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222 super fun nicknames in Spanish to use with your loved ones

Integrate yourself into Hispanic culture with these 222+ nicknames in Spanish. 

From the top of Catalonia to the southern tip of Chile, you’ll find that Spanish speakers everywhere love to use nicknames to refer to their friends and family. As anyone who’s spent any time in a Hispanic country can attest, most Spanish speakers are extremely warm and friendly. And part of what makes the community so approachable is its embrace of colorful, creative, and unique nicknames.

Here are just a few reasons why you should learn a few nicknames in Spanish.

To make deeper connections

Using thoughtful nicknames with your friends can help you cultivate deep and meaningful relationships. Just make sure to use a nickname that actually fits your friend – otherwise, it might come across as insincere! You know your friends best, which is why we’ve compiled a list of over 222 unique nicknames in Spanish.

To keep up with your friends

Just as your friends will come up with creative nicknames for you, they will do the same for the rest of your friends. That means there will be potentially dozens of nicknames to keep track of if you want to stay on top of what your friends are calling each other! 

To survive daily life

You may be expecting nicknames from your friends, but did you know that casual acquaintances and even strangers could call you by a nickname? Indeed, it’s not uncommon at all for strangers to use a nickname to call on you in casual interactions. 

For example, if you have blonde hair and order tacos from a taco stand, you can expect the taquero (the taco person) to call you güero or güera (which means blonde). Likewise, if you have curly hair, they might call you chino or china as short for pelo chino (curly hair). 

To have fun

Using nicknames for your friends and family can be a great way to make your everyday interactions a little more fun. Though this is true for every language, it is especially so for Spanish, as there are some funny Spanish nicknames out there!

Ready to get started? We’ll cover over 222 unique nicknames in Spanish, from the funniest to the most romantic ones! From now on, you’ll know exactly what to call every important person in your life.

Nicknames in Spanish

The Spanish word for a nickname is apodo (ah-poe-doe) and its plural is apodos (ah-poe-dohs). 

Nicknames in Spanish for a group of friends eating pizza and laughing.


Gender-neutral 

We’ll start with gender-neutral nicknames you can use for your loved ones. You may have learned some of these before if you’ve studied terms of endearment in Spanish. The ones below are great gender-neutral options that you can use with your partner, family members, close friends, and sometimes even strangers! Don’t be surprised if an older woman calls you corazón out of the blue, she’s probably not trying to flirt with you! 

English Spanish IPA spelling Pronunciation
My love Mi amor mj aˈmoɾ me ah-more
Baby Bebé beˈβe beh-beh
Heart Corazón koɾaˈson coh-rah-zohn
My life Mi vida mi ˈβiða me ve-dah
My sky Mi cielo mi ˈsjelo me see-eh-loh
My sun Mi sol mi ˈsol me sol
Treasure Tesoro teˈsoɾo teh-soh-roh
My little cake Pastelito pasteˈlito pas-teh-lee-toe
My light Mi luz mi ˈlus me looz
Sugar Azúcar aˈsukaɾ ah-sue-car
Fattie (no negative connotation, gender-neutral) Gordi ˈɡoɾði gore-dee
The light of my eyes La luz de mis ojos la ˈluz ðe mis ˈoxos la looz deh mees oh-hos
My little love Amorcito  amoɾˈsito ah-more-see-toe


Nicknames for a boyfriend, cute guy, or husband

If you have a special guy in your life and you’re tired of saying “I love you” to him over and over, you can try using any of these loving and romantic nicknames. While none of them are overwhelmingly cheesy, you should probably exercise some caution when in formal situations. Avoid using them unless you’re speaking to your man — or trying to find one!  

