The National Statistics Institute (INE) has published its annual report on the most repeated names among newborns, a data that every year draws a social radiography as curious as it is revealing. In 2024, preferences have changed strongly:
The following is the complete analysis of the new map of names in Spain, with official figures from the INE.
Sofía and Mateo: the most repeated new names in Spain
The latest INE report confirms that Sofia is the most commonly used female name in 2024. In total, “3,325 girls born in 2024 are named Sofia”, a figure that makes her the favorite of Spanish families .
The second place is occupied by Lucía, who drops one position with respect to the previous year, followed by Martina, María, Vega, Julia, Olivia, Valeria, Mía and Emma. The agency points out the following data:
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“Lucia (2,830); Martina (2,364); Maria (2,189); Vega (2,129); Julia (2,071); Olivia (1,896); Valeria (1,792); Mia (1,646) and Emma (1,617).”
In the case of male names, the most repeated is Mateo, with “3,289” registered births. The rest of the podium is completed by Hugo and Martín, although both have dropped positions compared to the previous year. The official roster continues with Leo, Manuel, Lucas, Pablo, Alejandro, Enzo and Álvaro:
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“Hugo (2,734); Martin (2,693); Leo (2,550); Manuel (2,411); Lucas (2,228); Pablo (2,158); Alejandro (2,136); Enzo (2,028) and Alvaro (1,949).”
Major setbacks: names dropping out of the top 10
The INE report also shows relevant changes in the preference of Spanish families. Among the most striking cases, it stands out that Daniel leaves the male top 10 for the first time in years.
As for girl’s names, Paula disappears from the list of the most placed names. In addition, a generalized displacement is observed:
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“Lucia moves to second position compared to last year, and Julia, Valeria and Emma also drop down. Paula drops out of the list of favorites.”
Names that were very dominant in previous years also receded:
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“Hugo and Lucas drop positions and even leaves the ‘top 10’ list Daniel”.
This is how the names are distributed by autonomous communities
The INE name data reveal very marked territorial patterns. Mateo and Sofía form the most repeated name pair in seven autonomous communities:
“Galicia; Asturias; Aragón; Castilla La Mancha; Madrid; Comunidad Valenciana; and the Canary Islands”.
In contrast, different combinations dominate in other territories. The agency points out that:
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“The támdem Lucía and Mateo are the most chosen in four (Cantabria; Navarra; La Rioja; Castilla y León)”.
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“In Extremadura and Andalusia, Manuel is the most chosen boy’s name in 2024.”
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“In Catalonia, Marti” ranks first among males.
The report, published within the birth statistics, also recalls that “they amounted last year to 318,005 (0.8 percent less than the previous year)”.
The most frequent names of the entire Spanish population
Although new trends are generated every year among newborns, the overall picture of the country is still dominated by traditional names. According to the INE:
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“The most frequent names are María Carmen and Antonio.”
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In terms of surnames, the ranking is repeated: “García, followed by Rodríguez, González, Fernández and López”.
This contrast between fashionable names and the most common names among the total population is evidence of the generational changes in Spain.
Sofia and Mateo: why these names are triumphing
The rise of Sofia and Mateo is no coincidence: both have been climbing the ranks for years and are very popular names in Spanish-speaking and European countries. They are short, easy to pronounce and have a strong cultural and media presence.
The entry of Mía and Álvaro in the top 10 confirms the trend towards short, modern and global names, while the fall of Paula and Daniel points to a natural attrition of the classics that marked the generations born between the 90s and the 2000s.
The annual report of the INE names offers a new social radiography of Spain and confirms the reign of Sofia and Mateo as the star names of 2024. With significant changes in the top 10, reversals of historical names and trends differentiated by autonomous communities, this statistic once again shows how the country’s cultural and generational identity is evolving.
