Spanish name generator

Generate real Spanish names with the meaning of every name and two surnames, as Spain and most of Latin America use them, with compound first names, regional surnames, Spain's 2024 favourites and the pet forms people really use.

Erick Cano Crespo
Erick: ever ruler. Cano: gray-haired, from Latin canus, white. Crespo: curly-haired, from Latin crispus. Two surnames, traditionally the father's first surname, then the mother's.
BoySpanish
Waman Victoria Ferreiro
Waman: eagle, falcon. Victoria: victory. Ferreiro: blacksmith, the Galician form of herrero. Two surnames, traditionally the father's first surname, then the mother's.
BoySpanish
Eusebio Villalobos Paz
Eusebio: pious. Villalobos: Spanish for town of wolves. Paz: Spanish for peace, from a title of the Virgin Mary. Two surnames, traditionally the father's first surname, then the mother's.
BoySpanish
Zósimo Cortez Carretero
Zósimo: viable, likely to survive. Cortez: from Spanish cortés, courteous or polite. Carretero: cart maker or carter who hauled goods. Two surnames, traditionally the father's first surname, then the mother's.
BoySpanish
Citlali Barreiro Chávez
Citlali: star. Barreiro: clay pit or muddy ground, from barro, clay. Chávez: from Chaves, a town in northern Portugal near Galicia. Two surnames, traditionally the father's first surname, then the mother's.
GirlSpanish
Paciencia Figueres Villalobos
Paciencia: patience. Figueres: fig trees, in Catalan. Villalobos: Spanish for town of wolves. Two surnames, traditionally the father's first surname, then the mother's.
GirlSpanish
Calixto Vaquero Arteaga
Calixto: most beautiful. Vaquero: cowherd. Arteaga: place of holm oaks, from arte, holm oak. Two surnames, traditionally the father's first surname, then the mother's.
BoySpanish
Evangelina Ocampo Urrutia
Evangelina: good news. Ocampo: from O Campo, the field, a Galician place name. Urrutia: the far-off place, from urruti, far. Two surnames, traditionally the father's first surname, then the mother's.
GirlSpanish
Consuelo Vargas Trujillo
Consuelo: consolation, comfort. Vargas: from several Spanish villages bearing the name. Trujillo: from the town of Trujillo in Extremadura. Two surnames, traditionally the father's first surname, then the mother's.
GirlSpanish
Juventino Olivares Ríos
Juventino: youthful. Olivares: olive groves, for a family living among them. Ríos: rivers, for someone living near running water. Two surnames, traditionally the father's first surname, then the mother's.
BoySpanish
Hilda Mercado Luna
Hilda: battle, combat. Mercado: market, for a family living by a marketplace. Luna: Spanish for moon, or from a town in Aragon. Two surnames, traditionally the father's first surname, then the mother's.
GirlSpanish
Yamila Salazar Arizmendi
Yamila: beautiful. Salazar: from a Basque place name. Arizmendi: oak mountain, from haritz, oak, and mendi, mountain. Two surnames, traditionally the father's first surname, then the mother's.
GirlSpanish

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Spanish name tools

Give a child two surnames from the parents' names, in either order, read what a surname says about a family, and find the pet forms Spaniards actually use.

A child's name

Child's first nameFather: first name and two surnamesMother: first name and two surnamesMother's surname firstCatalan style, joined with i

Lucía García TorresThe father's first surname, then the mother's first surname: the traditional order, chosen by almost all parents.

In Argentina most people use one surname, the father's; Colombia settles a disagreement over the order by drawing lots.

Read a surname

Surname

Basque parts: etxe, house; berri, new. Many Basque surnames name the family's house, as Etxeberria, the new house, does.

Pet forms

First name

Francisco: Paco, Pancho, Curro

José: Pepe, Chepe
Francisco: Paco, Pancho, Curro
Concepción: Concha
Dolores: Lola, Loli
Ignacio: Nacho
José María, José Manuel: Chema
Rosario: Charo
María Teresa: Maite
Joaquín: Quino
Antonio: Toño
Gregorio: Goyo
Fernando: Nando
Ramón: Moncho

How the Spanish name generator works

Every name comes from our researched database of real names used in Spain and Latin America, each with its meaning. You get saints' names like Mateo and Lucía, names that honor the Virgin Mary like Dolores and Pilar, Basque names like Javier, and Nahuatl names used in Mexico, such as Xóchitl, flower.

