American names that mexicans can say!

My husband loves american names, not mexican names so much, that being said, our last name is [name]Hernandez[/name] and his parents and siblings dont speak English. We also dont know where we will be living (in the US or Mexico), and I want a name that they could use to fit in my white and nerdy culture and also the mexican culture. I like the names [name]Leslie[/name], [name]Denisse[/name], [name]Owen[/name], [name]Rebeca[/name], and [name]Emily[/name]. [name]Owen[/name], [name]Denisse[/name], and [name]Emily[/name] are taken. [name]How[/name] does [name]Leslie[/name] [name]Rebeca[/name] [name]Hernandez[/name] sound (in english and spanish?) We also love the name [name]Elijah[/name] [name]Scott[/name] for a boy but I dont know what my in-laws would call him. Any good nick-names? I also want my name to have a meaning behind it that will inspire my future son or daughter. Biblical is great but it doesnt have to be. [name]Just[/name] no Jezebels. I want a good bible character, lol. Any suggestions? Muchas gracias!

Some ideas that I like are [name]Felicity[/name] or [name]Felicia[/name], [name]Katherine[/name] and [name]Alicia[/name]. I was really hoping for some fresh perspective. Anyone?

I have the same query! My husband is mexican and I am white, and when we talk about baby names for our future kids we have to consider how it will look next to our last name, and ones that will sound good in his family’s thick accent! His parents struggled to say my very American first name when we first met, and we don’t want them to have the same problem when it comes to saying their grandchildren’s names! Luckily, most of my favorite names for girls are flowy names that end in “a,” which I think would be easy for the in-laws to pronounce. Here are a few of my (many) favorite girl names:

[name]Amelia[/name]/[name]Emilia[/name]
[name]Amara[/name]
[name]Elena[/name]
[name]Adela[/name]
[name]Clara[/name]
[name]Estela[/name]
[name]Rafaella[/name]
[name]Louisa[/name]
[name]Calla[/name]- my very VERY favorite but hubby doesn’t feel the love :frowning:
[name]Isela[/name]

Not sure if they’re your style, but all have been “accent tested” by my husband lol. I like the names on your list too! I love [name]Alicia[/name], and would want to use it as a middle name for a future daughter if it wasn’t for the fact that everyone in my neck of the woods would pronounce it [name]ALI[/name]-sha, instead of the beautiful [name]ALI[/name]-cia. Everything sounds better with a spanish accent, doesn’t it? :slight_smile:
As far as boy names go, our first will be named [name]Edward[/name], after my husband. We don’t have too many other favorites that we agree on, but my hubby loves [name]Theo[/name], pronounced THEY-oh. I’m not totally on board with that one, yet. I love [name]Elijah[/name]. I don’t think it would be too hard for them to say, especially if he went by [name]Eli[/name]. I love biblical boy names. Some others I like are [name]Abraham[/name], [name]Emmanuel[/name], [name]Gabriel[/name], [name]Samuel[/name], and [name]Jonah[/name]. [name]Elias[/name] and [name]Efrain[/name] are names of two of my husband’s uncles, I wouldn’t mind using either of those! [name]Both[/name] totally cool.
[name]Hope[/name] this helps! Thanks for posting, love this thread!

Yay! Thank you for your post! I’m glad I’m not the only one. I will definitely run some of those by my husband. I think Clara is my favorite. Clara Alicia Hernandez and Clara Felicia Hernandez sound like a good options for me. And we’ll see with Elijah. I love it. I like both pronounciations of Alicia, although the latin one IS better! :wink: Efrain is a great name, except it will forever remind me of a trouble maker that I had as a pre-school teacher. Being a former teacher rules out a lot of names for me, lol. My favorites on your list are Samuel, Abraham, Elias (though my husband doesnt like it you should use it!) and Theo is adorable to me. I think of THEE-o and TEY-o pronounciations. I dont know if I like THEY-o either. Edward is also a great name. Hopefully my name list will help you. Here are some that wouldnt suit my husband’s taste (or taken for us) but may help you!

Esteban
Lily
Daira or Dara. I had a cute little girl in my class named Daira Maria.
Sonia
Benjamin
Karlisia
Alonso or Lorenzo
Ian
Miriam Sarai
Sara Naomi or Noemi (accent on the i for noemi) Actually this could be an option for me too!