English Spanish IPA spelling Pronunciation
Marshmallow Bombón bomˈbon bom-bon
Daddy Papi ˈpapi pah-pee
Cute daddy Papi chulo ˈpapi ˈʧulo pah-pee choo-loh
Baby Nene ˈnene neh-neh
Doll (male) Muñeco muˈɲeko moo-nyeh-coe
Little one Chiquitito ʧikiˈtito chee-key-tee-toe
Fattie (non-derogatory) Gordito ɡoɾˈðito gore-dee-toe
Little chickie Pollito poˈʝito po-yee-toe
Cutie Chulo ˈʧulo choo-loh
Handsome Guapo ˈɡwapo goo-ah-poh
Cutie Lindo ˈlindo leen-doe
Prince Príncipe ˈpɾinsipe preen-see-peh
King Rey ˈrej ray
My man Mi hombre mj ˈombɾe me ohm-breh
Beautiful Hermoso eɾˈmoso air-mo-soh
Little angel Angelito anxeˈlito ahn-heh-lee-toe


Nicknames for a girlfriend or wife

Expressing your love and appreciation for your girlfriend or wife on a daily basis can be as easy as using a thoughtful and romantic nickname. If you want to find the right Spanish nickname for your queen or princess, check out these romantic options below!

English Spanish IPA spelling Pronunciation
Princess Princesa pɾinˈsesa preen-seh-sah
My queen Mi reina mi ˈrejna me ray-nah
My mermaid Mi sirenita mi siɾeˈnita me see-reh-nee-tah
Mommy Mami ˈmami mah-mee
Little one Chiquitita ʧikiˈtita chee-key-tee-tah
Fattie (non-derogatory) Gordita ɡoɾˈðita gore-dee-ta
Little chickie Pollita poˈʝita poe-yee-tah
Cutie Chula ˈʧula choo-lah
Beautiful Guapa ˈɡwapa goo-ah-pah
Cutie Linda ˈlinda leen-dah
Baby Nena ˈnena neh-nah
Doll Muñeca muˈɲeka moo-nyeh-cah
Beautiful Hermosa eɾˈmosa air-mo-sah
Pearl Perla ˈpeɾla pear-la


Nicknames for your family

Spanish families are famously large, but they’re also extremely close. If you have any Spanish-speaking family, you probably already know how common nicknames are among relatives — both immediate and distant. Check out these useful ones for your family members in Spanish, from gender-neutral grandpa and grandma nicknames, to your nieces and nephews.

English Spanish Relationship IPA spelling Pronunciation
Mommy Mami Mother ˈmami mah-me
Daddy Papi Father ˈpapi pah-pee
Madam Señora Mother seˈɲoɾa seh-nyoh-rah
Sir Señor Father seˈɲoɾ seh-nyore
Ma Ma Mother ˈma mah-mah
Pa Pa Father ˈpa pah-pah
Boss Jefa Mother ˈxefa heh-fah
Boss Jefe Father ˈxefe heh-feh
My old ones Mis viejos Parents miz ˈβjexos mees vee-eh-hos
Bro Mano Brother ˈmano mah-no
Sis Mana Sister ˈmana mah-nah
Granpa (gender-neutral) Abue Grandparent ˈaβwe ah-boo-eh
Cousin (gender-neutral) Primi Cousin  ˈpɾimi pree-me
Little person Muchachito, muchachita Younger family members, like nephews or nieces muʧaˈʧito, muʧaˈʧita moo-cha-chee-toe, moo-cha-chee-tah
Baby chicks Polluelos Children poˈʝwelos poh-you-eh-lohs

Cute grandma nicknames in Spanish for sweet smiling grandparents.


Cool Spanish nicknames for guys

Having a few badass nicknames for guys in Spanish can come in very handy when you’re trying to catch the attention of that cute guy you pass by all the time in school or trying to start a conversation with the cutie sitting next to you at the bar. Beyond doling out some handy compliments in Spanish, you could try your luck with one of these steezy nicknames any guy would appreciate. 

