There exist equivalent English names for some of the Spanish names listed above.
| Spanish name | Corresponding English name |
|---|---|
| Dalila | Delilah |
| Dalia | Dahlia |
| Débora | Deborah |
| Delfina | Delphine |
| Dafne | Daphne |
| Dorotea | Dorothy |
The name Dolores arose as a shortened form of “María de los Dolores” (the Spanish word “dolores” means “sorrows”).
The name Digna comes from the Spanish word “digna,” the feminine form of an adjective that means “worthy” or “dignified.” Interestingly, the English word “dignified” shares the same origin as the Spanish term “digna,” as both originate from the Latin term “dignus” (which means “worthy”).
Dulce is a Spanish name that comes from “dulce,” a Spanish adjective that means “sweet.” The corresponding Italian adjective is spelled “dolce” (as in “la dolce vita” which means “the sweet life”) and it has the same Latin origin.
The Spanish name Dalia comes from the word “dalia” (“dahlia” in English) which refers to a type of plant with pretty flowers that is native to Mexico. The plant is named after Anders Dahl, an 18th-century Swedish botanist.
Delia is a name from Ancient Greek. It arose as an alternate name for the mythological goddess Artemis, derived from her birthplace (the island of Delos).
Some of the names listed above have equivalents in English with some spelling differences, as shown in the table below:
| Spanish name | Corresponding English name |
|---|---|
| Domingo | Dominic |
| Darío | Darius |
| Damián | Damian |
| Donaldo | Donald |
| Dionisio | Dionysius, Dennis |
| Demetrio | Demetrius |
Diego is a widely known Spanish male name. This name is quite familiar in the United States as well, in part due to the city of San Diego in Southern California. The surname Díaz is derived from the first name Diego. Díaz is a patronymic (a last name derived from the father’s first name). Similarly, Domínguez is a surname derived from Domingo.
The Spanish name Delfín is the capitalized form of the word “delfín,” which means “dolphin.” The word “delfín” can also mean “successor” or “heir,” a meaning derived from the corresponding French word “dauphin,” which was historically used to refer to the eldest son of the French king.
The Spanish name Domingo is spelled the same (except for capitalization of the initial letter ‘D’) as the Spanish word “domingo,” which means “Sunday.” The days of the week are not capitalized in Spanish as they are in English.
Dante is a name that the Spanish language borrowed from Italian. The famous Italian poet from the Middle Ages, Dante Alighieri, is the author of the Divine Comedy.
Diosdado is a Spanish name that means “God-given” (In Spanish, “Dios” means “God” and “dado” is the past participle of the verb “dar,” which means “to give”). The English name Theodore and its Spanish version Teodoro have the same meaning as Diosdado but are derived from Ancient Greek rather than Spanish words.
While Teodoro begins with a ‘T,’ the Spanish name Doroteo combines the same two Greek roots but in a different order, and as a result, starts with a ‘D.’ Doroteo means “God’s gift.” It is the male version of the female name Dorotea.
A renowned namesake can increase the attractiveness of a name. Well-known individuals with Spanish first names that begin with ‘D’ include two painters (Diego Rivera and Diego Velázquez). Several more examples are provided in the table below.
| Individual | Occupation |
|---|---|
| Diego Rivera | Mexican painter |
| Diego Velázquez | 17th-century Spanish painter |
| Diego Maradona | Football player from Argentina |
| Domingo Faustino Sarmiento | Former President of Argentina |
| Dafne Fernández | Spanish actress |
| Dolores Fonzi | Actress from Argentina |
| Dayana Mendoza | Actress from Venezuela |
| Dulce Chacón | Spanish writer |
| Dolores del Río | Mexican actress |
| Diana Navarro | Spanish singer |
| Daniela Romo | Mexican singer |