Spanglish baby names!

[SophieStripe]

Hi... I'm very early, only 10+4 but petrified of first scan and something being wrong. I can't cruise the pregnancy board anymore as too many things to worry about in there so thought I would come here... Seems a lot more fun and positive which is where I need my head to be right now! So, we are English mum and Spanish dad, living in UK but lots of family back in Spain. Name could be either English or Spanish origen but it needs to "work" in both places - e.g. Can't be something that in Spain they would read and wonder how the hell you pronounce it and vice versa. Ideally also can't end in "ía" like Sofía or Lucía (although I love both of those) as surname also ends in that sound! Any thoughts?

Hi Sophie congratulations

Some names of the children in my DS' circle of friends:

Erin
Iris
Ivet (pron Yvette)
Nuria
Agnes
Ingrid
Martina
Aida
Marisa
Dori
Omaira
Maribel
Clara
Ilona

Oscar
David
Enric
Adrian
Santino
Leon
Iago (from Santiago)
Aimar
Nathanial
Victor
Hector

We are English/Spanish in Spain and had the same conundrum! Lots of names have different pronunciation but same spelling, eg Iris: eye-riss or ee-rees.

Naming children is fun but daunting! I taught English to a lovely chap named Kevin Costner de Jesus

I love Valentina for a girl

At the moment my fave boys name is Oscar! I also love Clara. What is Matilda like in Spain? It's quite phonetic so I feel like Spanish could pronounce it on reading? Or Ayla?

And for real, Kevin Costner de Jesus?! Poor kid!!

I don't think I would mind about same spelling different pronounciation... Although the kid might mind having to conatantly correct whatever country they were in!

Nina
Rosalie (Rosa is hugely popular in Spanish)

Rapha
Caspar

Paloma, Raoul

Amaya
Marisol
Isabel
Marta
Leonor(a)
Luisa
Camila
Victoria
Catalina
Bianca
Jazmin

Husband likes Victoria, I'm not so keen... I really like Mateo, what do u think?

Or Emilia... Or Claudia? I know that ends in ia but it is a different pronounciation to Lucia, Sofia if u get what I mean!

Mateo is fab

Yes I love Mateo! Lucas or Luis? How would u pronounce Luis in UK? Like Loo-ee? Or loo-eis? Hard to explain! The eis sounds like geese!

Beatrice
Inez
Elisa
Camila
Valencia
Elena

I like Martha... But not Martha. In spain she would always be called Marta right? What does Avelyn sound like? Max? Sebastian? I really like Amaya from suggestions above but friends baby is called that!

At the moment my fave boys name is Oscar! I also love Clara. What is Matilda like in Spain? It's quite phonetic so I feel like Spanish could pronounce it on reading? Or Ayla?

Oscar / Óscar is very popular and pronounced the same as in English.

Clara in Spanish has a short A in the middle - like clah-ra rather than the way some English pronounce or (claaarr-a). It's fairly popular.

Matilda in Spanish is Matilde pronounced Matild-eh .

Ayla would be pronounced by Spanish people as similar to Isla ("ay" is the same sound as the i in the English word "hi").

Husband likes Victoria, I'm not so keen... I really like Mateo

Both very nice and popular names. I liked Mateo for DS but DP wasn't keen.

Do you like Valentina or Vanesa?

Or Emilia... Or Claudia?

Emilia pronounced same as in England. It's quite an unusual name here - I'm a teacher and know one Emilia. Amalia (pronounced Ah-mah-lee-ah) is more popular.

Claudia is popular. Pronounced with the "au" like the vowel sound in the English word "cloud" (i.e. almost 'cloudier'), not with the English sound "claw" for the first syllable.

I like Martha... But not Martha. In spain she would always be called Marta right? What does Avelyn sound like? Max? Sebastian? I really like Amaya

Martha would be pronounced Marta. Marta is a popular name.
Sebastián is also quite popular.
Max less so but it's recognisable and would be pronounced the same as in England (in most of mainland Spain... where's your DH from?)

Amaya / Amaia isn't a Spanish name but they'd sound it out and pronounce it the same as in England (ah-my-ah).

Same with Avelyn - they would sound it out as Ah-beh-lin. Would you say it Aave-linn in English? (I don't know that name).

I’m in Spain too and the Spanglish kids here are:

Leo
Oliver
Oscar
Hector
Sebastián
Alan (!)

Maia
Emília
Maria
Lorea
Clara
Isabel
Helena
Lola
Nora

I thought I was giving my own children fairly international names but went very wrong as they just end up with a million different pronunciations!

Some local names that might work in England (a lot of these are Basque..)

Aitor
Telmo
Nico
Martin
Simon
Tomas
Daniel
Oscar
Luca
Jon
Ander

Alba (my favourite name ever!)
Amaia
Ainhoa
Elixabet (Eli)
Miren
Marta
Blanca
Carlota
Leonor
Lea
Ana
Emma
Maite
Miren
Valeria
Gabriela

Popular names among my students and DCs' friends that you haven't mentioned already OP are:

Sabina, Marina, Carolina, Inés, Alicia, Sara, Alba, Carla, Carlota, Monica, Ana, María, Cloe, Laura, Catalina, Cristina, Valentina, Olivia, Paula

Daniel (Dani), Nicolás (Nico), Adrián, Iván, Martín, Marcos, Hugo, Leo, Lucas, Luca, Ander, Jon, Luis

How would u pronounce Luis in UK? Like Loo-ee? Or loo-eis? Loo-ees with the stress on the second syllable. It can be spelled Luis or Luís.

Anita
Nina
Begonia

Amaia is a spanish name (well, Basque...) it’s the most popular name in the País Vasco for baby girls and I believe relates to a
Goddess?? The AI is common in basque and pronunced like “eye”

Similar:

Ainara
Ainhoa
Naiara
Nahia/Naia
Maia
Laia (don’t!)
Mai
Arai
Alaia
Haizea
Saioa
Elia

Oh, and Maite and Maitane

I'm English and DH is half Spanish half Italian and we wanted names that worked in all 3, so I feel your pain.

Mine are Valentino (quite common in Italy, but unusual in Spain, despite there bring plenty of Valentina's)

Gabriela and Luisa both already mentioned above.

What about Leandro for a boy, Natalia for a girl