Old Hispanic Names in the US - Will They Return?

[GenEric]

Hello, berries! As of late, I’ve been researching Spanish names that have fallen out of use, choosing them for my Pokémon in the new Pokémon [name_f]Violet[/name_f]. Looking at many of these older names, I’ve noticed that many peaked in or around the 20s in the US. Given the one hundred year rule, they should be ripe for the picking.

[name_f]Dolores[/name_f], a quintessential Spanish name, peaked at #13 for girls in 1930. [name_m]Just[/name_m] over 1% of girls born that year received the name. Variant [name_f]Delores[/name_f] peaked at #51 in 1934. [name_f]Delora[/name_f], an altered form, also charted in 1929 and 1934-36. All have yet to return to the top 1000.

[name_f]Concepcion[/name_f] (Concepción in Spanish) charted periodically until the 1930s. It hit its peak in 1929 at #715 when it was having a streak on the charts that lasted from 1918 to 1937. [name_f]Concha[/name_f], a sadly unusable derivative, peaked in 1922 at #866. Neither have since been back in the top 1000.

[name_f]Luz[/name_f] charted consecutively for the first time in 1924, this lasted until 1930. This name has been no stranger to the top 1000, being on the charts from 1950 to 2013. It was back as recently as 2019. However, it’s never risen above #454.

[name_f]Amparo[/name_f] found itself on the list from 1923 to 1929 and then again in 1931 and 1932. It peaked at #845 in 1928, and has since been absent from the top 1000.

[name_u]Trinidad[/name_u] is a unisex name that hit its peak for both sexes in 1922 at #449 for girls and #482 for boys. The name vanished from the top 1000 for girls in 1931 and for boys in 1952 (except for a minor blip in 1967).

[name_f]Josefa[/name_f], which could make an intriguing alternative to [name_f]Josephine[/name_f], was in the top 1000 almost every year from 1881 to 1934. It peaked around the time of [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] at #548 in 1890.

[name_m]Silvio[/name_m] charted all years but one from 1911 to 1926. It vanished entirely after 1930 after peaking at #680 in 1917. It seems to have served as an alternative to the then more popular [name_u]Sylvester[/name_u].

[name_m]Santo[/name_m] consecutively charted from 1911 to 1939 peaking at #570 in 1915. It could make an alternative to the more popular [name_m]Santos[/name_m], which has been in the top 1000 almost every year since 1900.

[name_m]Americo[/name_m], very on the nose with the patriotism, charted from 1910 to 1929. It peaked at #581 during 1917, and has since been missing from the top 1000.

Given the rise of Hispanic names in the US and the increase in the Hispanic population, do you think it’s possible for these names and more to come back? [name_u]Or[/name_u] are they terminally dated with no chance of revival? Would you use any of them?

[acajou]

I can see [name_f]Luz[/name_f], [name_f]Amparo[/name_f], [name_m]Silvio[/name_m], and [name_m]Santo[/name_m] becoming more popular! [name_f]Amparo[/name_f] is my absolute favorite name and I would love to see it discovered.

I don’t see [name_f]Dolores[/name_f] making a comeback right now. I love this name, but it’s [name_f]Dolores[/name_f] Umbridge and [name_f]Dolores[/name_f] [name_u]Haze[/name_u], and the De- beginnings of [name_f]Delores[/name_f] and [name_f]Delora[/name_f] feel very midcentury to me, and not quite ready for a revival. Similar names [name_f]Mercedes[/name_f], [name_f]Lourdes[/name_f], [name_u]Angeles[/name_u] feel somewhat dated to me.

Concepción I don’t see either, especially if it’s a standalone and not part of a compound name. [name_m]Americo[/name_m] is likely too on the nose for most parents, but I have heard of a few Americas so I wouldn’t be surprised to see it used.

I like [name_u]Trinidad[/name_u] and [name_f]Josefa[/name_f], and I have relatives with these names. I don’t have a guess as to whether they could make a comeback, but they’re both lovely.