English Spanish IPA spelling Pronunciation
Slick El galán ɣaˈlan gah-lahn
Heart thief El ladrón de corazones laˈðɾon de koɾaˈsones lah-drohn deh coh-rah-zoh-ness
Heartbreaker El rompecorazones rompekoɾaˈsones rom-peh-coh-rah-zoh-ness
Stud El casanova kasaˈnoβa ca-sa-no-va
Don Juan El donjuán donˈxwan don-who-ahn
Charming El conquistador konkistaˈðoɾ con-keys-tah-door
Tiger El tigre ˈtiɣɾe tee-greh
Male El macho ˈmaʧo ma-choh
Captain El capitán kapiˈtan cah-pee-tahn
Boss El patrón paˈtɾon pah-trohn
The Hulk El hulk ˈulk hulk
Soldier El soldado solˈdaðo sole-dah-doe
Alpha El alfa ˈalfa alfa


Funny Spanish nicknames

If you’re already at an intermediate Spanish level and can readily consume Spanish media, you probably already know how funny Spanish speakers can be. If you take pride in your sense of humor, don’t pass up the opportunity to use some of these hilarious Spanish nicknames!

English Spanish Context IPA spelling Pronunciation
Crazy Loco, loca Can be used with friends, doesn’t have a negative connotation ˈloko, ˈloka loh-coe, loh-cah
Father Papá Can be used with friends paˈpa pah-pah
My king Mi Rey Usually when talking up a friend mi ˈrej me ray
Brain Cerebro Used with very smart people seˈɾeβɾo seh-reh-broh
Chatty cathy Lengua larga Used with someone who talks a lot ˈlenɡwa ˈlaɾɣa lehn-goo-ah lar-gah
Clown Pallaso, Pallasa Used with funny people paˈʝaso, paˈʝasa pah-yah-so, pah-yah-sah
Tasmanian Devil Demonio de Tasmania Used with people who are loud, messy, or clumsy deˈmonjo ðe tazˈmanja deh-moh-nee-oh deh tass-mah-nee-ah
Party animal Fiestero, Fiestera Used with people who like to party fjesˈteɾo, fjesˈteɾa fee-ehs-teh-roe, fee-ehs-teh-rah
Chicken Gallina Used with people who are easily scared ɡaˈʝina gah-yee-nah
Person who loves gossip Chismoso, Chismosa Used with people who love to gossip ʧizˈmoso, ʧizˈmosa cheese-mo-so, cheese-mo-sah
Toad Sapo A snitch ˈsapo sah-poe


Cute nicknames in Spanish

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There are hundreds of different terms of endearment that you can use to refer to just about anyone in your life. If you want to find the perfect cute nickname in Spanish for all the special people — and pets — in your life, here’s a great list to get you started.

English Spanish Relationship IPA spelling Pronunciation
Little spark Chispita Anyone ʧisˈpita chees-pee-tah
My son, my daughter Mijo, Mija A younger person, doesn’t have to be family ˈmixo, ˈmixa mee-hoh, mee-hah
Small one Chiquito, Chiquita A younger person ʧiˈkito, ʧiˈkita chee-key-toe, chee-key-tah
Candy Dulce A romantic parter or a close friend ˈdulse dool-seh
Girl Chica A female friend ˈʧika chee-cah
Significant other Pichurri Significant other piˈʧuri pee-choo-ree
Significant other Churri Significant other ˈʧuri choo-ree
Melon heart Corazón de melón A significant other or close family member koɾaˈson de meˈlon coh-rah-sohn deh meh-lohn
Half orange Media naranja A significant other ˈmeðja naˈɾanxa meh-dee-ah nah-rahn-hah
Piece of heaven Pedacito de cielo A significant other or close family member peðaˈsito ðe ˈsjelo peh-dah-see-toe deh see-eh-loe
Little bunny Conejito A significant other or younger person koneˈxito coh-neh-he-toe
Little bear Osito A significant other oˈsito oh-see-toe
Little monkey Monito, Monita A significant other or close friend moˈnito, moˈnita Mo-nee-toe, mo-nee-tah
Little bug Bichito A significant other  biˈʧito bee-chee-toe
Pretty little thing Cosita linda A significant other or close friend koˈsita ˈlinda coh-see-tah leen-dah
Candy Caramelo A significant other kaɾaˈmelo cah-rah-meh-loh
Colleague Colegui Coworker koˈleɣi coh-leh-gee
Dear Cariño A significant other or close friend kaˈɾiɲo cah-ree-nyoh
Small one Peque A child ˈpeke peh-keh
Little eyes Ojitos A close friend with pretty eyes oˈxitos oh-he-toes
Curly hair Ricitos A close friend with curly hair riˈsitos ree-see-toes
Dog Perruchis Dog peˈruʧis peh-roo-cheese
Dog Chanda Dog ˈʧanda chahn-da
Boy, girl Chico, Chica Any pet ˈʧiko, ˈʧika chee-coh, chee-cah
The woof woof El guau guau Dog el ˈɣwaw ˈɣwaw goo-ah goo-ah
Full of fleas Pulgoso, pulgosa Dog pulˈɣoso, pulˈɣosa pool-go-so
Fur ball Bola de pelos Any furry pet ˈbola ðe ˈpelos boh-lah deh peh-loss
Dog Firulais Dog fiˈɾulajs fee-roo-la-is
Cat Michi Cat ˈmiʧi me-chee
Meow Miau Cat ˈmjaw mee-ah-ooh
Little devil Diablito Any pet djaˈβlito dee-ah-blee-toe
Puppy Cachorrito Dog kaʧoˈrito cah-choh-ree-toe


