25 Perfect Spanish Baby Girl Names for Bilingual Households

Choosing a baby name for your baby girl can seem like a chore for most but it becomes even more challenging when you want to bridge cultures and even languages. In 2016, 22% of children in the United States, slightly more than 12 million kids total, used a language other than English at home. This rate has risen 2%, by 1.2 million kids, in the last decade. At the state level, the percentage of kids who do not speak English at home varies widely, from a high of 44% in California to a low of 2% in West Virginia. This makes Spanish baby girl names very attractive to parents in the US today.

The majority of bilingual households in the US are Spanish-English environments which make Spanish baby names for girls an obvious place for exploration. We decided to take a look into the attractive Hispanic baby girl names that honor heritage that are already beloved in with English speakers. We discovered a variety of baby names that should appeal to a number of parents who switch from calling a little girl “mijita” to “baby” in the same sitting. Check out these perfect Spanish baby girl names for bilingual households!

25. Angelina

We all expect little angels, don’t we? We especially love the cross-cultural appeal of a name like Angelina which is found in Spanish, Italian, and Greek traditions. Angelina is one of America’s most beloved names ranking in the US top 500 most popular names for baby girls for the last sixty years! Angelina means “angel.”

24. Martina

Martina is a name with Latin origins and Spanish charm that means “warlike.” The name comes from the same root as the god of war, Mars, and it has been filtered through Spanish tradition to become Martina. Martina has historically been a mildly popular name in the US but has been absent from the top 1000 list in the last twenty years.

23. Silvia

Silvia is a baby name from Latin origins that has enjoyed rich favor in both Spanish and Italian tradition. Silvia means “from the forest” which should appeal to nature-loving parents. The Sylvia spelling emerged later and is now more prevalent, but you get to choose which one you fancy more. The Silvia spelling has not been on the US top 1000 list for a couple of decades while Sylvia remains just out of the top 500.

22. Savannah

Savannah is a Spanish baby girl name and also a name to a city in Georgia, a romantic setting for such works as Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Savannah was once primarily used as an alternative to Samantha, but today it’s become very popular in its own right, ranking in the top 100 last year. Savannah is a topographical name meaning “flat tropical grassland.”

21. Paulina

Paulina is a stunning Spanish baby girl name, a form of Paul, meaning “small.” Paulina is wonderful in full and amazing with the Lina nickname. This name has belonged to such greats as Mexican pop star Paulina Susana Rubio, photographer Paulina Lavista, and Miss Colombia 2013 Paulina Vega.

20. Soledad

Soledad is a strong Spanish baby girl name that refers to the Virgin Mary (Our Lady of Solitude), thus this baby name means “solitude.” This name has been popularized today by reporter Soledad O’Brien whose birth name is Maria de la Soledad Teresa O’Brien. We think this name is approachable and beautiful and would be perfect in a bilingual setting.

19. Maya

In addition to being the name of a Central American culture, Maya was the legendary Greek mother of Hermes by Zeus and means “illusion” in Sanskrit and Eastern Pantheism. The name also means “water.” Maya is a top 100 baby name in the US today, and it is easy to understand why. The name is gentle, agreeable, and yet still very powerful.

18. Jada

Long used in Spanish-speaking countries, this strong but feminine name crossed a divide thanks to Jada Pinkett Smith. Jada is a right-to-the-point baby name that is handsome in its simplicity. This Spanish baby girl name means “jade.”

17. Ximena

Ximena, sometimes spelled Jimena, is a variation of boys’ name Ximeno. Spanish origins and popularity in the Latino community have boosted this name’s popularity, propelling it to just outside the top 100 in the US last year. This name has belonged to several entertainers, actors imparticular, names like Ximena Duque,  Ximena Herrera, and Ximena Abarca might look familiar to you.

16. Liliana

There is no denying the attractiveness of the Spanish baby girl name Liliana, a name related to Lilian, that means “lily.” Liliana first debuted in the US top 1000 in 1972 and it has skyrocketed to just outside the top 100 in recent years. This name comes with the wonderful Lili nickname baked in, which we do not think anyone is going to be mad about!

15. Isabel

Isabel is the Spanish form of Elizabeth, a name with Hebrew origins that means “pledged to God.” Isabel is a hugely fashionable name to this day even though it got its start in the Middle Ages as it spread across Spain and Portugal. Isabel lands just outside the top 100 today and it is more popular than ever before in the US. If you want to get playful with it, go ahead and spell this Spanish baby girl name Izabella.

