What Are the Trending New Baby Names in Yucatán? Ask Liam.

Liam has overtaken Brian and Kevin as the fastest-growing foreign baby name in Yucatán, marking a new wave of international naming trends, which started in 2024.

Jorge Carlos de María Ramírez Granados, director of Yucatán’s Civil Registry, says the shift represents the latest chapter in the state’s evolving naming patterns. While Brian and Kevin dominated the 1990s and early 2000s, Liam surged ahead in 2024 and continues to grow, followed by Alexander.

“Brian and Kevin are still present among foreign names,” Ramírez Granados told Diario de Yucatán. “But since 2024, we’ve noticed an increase in one foreign name in particular: Liam was the foreign name that repeated most and keeps growing.”

The trend from compound names like Juan Carlos and Jorge Francisco to shorter international options reflects broader patterns among Mexican parents who seek baby names that work in both Spanish and English-speaking environments.

Traditional names disappear

At the same time, 18 traditional Mexican names rooted in Catholic saints are vanishing from the state’s birth certificates. These once-common choices — including Macario, Cayetano, Canuto, Agapito, and Eleuterio — have deep ties to the Catholic calendar but rarely appear on new registrations anymore.

“When you review the archive, it’s organized by stages,” Ramírez Granados said. “If you open a document from the early 20th century, you’ll see handwritten calligraphy and names closely related to the Catholic saints’ calendar.”

The disappearing baby names also include Baldomero, Bonifacio, Perfecto, Susano, Siriaco, Onésimo, Adalio, Agata, Brígido, Cosme, Crescencio, Doroteo, and Tiburcio — names that once had significant presence in registry records.

Catholic names still dominate

Despite the trend toward foreign names, Yucatán remains predominantly Catholic, and religious names still top the state’s birth registry. Guadalupe leads among girls with 663 registrations so far in 2025, followed by Sofía with 632. For boys, Jesús ranks first with 722 registrations — representing 1.5% of all male births — while Alejandro comes in second with 524.

These numbers differ from national trends. According to Mexico’s statistics institute INEGI, Sofía is the most popular girls’ name nationwide, followed by Regina and María José. Santiago, Mateo, and Sebastián lead the boys’ list nationally.

The shift from compound baby names like Juan Carlos and Jorge Francisco to shorter international options reflects a broader trend among Mexican parents who seek names that work seamlessly in both Spanish and English-speaking environments.

Ramírez Granados notes these patterns extend throughout the state, not just in the capital city of Mérida. “The figures are from the entire state,” he said. “There’s no special task to segment data by municipality. Everything goes into the same system.”

Rare and unusual names

Among the least common names registered in Yucatán this year are Erviro, Adibe, Walfre, Nobaldo, Peggy, Yanko, Kai Man, Ecolástico, and Abdón. Some carry specific meanings — Adibe, of Persian origin, means “erudite” or “cultured,” while Abdón is Hebrew for “servant of God.”

“These aren’t necessarily ‘weird’ names,” Ramírez Granados said. “They’re simply names with fewer repetitions in birth certificates.” He expects name trends to shift again during major events. “In World Cup years, we see footballers’ names. So in 2026, with the World Cup, we’ll probably see those names again.”

No banned names, but officials encourage reflection

Unlike some Mexican states that prohibit certain names, Yucatán maintains no official blacklist. However, civil registry officials do encourage parents to consider their children’s future.

“We’ve invited officials to remind parents about children’s rights and the potential implications when they notice something extravagant or offensive,” Ramírez Granados said.

Last year, one parent wanted to name their son Tricampeonato after the América soccer team won its third championship. Another tried to register a daughter as Brenda Huracán following the hurricanes that struck the state. In both cases, officials convinced the parents to choose more conventional names.

The state’s most famous unusual name remains 003 Miller Santos Chablé, whose case gained attention in 2011. Santos Chablé, now in his 30s and working as a teacher, told media he didn’t learn his actual name until age 15. His father explained they chose “003” because they wanted three children. The National Electoral Institute doesn’t allow numbers in official documents, so his voter ID spells out the name in letters.

Preserving cultural identity through names

While international naming trends grow, Yucatán maintains strong ties to its cultural traditions, from Hanal Pixán celebrations to traditional dress. Local experts say the state has preserved its cultural identity despite an influx of outsiders attracted by lower costs and remote work opportunities.

The evolution of baby names in Yucatán’s civil registry tells a story of cultural change — from handwritten calligraphy recording saints’ names in the early 1900s, through typewritten compound names during the telenovela era, to computerized records of international choices today.

Yet even as Liam and Alexander rise in popularity, Guadalupe and Jesús continue to dominate, showing that in Yucatán, old traditions and new influences exist side by side on birth certificates.