# Names that work in English and Spanish? **URL:** \ **Category:** Girl Names\ **Created:** [September 10, 2017, 10:12am UTC](https://forum.nameberry.com/t/names-that-work-in-english-and-spanish/290478 "2017-09-10T10:12:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Beort12](https://forum.nameberry.com/letter_avatar/beort12/32/6_22734026db12803ebb3e059622ac3534.png) [@Beort12](https://forum.nameberry.com/u/Beort12)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 10:12am UTC](https://forum.nameberry.com/t/names-that-work-in-english-and-spanish/290478/1 "2017-09-10T10:12:28Z")
(Matching post in boys forum, FYI!) We are still probably years off from having children, but yesterday my SO and I were having that “what would we name our children” conversation and I thought I would seek some extra inspiration here! As with many families my SO and I represent a variety of ethnic, racial, national, and linguistic backgrounds. He is Mexican-American and grew up speaking Spanish, and I am Brazilian-[name\_m]German[/name\_m]-Chilean-American and come from a household that spoke Portuguese and English. Therefore, although my SO and I primary speak English to each other but we also daily throw in Spanish, Portuguese, and [name\_m]French[/name\_m]. When we have kids we will insist on Spanish at home, so our biggest requirement is a name that works well in English and Spanish. We both agree on traditional, classic names, but he prefers English names that work in Spanish and I prefer Spanish or Portuguese names that work in English. He is also very contentious of not using names that are “too foreign” because he is afraid of discrimination in job applications and such. We both like: [name\_f]Isabel[/name\_f] (a combination of our names and an honorific for his sister) [name\_f]Paola[/name\_f] [name\_f]Dalia[/name\_f]/[name\_f]Dahlia[/name\_f] [name\_f]Vanessa[/name\_f] [name\_f]Esperanza[/name\_f] [name\_f]Angela[/name\_f] He likes: [name\_f]Ana[/name\_f] [name\_f]Katerina[/name\_f] (I’m on the fence) [name\_f]Elena[/name\_f] I like: [name\_f]Liana[/name\_f] [name\_f]Soraya[/name\_f] [name\_m]Luc[/name\_m]ía [name\_f]Marisol[/name\_f] [name\_f]Gloria[/name\_f] As per tradition we will give our kids both of our paternal last names, both of which start with M, so we are trying to avoid M names. There is also a tradition in my family that all girls names need to end in A, but since I will likely be one of the first in my generation to have babies I am willing to end that practice. Any thoughts or ideas?? ---
**Author:** ![handsallover](https://forum.nameberry.com/letter_avatar/handsallover/32/6_22734026db12803ebb3e059622ac3534.png) [@handsallover](https://forum.nameberry.com/u/handsallover)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 10:20am UTC](https://forum.nameberry.com/t/names-that-work-in-english-and-spanish/290478/2 "2017-09-10T10:20:41Z")
I think [name\_f]Marisol[/name\_f] and [name\_f]Ana[/name\_f] are really pretty. What about [name\_f]Marta[/name\_f], [name\_f]Carla[/name\_f] or [name\_f]Ursula[/name\_f]? I’m pretty sure they work in Spanish and Portuguese (and most European languages). ---
**Author:** ![PrettyGirl](https://forum.nameberry.com/user_avatar/forum.nameberry.com/prettygirl/32/2591_2.png) [@PrettyGirl](https://forum.nameberry.com/u/PrettyGirl)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 10:57am UTC](https://forum.nameberry.com/t/names-that-work-in-english-and-spanish/290478/4 "2017-09-10T10:57:49Z")
I really like [name\_f]Isabel[/name\_f] for you guys, apart from the non -a ending. It works really well in both languages and definitely seems English enough to me that it should pass your SO’s discrimination test. It seems to work in Spanish, English, [name\_m]French[/name\_m] and Portuguese so it’s definitely my favourite for you! I think [name\_f]Dahlia[/name\_f]/[name\_f]Dalia[/name\_f], [name\_f]Liana[/name\_f] and possibly [name\_f]Soraya[/name\_f] might achieve the same thing, but they