Spanish Names
The Spanish usually have one Christian name (nombre) and two surnames (apellidos).
In many cases, the Christian name is double-barrelled, such as María José or the popular Juan Carlos.
Unlike many countries, the Spanish possess two surnames. This is because when a girl marries, she does not give up her surname but keeps it and just adds it to that of her husband. The two surnames are then passed on to the children.
Spain is a Roman Catholic country, and a lot of importance has always been placed on a persons Saint Day or Name Day. In the past, they were more important than birthdays and babies names in Spanish often reflected this fact.
Gifts and cards used to be given to a person on this day, although this practice is gradually dying out and the birthday is becoming the more important celebration.
As with other Christian countries, many names in use today originate from the Bible. The practice of giving children the name of a famous saint or martyr has always been strongly encouraged by the Church.
Some of these saints appear in the New Testament, where the names are generally either Hebrew (for example Juan and María) or Greek (such as Lucas or Pedro). Old Testament names, predominantly Hebrew in origin, include Adán (Adam), Eva (Eve) and Rut (Ruth).
Being a Roman Catholic country, there is also a class of feminine names which are given in honour of the Virgin Mary. Dolores and Mercedes are taken from the titles of Mary, whilst others such as Concepción, Inmaculada and Anunciación refer to events in her life.
Germanic tribes once ruled much of Spain and their influence on names still remains. Carlos, Luís and Matilda are Spanish equivalents of names adopted from the Germanic tribes.
A long period of Muslim rule also left its legacy as far as names are concerned. The female name Almudena (as in the Cathedral of Almudena, Madrid) is derived from the Arabic al-madinat, meaning the city.
Times are slowly changing and many present day Spaniards are adopting some of the more modern names used in other countries, including those of pop, film or sports stars.
Spanish Name Days
Certain names do appear several times, Juan (John) for example, as there were several saints called John (The Baptist, Bosco etc.)
January
1: Manuel, Emanuel, Jesús
2: Gregorio, Astrid, Basilio, Emma
3: Daniel, Genova/Genoveva, Jennifer, Florencio, Prisciliano
4: Eugenio
5: Amada, Simón, Simona, Emiliana
6: Baltasar, Gaspar, Reyes, Adoración, Epifanía, Raymundo
7: Amadeo, Raimundo, Aquiles, Luciano
8: Maximino, Eladio
9: Julián, Pedro
10: Gonzalo, Marciano, Alda, Aldo, Vilma, Hortensia
11: Alejandro, Guillermo, Hortensia, Higinia, Higinio, Modesto
12: Alfredo, Tatiana, Tania, Hilario
13: Verónica, Milagros
14: Félix, Gil
15: Mauro, Raquel, Marcelo
16: Odette, Oto, Priscila
