Several Spanish girl names that start with ‘L’ are related to the theme of light (as in luminosity). These include names like Luz, the capitalized form of the Spanish word for “light,” as well as Lucía, Lucila, and Luciana, which originate from “lux,” the Latin word for “light.”
The Spanish name Dolores is a shortened form of “María de los Dolores” (the Spanish word “dolores” means “sorrows”). Although Dolores starts with a ‘D,’ it is the origin of several shorter names that begin with ‘L,’ such as Lola, Loli, and Lolita —the last one is both the title and the name of a protagonist in a novel by Vladimir Nabokov.
Several other short Spanish girl names that begin with ‘L’ result from shortening longer names that start with different letters. These include Lupe (a shortened form of Guadalupe), Laia (a shortened form of Eulalia), and Lía (from Rosalía).
There are some regional differences in Spanish girl names. For example, the name Leire is more common in Spain than in Latin America because it originates from a local landmark: the San Salvador de Leyre monastery in Navarre, Spain.
Names with pretty meanings include Luna, a Spanish girl name that corresponds to the Spanish word for “Moon,” and Leticia, which comes from “laetitia,” a Latin word that means “joy.”
A large group of Spanish male names that start with ‘L’ consists of those related to the Latin or Greek words for “lion.” These include León, Leonel, Leoncio, Leonardo, and Leandro.
The first (León) corresponds to the capitalized form of the Spanish word for “lion.” Then there is Leonel (the English version is Lionel). Leonardo is a name that exists in both Spanish and Italian with the same spelling (it means “strong as a lion”). Leandro means “lion-man.”
A second group of Spanish male names that begin with ‘L’ consists of those related to the Latin word for the laurel tree, a symbol of victory in antiquity. Names in this group include Lauro, Laureano, and Lorenzo. Note that the names Lauro and Lorenzo also exist in Italian with the same spelling.
Luis is the Spanish form of a Germanic name that exists in many different languages (the English form is Louis or Lewis). Lucho and Luisito are endearing diminutive forms of the name Luis, while Luismi is a shortened form of the compound name “Luis Miguel.”
Lope is a Spanish male name derived from the Latin word for “wolf.” It is the origin of the last name López, which originated as a patronymic (basically, a last name derived from the given name of one’s father).
| Individual | Occupation |
|---|---|
| Luis Buñuel | Spanish-Mexican filmmaker |
| Luis de Góngora | Spanish poet |
| Lope de Vega | Spanish playwright and poet |
| Leonor Varela | Chilean actress |
| Luisa Valenzuela | Novelist from Argentina |
| Luz Casal | Spanish pop singer |
| Lucía Etxebarria | Spanish writer |
| León Felipe | Spanish poet |
| Lázaro Cárdenas | Former President of Mexico |
| Luis Miguel | Mexican singer |
| Leopoldo Alas | Spanish novelist |
| Leticia Dolera | Spanish actress and director |
| Laura Restrepo | Colombian author |
| Leonardo Torres Quevedo | Spanish engineer and mathematician |