Mexican American baby names

Handpicked for families who want names with roots: the beloved classics, what parents in the culture choose today, and the cool discoveries most US name sites never surface.

Adrian from Hadria; a widely used crossover name that reads naturally in both English and Spanish

Adriana from Hadria (feminine form of Adrian)

Alejandra defender of mankind; a beloved feminine classic

Alejandro defender of mankind (Spanish form of Alexander); a beloved classic

Alicia noble, truthful; a widely loved crossover classic in Mexican-American families

Alma soul; a soulful virtue name shared with the mainstream American name

Alonso ready for battle (Spanish form of Alphonse)

Ana grace; a timeless classic, often used within longer names like Ana Maria

Andres manly, brave (Spanish form of Andrew)

Angel messenger of God; one of the most popular names in Mexican-American families, used for boys far more often than in mainstream English usage

Antonio priceless, praiseworthy

Araceli altar of the sky (from Nuestra Senora de Aracoeli)

Arturo bear (Spanish form of Arthur)

Beatriz she who brings happiness (Spanish form of Beatrice)

Bruno brown, dark-haired

Camila young ceremonial attendant; one of the biggest breakout names for Mexican-American girls in the 21st century

Carlos free man (Spanish form of Charles); a steady favorite in Mexican-American families for generations

Carmen garden, orchard (from Mount Carmel); a graceful classic carried across generations

Cecilia traditionally linked to blindness (Spanish form of Latin Caecilia); also patron saint of music

Citlali star (Nahuatl citlalli); a heritage name growing among families honoring Indigenous Mexican roots

Consuelo consolation (from Nuestra Senora del Consuelo); a graceful heirloom name

Cristian follower of Christ

Cristina follower of Christ (Spanish form of Christina)

Cuauhtemoc descending eagle; the name of the last Aztec emperor, used rarely but with pride as an Indigenous heritage name

Daniel God is my judge; a steady, strong classic across generations

Daniela God is my judge; a hugely popular feminine form embraced by Mexican-American families

Diana divine; a classic with royal and mythological associations, popular across generations

Diego supplanter (Spanish form of James); a steady favorite gaining ground in recent decades

Dolores sorrows (from Maria de los Dolores, Our Lady of Sorrows); common among earlier generations, now a vintage heirloom name

Dulce sweet; a beloved virtue name

Eduardo wealthy guardian (Spanish form of Edward)

Elena shining light; a graceful classic steadily used across generations

Emiliano rival, eager; rising in popularity, sometimes honoring revolutionary hero Emiliano Zapata

Emilio rival, eager (Spanish form of Emil)

Enrique home ruler (Spanish form of Henry)

Erika eternal ruler; a crossover favorite popular in the late 20th century

Esperanza hope; a virtue name carried proudly through Mexican-American families

Estrella star; a celestial classic

Fernanda adventurous, bold; a quietly rising name

Fernando adventurous, bold; a warm classic across generations

Francisco free man (Spanish form of Francis)

Gabriel God is my strength; a beloved biblical classic surging in recent decades

Gael modern coinage popularized in Spanish-speaking countries, now surging among young Mexican-American families

Gonzalo battle wolf, a name of Visigothic root

Griselda gray battle maiden (Germanic root, carried into Spanish via the literary figure of patient Griselda)

Guadalupe from the valley of the wolf; Our Lady of Guadalupe makes this one of the most revered names across generations of Mexican-American Catholic families

Ignacio fiery, ardent; a classic honoring St. Ignatius, steady across generations

Isabel God is my oath; a graceful classic that predates the Isabella wave

Isabella God is my oath; a modern classic beloved across Mexican-American families

Itzayana modern coinage blending Mayan-inspired sounds like Itzel with Ana; a stylish recent favorite

Itzel traditionally linked to a Maya moon goddess; embraced in recent decades as families reclaim Indigenous heritage names

Jesus God saves; used respectfully and warmly as a given name across generations of Mexican-American Catholic families