17: Alba, Antonio, Mariana, Mariano, Alfredo
18: Florida, Beatriz, Mario, Pia
19: Mario, Vicente, Sebastián
20: Fabián
21: Vicente
22: Domingo, Imanol, Emma, Gaudencio
23: Alberto, Ildefonso, Alberta, Armando, María Paz, Xenia
24: Francisco, Paz, Feliciano
25: Elvira, Paula, Timoteo
26: Paula , Tito, Gonzalo
27: Ángela, Tomás, Valerio
28: Tomas, Pedro
29: Valeria, Valerio, Martina
30: Alejandro
31: Juan
February
1: Cecilio
2: Catalina, Aída, Felipe, Ayuda, Candelaria, Purificación, Néstor
3: Oscar, Blas, Adelina
4: Gilberto, Isidro, Verónica, Juana
5: Isaac, Ágata, Águeda
6: Gonzalo, Amando, Amanda, Silvano
7: Moisés, Ricardo
8: Jerónimo, Lucio, Elisanda
9: Donato, Sabino, Reinaldo, Apolonia
10: Guillermo, Amancio, Arnaldo, Arnau
11: Dante, Lourdes, Adolfo
12: Modesto, Eulalia
13: Cristian, Benigno
14: Dionisio, Valentín, Valentina, Odile
15: Georgia, Georgina, Faustino
16: Elías, Samuel, Isaías, Jeremías
17: Constanza, Rómulo, Alexis
18: Lucio, Simeón
19: Álvaro, Conrado, Almudina, Gabino, Gabina
20: Eleuterio
21: Irene, Pedro
22: Margarita, Leonor
23: Lázaro, Romance
24: Modesto
25: Cesáreo, Dióscoro
26: Néstor
27: Gabriel, Gabriela, Baldomero
28: Román, Leandro, Romano
March
1: Federico, Rosendo, Eudoxia, Eudoxio
2: Enrique, Pablo, Enriqueta, Heraclio
3: Medín, Rosendo
4: Francisca, Arcadio, Casimiro, Eugenio
5: Juan José
6: Humberto, Olegario, Judith, Nina
7: Clotilde, Felicidad
8: Juan
9: Cándido, Francisca
10: Andrés, Macario
11: Ramiro, Oria
12: Josefina, Maximiliano, Fina
13: Patricia, Rodrigo, Ramiro
14: Jacobo, Matilde, Florentina
15: César, Luis, Raimundo, Madrona
16: Abrahan, Clemente
17: Patricio
18: Narciso, Salvador
19: José, Marcos, Josefa
20: Alejandra, Claudia
21: Clemencia, Fabiola, Nicolás
22: Sergio, Octaviano
23: Fidel, Oriol, Victoriano, José
24: Delmiro, Edelmira, Edelmiro, Timolao
25: Abel, Gloria, Encarnación, Rebeca, Anunciación, Maite, Humberto
26: Braulio, Diego
27: Ruperto, Lilia, Alejandro
28: Esperanza, Gundelina
29: Jonas, Segundo
30: Quirino
31: Amós, Benjamín
April
1: Venancio
2: Ofelia, Francisco
3: Sixto
4: Isidoro, Platón
5: Emilia, Vicente
6: Celso, Diógenes
7: Donato, Juan
8: Dionisio, Amancio
9: Hugo, Casilda, Eusequio
10: Ezequiel
11: Gema, Oria, Estanislao
12: Andrés, Damián, Julio
13: Martín, Hermenegildo
14: Lamberto
15: Máximo, Aníbal
16: Engracia, Bernadeta
17: Rodolfo, Anicéto
18: Perfecto
19: León, Crescencio
20: Inés, Víctor
21: Anselmo
22: Teodoro, Alexander, Apeles
23: Adalberto, Jorge
24: Leoncio, Honorio, Honoria, Fidel
25: Antonio, Antonieta, Marco, Marcia, Erminío, Herminío
26: Basilio, Marcelino, Engracia, Isidoro
27: Montserrat, Zita
28: Amado, Pedro
29: Teodora, Karen, Katia, Wilfredo, Catalina
30: Jaime, Amador, Pía, Pío
May
1: Berta, Tamar, Tamara, Oroncio, Andeoro, Teodardo, Paciencia