Good luck and thanks again for responding!

what about [name]Elisia[/name]? [name]Elisia[/name] [name]Ramona[/name] [name]Hernandez[/name]?

My name is [name]Rebecca[/name] and I [name]LOVE[/name] the way it sounds in a Spanish accent. (and spelled [name]Rebeca[/name] in your case of course). I love that little trill of the R!

Thank you! Beautiful spelling of [name]Elisia[/name], unique but not awkward. I don’t think [name]Ramona[/name] is for me.

Rj, thanks! I have always loved the name [name]Rebeca[/name]. My sister’s name is [name]Rebekah[/name]. I like that spelling too but I think I would go with the latin on for obvious reasons.

[name]Hi[/name]! I was glad to see [name]Sara[/name] [name]Naomi[/name]/[name]Noemi[/name] as one you liked because that came to mind immediately for me! As far as [name]Elijah[/name], I think related [name]Eli[/name], [name]Elia[/name], and [name]Elias[/name] are used in Spanish, although of course they will be pronounced differently (like [name]Alisha[/name] vs A-lee-see-a) - not butchered at all, just a different approach, if that makes sense. I’ve known plenty of Latino children (and a few adults) who code-switch with their names in school, but both prn’s are legit prn’s of the name. Personally I’d have no problem with one prn in one language and another in another, I’d prefer that to a butchered prn of a non-used name, but if you want the prn the same, perhaps there’s another way to go.

Here are some names that are Spanish(ish) but I think work well in English, mostly because I’ve seen them used that way, as well as English names that seem pretty pronounceable in Spanish (also mostly based on what I’ve seen):

[name]Antonia[/name]
[name]Aurelia[/name]
[name]Christina[/name]/[name]Cristina[/name]
[name]Cora[/name]
[name]Coraima[/name]
[name]Dahlia[/name]/[name]Dalia[/name] (the national flower of Mexico, I believe?)
[name]Diana[/name]
[name]Esther[/name]/[name]Ester[/name]/[name]Estrella[/name]
[name]Iris[/name]
[name]Isabel[/name]
[name]Lucia[/name]
[name]Maria[/name]
[name]Natalia[/name]
[name]Natalie[/name]/[name]Nathalie[/name] (the Latina women I’ve known with this name have spelled it [name]Nathalie[/name] or [name]Nathaly[/name])
[name]Olivia[/name]
[name]Raquel[/name]
[name]Reyna[/name]/[name]Reina[/name]/[name]Raina[/name]
[name]Rosa[/name]
[name]Ruby[/name]
[name]Sophia[/name]/[name]Sofia[/name]
[name]Theresa[/name]/[name]Teresa[/name]
[name]Valentina[/name]
[name]Valeria[/name]
[name]Zara[/name]

[name]Anthony[/name]
[name]Antonio[/name]
[name]Daniel[/name]
[name]David[/name]
[name]Gabriel[/name]
[name]Hector[/name]
[name]Isaiah[/name]/[name]Isaias[/name]
[name]Louis[/name]/[name]Luis[/name]
[name]Marco[/name]/[name]Marcos[/name]
[name]Nicholas[/name]/[name]Nicolas[/name]
[name]Oscar[/name]
[name]Sebastian[/name]
[name]Thomas[/name]/[name]Tomas[/name]

I am sure there are more! Good luck!

I know a [name]Bella[/name] who is half-Mexican and half-American, I love how [name]Bella[/name] is pronounced in Spanish! I also know sisters [name]Alicia[/name] and [name]Fabiana[/name], and love the Spanish pronunciations of those as well.

Since I started Nameberry-ing, I have some new name crushes:

For a girl:
Clara -simple yet not as trendy as Claire. Means clear but I like to think of it as pure. Plus, I love the nutcracker -bonus!
Felicia or Felicity - love the meaning and how it rolls off the tongue. What can give more felicity than a daughter?
November or December - I just love the way they sound, but I would like to hear more perspective on these names.
Sarah Naomi - God changed Sarai’s name to Sarah meaning princess. Naomi is also a great OT name. Sarah Naomi Hernandez. Pretty.
Brynn ( though the meaning isnt exciting for me, could be a cute middle name?)
Evelyn - I like Eve from the OT. Too few people recognize the virtue in her giving up her own pleasure and easy life in the garden of Eden so that she could have hardships and earthly experiences and not to mention, so we could be born. No pain no gain! However, Eva variations are so trendy right now… Do you all know any Evelyns?
Leslie… still :wink: the meaning isnt exciting but I love how it sounds and I have a sweet friend named Leslie, I wouldnt mind my daughter having the same name.
I still like Alicia and Rebeca, but I am exploring some less popular choices, as both are names of immediate relatives. I dont mind that though.