Nicknames by region

With 21 countries that speak Spanish, it’s no surprise that each one has its own unique vocabulary for nicknames. Whether you have friends from all over or you want to travel far and wide, here are some regional Spanish nickname variations you can use.

Spain

As the country of origin of the Spanish language, perhaps you’d think that Spanish from Spain is the standard dialect. However, that’s not really the case, since an overwhelming majority of Spanish speakers live in Latin America. In fact, as the only country in Europe that speaks Spanish, Spain has developed a unique set of slang and nicknames. 

English Spanish IPA Spelling Pronunciation
Uncle Tío ˈtio tee-oh
Friend Majo ˈmaxo mah-hoh
Friend Guaje ˈɡwaxe goo-ah-heh
Mine Meu ˈmew meh-ooh
Little boy Tete ˈtete teh-teh
Friend Acho ˈaʧo ah-cho


Mexico

As the country with the most Spanish speakers in the world, it’s no surprise that Mexico has many unique nicknames. If you plan to spend time in historic Mexico City or along the Riviera Maya, don’t forget to learn a few of these common nicknames!

English Spanish IPA Spelling Pronunciation
Dude Güey ˈɡwej way
Guy Vato ˈbato vah-toe
Friend Compa ˈkompa com-pah
Someone from Mexico City Chilango ʧiˈlanɡo chee-lahn-goe
Short Chaparrito, chaparrita ʧapaˈrito, ʧapaˈrita chah-pah-ree-toe, chah-pah-ree-tah
That one Ese ˈese eh-seh
Young guy Chavo, chava ˈʧaβo, ˈʧaβa cha-voh, cha-vah
Someone who is really good at something Crack ˈkɾakk crack


Argentina

Argentina has some famously unique nicknames that you won’t hear anywhere outside this country. Fun fact, did you know that the winning team of the 2022 World Cup has its own nickname? See below to find out what it is!

English Spanish IPA Spelling Pronunciation
Bro Boludo boˈluðo boh-loo-doe
Dude Che ˈʧe cheh
Guy, girl Pibe, piba ˈpiβe, ˈpiβa pee-beh, pee-bah
Argentina’s soccer team La albiceleste alβiseˈleste ahl-bee-see-ehs-teh


Colombia

Even if Colombia isn’t the most-populated Spanish-speaking country, it is an incredibly diverse one. You’ll find that regional accents and slang vary tremendously from departamento to departamento (their equivalent of states), which makes their regional linguistics extremely rich. Here are some of the most common nicknames in Colombia. 

