Spanish is a Romance language, originating in Spain, and boasts more native speakers world-wide second only to Mandarin Chinese. It is also referred to as Castilian, named after the region in Spain where it originated, Castile. Spanish is a part of the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several dialects of spoken Latin in central-northern Iberia around the ninth century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile (present northern Spain). Spanish is a beautiful language with many words and names, growing in use and popularity every year. Baby Name World is an exceptional place to start researching baby names and name meanings if your family is interested in choosing a Spanish name.