[tallemaja]

Not from the US so my perspective may not be entirely accurate, but I see some of these coming back!!
Dolores to most people will sound old lady-ish, but it will become “vintage” eventually - and the nickname Lola is very on trend.
Luz I could see becoming really trendy actually, it has a very cool and modern sound.
Amparo is gorgeous, and it has a similar vibe to cool -o names like Cleo and Marlowe, why not!
Santo is a personal favourite, I just think it’s cute :,) I’d love to see it

Americo and Concepcion are too similar to words in English that’d be awkward to have as names so I do doubt that they’ll become trendy again, especially since I’d assume that the Hispanic community in the states is a lot more fluent in English now than when most were first gen immigrants? Trinidad is also a bit weird, I just think of the country, but maybe it has some kind of other meaning I don’t know about.

I’m unsure about Josefa and Silvio - but maybe! I think Josefa’s hose sound could be a bit unattractive to English speaker’s, but Silvio is handsome and could be an alternative to Silas.

[Eirime]

I think [name_f]Dolores[/name_f] from Encanto might help the case of this name.
I personally can’t get over the meaning but people love [name_f]Lola[/name_f] so they can love [name_f]Dolores[/name_f].

[Youssarian]

I definitely see [name_f]Luz[/name_f] having potential, especially because it hasn’t disappeared entirely and has been bubbling on the radar through the years. [name_u]Trinidad[/name_u] also sounds on-trend right now, and I’m a little surprised it isn’t used more. [name_m]Silvio[/name_m] and [name_m]Santo[/name_m] seem ripe to come back in style, especially as parents seek cool, sleek bilingual names.

[name_f]Dolores[/name_f] just sounds very old school to me, I’m not sure if we’re ready for its revival yet. Instead of the vintage [name_f]Mabel[/name_f], [name_f]Ada[/name_f], [name_f]Alice[/name_f], it sounds more like [name_f]Bessie[/name_f], [name_f]Agatha[/name_f], Mildred… if that makes sense. [name_f]Concepcion[/name_f] I don’t see coming back because it sounds very much like the [name_f]English[/name_f] conception. [name_f]Amparo[/name_f] is interesting because it comes off very masculine to me at first. [name_f]Josefa[/name_f] is a bilingual alternative to [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] but I don’t see it becoming mainstream - it just doesn’t have the popular, trendy sounds. [name_m]Americo[/name_m] I don’t see coming back either.

[hellobanjo]

Im American and could see [name_f]Concepcion[/name_f] being used. With a nickname anyway. [name_u]Connie[/name_u] or [name_f]Cece[/name_f] or [name_u]Coco[/name_u]. I remember it being in my Spanish books which always had really dated names haha. Its pretty but formal feeling and long with 4 syllables.

[leafygreens]

Latino & American here~

[name_f]Amparo[/name_f] is one of my top names! It’s never felt old to me because I had never met anyone with the name before, it does feel very old to my parents and my parents generation (like vintage names tend to be).

[name_u]Trinidad[/name_u] is another one I love but it always felt a little different from others cause the only ones I’ve seen were in their 30/40s so it doesn’t feel as old and because it was never raging in popularity in Spanish communities like how [name_f]Dolores[/name_f] or [name_f]Luz[/name_f] were so it doesn’t feel as dated. I can also see this coming back because it’s one of the few Spanish unisex names that gained some traction.

[name_f]Josefa[/name_f] I could definitely see coming back and soon. It goes right in hand with the vintage feel that people are like right now, and while it’s not one it has this classic-ness to it where it always feels very familiar which is something a lot of people want

[name_f]Luz[/name_f] is already coming back and has honestly kind of always been there being used, it just slowly made its way into the middle instead of as a first. It’s extremely popular as a middle name in Hispanic communities. It’s pretty much the Spanish version of [name_u]Marie[/name_u] or [name_f]Ann[/name_f] or [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] or [name_f]Rose[/name_f]. So in the same way the classic [name_f]English[/name_f] middle names are becoming fresh as first names again, I think [name_f]Luz[/name_f] will follow suit

