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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

"Spanglish" Boys and Girls names.

56 replies

Zorion · 07/07/2016 14:03

Baby will be British but spend a fair amount of their childhood in Spain.

I'm looking for the perfect combination of a name which is pronounced more or less the same in both languages, and doesn't scream "foreign" in either country! And that isn't in the top 50. DS is Albert which works well as even though Alberto is Spanish, Albert is Catalan so everyone knows it.

So far I have these, but I'm not really sold on them, they just feel a bit compromisey:

Girls:
Clara
Penelope
Isabel

Boys:
Daniel
Oliver
Oscar

Thank you.

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Frescolita · 07/07/2016 20:10

I have 2 spanglish daughters....we went international...I read my shortlist, he read the same kist and where the pronunciation varied we axed it.

I still like (but was vetoed)
Elena
Alba
Nora
Alina

He still likes (but was vetoed)
Amanda

For boys we didnt discuss so much...
Oscar
Thiago
Diego

Terrifiedandregretful · 07/07/2016 19:58

Ava would be pronounced Avva in Spain.

Since Spanish is phonetic you want an English name that fits Spanish phonetics eg: An(n)a, Emma, Maria, Isabel, Sof/phia, Tina, Lisa, L(o)uisa, Talia, Clara, Marina, Maya.

Artandco · 07/07/2016 18:51

Spelt Ava it will be pronounced the same

HooseRice · 07/07/2016 18:51

Sophia or Carla for a girl

Carlos for a boy

Tangoandcreditcards · 07/07/2016 18:46

I like Ramona for a girl. I don't think it's a Spanish name, but derivative of Ramon? Might be weird in Spain.

Original poster
Zorion · 07/07/2016 18:43

I like Mila, I teach one here who is lovely which probably helps (!) how would you pronounce it in the UK? Another local name here that's nice is Aida, but again, how would you pronounce that?

Because we are English and will end up back in England one day, I'd rather the name wasn't a Spanish one that will be mispronounced, better the other way round.

I also like Marina, it reminds me of a book I love. Eva is lovely but here would be Ava and in the UK eeva. Dh doesn't like it sadly!

OP posts:
ConstantlyCooking · 07/07/2016 18:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Hoppinggreen · 07/07/2016 18:30

I am English, DH is German and we spend a lot of time in Spain.
DS is Oscar, which works in all 3

TheRealAdaLovelace · 07/07/2016 18:28

Isn't Elia a boy's name?

IamNotDarling · 07/07/2016 18:27

Elia rather than Ella.

Alex for a boy.

Artandco · 07/07/2016 18:25

Max
Ned

Artandco · 07/07/2016 18:14

Margot
Estelle
Nora
Marina

caju · 07/07/2016 18:09

@lljkk Nina spelt with Niña would be weird, since that would literally be naming your little girl "girl"!

I've only known a couple of Spanish people with the name Nina, but neither used the tilde, thankfully.

babyblabber · 07/07/2016 17:59

Amaya/maya

lljkk · 07/07/2016 17:21

I met a Spanish lady with little girl called Nina. Yes without the tilde. I thought it was weird, but the mom didn't.

Others I know that work:
Sonia, Lola, Sofia, Ruben, Marisa.

Ginpuddles · 07/07/2016 17:08

I know a Spanish Anabel (with one n - the Spanish spelling).

badtime · 07/07/2016 17:04

I have met several Spanish girls and women called Esther.
I know others called Laura, Monica, Emma, Victoria (not good with Albert, though), Sara.

leccybill · 07/07/2016 16:03

Myou bilingual friends have a Tania, Maribel and Paco.

millicentfriendly · 07/07/2016 15:56

Hi my half English half Spanish daughter is called Stella I also wanted a name that would work in both countries. Her Spanish half sister is Carla another name that's perfectly bilingual.

Original poster
Zorion · 07/07/2016 15:47

caju good idea, I'll do that. I struggle with girls names in general, boys a little easier for me.

OP posts:
MeeWhoo · 07/07/2016 15:46

Not previously mentioned for girls:
Carla
Silvia
Emma
Cora
Caroline/Carolina
Olivia
Irma

Boys:
Alex
Nicolas/Nicholas
Samuel
Tomas/Thomas
Martin

Original poster
Zorion · 07/07/2016 15:45

Oh I know Sadik, I've met a baby Roy, Bryan and Jennifer all in Spain!

Isabel lovely but too popular, I have a popular name and was always known as "big Zorion" due to being marginally bigger than the other Zorions, its scarred me!

OP posts:
caju · 07/07/2016 15:45

I think what would be easier then would be to make a long list of English names you like, then see which ones sound similar in Spanish.

TheRealAdaLovelace · 07/07/2016 15:42

My daughter's best friend in Spain was called Whitney...

Sadik · 07/07/2016 15:42

Sylvia, Ella (too common?), Mia

Lots of Welsh names work well in Spanish (maybe not though if you want an English name!), eg Catrin, Elin, Megan, Nia