Each result pairs a first name with two Spanish surnames, such as Lucía Navarro Torres, the way names are written in Spain; set Surnames to One for the single surname many people use day to day. First name can make a compound such as José Luis or María José, Popularity picks Spain's ten most given names of 2024, led by Sofía and Mateo, and Surname type chooses a patronymic in -ez or a Basque, Catalan or Galician surname. Common names show the pet forms Spaniards use, such as Pepe for José.

Most Spanish speakers carry two surnames: the father's first surname, then the mother's first surname. If Juan García López and María Torres Ruiz have a daughter named Lucía, she is Lucía García Torres. Women keep their own surnames when they marry. Since 1999 parents in Spain could agree to put the mother's surname first, and since 2017 there is no default at all: parents choose, and if they disagree the registrar decides in the child's interest. Surnames ending in -ez mean son of: Fernández is son of Fernando, and Rodríguez son of Rodrigo.

That is Quick mode: instant and unlimited. For something more specific, switch to Custom mode, set a few options and add a sentence of details. An AI language model picks up to 10 real names from our database that fit, each with its meaning from our records and a note on why it fits, and More like this gives you variations on any name you like.

Spanish names with meanings

Hand-picked by our editors. Copy one, or use them as a starting point.

Name	Meaning or note
Lucía Navarro	Lucía: light. Navarro: someone from Navarre
Sofía Ramírez	Sofía: wisdom. Ramírez: son of Ramiro
Valentina Morales	Valentina: strong, healthy. Morales: dweller by mulberry trees
Carmen Vega	Carmen: garden, orchard. Vega: dweller in a fertile river meadow
Paloma Serrano	Paloma: a dove. Serrano: someone from the mountains
Rocío Herrera	Rocío: morning dew. Herrera: from herrería, a smithy
Esperanza Cruz	Esperanza: hope. Cruz: dweller by a cross
Pilar Domínguez	Pilar: pillar, for Our Lady of the Pillar. Domínguez: son of Domingo
Mercedes Ortiz	Mercedes: mercies, for Our Lady of Mercy. Ortiz: son of Orti, a form of Fortunio
Dolores Peña	Dolores: sorrows, for Our Lady of Sorrows. Peña: dweller by a rock or crag
Isabel Castro	Isabel: God is my oath. Castro: by an old fort, from Latin castrum
Inés Delgado	Inés: pure, chaste. Delgado: thin or slender
Gabriela Soto	Gabriela: God is my strength. Soto: dweller by a grove
Natalia Medina	Natalia: born on Christmas Day. Medina: from towns named Medina, Arabic for city
Estrella Campos	Estrella: a star. Campos: dweller in the fields
Consuelo Rubio	Consuelo: consolation, comfort. Rubio: blond
Xóchitl Hernández	Xóchitl: flower, from Nahuatl. Hernández: son of Hernando
Citlali Aguilar	Citlali: star, from Nahuatl. Aguilar: haunt of eagles
Alba Romero	Alba: the dawn. Romero: pilgrim, once one who journeyed to Rome
Martina Suárez	Martina: dedicated to Mars. Suárez: son of Suero
Luz Guerrero	Luz: light, for Our Lady of Light. Guerrero: warrior or soldier
Lola Reyes	Lola: from Dolores, sorrows. Reyes: the kings, for the Three Kings
Mateo Torres	Mateo: gift of God. Torres: dweller by the towers
Santiago López	Santiago: Saint James. López: son of Lope, from Latin lupus, wolf
Javier Ibarra	Javier: new house, from Basque. Ibarra: a valley or riverside plain, from Basque
Alejandro Ruiz	Alejandro: defender of men. Ruiz: son of Ruy, short for Rodrigo
Joaquín Méndez	Joaquín: raised by God. Méndez: son of Mendo
Rodrigo Álvarez	Rodrigo: famous ruler. Álvarez: son of Álvaro
Pablo Gómez	Pablo: small, humble. Gómez: son of Gome
Manuel Vázquez	Manuel: God with us. Vázquez: son of Vasco
Andrés Gutiérrez	Andrés: manly, brave. Gutiérrez: son of Gutierre
Miguel Sánchez	Miguel: who is like God. Sánchez: son of Sancho
Emilio Castillo	Emilio: rival, striving to equal. Castillo: dweller by a castle
Tomás Mendoza	Tomás: a twin. Mendoza: cold mountain, from Basque
Rafael Velázquez	Rafael: God heals. Velázquez: son of Velasco
Felipe Santos	Felipe: lover of horses. Santos: the saints
Lorenzo Díaz	Lorenzo: man from Laurentum. Díaz: son of Diego
Héctor Valiente	Héctor: holding fast. Valiente: brave or valiant
Cristóbal Montes	Cristóbal: bearer of Christ. Montes: mountains, for a hill dweller
Nicolás Echeverría	Nicolás: victory of the people. Echeverría: new house, from Basque
Inti Villalobos	Inti: sun, from Quechua. Villalobos: town of wolves
Ramón Paz	Ramón: counsel protector. Paz: peace, from a title of the Virgin Mary
Fernando Rosales	Fernando: brave journey. Rosales: rose bushes
Refugio Luna	Refugio: refuge. Luna: moon, or a town in Aragon
Ana Martínez Vega	Ana: favor, grace. Martínez: son of Martín. Vega: fertile river meadow
Carlos Rodríguez Blanco	Carlos: free man. Rodríguez: son of Rodrigo. Blanco: white, for fair hair
Daniela González Molina	Daniela: God is my judge. González: son of Gonzalo. Molina: from molino, mill