Boys:
Elijah Scott … still lol Elijah is one of my ultimate OT faves, and my husband prefers it to the hispanic Elias. My husband told me he liked the name Scott when we first started dating and I just thought it was so cute that he mentioned baby names so early in our relationship, and not to mention in his cute accent. Am I a geek or what? Scott is the last name of someone that I know who is a great role model also. As good as a bible name to me. (for any who are LDS I’m thinking of Richard G. Scott.)
Ian - “the Lord is gracious” and sounds the same in English and Spanish. Awesome.
Isaac -with my baby fever I’m going to feel like Sarah by the time he is born. Lol jk. Great name, sounds cool in spanish.

Thoughts? It’s been so fun learning about names and commenting on other posts! Please send money dust my way - and then baby dust! Lol.

Jesba and redpoppy, just saw your posts, thanks!
@jesba, I dont mind code switching at all, my husband and I both do it and I prefer people in Mexico to call me by the spanish version of my name because I loved it after I got used to it. Thanks for the name list! I’ll check those out!
@redpoppy, unfortunately i think of twilight… :confused: although the spanish pronunciation helps with that! Thanks!

[name]Eric[/name]
[name]Melissa[/name]
[name]Yvonne[/name]
[name]Yvette[/name]
[name]Marisol[/name]
[name]Marissa[/name]
[name]Eileen[/name]

Are all names of Mexican-Americans I know whose families dont speak English so I would say they are easy to prn in both Countries

Hello amenspanglish. I’m happy to help! I’m American living in Mexico City and married to an Argentine, so I can relate. Here are some of the names we considered:

[name]Mariel[/name]
[name]Victoria[/name]
[name]Georgina[/name], nn [name]Gigi[/name] (I LOATHE the Mexican NN, [name]Geo[/name], which in Spanish sounds like “Hell”)
[name]Viviana[/name]
[name]Amelia[/name]
[name]Amalia[/name]
[name]Antonia[/name]
[name]Cristina[/name]
[name]Regina[/name]
[name]Valeria[/name]
[name]Marcela[/name]
[name]Leonor[/name]/[name]Eleonora[/name]
[name]Eliza[/name]
[name]Isabel[/name]
[name]Paulina[/name]
[name]Romina[/name], nn [name]Romy[/name]
[name]Carolina[/name], nn [name]Caro[/name]
[name]Daniela[/name]
[name]Florencia[/name] (it’s very fashionable in Buenos Aires so DH tried to make a case for it but I don’t like it despite the fact that I love the nns [name]Flora[/name] or [name]Flor[/name])

[name]Martin[/name]
[name]Nicolas[/name]
[name]Victor[/name]
[name]Alberto[/name]
[name]Antonio[/name]
[name]Marco[/name]
[name]Roberto[/name]
[name]Javier[/name]

My favorite from those two new lists is [name]Romina[/name]. I had a little preschooler in my class named [name]Romina[/name] and I always called her [name]Romy[/name] because I love that nickname. I will always think of her big beautiful black eyes and spunky personality when I hear that name. But I’m into meanings and it just means “from [name]Rome[/name]”. I do have some italian background but Idk… I still have a name crush on it though! [name]Eric[/name] is a nice name too. I noticed it means eternal ruler and i also thought of the little mermaid. I loved that movie growing up. A girl who leaves her family and culture for the man she loved. Maybe I watched it too many times! :wink:
The other names are beautiful but still seem too latino for me. I’m not racist against latin names but my hubby likes American names, and I guess I also want a little of my culture to show in my future children’s names. If I see it as a spanish name that my dad would butcher trying to say, it doesnt have much appeal to me. Or I have heard it one too many times, but how are you to know that? Lol. I really appreciate the posts though! So thank you!

