The 11 Most Beautiful Hispanic Names and What They Mean

From the latin meaning ‘loves God’, this is a popular Hispanic boy’s name with strong ties to the Catholic faith as San Amadeo was a Medieval martyr who died for his faith. A name which evokes love, devotion and pride, Amadeo shares the same Latin origin as Amadeus, the name of famous composer, Mozart.

The Spanish word for ‘angel’, Ángel also means the messenger, the one who delivers important messages and is a connection between this world and the world of spirits. A soft, gentle sounding name, Ángels are believed to be loving, caring individuals with generous hearts.

A Spanish name made famous by the French author Voltaire and his character Candide, the name Candido is synonymous with innocence, purity and integrity. Wide-eyed and honest, Candido is also an idealist and someone who sees the best in people and the world.

A reference to the Virgin Mary and the Immaculate Conception of Jesus Christ, Concepción is a name evoking purity and absence of sin. A Catholic name through and through, its use is common across the Spanish-speaking world where women with this name are often referred to affectionately as Conchi, Concha or Conchita.

What prettier name can there be than one which means ‘happiness’? Felicidad is a Hispanic women’s name which comes from the Latin ‘felicitas’ and shares the same origin as ‘Felicity’. Felicitas was also a Roman goddess of luck and today the name continues to evoke good fortune and happiness.

A women’s name meaning ‘light’ in Spanish and deriving from the Latin ‘Lux’ meaning the same thing, Luz evokes brightness, clarity and guidance. Like the light at the end of a dark tunnel, Luz is a name which brings hope, lightness and joy – unsurprisingly it’s used as a popular first or second name for many women in the Hispanic world.

A popular Hispanic name made even more famous by the car brand Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes is in fact a very old Spanish name which derives from the word ‘mercy’. The patron saint of Barcelona, La Virgen de la Merced, has her own celebration on September 24, the Día de la Mercè. Women with the name Mercedes are often nicknamed Merche as an affectionate diminutive.

One of the most popular Catalan boys’ names, Oriol comes from the Latin ‘aureolus‘ meaning ‘golden’ or ‘made of gold’, such as the golden aureoles that appear around pictures of saintly figures in classic art. A proudly Catalan name, Oriol has grown in popularity since the 1970s along with the revival of Catalan national identity.

From the Latin ‘reborn’, Renato was the name of a Catholic Saint, a young boy who died at the age of just seven without being baptised and who was re-born shortly after to be baptised before passing away once again. The name evokes new beginnings, freshness and purity as well as resilience and willingness to pardon.

A boy’s name meaning ‘saviour’ in Spanish, Salvador is a religious reference to Jesus Christ as the saviour of humanity. A popular Spanish name, there have been many notable Salvadors in recent years including the Surrealist painter Salvador Dalí and the Chilean politician Salvador Allende.

A Hispanic name not drawn from the Bible, Valerio instead comes from the Latin ‘valerius’, meaning ‘strong, vigorous and healthy’. The name shares the same origin as the Spanish word ‘valiente’, meaning courageous and is a powerful boy’s name particularly popular in the Spanish province of Galicia.