I love [name_f]Dolores[/name_f] it’s definitely a very clunky name but it’s clunky cute to me, the same way Anges, [name_f]Irene[/name_f] or [name_f]Blythe[/name_f] are. With Encanto having a character named [name_f]Dolores[/name_f] I think that’ll give it an extra bump, at least in Hispanic communities since I think because it was also used in [name_f]English[/name_f] at one point it also sounds dated in [name_f]English[/name_f]. Similar Spanish names like [name_f]Mercedes[/name_f], [name_f]Lourdes[/name_f] and Inés I’ve seen have been coming slowly as well so [name_f]Dolores[/name_f] would be next in line

The one I don’t see coming back in the slightest any time soon is Concepción. One because this isn’t just one that that was popularity, it was popular in specific religious groups. So on top of sounding very dated, being associated with specific religions which some parents wouldn’t like, it’s literally the word conception, which in the same way Conception doesn’t really work in [name_f]English[/name_f], the same goes for Spanish. It could also bring up some uncomfortable conversations

The nn [name_f]Concha[/name_f] I actually think is pretty cute, though it’s too close to a phrase in my dialect, which basically mean oh no, dang it, damn it, etc

[name_m]Silvio[/name_m] I absolutely see coming back and very soon! This one at least where I am has had steady usage over years, never being very popular but always recognizable and it ages very well from baby to adult. It’s similar to the ever so popular [name_m]Emilio[/name_m] so I wouldn’t be surprised if it started getting more popular as Latino parents look for more uncommon alternatives to some of their favorites

[name_m]Santo[/name_m] I think can come back eventually too! Not as quickly as I think [name_m]Silvio[/name_m] will but I can definitely see it being used more and more over years. Also since it’s a place name it kind of gives it that modern edge to it the same way [name_u]Trinidad[/name_u] does. [name_m]Boy[/name_m] names in general (in [name_f]English[/name_f] too) tend be more popular longer and become classics than become very dated like girl names.

I’m not completely sure about this one. On one hand it’s very on the nose, but it also has sounds similar to [name_m]Domingo[/name_m], Kiko/Quiko, [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] etc so I could kinda see it? I could see it being used more often but never being popular. Which is a shame because I think it’s nice, and I adore the name [name_u]America[/name_u], but living in the country makes it just way too much

[Greyblue]

[name_m]Silvio[/name_m] feels like it could come back. It’s sleek, interesting and sparky. I’d like to see [name_f]Amparo[/name_f] come back too - it has that stylish O ending and similarities to Amelie/Amelia. It’s gorgeous!

[name_f]Dolores[/name_f] is pretty, but yeah, there’s the association @acajou points out.

[name_f]Concepcion[/name_f] is too much like conception/contraception etc. for me. [name_m]Americo[/name_m] is a bit odd - but you never know. I can see [name_m]Rico[/name_m] making it appealing? [name_f]Josefa[/name_f] might get a little re-use - I find it a tad awkward, but I think it could grow on me. [name_f]Luz[/name_f] is nice - it might raise, alongside [name_u]Lux[/name_u], [name_f]Lucy[/name_f], [name_f]Lula[/name_f], [name_f]Lucia[/name_f] etc. [name_f]My[/name_f] only doubt is it’s similarity to the word loose still, that’s what my cousin [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] gets called sometimes. [name_m]Santo[/name_m], maybe, it’s kind of cool. Might some people find it too like [name_f]Santa[/name_f]? Not sure, since [name_m]Santiago[/name_m] is still used… it could come back. [name_u]Trinidad[/name_u] - I do enjoy (and [name_f]Soledad[/name_f] too), and place names appeal. [name_u]Will[/name_u] the -dad ending put people off? Maybe.

[choupette]

I’m neither Hispanic nor American so take my opinions with a grain of salt.

I can see most of these names coming back at some point, if they fit in with current trends. Amparo is lovely.

Concepción, perhaps not, because it’s a throwback to a time when people were generally more religious. It reminds me of names like Concepta and Assumpta that used to be fairly popular in Ireland 60+ years ago, but are hardly ever used anymore because the social pressure to choose a religious Catholic name has largely gone away.