Alejandro m SpanishSpanish form of
Alexander. This was the most popular name for boys in Spain from the 1990s until 2006 (and again in 2011).
Álvaro m Spanish, PortugueseSpanish form of
Alvarus, the Latinized form of a Visigothic name, possibly derived from the elements
alls "all" and
wars "aware, cautious" or
wards "guard". Álvar Fáñez was an 11th-century military commander and duke of Toledo, who appears as a general of El Cid in the epic poem
El Cantar de mio Cid. Verdi also used the name in his opera
The Force of Destiny (1862).
Amaro m Galician, Portuguese, SpanishMeaning uncertain, perhaps related to Latin
amarus "bitter", or maybe from the Visigothic name
Amalric. This was the name of a legendary saint who was said to have sailed across the Atlantic to a paradise. He is especially popular in Galicia and Asturias in Spain.
Amparo f SpanishMeans
"protection, shelter, refuge" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora del Amparo, meaning "Our Lady of Refuge".
Lautaro m Mapuche (Hispanicized), Spanish (Latin American)Hispanicized form of Mapuche
Lef-Traru meaning
"swift hawk", derived from
lef "swift" and
traru "hawk". This name was borne by a 16th-century Mapuche military leader who fought against the Spanish conquistadors in Chile.
Milagros f SpanishMeans
"miracles" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de los Milagros, which means "Our Lady of Miracles".
Milagrosa f SpanishMeans
"miraculous" in Spanish. It is taken from the phrase
medalla milagrosa meaning "miraculous medal", referring to the devotional medal made by Adrien Vachette based on Saint Catherine Labouré's visions of the Virgin
Mary in Paris in 1830.
Patrocinio f & m SpanishMeans
"patronage, sponsorship" in Spanish, taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
La Virgen del Patrocinio, meaning "The Virgin of Patronage".
Pedro m Spanish, PortugueseSpanish and Portuguese form of
Peter. This was the name of the only two emperors of Brazil, reigning between 1822 and 1889.
Ramiro m Spanish, PortugueseSpanish and Portuguese form of
Ramirus, earlier
Ranimirus, a Latinized form of a Visigothic name derived from the Gothic element
rana "wedge" or perhaps
ragin "law, decree, assessment, responsibility" combined with
mers "famous". Saint Ramirus was a 6th-century prior of the Saint Claudius Monastery in León. He and several others were executed by the Arian Visigoths, who opposed orthodox Christianity. This name was subsequently borne by kings of León, Asturias and Aragon.
Roberto m Italian, Spanish, PortugueseItalian, Spanish and Portuguese form of
Robert. Saint Roberto Bellarmine was a 16th-century cardinal who is regarded as a Doctor of the Church. Another famous bearer was Roberto de Nobili (1577-1656), a Jesuit missionary to India.
Rocío f SpanishMeans
"dew" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary María del Rocío meaning "Mary of the Dew".
Rodrigo m Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, GalicianSpanish, Portuguese, Italian and Galician form of
Roderick, via the Latinized Gothic form
Rudericus. A notable bearer was Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, also known as El Cid, an 11th-century Spanish military commander.
Rogelio m SpanishSpanish form of the Late Latin name
Rogellus or
Rogelius. This was probably related to the Germanic name
Hrodger (see
Roger), perhaps a remnant of a Visigothic cognate. It has also been suggested that it could be derived from a diminutive of the Latin name
Rogatus. Saint Rogellus was a 9th-century martyr from Córdoba.
Ronaldinho m PortugueseDiminutive of
Ronaldo. A famous bearer is the retired Brazilian soccer player Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (1980-), who is usually called simply Ronaldinho.
Ronaldo m PortuguesePortuguese form of
Ronald. A notable bearer is the retired Brazilian soccer player Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima (1976-), who is commonly known only by his first name.
Rosa 1 f Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, German, EnglishGenerally this can be considered to be from Latin
rosa meaning
"rose", though originally it may have come from the unrelated Germanic name
Roza 2. This was the name of a 13th-century saint from Viterbo in Italy. In the English-speaking world it was first used in the 19th century. Famous bearers include the Polish-German revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg (1871-1919) and the American civil rights activist Rosa Parks (1913-2005).
Rosario f & m Spanish, ItalianMeans
"rosary", and is taken from the Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary Nuestra Señora del Rosario meaning "Our Lady of the Rosary". This name is feminine in Spanish and masculine in Italian.
Rosaura f SpanishMeans
"golden rose", derived from Latin
rosa "rose" and
aurea "golden". This name was (first?) used by Pedro Calderón de la Barca for a character in his play
Life Is a Dream (1635).
Rosendo m SpanishSpanish form of the Visigothic name *
Hroþisinþs, composed of the Gothic elements
hroþs "fame" and
sinþs "time". This was the name of a 10th-century Galician saint, also known as Rudesind.
Roxana f English, Spanish, Romanian, Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latin form of
Ῥωξάνη (Rhoxane), the Greek form of an Old Persian or Bactrian name, from Old Iranian *
rauxšnā meaning
"bright, shining". This was the name of Alexander the Great's first wife, a daughter of the Bactrian nobleman Oxyartes. In the modern era it came into use during the 17th century. In the English-speaking world it was popularized by Daniel Defoe, who used it in his novel
Roxana (1724).
Socorro f SpanishMeans
"succour, help, relief" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary María del Socorro meaning "Mary of Perpetual Succour".
Tercero m Spanish (Rare)Means
"third" in Spanish. This name was traditionally given to the third child born.