Tips for choosing a good name

Add a second surname

The generator gives two surnames by default. For a family, keep the father's first surname and the mother's first surname in the children's names, in the same order for every child.

Try a compound first name

Names like María José, José Luis and Juan Carlos are common. María José is a girl's name and José María a boy's, so the first part usually sets the gender.

Keep the accent marks

Accents show the stressed syllable. Lucía is loo-SEE-ah and Martínez is mar-TEE-nez, so leaving them out changes how the name reads.

Match the name to the region

Basque names like Javier and Echeverría fit northern Spain, while Nahuatl names like Xóchitl and Citlali fit a character from Mexico.

Two surnames, and who chooses the order

By The Nomezo Editors · Updated October 22, 2026 · How we research names

A Spaniard carries two surnames: traditionally the father's first surname, then the mother's, and 99.5% of parents still choose that order. Women keep their own surnames when they marry. Since 1999 parents could agree to put the mother's surname first, and since 30 June 2017 there has been no default at all: under article 49 of the Civil Registry Law, parents agree the order, and if they cannot, the registrar gives them three days and then decides in the child's best interest. Every later child takes the same order. Despite what some sites say, there is no alphabetical rule.

Spain's favourite names

According to INE, Spain's statistics office, Sofía and Mateo were the most given names in 2024, while among everyone living in Spain the leaders are María Carmen and Antonio, and García is the most common surname. The rest of the 2024 top ten, as reported from INE's figures:

Spain's most given baby names in 2024
Rank	Girls	Boys
1	Sofía (3,325)	Mateo (3,289)
2	Lucía (2,830)	Hugo (2,734)
3	Martina (2,364)	Martín (2,693)
4	María (2,189)	Leo
5	Vega	Manuel
6	Julia	Lucas
7	Olivia	Pablo
8	Valeria	Alejandro
9	Mía	Enzo
10	Emma	Álvaro

A child can have two simple names or one compound, must not share a living brother's or sister's name, and, since 2023, does not need a name that matches their sex. José María is a man's name, María José a woman's.

Son of: surnames in -ez

The most common Spanish surnames are patronymics. The ending -ez comes from the Latin -ici, meaning son of, so Fernández was the son of Fernando:

Spanish patronymic surnames and the names they come from
Surname	Son of
Fernández	Fernando
Pérez	Pedro
Rodríguez	Rodrigo
González	Gonzalo
López	Lope
Martínez	Martín
Sánchez	Sancho
Hernández	Hernando

Basque, Catalan and Galician names

Spain's regions have their own names. Many Basque surnames name a family's house: Etxeberria is etxe, house, and berri, new, and the first name Xavier comes from it. Catalans join their two surnames with i, and, banned from 1938, Catalan, Basque and Galician names are now written in their own spelling again: Puig is a hill, Ferrer a smith. Galician surnames such as Castro, from Latin castrum, a fort, often come from places.

Pepe, Paco and Lola: pet forms

Spanish pet forms are used only among family and friends, and many look nothing like the name. Some imitate a child's speech, as Charo does for Rosario. Why Pepe means José is unknown: the story of P. P., Pater Putativus, is a legend.