Thanks all! Now I need to go out and do the things that I have learned by name-berrying! It was great to read about all of peoples’ experiences in the diffent forums, gain perspecitves on names, and share my experience and opinions with others. This is such a fun website! [name]Baby[/name] dust to all, and best of luck!

Hello, I would like to keep this forum going for fun. Here are some names I have heard recently that I like:

[name]Caleb[/name]. A perfectly pronouncible and not too common bible name that I didnt even think of until someone posted a forum today about it. Great choice!

Today, I met a baby girl named Kensley. I didnt ask how she spelled it, so maybe it was [name]Kinsley[/name]. What do you think of the name? I’m not sure I like how people would read it with a spanish accent. Maybe I would have to spell it Kenslie if I ever use it. Aw, that’s cute. But It looks like more of a nickname to me. Possible full names that go with that?

It reminded me of the name [name]MacKenzie[/name], which, even though it seemed really popular a few years ago, I havent seen much of it lately. As English as it sounds, I think a spanish accent could handle it just fine.

Also, I got an inspiration to do some geneology and I have some interesting names in my ancestors. Now I see why so many people look for family names, it’s so interesting! [name]One[/name] of the names is Esilda. Another male name, Gerolamo. These are on my italian side. I’m just curious what they mean or where they come from. Does anyone know? I might start another forum to see if anyone knows about these and many other old names!

If you have any spanglish names that you’d like to suggest, please add them on! Gracias!

My husband is also mexican and im white! haha!
We have boy [name]Josef[/name]… My husbands parent/family dont speak english but they manage to pronounce it ok! He gets called Pep and Pepon a lot!

For girls we liked…
[name]Elena[/name]
[name]Elise[/name]
[name]Lucia[/name] or [name]Lucy[/name]
[name]Silvia[/name] ( fairly popular in mexico)
[name]Lily[/name]
[name]Sara[/name]
[name]Gabriela[/name]
[name]Natalia[/name]
[name]Carolina[/name]

[name]Louis[/name]
[name]Rafael[/name]
[name]Mateo[/name]
[name]Oscar[/name]
[name]Gabriel[/name]

There are more… basically just stay away from double L, J and TH!
I always say to my husband… even if they dont have the name is spanish we can TEACH them to pronounce it! which we have with [name]Josef[/name]! ( though [name]Patrick[/name] is more difficult for them! ds middle name)

Thanks! Actually there are some TH names that mexicans use, ex. [name]Ruth[/name], [name]Katherine[/name], I even met a [name]Kenneth[/name]. But they just pronounce it T instead of TH, it just depends if people like that or not. I dont mind it, but I dont think I would use those specific names, unless it was a middle name. Good for you for insisting with your son’s name. [name]Josef[/name] is a great name. I’ve never heard Pep as a nickname before.

Ok, I will say [name]Leslie[/name] [name]Rebeca[/name] [name]Hernandez[/name] sounds well in spanish. I am mexican. I think that [name]Rebeca[/name] [name]Hernandez[/name] sounds well balanced because they both have 3 syl. in spanish. I love how elegant [name]Rebeca[/name] sounds. Although, it honestly looks and sounds to me like a mexican name (no american influence at all in it). Specially, because I know an american [name]Rebecca[/name] from work (with double C).

[name]One[/name] mexican aunt made combos for her children like [name]Jessica[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name], [name]Martha[/name] [name]Judith[/name], [name]Eric[/name] [name]Daniel[/name]. She looked for names that have same writting in both English and Spanish, didn’t care about TH pronuntiation. What do you think about this?? It’s only a suggestion.

There are a lot of english names that mexicans can say, because they use it too!!! like [name]Karen[/name], [name]Ashley[/name], [name]Emma[/name] (one baby of a mexican coworker has this name, yes it is written with double M like in English version), [name]Mia[/name] (this is italian, I know, but is widely used in Mexico), Lydia, Sophia.

It does help! Thanks! I am actually thinking about that, especially for boys names. My hubby and I both love the name [name]Elijah[/name], and when I said, what if no one can say it? He said, who cares? Well, I do care, but I maybe I’m not giving my mexican friends enough credit. Either way, I am thinking about combing it with a latin mn or one that’s easier to say/spell at least! :slight_smile: