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Baby names

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

Original poster

Spanish baby girl name, any ideas?

68 replies

LouLouH · 25/02/2010 14:28

Got a few:

Bella
Alejandra
Esmeralda
Marcela
marisa
Lucia
Sofia
Amaris
Alba
Angeles

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Original poster
LouLouH · 01/03/2010 09:37

Well ladies, you have definitely given me a lot to think about. My OH is stuck on Bella and as i was adamant on the name for if it was a boy i suppose i should give him that much. I will however probably push for the name Marisa as suggested by TweedyneeCole i had it on my name list but didn't really think about the fact that its my first name and middle name put together!

OP posts:
bellissima · 27/02/2010 10:44

Know a lovely Elena. Of course Brits often say 'El-ay - na rather than 'El-eh-na', but they learn surely.

It's been said before (poster with knowledge of Italian names) that you might want to find out if a name has a really 'old lady' image in the native country in question (eg Maria in Belgium). Not that it should put you off if you like it, but just to be aware of an Aunt Agatha connotation.

(Agatha will no doubt come round again here soon).

AmandaCooper · 27/02/2010 10:27

My favourite Spanish name is Aurora, meaning dawn.

Rocinante · 26/02/2010 17:08

I've always liked Begonia, after a very beautiful and clever lady I met when young.

Or how about Dulcinea, which can be shortened to Dulcie in English.

TweedyneeCole · 26/02/2010 16:15

I'm not against non-English names@Madsometimes

I have a foreign, fairly tricky to pronounce name myself.

I just think the sound that the 'j' makes in Alejandra is particualr1y hard for a lot of Brits to get their tongue around.

She might become 'Ally-handra' or 'Alec-andra'.

It's like those lovely French names that get butchered by nasal British accents. Angelique becomes Angie-leek etc.

mathanxiety · 26/02/2010 14:57

Itzel or Izel (Mayan name, popular in Mexico and hispanic US), means 'rainbow princess'
Arantxa (Basque name) means 'thornbush' though
Remedios -- from 'Nuestra Senora de los Remedios'; very uncommon name
Corazon -- means 'heart' or 'courage'; uncommon name

Madsometimes · 26/02/2010 12:39

I know an Alejandra and the children manage to say her name well. I love the name.

The children learnt her name by listening to it, not by reading it, so they were not influenced by the spelling. Most schools in our area are multicultural and many children do not have "English" names.

TweedyneeCole · 26/02/2010 12:32

I love Spanish names. Sometimes hard for Brits to get their tongues around. Alejandra is one of those ones that I fear very many Brits would struggle with. Soime of the Spanish women I know:

Marisol
Marisa (pronounced Mar-ee-sa, short or Maria-Luisa)
Graciela (love this)
Soledad
Carmela (known as Carmelita)
Emelina (her sister was Delfina)
Inez

ninamag · 26/02/2010 12:18

Paz
Paloma
Esperanza
Noelia
Irina
Eva
Ana Maria
Luisa
Adelina
Violeta
Eugenia
Aurelia

hackneybird · 25/02/2010 19:07

I second Ynez, or Inés as I have seen it spelt also.

bibbitybobbityhat · 25/02/2010 18:34

Only the exceptionally ignorant would think a little Spanish Mercedes had been named after a brand of car.

claricebean · 25/02/2010 18:15

The girls in my DCs' classes are:
Marta
Cristina
Maria
Elena
Miriam
Maricarmen (short for Maria Carmen)
Maribel (short for Maria Isabel)
Gloria
Nuria
Ester
Teresa
Noa
Eva
Lydia
Alejandra
Clara
Ana
Lourdes
Paula
Laura
Rosa
Irene
Carlota
Alma
Alba
Sonia
Natalia

Ummm...can't think of anymore right now. HTH

SqueezyB · 25/02/2010 18:02

I LOVE Alba, sadly it wouldn't go with our surname. It's Spanish for surise.

Also:

Teresa
Noa
Nuria
Beatriz
Chenoa (this was the name of a contestant on the Spanish version of pop idol when I lived there and apparently got very popular with Spanish baby girls!)

campocaro · 25/02/2010 17:58

Some girls around here (Cadiz)are called Maria del Mar or Marimar for short

I also like Rocio, Noelia, Malena, Nurea and Nieves (Snow)

scarletlilybug · 25/02/2010 17:46

I think Mercedes is a lovely name - but if you use it over here, people will think she's been named after a brand of car. Just saying.

bibbitybobbityhat · 25/02/2010 16:58

I don't think you can beat Mercedes.

wickedfairy · 25/02/2010 16:55

My cousin is Scottish but lives in Barcalona with her Spanish partner.

They have two little girls - Lara and the new baby is called Mar (or it could be Marr, not sure how it's spelt). Mar apparently is Catalan for sea/ocean or something like that. Don't know what Lara means.

I think they are lovely names, although not as "Spansih" sounding as others mentioned so far.

Cies · 25/02/2010 16:23

Our names for what turned oout to be ds were:

Clara
Elena
Carolina
Catalina
Eva
Candela
Isabel
Juana
Loreto
Elisa
Lucia

LaDiDaDi · 25/02/2010 16:22

I like Carmen, Paloma and Pilar.

ChunkyPickle · 25/02/2010 16:22

I've always liked Marisol as LaTrucha suggested, and also Mariposa (Butterfly) for some reason - even looking at it now, I like it, but I don't know why.

scarletlilybug · 25/02/2010 16:16

Pilar
Carmen
Cristina
Juana
Julia
Carmen
Margarita
Teresa
Raquel
Ana
Maria
Dolores
Isabel

MadamDeathstare · 25/02/2010 16:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MadamDeathstare · 25/02/2010 16:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

iwasyoungonce · 25/02/2010 16:10

Juanita

Fanfare · 25/02/2010 16:05

I love Belen