Spanish names and their pet forms
Name	Pet forms
José	Pepe, Chepe
Francisco	Paco, Pancho, Curro
Concepción	Concha
Dolores	Lola, Loli
Ignacio	Nacho
José María, José Manuel	Chema
Rosario	Charo
María Teresa	Maite
Joaquín	Quino
Antonio	Toño
Gregorio	Goyo
Fernando	Nando
Ramón	Moncho

Across Latin America

Most of Spanish-speaking America follows the two-surname system, with local differences:

Surname customs in Latin America
Country	The custom
Argentina	Usually one surname, the father's; married women rarely take a husband's surname
Mexico	Two surnames, as in Spain
Colombia	Two surnames; since 2021 parents may reverse the order, and a disagreement is settled by lottery
Chile	Two surnames, in an order agreed for the first child and kept for all siblings
Uruguay	The father's surname first by default; parents may reverse it since 2013

How to name a Spanish character

1
Give two surnames
Father's first surname, then mother's: Lucía García Torres. In daily life people often use only the first.
2
Keep the accents
Sofía, Álvaro and Fernández need their accents; leaving them out looks careless to Spanish readers.
3
Consider a compound
José Luis, María José or José María (a man's name) count as one name. The law allows two simple names or one compound.
4
Place the family
An -ez name is Castilian, Etxeberria is Basque, Puig Catalan and Castro Galician. Catalans join surnames with i.
5
Use the pet form
José is Pepe, Francisco Paco, Dolores Lola and Ignacio Nacho among family and friends.

Next door: the Italian name generator and the French name generator.

Sources

Wikipedia: Spanish naming customs: two surnames, marriage, -ez, compound names, pet forms
BOE: Ley 20/2011 del Registro Civil, article 49: who chooses the order of surnames
BOE: Ley 20/2011 del Registro Civil, article 51: the rules for first names
INE: most common surnames and names: García, María Carmen, Antonio, Sofía and Mateo
La Voz de Ibiza: Spain's 2024 baby names (INE data): ranks 2 to 10 of 2024
Wikipedia: Basque surnames: etxe, berri and other parts
Behind the Name: Xavier: Xavier from Etxeberria
Wikipedia: Catalan names: the i joiner and the 1938 ban
Behind the Name: Puig: what Puig means
Wikipedia: Castro (surname): Castro in Galicia
Spanish Wikipedia: Hipocorístico: how pet forms are made
Wikipedia: Naming customs of Hispanic America: Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Uruguay

Frequently asked questions

Why do Spanish speakers have two last names?

Most people in Spain and Latin America carry the father's first surname followed by the mother's first surname, so both family lines stay in the name. Many people use only the first surname day to day.

Does this include Mexican and Latin American names?

Yes. The Spanish culture covers Spain and Latin America, so you get names like Guadalupe, Xóchitl and Hernández alongside Spanish classics. It works as a Hispanic or Mexican name generator too.

What does -ez mean at the end of a Spanish surname?

It means son of. Fernández is son of Fernando, López is son of Lope and Martínez is son of Martín. These surnames are among the most common in the Spanish-speaking world.

What are the most common Spanish last names?

García, Rodríguez, González, Fernández and López lead the lists in Spain, and Hernández, García and Martínez are among the most common in Mexico.

Do Spanish women change their last name when they marry?

Traditionally, no. In Spain and most of Latin America a woman keeps her own two surnames for life, and her children take a surname from each parent.

Who decides the order of a Spanish child's surnames?

The parents. Since 30 June 2017 Spain has no default: parents agree the order before registration, and if they disagree, the registrar gives them three days and then decides in the child's best interest. There is no alphabetical rule. In practice 99.5% keep the father's surname first.

What are the most popular Spanish baby names?

For babies born in 2024, Sofía (3,325) and Mateo (3,289), according to INE. Among everyone living in Spain, the most common names are María Carmen and Antonio, and the most common surname is García, carried by over 1.4 million people.

Why is José María a man's name?

Because a compound first name counts as one name, and its first part decides: José María is a man, María José a woman. Spanish law allows two simple names or one compound.

Why is Pepe short for José?

Nobody is sure. The popular story says it comes from P. P., for Pater Putativus, Saint Joseph as Jesus's foster father, but that is a legend; other explanations include a sound change from Josep, or Italian Giuseppe.

What does Etxeberria mean?

The new house, from Basque etxe, house, and berri, new. Many Basque surnames name a family's house, and the name Xavier comes from the same words, by way of the village name that Saint Francis Xavier carried as his surname.

Do Latin Americans have two surnames too?

Most do, but customs vary. Mexicans, Colombians and Chileans carry two surnames, while in Argentina most people use a single surname, usually the father's.

What is Custom mode?

Custom mode lets you set a few options and add a sentence of details, such as a surname or sibling names. An AI language model then picks up to 10 real names from our database that fit, each with its meaning from our records and a note on why it fits, and you can ask for more like any name you like.

Does the AI make up names or meanings in Custom mode?

No. The AI can only choose from the real names in our database, and every meaning shown comes from our own records. It adds a short note on why each name fits what you asked for.