Names by country
Mexican names for characters
Popular Mexican first names by birth decade, common and regional surnames, pronunciation, and the naming rules writers trip over.
How Mexican names work
Mexicans carry two surnames, father's then mother's. Guadalupe and Jesús are used for both sexes inside compound names (José Guadalupe, María de Jesús). Mexican Spanish says z and soft c as s, unlike Spain.
Middle names. No middle names in the English sense. Compound first names (José Luis, María Guadalupe) count as one name, and both surnames are used. Don't treat the first surname as a middle name.
First names by birth decade
Names drift in and out of fashion. Pick from the decade your character was born, not the year your story is set.
Born before 1950
Girls
- María mah-REE-ah
- Guadalupe gwah-dah-LOO-peh
- Juana HWAH-nah
- Josefina hoh-seh-FEE-nah
- Margarita
- Rosa
- Carmen
- Teresa
Boys
- José hoh-SEH
- Juan HWAN
- Jesús heh-SOOS
- Antonio
- Manuel mahn-WEL
- Francisco frahn-SEES-koh
- Pedro
- Miguel mee-GEL
Born 1950–64
Girls
- María Guadalupe
- Patricia
- Martha
- Leticia leh-TEE-syah
- Silvia
- Rosa María
- Laura
- Gloria
Boys
- José Luis hoh-SEH LWEES
- Juan
- Jorge HOR-heh
- Francisco Javier frahn-SEES-koh hah-BYAIR
- Roberto
- Arturo
- Javier hah-BYAIR
- Raúl rah-OOL
Born 1965–79
Girls
- Verónica beh-ROH-nee-kah
- Claudia
- Adriana
- Gabriela
- Mónica
- Alejandra ah-leh-HAHN-drah
- Leticia
- Norma
Boys
- Alejandro ah-leh-HAHN-droh
- Juan Carlos HWAN KAR-los
- José Antonio hoh-SEH ahn-TOH-nyoh
- Jorge
- Miguel Ángel mee-GEL AHN-hel
- Luis LWEES
- Ricardo
- Sergio SAIR-hyoh
Born 1980–94
Girls
- Karla
- Brenda
- Diana
- Karina
- Mariana
- Paola
- Daniela
- Jessica YEH-see-kah
Boys
- Juan Pablo
- Luis Fernando
- José Luis
- Daniel
- Eduardo
- Christian KREES-tyahn
- Omar
- Iván ee-BAHN
Born 1995–2009
Girls
- Fernanda
- Valeria
- Ximena hee-MEH-nah
- Daniela
- Andrea
- Valentina
- Camila
- Ana Sofía
Boys
- Diego
- Santiago
- Luis Ángel
- Ángel AHN-hel
- Brandon
- Kevin
- Emiliano
- Jesús
Born 2010 onward
Girls
- Sofía soh-FEE-ah
- Regina reh-HEE-nah
- Valentina
- Camila
- Ximena
- María José mah-REE-ah hoh-SEH
- Victoria
- Renata
Boys
- Santiago
- Mateo mah-TEH-oh
- Sebastián
- Leonardo
- Matías mah-TEE-as
- Emiliano
- Diego
- Daniel
Common Mexican surnames
- Hernández air-NAHN-des
- García gar-SEE-ah
- Martínez mar-TEE-nes
- López LOH-pes
- González gon-SAH-les
- Pérez PEH-res
- Rodríguez roh-DREE-ges
- Sánchez SAHN-ches
- Ramírez rah-MEE-res
- Cruz KROOS
- Flores FLOH-res
- Gómez GOH-mes
- Morales
- Vázquez BAHS-kes
- Jiménez hee-MEH-nes
- Reyes REH-yes
- Díaz DEE-as
- Torres
- Gutiérrez goo-TYEH-res
- Ruiz RWEES
- Mendoza men-DOH-sah
- Aguilar ah-gee-LAR
- Ortiz or-TEES
- Moreno
Regional names
Where a character comes from inside Mexico changes their surname, and sometimes their first name.
Yucatán (Mérida)
Short Maya surnames are very common in Yucatán, usually paired with a Spanish one (Pérez Canché).
Surnames: Canché, Pech, Chan, May, Uc, Dzul, Poot, Kú, Tun, Cauich
The North (Monterrey, Saltillo)
The founding families of Nuevo León (Garza, Treviño, Cantú, Villarreal) still dominate the north.
Surnames: Garza, Treviño, Cantú, Villarreal, Elizondo, Salinas, Guerra, Lozano, Leal, Sada
Oaxaca
Zapotec and Mixtec communities often carry saints' names as surnames (Santiago, Luis); Matus and Toledo are typical of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.
Surnames: López, Santiago, Matus, Toledo, Velasco, Pineda, Cruz, Ruiz, Martínez, Mendoza
Questions
What are common Mexican surnames?
Some of the most common Mexican surnames are Hernández, García, Martínez, López, González, Pérez. Regional surnames differ, so check the regional lists before choosing one for a character from a particular area.
How do Mexican names work?
Mexicans carry two surnames, father's then mother's. Guadalupe and Jesús are used for both sexes inside compound names (José Guadalupe, María de Jesús). Mexican Spanish says z and soft c as s, unlike Spain. No middle names in the English sense. Compound first names (José Luis, María Guadalupe) count as one name, and both surnames are used. Don't treat the first surname as a middle name.
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