Santiago and Sofia as most popular Hispanic Baby names of 2007.

BabyCenter en Español, the leading online resource in Spanish for new and expectant parents, today unveiled a new first – the Top 10 Hispanic Baby Names of 2007. The list was derived from names submitted on BabyCenter en Español by moms who had babies in 2006 and 2007 and are expecting in 2008.

Santiago made the top of the boys’ list for the second consecutive year, while Sofía emerged as the favorite among both Hispanic users of BabyCenter en Español and English-speaking users of BabyCenter.

When selecting a name for a new baby, many Latino families consider names that will make it easier for their kids to adjust to American life and culture, because they share the same or very similar spelling in both languages

Helping take the guesswork out of selecting the perfect name for the newest arrival to the family, the site’s editorial and research team selected the top 100 names for boys and girls based on input from web site visitors from across 20 Spanish-speaking countries, and the United States, where approximately one in four babies are born to Hispanic families.

“There is definitely a crossover phenomena taking hold. We found numerous English names, such as Brandon or Ashley, among the Top 100 Names in BabyCenter en Español, as well as names like Sofia and Isabella making the Top 10 on both Spanish and English BabyCenter lists,” said Isidra Mencos, editor-in-chief of BabyCenter en Español. “Interestingly, though, English names have a much stronger presence among Hispanic boys than Hispanic girls.”

BabyCenter en Español Top 10 Baby Names for Girls in 2007 (2006)

1.Sofía (Sofía)
2.Valentina (Isabella)
3.Camila (Valentina)
4.Isabella (Camila)
5.Mariana (Natalia)
6.Valeria (Daniela)
7.Daniela (Valeria)
8.Nicole (Mariana)
9.Paula (Paula)
10.Natalia (Andrea)

Sofía (#1) has held the top spot for two consecutive years. Nicole (#10) is new to the Top Ten list replacing Andrea, which has dropped out of the Top 10. However, the list of Top 10 Names for girls is remarkably stable from 2006 to 2007, with only one new name, while the other nine names have simply reshuffled their position.

BabyCenter en Español Top 10 Baby Names for Boys in 2007 (2006)

1.Santiago (Santiago)
2.Sebastián (Sebastián)
3.Diego (Gabriel)
4.Daniel (Alejandro)
5.Samuel (Nicolás)
6.Nicolás (Diego)
7.Alejandro (Tomás)
8.Mateo (Juan Sebastián)
9.Pablo (Juan Pablo)
10.Gabriel (Juan David)

Santiago and Sebastián remain in positions one and two, as they were last year. Making their way as new entries to the Top 10 this year are Daniel (#4), Samuel (#5), Mateo (#8) and Pablo (#9). Making their exit from the Top 10 List this year are double names such as Juan Sebastián, Juan Pablo and Juan David in addition to the single name, Tomás.

BabyCenter en Español Top Trends in Baby Names in 2007

A clear trend is the loss in popularity of double names. Last year, there were three double names among the Top 10 for boys, while in 2007 the first double name, Juan Pablo, is ranked 24. “Hispanics seem to be less inclined this year to use the traditional double name, as well as to use saints’ names. They are often choosing instead original or foreign names. Among the Top 100 names for girls, for instance, you can find Luna (meaning Moon), which was unheard of a few years back,” adds Mencos.

Anglo names made a strong showing on the full Top 100 BabyCenter en Español list as follows:

Boys: Alex, Brandon, Alexander, Kevin, Matthew, Brian, Ian, Anthony, Joseph, Michael, Christopher, Dylan, Jonathan, Alan, Justin, Derek

Girls: Allison, Ashley, Samantha, Melanie, Stephanie, Emily, Kimberly, Brenda

Additionally, names that are written the same way in English and in Spanish although pronounced differently, or spelled only slightly differently, are very popular among Hispanic users residing in the US. As an example, within the Top 10 Baby Names among this segment of BabyCenter en Español users, we find names such as Sebastian, David, Daniel and Samuel for boys, and Camila, Sara, Samantha and Isabella for girls.

“When selecting a name for a new baby, many Latino families consider names that will make it easier for their kids to adjust to American life and culture, because they share the same or very similar spelling in both languages. The fact that Latino families are favoring these “bicultural” names speaks volumes about their efforts to help their kids adapt to their new culture while preserving their roots,” remarks Mencos.