The Best Spanglish Pet Names for 2020

If you grew up in a Latino household like mine, you probably dreamt of having a dog or cat your whole life but had to live vicariously through other peoples’ pets instead. My mom was never a fan of pets and a firm believer that animals did not belong en la casa! Well, the joke was on her because once I moved out of the house the first thing I did was get a puppy… and get her (and by her I mean my little sister) a puppy también! ¡Sorpresa! 

At the time, I struggled to find the right nombres for our two new family members. Being bicultural is a big part of who I am as a first generation Latina. My parents are both from El Salvador and most of my family speaks Español. On the other hand, I grew up in Nebraska so most of my friends and coworkers are native English speakers. I needed to find names that would make sense to both my English and Spanish speaking friends & familia. After much thought, I decided to go with Leonidas Napoleon aka Leo and my sister decided to name her pup Luna. Our feline family member was adopted the following year and (for consistency because Latinos have at least 2 names) her name is Dolores Guadalupe aka Lola. To learn more about the Leo Y Lola story click here.

If you are a new dog or cat owner and searching for the best bilingual or Spanglish names that reflect your bicultural world, I’ve compiled the best list of Spanglish pet names. Most of these easily transcend cultural and language barriers between native English and Spanish speakers and I’ve included some fun ways to use them.  Check them out below and comment on your favorite! ¡Suerte! 

Unique Spanglish names based on Things 

• Firulais (Fee-Roo-Lies) - This is the equivalent of calling a dog Fido and a general Spanish name for perritos de la calle. You can pronounce it slightly differently in English as “Fido Lies” or just shorten it to Fido.  
• Chico(a) (Cheek-Oh) - The iconic name of the English Bull Terrier owned by Los Jokers in the Friday movies, this name means small one in Spanish. 
• Chuchin (Chew-Cheen) - For Salvadorans, chucho means mutt. For Mexicans, Chucho is a nickname given to people with the name Jesus (don't ask me why). If your English friends have trouble with it, you can always opt for Eugene as a close translation. 
• Cholo/Xolo (Show-Low) - Depending on the way you choose to spell it this name can have different meanings. If you go with the Cholo name your pet is a gangsta and lives life on the edge. If you go with the Xolo spelling, this is short for Xoloitzcuintli which is a Mexican dog breed that channels the aztec gods. Even if your dog is not this breed, I say YOLO and give it this awesome Aztec name!
• Pilas (Pee-Lahs) - ¡Ponte Las Pilas! ...said every Latina mom ever when they wanted to motivate you to focus and get things accomplished! The phrase literally translates to “put your batteries on” but that doesn't make sense so you can just say it means batteries because your pet is a little ball of Energizer Bunny type energy.
• Pitufo(a) (Pee-Two-Foe) - Spanish word for Smurf or Smurfette.
• Luna (Loon-ah) - This is the name my sister chose for her dog and it means Moon in Spanish. If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you can reference Luna Lovegood. We like to lovingly call her Looney as well. 
• Niño(a) - Could be a reference to the Spanish term for boy/girl or to historical hurricanes. Your call!
• Sol (Soul) - Sol is Spanish for Sun and is pronounced like soul in English. Sol is good for the Soul so if your pet brings you sunlight and good vibes, this is a great nombre!
• Arturito (Are-Two-Ree-Two) - Perfect for the Star Wars fans! Because we all grew up thinking R2D2 was named Arturito. 
• Fabuloso(a) (Fab-Oo-Low-Sow) - No Latino household can ever truly be whole without Fabuloso (It’s a very common cleaning product)! It’s also a cool name because in English it means fabulous which could also be a reference to the famous 90’s rapper. 
• Vato (Vah-Toe) - A vato is a guy or dude. He could be a young vato, a cool vato, a vato loco or any kind of vato your heart desires. Orale vato! 

