Traditionally, given names were taken from the names of saints. There are also many names which honour the Virgin Mary, such as Dolores, Rosario, Mercedes, Pilar, Consolata and Luz. See also European names for a more general overview.
A typical Spanish name consists of one or two given names, followed by two surnames. The first surname (considered the primary surname) is inherited from the father's paternal surname, the second is inherited from the mother's paternal surname. Women usually keep their names when they marry.
For example, if José Lopez Garcia marries María Reyes Cruz, both will keep their surnames unchanged. If they have a child named Tomás, his full name will be Tomás Lopez Reyes. Sometimes the two surnames are separated by the word y meaning "and".
The word name in Spanish is nombre.
List of Spanish names and meanings
List of Spanish Kings and Queens