Here’s a list of over 100 boy names with meanings, cute variations, and alternative spellings to help you find a name for your sweet little guy that sounds beautiful in both English and Spanish!
A Names
- Abel – A Breath
- Adan – Of The Earth
- Adrian – Person From Hadria (Northern Italy)
- Agustin (Agustus, August) – The Exalted One
- Alberto – Noble and Bright
- Alexander (Alejandro, Alessandro) – Defender of the People
- Ali – Noble, Exalted
- Alvin – Noble Friend
- Anderson – Son of Andrew
- Angel (Angelo) – Messenger of God
- Antonio – Priceless
- Ari – Lion
- Arlo – Hill
- Arturo – Bear
- Atlas – Support, Prop
B Names
- Benjamin – Son Of My Right Hand
- Bruno – Brown
C Names
- Cairo (Kairo) – Victorious One
- Carlo – Man
- Carlos – Free Man
- Caspian – From Qazvin, Iran
- Cesar – Thick Head of Hair
- Christian (Cristiano) – Follower of Christ
- Cruz – The Cross of Christ
D Names
- Dakota – The Allies
- Damian – To Tame, Subdue
- Damon (Damond) – To Tame, Subdue
- Daniel – Only God is my Judge
- Dante – Everlasting
- Darian (Darion, Dario ) – Upholder of the Good
- David – Beloved
- Diego – May God Protect
- Donovan – Little Brown One
E Names
- Edgar – Rich Spear
- Eduardo – Wealthy Guardian
- Elijah (Eli, Eliam, Elias, Elian, Eliezer, Elio, Eliot, Eliseo) – My God is Yahweh
- Emanuel (Manuel) – God is with us
- Emilio (Emiliano, Emile) – To Strive or Excel or Rival
- Eric (Erick, Enrique) – Always Ruler
- Ernesto – Earnest, Sincere
- Evan (Evander, Evin) – God Is Good
- Ezra – Help
F Names
- Fabian (Fabiano) – Bean Grower
- Fernando – Daring, Adventurous
- Francisco (Franco) – Free
G Names
- Gabriel – God Is My Strength
- Gael – A Gaelic Person
- Gavin – White Hawk
- Genesis – Beginning, Birth
H Names
- Hector – Anchor, Steadfast
- Hugo – Bright In Mind And Spirit
I Names
- Ian – God Is Gracious
- Ignacio – Fire
- Iker – Visitor
- Isaac – He Will Laugh
- Israel – Wrestled With God
- Ivan – God Is Gracious
J Names
- Jaime – Supplanter
- Javier (Xavier) – New House
- Jonah – A Dove
- Joshua – God Is My Salvation
- Julius (Julio) – Youthful, Downy
K Names
- Kai – Ocean
- Kevin (Kevan, Keven) – Handsome, Beautiful
- Kian (Kiano) – Old
L Names
- Landon – From The Long Hill
- Leonardo (Leo) – Lion Brave
- Liam – With Gilded Heart
- Lionel – Lion
- Lorenzo (Enzo) – Laurel
- Lucas (Luke, Luca) – From Luciana, Italy
- Luciano (Lucian) – Light
- Luis – Famous Warrior
M Names
- Marco (Marcus, Markus) – Warlike
- Mario (Marion) – Warlike
- Mateo (Matteo, Matias) – Gift Of God, Form Of Matthew
- Milo – Soldier
- Moises – Born Of
N Names
- Nicolas (Nico, Nicolai) – Victory Of The People
- Noel – Born On Christmas Day
O Names
- Oliver – Descendant of The Ancestor
- Owen – The Yew Tree or Youth
P Names
- Pablo – Small, Form Of Paul
- Pedro – Rock, Form Of Peter
R Names
- Rafael – God Has Healed
- Ramiro – Supreme Judge, Famous Advice
- Raul – Wolf Counsel, Form of Ralph
- Ricardo – Brave Ruler, Form of Richard
- Rodrigo (Rigo) – Famous Ruler, Form of Roderick
- Roman (Romeo) – From Rome, Italy
- Ronan – Little Seal
S Names
- Salvador – Savior
- Samson – Sun Or Service
- Samuel (Sam) – His Name Is God
- Santana – Follower Of St. Anna
- Santiago (Tiago) – Of St. James
- Santino – Little Saint
- Sebastian – Venerable
- Silas – Man Of The Forest
- Solomon – Peaceful One
T Names
- Trevor – Fair town
V Names
- Valentino – Strength, Health
- Vicente – Victorious
- Victor – Winner, Conqueror
Z Names
- Zahir – Bright Illuminating
How to Pick a Good Bilingual Baby Name
Raising a multicultural family can be tricky… especially when it comes to naming your baby!
