Jorge Hinojosa
THE names Hugo and Lucia continue to top the charts as the most popular names for newborns in Spain, according to the latest data by the National Institute of Statistics (INE).
This continues the trend that was set in 2010 when both names were registered as the number one choice for boys and girls.
It shows how Spain is continuing to move away from more traditional Biblical names and instead opt for names which have a more international feel and are pronounced more or less the same in English.
After Hugo the most popular boys names in the top ten are Mateo, Martin, Lucas, Leo, Daniel, Alejandro, Manuel, Pablo and Alvaro.
While for girls, the most popular choice after Lucia are Sofía, Martina, María, Julia, Paula, Valeria, Emma, Daniela and Carla.
Trends in names change a lot, Jose was the most common name in the 50s, but twenty years later it had been usurped by Antonio.
The most used woman’s name from the 40s to the 70s was Maria Carmen, in the 80s it was Laura and from 1990 to 2010 the most common name was Maria.
According to INE data there are more Antonios and Maria Carmens in Spain than any other name.
A total of 640,854 Antonios are registered and 641,875 Maria Carmens.
However, these names have plummeted in popularity for newborns in recent years.
The data has also revealed the most common surname among Spaniards is Garcia, with 1,4 million people registered with this surname in Spain.
Other surnames like Rodríguez, González, Fernández, López, Martínez, Sánchez, Pérez, Gómez y Martín are among the most common surnames in Spain.
If you want to discover how many people have the same name as you, the INE has a website where you can check.
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