The most recent data from the National Statistics Institute (INE) show that Spain is going through a moment of change in the preferences of names for newborns.
After more than a decade in which Lucia and Hugo topped the list, new records point to a generational changeover in which Sofia and Mateo have become the favorite choices of families.
Sofia and Mateo lead enrollment in 2024
The INE confirms that Sofía is currently the most used female name in Spain. Last year, 3,325 girls were registered with this name, surpassing Lucía, which reached 2,830 registrations and loses its leadership after many years in first place.
They are followed by Martina, María and Vega, who continue to consolidate their position among the current preferences.
In the case of males, Mateo led with 3,289 registrations, followed closely by Hugo, Martín, Leo and Manuel. This change reflects a growing trend towards short names, of international use and with a strong presence in recent generations.
What was 2023 like and what explains the change in trend?
Figures from the previous year give a better understanding of this turnaround: in 2023, Hugo and Lucia still ranked first among newborns, with just over 3,100 and 3,000 registrations respectively.
The difference between the rest of the most repeated names was minimal, which anticipated a volatile scenario in which several names competed for the leadership.
Preferences varied according to the autonomous community. Lucía continued to be the majority in areas such as Extremadura, Aragón, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Navarra and La Rioja. Sofía predominated in Madrid, Asturias, Canary Islands, Cantabria and Valencia, while Martina led in Catalonia.
Other names showed a clearly local implantation, such as Emma in the Balearic Islands, Noa in Galicia or Malen in the Basque Country. These patterns already pointed to a more diverse scenario, where the distribution by territory began to fragment.
Trends for 2025: short names, cultural influences and greater diversity
Analysts expect the current trend to continue in 2025. The preference for short, easy-to-pronounce names continues to increase, accompanied by a strong cultural influence. The INE detects a notable growth in names driven by music, series, movies or viral phenomena.
Among girls, there has been a boom in names beginning with the letter A, especially Alma, Alba and Aitana. The latter has experienced a particularly striking growth linked to the impact of the singer Aitana Ocaña.
Names inspired by series such as Game of Thrones also stand out, among them Arya, Aria, Daenerys or Lyanna; as well as options influenced by Disney or Star Wars, such as Elsa, Ariel or Leia.
Among boys, the list reflects the continuity of the initial M, one of the most frequent in the national ranking: Mateo, Martín, Manuel, Mario and Miguel continue to be among the most used. Names such as Mohamed, Aimar, Marc or Jan also show the regional and linguistic influence in the choice of many parents.
Pop culture also leaves its mark on names such as Luke, Anakin or Thor, which, although in the minority, show sustained growth.