are more unusual, and [name\_f]Soraya[/name\_f] feels a little bit more Arabic to me. [name\_f]Vanessa[/name\_f], [name\_f]Angela[/name\_f] and [name\_f]Gloria[/name\_f] have the same English-y vibe so I think they’d probably not be discriminated against, but both feel much more middle-aged in English, although I don’t know if they have that same vibe in Spanish. To me, [name\_f]Paola[/name\_f], [name\_f]Esperanza[/name\_f], [name\_f]Ana[/name\_f], [name\_f]Elena[/name\_f], [name\_m]Luc[/name\_m]ía and [name\_f]Marisol[/name\_f] feel much more Spanish than English, so even if they work in both languages, they feel more rooted in one. I don’t believe [name\_f]Katerina[/name\_f] has Spanish roots or much usage in Spain (and Spanish speaking countries), but I might be wrong. Starred names also should work in Portuguese, double starred should work in Portuguese and [name\_m]French[/name\_m]. Other suggestions: [name\_f]Alexandra[/name\_f]\*\* [name\_f]Alicia[/name\_f] [name\_f]Antonia[/name\_f] [name\_f]Aurora[/name\_f]\* [name\_f]Calista[/name\_f]\* [name\_f]Cassandra[/name\_f]\*\* [name\_f]Cecilia[/name\_f] [name\_f]Clara[/name\_f]\* [name\_f]Coral[/name\_f] (according to Behind the Names it works in Spanish too, which kind of surprised me!) [name\_f]Emilia[/name\_f] [name\_f]Eva[/name\_f]\* [name\_f]Ines[/name\_f] [name\_f]Iris[/name\_f] (quite different pronunciations but could still work) [name\_f]Liliana[/name\_f]\* [name\_f]Lola[/name\_f] [name\_f]Luna[/name\_f] [name\_f]Olivia[/name\_f] [name\_f]Rosa[/name\_f]\* I’d look at this list: [Browse Names - Behind the Name](https://www.behindthename.com/names/browse.php?type_gender=1&operator_gender=is&value_gender%5B%5D=feminine&type_usage=1&operator_usage=isall&value_usage%5B%5D=english&value_usage%5B%5D=spanish) and these lists: [https://www.disneybaby.com/blog/40-spanish-baby-names-that-work-in-english-2/](https://www.disneybaby.com/blog/40-spanish-baby-names-that-work-in-english-2/) [http://babynames.allparenting.com/babynames/Ideas/Baby\_names\_that\_work\_in\_English\_and\_Spanish/](http://babynames.allparenting.com/babynames/Ideas/Baby_names_that_work_in_English_and_Spanish/) [http://quemas.mamaslatinas.com/pregnancy/132104/bilingual\_baby\_names](http://quemas.mamaslatinas.com/pregnancy/132104/bilingual_baby_names) ---
**Author:** ![GirlyWhirly](https://forum.nameberry.com/user_avatar/forum.nameberry.com/girlywhirly/32/5321_2.png) [@GirlyWhirly](https://forum.nameberry.com/u/GirlyWhirly)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 11:10am UTC](https://forum.nameberry.com/t/names-that-work-in-english-and-spanish/290478/5 "2017-09-10T11:10:19Z")
From your list I like [name\_f]Ana[/name\_f], [name\_f]Marisol[/name\_f], [name\_f]Lucia[/name\_f], [name\_f]Esperanza[/name\_f], [name\_f]Elena[/name\_f], [name\_f]Soraya[/name\_f] and [name\_f]Dahlia[/name\_f]. Bonus points for [name\_f]Dahlia[/name\_f] since it’s Mexicos national flower. Here’s some suggestions of what I think could work in both English and Spanish: [name\_f]Liliana[/name\_f] [name\_f]Itzel[/name\_f] [name\_f]Brisa[/name\_f] [name\_f]Esmeralda[/name\_f] nn [name\_f]Esme[/name\_f] [name\_f]Lola[/name\_f] [name\_f]Frida[/name\_f] [name\_f]Eva[/name\_f] [name\_f]Camila[/name\_f] [name\_f]Valentina[/name\_f] [name\_f]Rosalie[/name\_f]/ [name\_f]Rosalia[/name\_f] [name\_f]Amaranta[/name\_f] [name\_f]Maya[/name\_f] [name\_f]Luna[/name\_f] [name\_f]Viviana[/name\_f] [name\_f]Angelina[/name\_f] Amora [name\_f]Amara[/name\_f] [name\_u]Vida[/name\_u] [name\_f]Alma[/name\_f] [name\_f]Adela[/name\_f] [name\_f]Serafina[/name\_f] [name\_f]Josefina[/name\_f] [name\_f]Leonora[/name\_f] [name\_f]Luz[/name\_f] ---
