Spanish Nicknames
Questions This Article Answers
What is an hipocorístico?
What does apodo mean?
How are nicknames created in Spanish?
What is the origin of the nickname Paco?
What is the origin of the nickname Pepe?
Spanish Nicknames
Hipocorísticos(hypocoristics) are shorter versions of nombres(names). For example, Alejandro(Alexander) becomes Ale(Alex). These apodos(nicknames) are used to refer to someone affectionately.
Let’s learn about the nicknames of popular Spanish names.
Multiple Nicknames
Some names may have more than one nickname.
Shortening
The most common way of creating nicknames consists of shortening the original name by deleting syllables at the end of the word.
Adding i
Some nicknames are created by adding an i to the shortened version of the original name.
In Spanish, it’s recommended to use i and not y.
Diminutives
The diminutive suffixes -ito and -ita are also used to form nicknames.
| Spanish Name | English | Nickname |
|---|---|---|
| Álvaro | Alvaro | Alvarito |
| Amparo | Amparo | Amparito |
| Ana | Ann | Anita |
| Carlos | Charles | Carlitos |
| Luis | Louis | Luisito |
| Mauro | Mauro | Maurito |
| Pablo | Paul | Pablito |
| Pedro | Peter | Pedrito |
Blend
When people have two nombres, sometimes they are blended together. Blending is often used when the first name is Juan or María.
Adding New Sounds
Some nicknames are created by taking some letters from the original name and adding new sounds to them.
Some nicknames have undergone so many alterations that it can be hard to trace back what was the original name.
| Spanish Name | English | Nickname |
|---|---|---|
| Eduardo | Edward | Lalo |
| Héctor | Hector | Tito |
| Sergio | Sergius | Checho |
| Manuel | Emmanuel | Lolo |
| Francisco | Francis | Pancho |
Pepe and Paco
The nicknames for José(Joseph) and Francisco(Francis) do not stem from the original names. It is believed these two apodos come from Latin and have religious roots.
San José(Saint Joseph) was referred to as the Pater Putativus (putative father) of Jesús(Jesus). The nickname Pepe(Pepe) comes from the Spanish pronunciation of the acronym PP.
Similarly, San Francisco de Asís(Saint Francis of Assisi) was referred to as Pater Comunitas (father of the community). The abbreviation PaCo resulted in the nickname Paco(Paco).
Learn more about Spanish grammar and regional varieties with these articles:
