Names by origin
Where Mexican names come from
Mexican names were formed in 23 different languages. Here is how many came from each, what that language contributed, and every name in the set.
- Nahuatl (Aztec)69 names
- Latin82 names
- Hebrew80 names
- Germanic46 names
- Greek44 names
- Spanish40 names
- Maya24 names
- Celtic8 names
- Zapotec6 names
- Purépecha6 names
- Italian5 names
- Arabic5 names
- Basque5 names
- French5 names
- Aramaic4 names
- Persian3 names
- English3 names
- Slavic3 names
- Otomi2 names
- Mixtec2 names
- Catalan2 names
- Egyptian1 names
- Portuguese1 names
Nahuatl (Aztec) names
The language of the Aztecs, still spoken by about 1.6 million Mexicans. Its names are transparent compounds you can read word by word.
57 more Nahuatl (Aztec) names are in the A to Z list.
Latin names
Names from Rome and the early church, carried into Spanish: Regina, Valentina, Emiliano, Camila, Marcos.
70 more Latin names are in the A to Z list.
Hebrew names
Biblical names that reached Mexico through Spanish and the Catholic calendar: José, Juan, María, Daniel, Miguel, Santiago.
68 more Hebrew names are in the A to Z list.
Germanic names
Names the Visigoths left in Spain: Fernando, Alfonso, Elvira, Rodrigo, Ramiro, Guillermo.
34 more Germanic names are in the A to Z list.
Greek names
Sofía, Alejandro, Andrea, Nicolás, Sebastián. Greek names came through Latin and the church.
32 more Greek names are in the A to Z list.
Spanish names
Word-names formed in Spanish itself: Luz, Paz, Esperanza, Consuelo, Soledad, and the Marian titles that Mexico turned into given names.
28 more Spanish names are in the A to Z list.
Maya names
Yucatec Maya and its relatives, spoken across the peninsula and Chiapas. Maya names are short, often a single word: jaguar, flower, star.
12 more Maya names are in the A to Z list.
Celtic names
Names formed in Celtic and used in Mexico.
Zapotec names
From Oaxaca: Nayeli, Zyanya, Donají, Xiadani.
Purépecha names
From Michoacán: Eréndira, Yunuen, Tsipekua.
Italian names
Names formed in Italian and used in Mexico.
Arabic names
Eight centuries of al-Andalus left Guadalupe, Almudena, Omar and Fátima, plus hundreds of place names.
Basque names
A small but distinctive group: Ximena, Iker, Aitana, Nerea, García as a surname.
French names
Names formed in French and used in Mexico.
Aramaic names
Names formed in Aramaic and used in Mexico.
Persian names
Names formed in Persian and used in Mexico.
English names
Names formed in English and used in Mexico.
Slavic names
Names formed in Slavic and used in Mexico.
Otomi names
Names formed in Otomi and used in Mexico.
Mixtec names
Names formed in Mixtec and used in Mexico.
Catalan names
Names formed in Catalan and used in Mexico.
Egyptian names
Names formed in Egyptian and used in Mexico.
Portuguese names
Names formed in Portuguese and used in Mexico.