Jimena listener (a common spelling variant of Ximena, both tied to the medieval Iberian name Jimena)

Joaquin God will establish (Spanish form of Joachim)

Jose God will increase (Spanish form of Joseph); one of the most enduring names across generations of Mexican-American families

Josefina God will increase (feminine form of Jose/Joseph); a stately name common among earlier generations, now revived as a heritage pick

Juan God is gracious (Spanish form of John); a foundational classic across generations

Julian youthful, downy-bearded (shared Spanish/English form)

Leonardo brave lion; a classic name enjoying a strong revival

Leticia joy, happiness (Spanish form of Latin Laetitia)

Luna moon; one of the fastest-rising names in America, especially embraced in Mexican-American families

Lupe nickname for Guadalupe; a warm, standalone classic in its own right

Manuel God is with us (Spanish form of Immanuel); common among earlier generations, still warmly used

Maria beloved (Spanish form of Mary); the most common element in Mexican-American women's names, often paired as in Maria Elena

Marisol sea and sun, a blended Spanish name; distinctly beloved in Mexican-American families

Mateo gift of God (Spanish form of Matthew); one of the fastest-rising names in Mexican-American families today

Mauricio dark-skinned, Moorish (Spanish form of Maurice)

Mia mine, or a short form of Maria; a beloved crossover favorite

Miguel who is like God (Spanish form of Michael); a foundational classic across generations

Milagros miracles; a joyful devotional name

Monica advisor; a name that peaked in the late 20th century

Natalia Christmas Day, born on Christmas; a widely loved classic

Nayeli widely embraced modern name popularly said to mean 'I love you' in Zapotec, though the folk etymology is debated by linguists; regardless one of the fastest-rising Mexican-American names of recent decades

Nicolas victory of the people (Spanish form of Nicholas)

Paloma dove; a gentle nature name

Perla pearl (Spanish form of Pearl)

Pilar pillar (from Nuestra Senora del Pilar); a strong, graceful devotional name

Rafael God has healed

Ramon wise protector (Spanish form of Raymond); a steady generational classic

Refugio refuge (from Nuestra Senora del Refugio); a devotional name used for both boys and girls in earlier generations

Renata reborn; a graceful, lightly used name gaining quiet popularity

Reyna queen (a common spelling variant of Reina)

Ricardo brave ruler (Spanish form of Richard); a steady classic

Rocio dew (from Nuestra Senora del Rocio, Our Lady of the Dew)

Rodrigo famous ruler (Spanish form of Roderick)

Rosa rose; a beloved classic passed down through generations of Mexican-American families

Rosario rosary; a devotional classic used for both boys and girls

Salvador savior; a classic devotional name

Santiago Saint James, may God protect; a name surging in popularity among younger Mexican-American families

Sebastian venerable, revered; a crossover favorite that works easily in English and Spanish

Silvia from the forest (Spanish form of Sylvia)

Socorro help, succor (from Nuestra Senora del Socorro); a devotional name common among earlier generations

Sofia wisdom; one of the most popular names of the last two decades

Tonatiuh traditionally the Nahuatl (Aztec) sun deity; used rarely and with pride as an Indigenous heritage name

Trinidad trinity; a devotional name given to both boys and girls

Uriel God is my light (biblical archangel name)

Valentina strong, healthy; a favorite that has surged across Mexican-American families in recent decades

Vanessa butterfly, an 18th-century literary coinage; a widely embraced crossover favorite

Veronica true image; a graceful classic carried across generations

Victor conqueror; a steady, virtue-rich classic

Victoria victory; a classic that reads naturally in English and Spanish alike

Ximena listener; a name that has climbed quickly in popularity among Mexican-American families

Xochitl flower; a Nahuatl (Aztec) name proudly kept alive by families honoring their Indigenous Mexican roots

Yesenia modern coinage popularized by a beloved 1970s Mexican telenovela of the same name

Yolanda often linked to 'violet flower,' though the etymology is debated; a warm mid-century classic

Which of these fits YOUR family? →