Nacho
A diminutive Spanish given name derived from Ignacio.
Name Census estimates that about 28 living Americans carry the first name Nacho. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Nacho today is around 69 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nacho births was 1962 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nacho. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Nacho is about 69 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Nachos were born before 1967.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Nacho. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
28
~ 1 in 12,241,226 Americans
Peak year
1962
9 babies that year
Average age
69
years old
1964 SSA rank
#4,441
Tracked since 1920
Popularity
Nacho: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nacho from the 1920s through to the 1960s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 19 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nacho by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Nacho during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nacho
The name Nacho is of Spanish origin, derived from the nickname "Nacho" which is a shortened form of the Spanish name Ignacio. Ignacio itself is the Spanish form of the Latin name Ignatius, meaning "fiery one" or "ardent."
The name Nacho gained prominence in the 16th century, particularly in Spanish-speaking regions of Europe and the Americas. It is believed to have been popularized by Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order, who lived from 1491 to 1556.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nacho can be found in the writings of the Spanish novelist and playwright Miguel de Cervantes, who lived from 1547 to 1616. In his famous novel "Don Quixote," one of the characters is named Nacho.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Nacho. One of the most famous was Nacho Vidal, a Spanish actor and director of adult films, who lived from 1973 to 2020. Another well-known Nacho was Nacho Duato, a Spanish dancer and choreographer, born in 1957.
In the realm of sports, Nacho Fernández, a Spanish professional footballer born in 1990, has gained recognition for his skills on the field. Additionally, Nacho Beristáin, a Mexican professional boxing trainer born in 1939, has trained numerous world champions.
Another notable figure was Nacho López, a Mexican actor and comedian who lived from 1923 to 1986. He was known for his roles in numerous Mexican films and television shows, and was renowned for his comedic talent.
While the name Nacho has Spanish roots, it has also been adopted and used in various Spanish-speaking countries around the world, particularly in Mexico and parts of Latin America.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Nacho
People
Nacho + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nacho as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nacho: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nacho?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 28 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nacho going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 12,241,226 US residents.
Is Nacho a common name?
We classify Nacho as "Very Rare". It ranks above 45.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 56 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nacho most popular?
The single biggest year for Nacho was 1962, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nacho is about 69 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Nacho a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nacho in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.