Fun Spanglish Names based on Food 

• Mofongo (Moe-Phone-Go) - A delicious Puerto Rican mashed plantain dish.
• Chimichurri (Chim-E-Chur-E) - Popular in Argentina & Uruguay, chimichurri is the perfect condimento for grilled meat. Also a good option is Chimichanga and both can be shortened to Chimi.
• Corona (Co-Row-Nah) - It’s a crown, it's a beer, it’s the COVID-19 virus. 
• Tecate (Tay-Caw-Tay) - Similar to Corona but without the current bad rep, Tecate is a popular beer brand. It is also the name of the border city in which the beer is produced. Fun fact: There is a Tecate, Baja California (in Mexico) and a Tecate, California (in USA).
• Taquito (Tah-Key-Toe) - Whether you prefer soft corn tortilla tacos or hard shell tacos (aka not real tacos) we can all agree that taquito is a small taco. Pretty much adding -ito at the end of most Spanish words reference to a miniscule version of that word.
• Toston (Toes-Tone) - Fried plantain slices. Name your pet this if you think they’re a total snack!
• Nacho (Notch-Oh) - Because everyone loves nachos. Also a reference to Nacho Libre and to all of the Ignacio's you may know. 
• Lechuga (Let-Chew-Gah) - For all of the health nuts and salad fans, lechuga means lettuce! 
• Canela (Can-Elle-Uh) - A classic name, Canela means cinnamon in Spanish and is the perfect name for a pet that spices up your life!
• Cilantro (Seal-On-Trow) - Everyone knows that real tacos have the option of cilantro as a topping! 
• Cholula (Cho-Loo-Lah) - The name of a hot sauce but more importantly, the name of the 2,500-year-old city of Cholula, Puebla, the oldest still-inhabited city in Mexico. 
• Pupusa (Poo-Poo-Sah) - Might sound a bit weird but I promise you pupusas are delicious AF! They are a typical Salvadoran dish that you can't get enough of just like you can’t get enough of your new furry friend! Let Curly from Pero Like school you by clicking on this Youtube video.
• Tapatío (Tap-Uh-Tea-Oh) - Also the name of a hot sauce but Tapatío is also a Mexican term for someone from Guadalajara in the state of Jalisco, Mexico's second largest city. It is also used as an adjective for anything associated with Guadalajara.
• Taki (Talk-Ee) - My sister’s favorite snack. I am all for Hot Cheetos. 

Interesting Spanglish Names based on History/People

• Friducha (Free-Do-Cha) - Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera are icons of Mexican arte and cultura. I love the name Friducha as this was Diego’s nickname for Frida and is written in many of their love letters. 
• Paquita (Pah-Keet-Ah) - If you search baby name meanings you’ll find that Paquita means “free” and is derived from the male name Francisco (Paco). But we all know that Paquita is her own free woman who doesn't need a man. She's from el Barrio and is not afraid to call out a rata de dos patas on his BS. 
• Azteca (As-Tec-Ah) - An ode to the great Aztec empire. After spending 3 years living in la Ciudad de México, this one had to be on my list. So much can be said about the Aztecs but that would be another article.For a refresher on the Aztecas, watch this read this article. 
• Tenoch (Ten-Oh-SH) -  Short for Tenochtitlán, the capital of the Aztec Empire and modern day Mexico City. The Nahuatl symbols of this name can be found on the Mexican Flag Tetl, the rock, and Nochtli, the prickly pear cactus. If you’re a history buff, you can learn more about the historia of Tenochtitlán here.
• Ozomatli (Oh-So-Maht-Lee) - Ozomatli is the companion monkey spirit to the god of música and dance and apparently a popular name for bands and creativos of all sorts! The name comes from the Nahuatl word for monkey which is also an astrological symbol on the Aztec calendar. 
• Inca (Een-Kah)- A strong name, the Inca empire is known for being the most powerful and richest pre-Colombian empire in the Americas. The Inca are responsible for the impressive Machu Picchu. Read more about the Incan empire here.
• Maya (My-Ah) - Maya is a name with many meanings to many diverse cultures so it's a perfect example of a bicultural name. In this case, it's an ode to the Mayan civilization that dominated southern México and most of Central America including el pulgarcito, El Salvador. Brush up on your Mayan history here. 
• Dolores (short name Lola) - Ok so I might be biased on this one because of Lola but I absolutely love her full name, Dolores, which translates to “sorrows, aches and pains”. She’s my favorite pain in the nalgas. Also Dolores Huerta is the real GOAT. 
• Leonidas (short name Leo) - Not gonna lie, I worked backwards on this one because I wanted my dog’s name to be Leo in Spanish because he resembled lion (león) as a puppy. I have many friends with the name Leonardo and although that's a cool #TMNT or famous painter reference I didn’t think they would appreciate sharing a name with my dog. So instead I went with Leonidas, the king of ‘this is SPARTAAAA’.
• Napoleon (Nah-Poe-Lee-Own) - Fun fact this is actually my dad’s middle name and my dog’s middle name. It’s easy to pronounce in English and in Spanish. You can say it's a reference to Napoleon Bonaparte (boring) or to Napoleon Dynamite (not so boring). Check out this list of other famous Napoleons.
• Canelo (Kah-Nell-Oh) - Similar to Canela (above), Canelo can be a reference to cinnamon in Spanish but in this case it can also be the Mexican boxeador, Canelo Álvarez.
• Guadalupe (short name Lupe) - La Virgen de Guadalupe holds a special place in the religious life of México and is one of the most popular names in the country. This is Lola’s middle name which I found fitting because she was rescued in Mexico City. If your religious or super catholic Madre gives you a hard time tell her you chose the name because you love watching La Rosa de Guadalupe.
• Che (Ch-Eh) - In Argentina “che” is the equivalent of calling someone a dude or bro. Can also be a reference to the infamous Cuban revolutionary leader. 
• Pancho (Pahn-Cho) - Often a nickname for Francisco pancho is a fun name that can also be a reference to the famous Mexican outlaw, Pancho Villa.
• Walter (Wall-Terr) - Easily pronounced in both languages this could be a sophisticated name for your pet or a reference to the great Walter Mercado. This name should be given con mucho pero mucho amor. 
• Benito (Benny-Toe) - Benito en español or Benny in English. Also popular for Benito Juarez, the Oaxacan native who became President of México and for Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio aka Bad Bunny himself.