English Spanish IPA Spelling Pronunciation
Friend Marica maˈɾika mah-ree-cah
Friend Parcero paɾˈseɾo par-seh-roe
Friend Parce ˈpaɾse par-seh
My best friend Mi llave mi ˈʝaβe me yah-veh
An expert Una nota ˈuna ˈnota oo-nah no-tah
A child Chino ˈʧino chee-no


Peru

Whether you’re headed to the seaside metropolis of Lima or the picturesque town of Cusco, you’ll need to have a few of these Peruvian nicknames under your belt. 

English Spanish IPA Spelling Pronunciation
Friend Pata ˈpata pah-tah
Young person Chibolo ʧiˈβolo chee-boh-loh
Close friend Choche ˈʧoʧe cho-che
Dude Cholo ˈʧolo cho-loh
Driver Fercho ˈfeɾʧo fer-cho


Guatemala

As all coffee lovers already know, the Central American country of Guatemala has a lot to offer. From its warm people to its impressive geographic landforms, Guatemala is truly a unique country — and its local nicknames are no exception!

English Spanish IPA Spelling Pronunciation
Someone from Guatemala Chapín, Chapina ʧaˈpin, ʧaˈpina cha-peen, cha-pee-nah
A curly-haired person Colocho koˈloʧo co-lo-cho
Blonde Canche ˈkanʧe cahn-cheh
A child Patojo paˈtoxo pah-to-hoh
A cheap person Chucho ˈʧuʧo choo-cho
A bright person Chispudo ʧisˈpuðo chees-poo-doh


Dominican Republic

If you’ve met someone from the Dominican Republic, you know how easily they can fill the room with positive energy. Part of that is their lively slang, which includes many funny and creative nicknames.

English Spanish IPA Spelling Pronunciation
Friend Pana ˈpana pah-nah
A hustler Tiguere tiˈɣeɾe tee-geh-reh
Someone who’s good at something Bacano baˈkano ba-cah-no
Mom Mai ˈmaj ma-e
Dad Pai ˈpaj pa-e
Girlfriend Jeva ˈxeβa heh-va
Boyfriend Jevo ˈxeβo heh-vo


Nicknames by given name

Nicknames by given name are incredibly popular in Spanish-speaking countries. Most of your friends will probably never call you by your real name unless it’s extremely unique. Here’s a non-exhaustive list of some of the most common Spanish nicknames. 

English equivalent Name Nickname IPA spelling Pronunciation
Albert Alberto Beto ˈbeto beh-toe
Alexander Alejandro Alex ˈaleks alex
Alexandra Alejandra Ale ˈale ah-leh
Alfred Alfredo Freddy ˈfɾeðði freh-dee
Anthony Antonio Toño ˈtoɲo toh-nyoh
Benjamin Benjamín Benji ˈbenxi ben-yee
Caroline Carolina Caro ˈkaɾo cah-roe
Cecilia Cecilia Ceci ˈsesi seh-see
Claudia Claudia Clau ˈklaw clah-ooh
Christian Cristian Cris ˈkɾis crees
Christine Cristina Cris ˈkɾis crees
None Concepción Concha ˈkonʧa con-cha
Dolores Dolores Lola ˈlola lola
Edward Eduardo Lalo ˈlalo lalo
Henry Enrique Quique ˈkike key-keh
Ernest Ernesto Neto ˈneto neh-toe
Frederick Federico Kiko ˈkiko key-koh
Francis Francisco Paco, Pancho ˈpako, ˈpanʧo pah-coh, pan-cho
Francesca Francisca Paquita paˈkita pah-key-tah
Gabriel Gabriel Gabo ˈɡaβo gah-boe
None Guadalupe Lupe, Lupita ˈlupe, luˈpita loo-peh, loo-pee-tah
William Guillermo Memo ˈmemo meh-moe
None Ignacio Nacho ˈnaʧo nah-cho
Jesus Jesús Chuy ˈʧuj chewy
Joseph José Pepe ˈpepe peh-peh
Joseph Mary José María Chema ˈʧema cheh-mah
John Paul Juan Pablo Juanpa ˈxwampa who-ahn-pah
John Francis Juan Francisco Juancho ˈxwanʧo who-ahn-cho
John Joseph Juan José Juanjo ˈxwanxo who-ahn-hoh
Leonard Leonardo Leo ˈleo leh-oh
Lawrence Lorenzo Lencho ˈlenʧo lehn-cho
Raymond Raymundo Mundo ˈmundo moon-doe
None Sergio Checo ˈʧeko cheh-coh
Thomas Tomás Tommy ˈtommi toh-me
Lucy Lucia Luci ˈlusi loo-see
None Luis Fernando Luisfer lwisˈfeɾ loo-is-fair
Mary Joseph María José Majo ˈmaxo mah-hoh
Mary Isabelle María Isabel Maribel maɾiˈβel mah-ree-belle
None María Fernanda Mafer maˈfeɾ mah-fehr
None María Elena Malena maˈlena mah-leh-nah
Magdalene Magdalena Magda ˈmaɣða mag-dah
Monica Mónica Moni ˈmoni moh-nee
None Monserrat Monse ˈmonse mon-seh
None Rosario Chayo ˈʧaʝo cha-yoh
Sandra Sandra Sandy ˈsandi san-dee
Susan, Suzanne Susana Susi ˈsusi soo-see
Theresa Teresa Tere ˈteɾe teh-reh
None Viridiana Viri ˈbiɾi vee-ree
Veronica Verónica Vero ˈbeɾo veh-roe
Vincent Vicente Chente ˈʧente chehn-teh
None Xochitl Xochi ˈsoʧi soh-chee
Yolanda Yolanda Yoli ˈʝoli yo-lee
None Yuridia Yuri ˈʝuɾi yoo-ree-dee-ah


