Popular Spanish Boy Baby Names

Cultural influences are one of the greatest outside factors affecting the creation of a baby name. It is clear to see the increase of Hispanic names in western states or any state with a growing Hispanic population. From an anthropological perspective, there are obvious cases of cultural assimilation and lack there of that is seen by the statewide distribution of names in America. Large Hispanic populations such as in Texas or California have proportionally dominant Latin American or Latin rooted names. In 1998, the most popular baby in Texas was José, which may seem surprising. However, demographically associating the percent Hispanic and percent of other ethnicities for any given state helps to understand the statewide differences in most popular baby names.
It is beautiful to live in the western United States and witness the fusion and combinations of different baby names created by mothers and fathers who both are from different ethnic backgrounds. Today, there is no longer the strong cultural tyranny that the American culture of previous centuries had used to impose on the names of all new immigrants to the country. Instead of modifying an ethnic name to be an accepted American, new immigrants and immigrant communities can choose to do as they wish. There are of course many new immigrants who still want to modify or blend the creation of their baby name to something that assumes a more American appeal. The door is open on this one. Living in a Hispanic community, I commonly discover beautiful names that are Meso-American rooted and they always make me appreciate my role as an American citizen on the North American continent. While much of the existing names used by the indigenous Indians living inside of the United States territory have diminished or nearly vanished, the constant immersing of Meso-American rooted names derived from the indigenous communities of the Southwest United States through Mexico and Central America is very pleasing. How beautiful it would be to give a child a Meso-American rooted name that in some manner transcends our own existence here together on the North American continent. The distance from our recent past is made present by a name that recollects the North American continent as an undisturbed and breathtaking place of peace and prosperity. Beyond the material prosperity of the modern world, a Meso-American name helps remind human beings of how little is needed to survive and prosper and that our relationship with nature is paramount for life to prosper.