2: Germán, Araceli, Atanasio, Vindemial, Exuperio, Zoé, Mafalda
3: Juvenal, Violeta, Evencio , Teódulo, Alejandro, Estela, Felipe
4: Florián, Froilán, Lidón, Silvano, Paulino, Porfirio
5: Adrián, Silvano, Niceto, Ángelica
6: Domingo, Evodio, Protógenes, Judith
7: Augusto, Flavio, Gisela
8: Acacio
9: Gregorio, Hermas, Geroncio
10: Job, Solange, Gordiano
11: Estela, Favio, Amparo, Poncio, Eudaldo, Iluminado, Anastasio
12: Domingo, Nerea, Nereo, Aquileo, Flavia, Domitila
13: Imelda, Fátima
14: Matías, Corona, Cora, Henedina, Alba, Gemma
15: Cecilio, Eufrasia, Isidro, Torcuato, Indalecio
16: Brenda, Ubaldo, Honorato
17: Eric, Erica, Pascual
18: Alejandra, Félix, Próspero
19: Celestina, Celestino, Crispín
20: Orlando, Baudilio, Asterio
21: Constantino, Virginia, Giselle, Valente
22: Emilio, Rita, Rosana
23: Miguel, Mercurial, Eufebio, Humildad, Desiderio
24: Rocío, Susana, Auxiliadora, Providencia, Ester
25: Valentín, Valentina, Sonia
26: Felipei, Zacarías
27: Carolina
28: Agustín, Bernardo, Emilio, Germán
29: Alejandro, Justo, Teodosia
30: Fernando, Estela, Fernanda, Hernán, Lorena, Hernando
31: Visitación, Petronila, Amelia, Avelina
June
1: Alta, Graciano, Laura, Candelaria, Gracia, Jimena, Inigo
2: Erasmo, Marcelino, Blandina, Edelmira, Ausonia
3: Oliva, Kevin, Cecilio, Davino, Clotilde, Luciniano
4: Emma, Quirino, Ruth, Saturnina, Noemí
5: Eloisa, Marcia, Igor, Valeria, Nicanor, Doroteo, Bonifacio
6: Norberto, Artemio, Amancio, Cándida, Ismael
7: Roberto
8: Giraldo
9: Blanca, Primo, Feliciano, Diana, Efraín
10: Amalia, Amelia, Getulio, Críspulo, Asterio, Trinidad, Máximo
11: Benito, Bernabé, Aléida
12: Nazario, Olimpo, Cirilo
13: Antonio, Antonia, Joel , Andoni
14: Félix, Eliseo, Digna
15: Lidia, Vito, Landelino, Libia, Benilde, Eutrópia, Crescencia
16: Ciro, Aquilino, Aureliano, Siro, Alina, Regina, Regis
17: Ismael, Isauro, Montano
18: Justo, Marceliano, Marina
19: Aurora
20: Elia, Silverio, Macario
21: Luis, Demetria, Terencio, Raul, Gina, Koldo, Rodolfo
22: Albano, Paulino
23: Alicia, Apolo, Inmaculada, Walter, Agripina
24: Juan, Juana, Ivana, Joan, Jon, Iván, Jean
25: Salomón, Guillermo
26: Virgilio, Pelayo, Antelmo, Alicia
27: Socorro, Zoilo, Ladislao, Anecto, Sansón
28: Marcela
29: Ciro, David, Siro, Paola, Pablo, Pedro
30: Marcial, Leonila
July
1: Aarón, Esther, Luz
2: Visitación, Martiniano, Vidal, Teodorico, Teobaldo
3: Tomás, Heliodoro, Jacinto, Amable, Enrique
4: Berta, Elizabeth, Laureano, Isabel, Inocencio
5: Filomena, Filomeno, Zoa
6: Isaías, Dominica, Rómulo
7: Fermín, Roberto, Odón, Germano, Peregrino
8: Adrián, Edgar, Marina, Priscila
9: Milagros, Verónica
10: Cristóbal, Silvano, Honorato
11: Benito, Olga, Abundio, Sabino
12: Paulina, Oliverio
13: Eugenio, Sara, Joel
14: Camila, Vladimiro, Camilo
15: Carmelo, Carmela, Hilario, Hilaria, Fausto
16: Carmen, Marcelina, Generosa