Nicknames of cities and places

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The Big Apple, The Emerald City, and The Big Easy. All of these are common English nicknames for major cities in the United States that non-natives might not understand. Spanish has similar nicknames that would probably confuse you unless you’ve spent some time in the city — or read our handy guide to Spanish city nicknames! 

English Spanish IPA Spelling Pronunciation
United States El gabacho el ɣaˈβaʧo gah-bah-cho
Buenos Aires La Reina del Plata la ˈrejna ðel ˈplata la ray-nah dell plah-tah
Barcelona La Ciudad Condal la sjuˈðað konˈdal la see-ooh-dahd cohn-dall
Rome La Ciudad Eterna la sjuˈðað eˈteɾna la see-ooh-dahd eh-tehr-nah
Madrid La Villa y Corte la ˈβiʝa j ˈkoɾte la vee-yah e core-teh
Paris La Ciudad de la Luz la sjuˈðað ðe la ˈlus la see-ooh-dahd deh la looz
Mexico City Chilangolandia ʧilanɡoˈlandja chee-lan-go-lan-dee-ah
Monterrey La Sultana del Norte la sulˈtana ðel ˈnoɾte la sool-tah-nah dell nor-teh
Guadalajara Guanatos ɡwaˈnatos goo-ah-nah-toss
Cuzco El Ombligo del Mundo el omˈbliɣo ðel ˈmundo ehl ohm-blee-goh dell moon-doe
Lima La Ciudad de los Reyes la sjuˈðað ðe loz ˈreʝes la see-ooh-dahd deh los reh-yes
Bogotá El Balcón de los Andes el βalˈkon de los ˈandes elle bal-cohn deh los ahn-dehs
Cartagena La Heróica la eˈɾojka la eh-roh-e-cah
Ushuaia La Ciudad del Fin del Mundo la sjuˈðað ðel ˈfin del ˈmundo la see-ooh-dahd dell feen dell moon-doe


Keep up the great work, mis amores!

Learning a few Spanish nicknames will make you sound like a true native, and with our helpful list of over 222 nicknames in Spanish, you have no excuses not to! 

If you enjoyed this article, check out our Spanish blog where we publish friendly and helpful Spanish lessons for you — for free! Even if you’re not taking online Spanish classes with us, we’re happy to help you and anyone else who is keen on becoming an expert in Spanish. Our goal is to help you open your world with the language skills, cultural understanding, and confidence you need to succeed internationally.   

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