14. Esmeralda

Esmeralda came into use as an applied use of the Spanish word for emerald, esmeralda. In the 1831 Victor Hugo novel Notre-Dame de Paris, also known as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, the heroine was born Agnes but called La Esmeralda in reference to the jewel she wears around her neck. This name debuted in the top 1000 in the US in the 1950s and today it’s even more popular. Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes chose this name for their daughter, so we expect that do give this appellation added boost.

13. Mariana

Mariana combines the ultra popular baby names Maria and Ana into one that’s favored in its own right. Mariana is the Spanish form of Maria that means “drop in the sea” or “bitter.” Mariana was the 226th most popular name for girls in the US last year.

12. Carmen

Carmen is an amazing gender-neutral option, a Spanish variation of Carmel, meaning “garden.” For parents after a subtle nature name, this could be the perfect option! The name has been in the top 500 for most of the years following 1880 when baby-naming data begins.

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11. Sierra

The meaning refers to the sharp, irregular peaks of some of the Western mountains such as the Sierra Nevada. This Spanish baby girl name means “saw.” Sierra was at its peak of popularity in the US in the 1990s and it has since declined, but remains in the top 500 today.

10. Alma

Alma, although simple, feels like a profoundly deep name. Perhaps that can be traced to its Latin origins that mean “nourishing,” or its Spanish preferred interpretation as “soul.” Alma is one of those surprising names that’s always been on the top 1000, but after sinking to its lowest point ever in 2011, Alma is making a comeback today. 

9. Estela

This Spanish variation of the French Estelle and spelling spin on Estella is on the rise, along with most star-related names. This name does indeed mean “star.” The Estela spelling was once popular in the US from the 1920s through the 1950s. Mexican film director Alejandro Gómez Monteverde and actor Ali Landry chose this name for one of their daughters, Estela Ines Monteverde.

8. Lucía

The closest English translation of Lucía is “Lucy,” but it also comes from one of the most beautiful regions of Spain, Andalucía. Lucía means “graceful light.” Lucia has for several years ranked as the number 1 name in Spain. It’s in the top 200 in the US today.

7. Neva

Neva is a girl’s name of Spanish origin meaning “white snow.” Neva sounds like such a romantic and pure baby name. Neva was a top 500 name in the US until the 1940s when its popularity began to decline. It fell of the list a couple of decades later and we think it is time for this Spanish baby name to enjoy a renaissance.

6. Mireya

Mireya Moscoso was Panama’s first female president, which could appeal to the right parents. Beyond that connection, Mireya also belongs to Cuban American writer and literary critic Mireya Robles. Mireya has Spanish origins from a Latin root meaning “admired.”

5. Lola

Lola is one of the most truly international Spanish names for girls, enjoying mass popularity around the world. It’s also one of the hottest girl names starting with L. This Spanish baby girl name is a shortened form of Dolores, a name meaning “lady of sorrows.”

4. Valentina

Mexican-born actress Salma Hayek and husband Francois-Henri Pinault named their daughter Valentina Paloma. We must say, it has been one of our favorites ever since. Valentina entered the US top 1000 list in 1994, and is rising in popularity (it’s in the top 100 today). Of course, it’s one of the perfect names for February babies.

3. Natalia

Natalia was derived from the Latin word natalis, meaning “birthday.” It refers to the birthday of Jesus Christ, and thus originated as a name for girls born on Christmas Day. More exotic that Natalie, more unique than Natasha and heard frequently in Spain, Portugal, and the Slavic countries, this name has a whole lot going for it.

2. Luna

The most recent celebrities who named their baby girl Luna were Chrissy Teigen and John Legend. Penelope Cruz and Javier Barden picked Luna for their little girl, as did Constance Marie. Luna comes from Latin and is also the literal word for “moon.” This name is in the top 20 and is more popular than ever before in the US and around the world.

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1. Reyna

Reyna Grande is a Mexican author, known for the 2009 novel Dancing with Butterflies. The more traditional Spanish spelling of this name is Reina, but Reyna has emerged more popular in the US today. This name means “queen” which we think many parents can get behind. Reyna has been popular since the 1980s in the US and last year it ranked as the 615th most popular choice for girls.

There you go! We hope you enjoyed these Spanish baby girl names and feel inspired to honor heritage or simply find an approachable name for speakers of many different languages. These Spanish baby girl names offer parents the opportunity to celebrate the cultures and traditions that are woven into the fabric of America.