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?

Ariana

How funny... I know an Álvaro in Spain and he definitely has the emphasis on the Al instead of the var! Just checked with husband and says it the same way. But maybe we are just explaining our pronounciations badly over the written word!
Alba is back on the list (my list anyway) haha
Quite like Ariana but always think of Ariana grande...
Love Ava/Ada but both taken in family already... Although might steal them!

Álvaro has the stress on the first syllable so it's AL bar ro (or AL var ro).

I don't know any English Álvaro's. Also can be difficult to get official documents like iGCSE / A Level certificates printed as Álvaro rather than Alvaro. Maybe avoid names with tildes or eñe?

Alva would be pronounced Alba by many Spanish people (b sound for v - it's a more "buzzy" (voiced) B than a the sound for a b e.g. Barcelona / Valencia - the latter is pronounced with a buzzy B sound at the start).

Yes I think I just badly described it, sorry .

It is like AL bar o if I actually concentrated.

Still nice but I can see what you mean about the accent LockedOut .

Most of my 'naughty' students are named Álvaro so that has slightly put me off the name. They are lovely boys, just a pain in the neck sometimes and incapable of remaining quiet or still for any period of time including assemblies and exams. (yes I teach key stage 4!)

I know a lovely Álvaro, a very talented musician and a lovely kid. He has a very naughty little brother called Pedro though.

I believe Álvaro has the accent so the stress is placed on the first syllable, without the accent the name becomes al VAR o with the stress on the second syllable. Isn't that how the rule goes?

I think many people in the U.K. would pronounce Luis as Loo-EE because they are so used to the name Louis. Which is a shame as I think the Spanish pronunciation is so much nicer.

We're Portuguese speaking but a lot of names are similar

Some of my kids classmates whose names I like and haven't been mentioned.

Isadora
Laís
Emily (very popular at the moment)
Beatriz
Sara (like Zara not Sarah)
Lara
Iara or Yara

Olavo
Augusto
Enrique (or Henrique)
Hector

Paloma or Mateo.

I saw Leon and just wanted to correct everyone in telling you it's actually a Jewish name, so no English or Spanish link.

Leon is actually Greek, originally, but also a popular Jewish name way back when. But to be honest it's irrelevant! When I am asking for names that work in English and Spanish I actually don't care where they are from... More their common usage. My name is originally Jewish too. But I am not Jewish and it is now a fairly common name in England. If Leon has been adopted in Spain as a common name that is good enough for me.

Anna works in most languages.

Paloma
Rafaela
Violeta

Gabriel
Rafael
Joaquin
Inigo

Everyone loves Paloma! I am not keen! My horrid Spanish teacher as a kid was called Paloma... And sure it means dove, but it also means pigeon! Hehe

Paloma is a horse's name imo (tbh)...

Inés, which I love!

Palomino is the horse..

Yes, Palomino is a coat colour :)

But I still don't like Paloma for a human. I don't quite see the relevance, tbh. Oh well. ;)

Some of my faves that I think work fine in England are:

Santiago
Francisco
Diego
Emilio

Natalia
Inés
Lidia / Lydia
Jessica
Luciana

@Dad2Be2018 Leon is Jewish and also Spanish. There's a city in Spain called Leon.

I was going to say Amaia too, I loved it ever since I lived in Blibao! Ainara is another lovely Basque girls name. (Braces self for some Basque people to come storming in to remind us they are not Spanish)

Nekane for a girl (neck-A-neh) also Basque. Basque names bloody rock

I'm getting name envy!

Ines
Nicholas (nico)

The Spanish ladies I know are called Ana, Sylvia, Ines, and Elsa (apparently Elsa has always been popular in Spain). Their also Spanish partners are called David, Raul, Alvaro and Arturo.

Yes whenever I talk about my friend Ainhoa, dh goes “but how do you know ‘er” and cackles at his own hilarity.