There’s a new baby name trend emerging across the United States…with a South of the Border flair. As Hispanic population increases across the US along with the cultural influences that come with it, White/Caucasian couples are increasingly naming their children with Latino names. Social media baby naming website, Belly Ballot, an authority website that tracks pregnant couples baby name choices in real-time, predicts Fall 2013-2014 will see a large emergence of Latino names based on their latest data.

“Hispanic is definitely in,” says Belly Ballot editor and Baby Name Expert, Lucie Strachonova. “We have seen strong indications of white parents selecting Latino baby names in greater numbers, and the trend continues to grow. Fall 2013 through 2014 will certainly be a pivotal year.”

One strong reason for White couples trending towards Latino names is the desire to better assimilate in the emerging multicultural climate of the United States. Tiffany Wilson, a mom in Millersville, Tennessee from Irish-German descent, wants her daughter to more easily relate with her peers. “We want our child to fit in,” says Tiffany. “Hispanic culture is growing rapidly here in Tennessee. Her friends are Hispanic, her future bosses will be Hispanic…we just don’t want her to be different. I think having a Latino name has helped her make friends.”

Nadia Villapudua, a California school psychologist, has also observed this cultural shift. “Elementary education is where we are seeing a large demographic change. In historically white communities, Hispanics have now become either a significant minority or an outright majority. This growth will have an impact on how these traditional cultures raise children.”

Shaina Heimpel, a Caucasian mom from Colorado Springs feels giving her daughter the Latino name of Isabella definitely opens up more opportunity for her child in the U.S. “I did well in school with a 3.5 GPA…but doors didn’t open, there were no scholarships for someone like me. My Hispanic friends on the other hand got scholarships and grants. Isabella will now have every opportunity available to her, and not go through what I did. Although she’s already a quarter Hispanic, that name is the only thing I can do for her that will pave the way for her life.”

Not everyone looks upon this trend as favorable though. James Logsdon, a top member for the Creativity Movement, an advocacy group for the expansion and advancement of the white race, feels this trend is the result of white guilt being taught in schools and the mainstream media. “Abandoning your culture for another is highly negative,” says James. “Your family comes from a culture, and for someone to abandon that is treasonous. I understand they don’t want their children to suffer in this country for being white, but these parents are forcing their white guilt onto the children.”

Hispanic names are definitely not a new entrant to traditional American baby naming (more here). Popular names like Sofia, Mia, and Olivia are already on the top of the baby names charts every year. According to the real-time voting data though, new trending names amongst Caucasians that are influenced by the Latino community include:

Lola
Maria
Ernesto
Isabella
Santos
Carmen
Diego
Sierra
Miguel
Luis

With the looming Immigration Reform bills currently in the U.S. Senate and Congress, these trends could change even more rapidly.

For more information visit BellyBallot.com