Spanglish Names based on Animals

• Oso (Oh-So) - Perfect for your furry and cuddly little osito bears.
• León (Lay-Own) - Lion in Spanish but also could translate as the name Leon. 
• Lobo (Low-Bow) - Wolf in Spanish. If you’re a fan of the 00’s Twilight movies… #TeamJacob forever.
• Pinguino (Peen-Gween-Oh) - A little penguin! Perfect for the black and white pets. 

Spanglish Names based on Colors/Adjectives

• Azul (Ah-Sool) - For your blue-eyed cuties or lovers of the big blue oceano.
• Blanco(a) (Blahn-Coe) - Blanco translates to white in Spanish so it’s a very common name for pets with white fur. A fun way to use this name could also be to mix with Benito.. Benito Blanco en Español and Benny Blanco in English. Any fans of today’s top music hits will get the reference. 
• Bonito(a) (Bow-Neat-Oh) - You’ll love calling your pet this name anyway because it means pretty!! 
• Cafe (Calf-Eh) - Coffee as in the color or the caffeinated cup of bean water.
• Colocho(a) (Coe-Low-Cho) - To Salvadoreños, colocho or colocha means to have curly hair! 
• Peludo(a) (Peh-Lude-Oh) - Furry or hairy. Perfect for the floof balls pets. 
• Peluche (Peh-Loo-Cheh) - Your new favorite stuffed animal or teddy bear. 
• Gordo(a) (Gourd-Oh) - For the THICC ones.
• Guapo(a) (Guwap-Oh) - Means handsome. 

BONUS Expert-level names based on Albures 

I’m not going to explain an albur but if you get it you get it. The only hint I can give you is that they are the equivalent of calling up Pizza Hut and placing an order for Seymour Butts. 

• Aquiles Baesta
• Benito Camelo
• Cindy Entes
• Cindy Nero
• Dolores Delano
• Deborah Mesta
• Emma Madow
• Esteban Dido
• Elvis Teck
• Eddy Ficio
• Elsa Pato
• Elton Tito
• Jack Hallate
• Jorge Nitales
• Memo Herdez
• Mela Pelas
• Rosa Mela
• Rosa Celeste
• Susana Oria
• Solomeo Paredes
• Solovino Izequedo

I hope you enjoyed this list of Spanglish and bicultural pet names! If you’re looking for other fun ways to show your love for cultura, check out our collection of handmade dog collars and leashes made by artisans in México here.