17: Elías
18: Emiliano, Federico, Luz
19: Aurea, Aureo
20: Elías, Elisa
21: Angelina, Angelines, Lorenza, Daniel, Julia
22: Teófila, Zoraida, Magdalena, Zaida, Primitiva
23: Brigida, Teresa, Boris
24: Cristina
25: Jaime, Santiago
26: Ana, Joaquín
27: Cucufate, Natalia
28: Celso
29: Marta, Olavo
30: Abdón
31: Ignacio
August
1: Alfonso, Dalmau
2: Angeles, Eusebio
3: Gustavo, Lídia
4: Juan María
5: Africa, Blanca, Nieves
6: Salvador
7: Cayetano
8: Domingo
9: Edith
10: Lorenzo
11: Clara, Filomena, Susana
12: Herculano
13: Aurora, Hipólito
14: Atanasia
15: Asunción, Estrella, María, Paloma, José
16: Roque
17: Isaac, Jacinto
18: Elena
19: Magín
20: Bernardo
21: Sidonio
22: Reina
23: Rosa
24: Bartolomé
25: Ginés
26: Ceferino
27: Mónica
28: Agustín
29: Sabina
30: Gaudencia
31: Raimón, Ramón
September
1: Arturo, Egidio, Gil
2: Raquel, Antolín
3: Dorotea
4: Moisés, Rosalía
5: Eudosio
6: Eva, Fausto
7: Regina
8: Adela, Meritxell, Nuria
9: Claustro, Felicia
10: Nicolás
11: Patiens
12: Dulce, María
13: Juan
14: Exaltación
15: Aurora, Dolores
16: Rogelio
17: Ariadna, Columba, Roberto
18: Sofía
19: Nilo
20: Eustaquio
21: Mateo, Mauricio
22: Digna, Inocencio
23: Tecla, Lina, Lino
24: Gerardo, Mercedes
25: Dalmacio
26: Cosme, Damián
27: Florentino, Vicente
28: Wenceslao
29:Gabriel, Miguel, Rafael
30: Jerónimo
October
1: Teresa
2: Angeles Custodios
3: Francisco, Cándido
4: Francisco
5: Gala, Plácido
6: Bruno
7: Rosario
8: Salud, Thaís
9: Abrahan, Dionisio
10: Tomás
11: Begona
12: Pilar, Serafín
13: Eduardo
14: Calixto
15: Teresa
16: Margarita, María
17: Ignacio
18: Lucas
19: Laura
20: Academia, Irene
21: Griselda, Ursula
22: Salomé
23: Servando
24: Antonio
25: Bernardo
26: Evaristo
27: Capitolina
28: Judas, Simón, Tadeo
29: Narciso
30: Bienvenida, Claudio
31: Quintin
November
1: Benigno, Penélope
2: Jorge, Gorka
3: Ermengol, Silvia
4: Carlos, Carlota, Carolina
5: Zacarías, Elisabet, Isabel
6: Leonardo
7: Carina, Ernesto
8: Severiano
9: Teodoro
10: Almudena, León
11: Martín
12: Aurelio
13: Leandro, Diego
14: Teodoto, Clemente
15: Alberto, Leopoldo
16: Edmundo, Margarita
17: Gertrudis, Hilda, Isabel, Victoria
18: Aurelio
19: Crispino, Fausto
20: Félix, Lucrecia, Ocatavio
21: Demetrio, Fructuoso, Piedad
22: Cecilia
23: Clemente
24: Flora
25: Erasmo
26: Juan
27: Auxilio
28: Rufo
29: Saturnino
30: Andrés
December
1: Adelaida, Eloy, Hugo
2: Elisa, Elsa
3: Francisco Javier, María
4: Bárbara
5: Crispina
6: Nicolás
7: Ambrosio
8: Concepción, Inmaculada, Pura
9: Juan
10: Eulalia
11: Dámaso
12: Chantal, Guadalupe
13: Lucía
14: Juan, Nicasio, Pompeyo
15: Fortunato, Cristina
16: Albina
17: Lázaro, Yolanda
18: Esperanza, Macarena
19: Darío
20: Ptolomeo
21: Pedro
22: Floro
23: Juan
24: Delfín, Társila
25: Belén, Eugenia, Natividad
26: Esteban
27: Teófanos
28: Abel
29: Davíd
30: Raúl
31: Silvestre