**Author:** ![Beort12](https://forum.nameberry.com/letter_avatar/beort12/32/6_22734026db12803ebb3e059622ac3534.png) [@Beort12](https://forum.nameberry.com/u/Beort12)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 11:28am UTC](https://forum.nameberry.com/t/names-that-work-in-english-and-spanish/290478/6 "2017-09-10T11:28:53Z")
@handsallover I love [name\_f]Marta[/name\_f], however, I am trying to avoid M names, because [name\_f]Marta[/name\_f] M[last name] M[last name] feels a bit cruel! @adelina_sophia We discussed [name\_f]Victoria[/name\_f], [name\_f]Luisa[/name\_f], [name\_f]Leonor[/name\_f]/a, [name\_f]Paloma[/name\_f], [name\_f]Catalina[/name\_f], [name\_f]Elena[/name\_f], [name\_f]Valentina[/name\_f], and [name\_f]Lucia[/name\_f], ans one or the other of us didn’t like it. We also both have HUGE families, so an enormous number of names are out because of that, including [name\_f]Laura[/name\_f], [name\_f]Alicia[/name\_f], [name\_f]Sofia[/name\_f], [name\_f]Maria[/name\_f] and [name\_u]Andrea[/name\_u]. I do really like [name\_f]Rosa[/name\_f], [name\_f]Susana[/name\_f], [name\_f]Ines[/name\_f] and [name\_f]Beatriz[/name\_f], though, and I don’t know if I have suggested any of those. I also like [name\_f]Martina[/name\_f], but again the M issue. I thought of [name\_f]Marina[/name\_f], Mariola, [name\_f]Marisol[/name\_f] and [name\_f]Maritza[/name\_f], but [name\_f]Martina[/name\_f] hadn’t occurred to me. @prettygirl [name\_f]Isabel[/name\_f] is stunning, but my hesitation is that the name most people use for me is a -bel- name as well, and I wonder if it is too similar. My SO does call me by my given name (similar in style and sound to [name\_f]Daniela[/name\_f]), but I wonder if everyone else would find it odd to give a daughter a name so similar to my own. [name\_f]Soraya[/name\_f] is Persian, originally, so you are definitely right there. [name\_f]Liana[/name\_f]/Liyana can also be a middle eastern name. I love [name\_f]Eva[/name\_f], but the difference in pronunciation bothers me (eh-va, ee-va). [name\_f]Cecilia[/name\_f] I also adore, but that is a relatives name. [name\_f]Luna[/name\_f] is a long-held love as well, but it is so popular. Same issue with [name\_f]Olivia[/name\_f]. ---
**Author:** ![Beort12](https://forum.nameberry.com/letter_avatar/beort12/32/6_22734026db12803ebb3e059622ac3534.png) [@Beort12](https://forum.nameberry.com/u/Beort12)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 11:31am UTC](https://forum.nameberry.com/t/names-that-work-in-english-and-spanish/290478/7 "2017-09-10T11:31:31Z")
@girlywhirly I love [name\_f]Itzel[/name\_f]! However, I bet SO will shoot it down for not being American-friendly. [name\_f]Alma[/name\_f], [name\_f]Luz[/name\_f], and [name\_f]Amara[/name\_f] are all nice. [name\_f]Camila[/name\_f] I love in Spanish/Portuguese, but don’t like in English, and the reality is that that would be the most common pronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![faycosta](https://forum.nameberry.com/letter_avatar/faycosta/32/6_22734026db12803ebb3e059622ac3534.png) [@faycosta](https://forum.nameberry.com/u/faycosta)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2017, 10:03am UTC](https://forum.nameberry.com/t/names-that-work-in-english-and-spanish/290478/8 "2017-09-11T10:03:56Z")
[name\_f]Isabel[/name\_f], [name\_f]Dalia[/name\_f], and [name\_f]Elena[/name\_f] are my favorites from your lists. I had a friend named [name\_f]Delia[/name\_f], which is similar to [name\_f]Dalia[/name\_f]. [name\_f]Elena[/name\_f] has a strong role model in the Supreme [name\_m]Court[/name\_m] justice. ---
**Author:** ![handsallover](https://forum.nameberry.com/letter_avatar/handsallover/32/6_22734026db12803ebb3e059622ac3534.png) [@handsallover](https://forum.nameberry.com/u/handsallover)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2017, 10:16am UTC](https://forum.nameberry.com/t/names-that-work-in-english-and-spanish/290478/9 "2017-09-11T10:16:58Z")
I really like the suggestion of [name\_f]Beatriz[/name\_f] for you. What about [name\_f]Jazmin[/name\_f]/[name\_f]Jasmine[/name\_f], [name\_f]Zoe[/name\_f], [name\_u]Carmen[/name\_u], [name\_f]Celia[/name\_f], [name\_f]Louise[/name\_f]/[name\_m]Luiz[/name\_m], [name\_f]Melanie[/name\_f] or [name\_f]Amy[/name\_f]?