Spanish Baby Names: Traditional and Modern First Names of Spain and the Americas [Paperback]

Judy Sierra (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2002

This is the only in-depth, authentic book on Spanish baby names and naming traditions in the English language.A collection of over 5,000 names, variants and nicknames from Spanish-speaking regions of the world, the book includes names in Catalan, Basque, Galician, Asturian, and native names from Latin America. The origin, meaning and history of each name is included, along with an introductory essay on the history of Spanish names and naming. Pronunciation guide, glossary and bibliography.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Judy Sierra received her Ph.D. in Folklore and Mythology from UCLA, and is the award-winning author of books for children and adults. She specializes in family traditions of naming, play and storytelling from around the world. Her 1997 "Celtic Baby Names" was noted as an outstanding name book for parents who want authentic names and meanings, and was recommended in Choice and in the American Reference Books Annual.

Product Details

• Paperback: 107 pages
• Publisher: Folkprint; Bilingual edition (February 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963608967
• ISBN-13: 978-0963608963
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,319,065 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up in a very creative, book-loving family. My father was a photographer, and my mother was a librarian. They read to me constantly, especially poetry. When I was seven, they built me a puppet theater and I gave my first performance, "The Three Wishes." In college I studied literature, and afterwards I became a children's librarian. A few years later, I set out on my own as a puppeteer, quickly joining forces with another puppet artist, who became my husband. We studied traditional puppetry in Indonesia, and traveled all over the U.S. as teachers and artists-in-residence. About twenty years ago, I combined what I had learned as an avid reader and writer, as a librarian and children's entertainer, and began writing books for children. All of my books are meant to be read aloud and dramatized. To learn more about how each of my books came to be, please visit my web site: http://www.judysierra.net.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superbly presented baby name idea book, May 6, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spanish Baby Names: Traditional and Modern First Names of Spain and the Americas (Paperback)

Spanish Baby Names is a marvelous, 107 page, A to Z listing of both boy and girl baby names, including both full names and diminutive versions thereof. Each name has a brief description of its origin and meaning in this excellent reference. Enhanced with a one-page bibliography, including a section of online saints' lives and saints' days websites, Spanish Baby Names is a superbly presented baby name idea book for Hispanic families.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Too much exotic names without frequency data included, September 9, 2002

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Spanish Baby Names: Traditional and Modern First Names of Spain and the Americas (Paperback)

I like Spanish Baby Names by J. Sierra for its wealth of Spanish, Basque, Catalan, Galician and Asturian first names (over 5,000 including diminutives). The fact that a selection of first names in the minority languages of Spain is included adds a great value to this book.

But there is one important thing I miss - frequency data. I don't think it's OK to list such exotic (old-fashioned?) Spanish names as Audomaro, Ausencio, Auxencio, Austreberto, Avertano, Averano, Avertino, Azario, Azariel, Azarias etc. (even Atahualpa, the name of a famous Inca ruler is listed!) without mentioning their frequency. I don't believe these (and other similar names) are much in use nowadays.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Much more than the usual baby name book, November 17, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Spanish Baby Names: Traditional and Modern First Names of Spain and the Americas (Paperback)

Fascinating introduction about the history of Spanish names. I especially liked the Basque names and all the nicknames and variations. I would recommend it for families that want traditional names or new twists on traditional names.