Meaning: Saint James
Santiago is a contraction of Sant Iago, meaning Saint James, the apostle whose shrine at Compostela drew medieval Europe across northern Spain.
#46PauLatin
Meaning: Small, humble
Pau is the Catalan form of Paul, from the Latin Paulus meaning small. In Catalan the same word also means peace.
#47GuillermoGermanic
Meaning: Resolute protector
Guillermo is the Spanish form of William, from the Germanic wil meaning will or desire and helm meaning helmet or protection.
#48JorgeGreek
Meaning: Farmer
Jorge is the Spanish form of George, from the Greek georgos meaning one who works the earth.
#49HectorGreek
Meaning: Holding fast
Hector is the Trojan prince killed by Achilles in the Iliad. The Greek is usually read from echein, meaning to hold, in the sense of one who holds the line.
#50EricNorse
Meaning: Sole ruler
Eric comes from the Old Norse Eiríkr, joining ei meaning ever or alone with ríkr meaning ruler. It was the name of numerous Danish and Swedish kings.
Data: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE). Figures for 2024. Retrieved automatically four times a year. Browse all countries →