Chilean names include many Spanish names, as well as some from the Mapuche language (a local language that predates the arrival of Spanish).
Let’s explore some of the names used in the South American country of Chile.
Female names used in Chile include the following:
Many names used in Chile are Spanish names. And there is a pattern among these names: Spanish female names often end in ‘a’ (but not always) and Spanish male names often end in ‘o’ (again not always).
This pattern mirrors the pattern in the ending of vocabulary words. For example, the word “amiga” (female friend) ends in ‘a’ while the word “amigo” (male friend) ends in ‘o’
Exceptions to this pattern are often names derived from Roman Catholic epithets of the Virgin Mary. For instance:
Male names that are used in Chile include the following:
Spanish is the national language of Chile, so many Chilean names are simply Spanish names. This doesn’t mean that the names used in Chile exactly coincide with the names used in Spain.
In addition to Spanish names, Chilean names also include some names from the Mapuche language (a local language that predates the arrival of the Spanish).
Millaray is an example of a popular name in Chile that comes from the Mapuche language. It is a feminine name with a pretty meaning, as it translates to “golden flower.”
Rayén is another female name used in Chile that comes from a Mapuche word that means “flower.”
An example of a male name that originates from the Mapuche language is Nahuel. It means “jaguar.”
Conversely, some names used in Spain come from the Basque language, which originates from the Basque region that spans parts of northern Spain and Southwestern France. Some names of Basque origin that have become popular in Spain may not always be as widely used in Chile.
As a result of European immigration to Chile during the 19th and 20th centuries from countries such as Germany, Italy, France, and Croatia, it is not uncommon to encounter names in Chile that have non-Spanish European origins.
For example, the French names Margot and Denise have been used in Chile.