BabyCenter en Español Reveals Santiago and Sofia as Most Popular Hispanic Baby Names of 2007
Top 100 Hispanic Baby Names List Shows Crossover of Anglo Names into Hispanic Community
San Francisco, CA--(HISPANIC PR WIRE – PRNewswire)--February 4, 2008--BabyCenter(R) 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(R) en Español (http://www. babycenterenespanol.com) 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(R) en Español and English-speaking users of BabyCenter(R).
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. (1)
“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(R) en Español, as well as names like Sofia and Isabella making the Top 10 on both Spanish and English BabyCenter(R) lists,” said Isidra Mencos, editor-in-chief of BabyCenter(R) en Español. “Interestingly, though, English names have a much stronger presence among Hispanic boys than Hispanic girls.”
BabyCenter(R) en Español Top 10 Baby Names for Girls in 2007 (2006)
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(R) en Español Top 10 Baby Names for Boys in 2007 (2006)
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(R) 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(R) en Español list as follows:
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(R) 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.
The BabyCenter(R) Top 10 Baby Names List has become an annual favorite for consumers in the general market. New and expectant Hispanic moms now have access to their very own list of favorite popular baby names.
Empowering Hispanic mothers with access to culturally relevant information in Spanish, BabyCenter(R) en Español is the sibling Spanish language site of BabyCenter(R), the leading online resource for new and expectant parents. (2) BabyCenter(R) en Español is also now available as a mobile companion thanks to the site’s proprietary mobile platform. Users can view baby names, as well as customized BabyCenter(R) en Español information anytime, anywhere, whether they are on their mobile phones, handheld devices or simply online.
For the full list of most popular baby names, as well as for more insights on trends and forecasts for 2008, visit: http://espanol.babycenter.com/pregnancy/nombres/top_names_2007/
About BabyCenter(R) en Español
BabyCenter(R) en Español ( http://babycenterenespanol.com ) -- the sibling site of BabyCenter(R), the operator of the largest online resource for expectant and new parents around the world -- empowers Hispanic mothers with access to culturally relevant information in Spanish to help them along their journey to motherhood. Since its launch in 2007, the site has nurtured Hispanic parents in the U.S. as well as parents located in more than 20 Latin American countries with its content, community and online commerce.
1. National Center of Health Statistics – Births: Preliminary Data for 2005. Approximately 23% of the total births in the United States are to mothers of Hispanic origin representing 982,862 babies born in 2005.
2. CommScore – Online Visitor Data, Dec. 2007. BabyCenter(R) had 6.6 million unique visitors worldwide during the period of December 2007.