The country of the Dominican Republic is located on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea. It shares Hispaniola with the country of Haiti, and nearby islands include Cuba and Jamaica (to the west) and Puerto Rico (to the east).
In 2022, the Dominican Republic welcomed 161,068 babies. What were the most popular names among these babies? Abigaíl and Sebastián.
Here are DR’s top 3 girl names and top 3 boy names of 2022:
Girl names, 2022
- Abigaíl
- Charlotte
- Isabella
Boy names, 2022
- Sebastián
- Alexander
- Enmanuel
One year earlier, the Dominican Republic welcomed 157,084 babies. Here are DR’s top 5 girl names and top 5 boy names of 2021:
Girl names, 2021
- Abigail, 212 baby girls
- Charlotte, 188
- Isabella, 174
- Nashla, 157
- Camila, 149
Boy names, 2021
- Adriel, 274 baby boys
- Sebastian, 247
- Liam, 241
- Dylan, 224
- Samuel, 211
The curious name Nashla was likely influenced by Dominican actress Nashla Bogaert, who was a judge on both seasons of Dominicana’s Got Talent (2019-2021). (The name Nashla is also seeing usage in the U.S. — mainly in New York and New Jersey, the two states in which more than half of all Dominican Americans reside.)
Sebastian, Liam, and Dylan were also among the top five boy names in Puerto Rico in 2021.
Sources:
- “Los nombres más utilizados por los dominicanos para sus bebés en 2022.” Diario Libre 7 Jan. 2023.
- Junta Central Electoral (JCE) tweet (6 Jan. 2023)
- Oficina Nacional de Estadística (ONE): Instagram post (5 Jan. 2023), Anuario de Estadísticas Vitales 2022, Anuario de Estadísticas Vitales 2021
- Dominican Republic – Wikipedia
- Nashla Bogaert – Wikipedia
Image: Adapted from Flag of the Dominican Republic (public domain)
Is “Enmanuel” a typo (that should be “Emmanuel” or “Emanuel”)?
Enmanuel is a legit name in DR and in various other Spanish-speaking countries. Dominican athletes with the name include Enmanuel Valdez (baseball), Enmanuel Ferreras Abreu (basketball), and Enmanuel Munoz (tennis).
But other versions of the name are used in DR as well. In fact, there’s a pair of baseball-playing brothers from DR named Manuel Beltre and Enmanuel Beltre.