You want the name to be easy to pronounce in both languages so there’s no confusion, but that really limits your options. (And is it just me, or is there a total lack of boy names out there?!)
As a pregnant American in Mexico, I really wanted to make sure that no matter which country E grew up in, he would never have to be that kid who corrected the teacher’s pronunciation of his name during morning attendance.
Say It Out Loud
It sounds too simple, but it can super quickly weed out names that aren’t a good fit. Saying your baby’s FULL name out loud does a few things.
First, you’ll make sure the name has a nice “ring” to it- that it’s not a mouthful (which can happen pretty easily if your baby has two last names plus a middle name, like my son!)
Think Evander Alexander or Veronica Nicoletta Martinez Johnson.
Saying the name out loud also helps you check that you’re not unintentionally giving your baby a funny name. Some common names can suddenly turn into a joke when combined.
Think April Schauer.
Have Spanish & English Speakers Say It Out Loud
Okay, I totally understand not wanting to hear everyone’s annoying opinions about your favorite names. (“Oh, I went to high school with someone named that and they were such a bully!”) Seriously, that’s never helpful.
BUT in your case, it does help narrow down your options a LOT if you can run potential names by a few people close to you, that speak English or Spanish natively.
The trick is to find someone you can trust not to be negative. Maybe even explain to them that you just want some help hearing the pronunciation- no feedback on the name itself.
If you’re in a multicultural or bilingual family, I suggest having a few people on each side of the family pronounce your baby’s name so you can hear both the English and Spanish pronunciation.
I personally used my mom and sister on the English-speaking side of the family and my husband and mother-in-law on the Spanish-speaking side.
It was actually really easy to do this little pronunciation test using WhatsApp. I would text them the name and ask them to read it back to me through a voice message.
If they pronounced it differently than I had intended or if they were having any trouble sounding it out, I just scratched it off the list. (For me, it was really important that my son wouldn’t have to be the kid correcting his teachers during roll-call!)
Consider The Nicknames
Again, you don’t have to tell everyone what names you’re considering, but if you have a few people close to you who aren’t too judgy to bounce your ideas off of, it can be helpful feedback.
Funny story: A friend of mine wanted to name her son Curtis Joseph because she thought the nickname “Cujo” sounded cute. And it did sound cute… until she found out about the Stephen King novel where the star, Cujo is a rabid dog. Some things are just good to know before you commit!
Consider The Initials (in both languages)
No one wants embarrassing initials. Think F.L.U. and W.T.F. in English.
But because you’re naming a bilingual baby, don’t forget to check what the initials sound like in Spanish too!
If your baby has two last names, as is typical in Latin culture, think S.I.D.A. for example. Yikes.
Consider Any Dual Meanings
Again, this is a bilingual baby, so you might want to make sure the name doesn’t unintentionally have another meaning in Spanish.
I loved the name Cameron for our baby boy until I realized that it sounded just a little too much like camarón (shrimp) in Spanish. It’s obviously not the same, but I just couldn’t ignore the similarity once I’d noticed it.
You might want to run the name through SpanishDict.com or BabyNames.com if you want the root meaning of the names you’re considering.
Consider The Celebrities (in both countries)
An American parent choosing the name Belinda might not realize that this name belongs to a very famous Mexican singer. Likewise, a Mexican parent choosing the name William Howard might not realize that this name belonged to a US president.
Now, if you like the name, it might not matter to you, but I think it’s always good to just be aware of celebrities who share the name.
Running a quick Google search can clear that up for you before you finalize a name. (It can also stop you from accidentally naming your son Cujo!)
Make it Sentimental
Choosing your baby’s name is HARD and choosing a bilingual baby’s name is at least TWICE as hard! If you find yourself getting stuck, why not take a look back at your family tree?
Maybe you have a great-great-grandparent with a name you love. It will feel all the more sentimental to use a family name too!
Congratulations! (Felicidades!)
Well, there you have it! I hope this list of baby boy names helped you and your family come up with something that will work in English and in Spanish.
Not sure of the gender yet? Click to check out my list of 120 GIRL Names or 150 GENDER NEUTRAL Names that sound beautiful in English and Spanish!
Good luck with your name search mama and Congratulations!
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