# Anyone Out There Called Cruz ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 21, 2005, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-out-there-called-cruz/291196 "2005-02-21T16:42:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-out-there-called-cruz/291196/1 "2005-02-21T16:42:45Z")
Those ambassadors of British intellect , the Beckhams , have named their new son Cruz ( Spanish for cross) . Unfortunately this turns out to be a girl’s name, so are there any other males out there with this first name? It would be interesting to know if they have made a mistake or are starting a new trend. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-out-there-called-cruz/291196/2 "2005-02-21T16:44:52Z")
The now-defunct soap _Santa Barbara_ had a lead male character named Cruz. I’ve never heard it as a girl’s name. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-out-there-called-cruz/291196/3 "2005-02-21T16:50:55Z")
> [@trublmakr](#): > > The now-defunct soap _Santa Barbara_ had a lead male character named Cruz. I’ve never heard it as a girl’s name. This from today’s\* Scotsman\* newspaper - Lola Oria, a Spanish language tutor at Oxford University, described Cruz Beckham as a “stupid” name. Cruz is commonly used as a surname and is an old-fashioned sounding girls’ Christian name, she added. “I think it is quite a stupid name, quite frankly,” Ms Oria. “They will have problems in Spain because it will be seen as a name for girls. “It is an old-fashioned girl’s name and also it is quite clearly Spanish and difficult to pronounce for an English-speaking person. “It is quite a strange thing to do to a little boy.” Dr Clive Griffin, a lecturer in Latin American literature at the university, said he had never heard of Cruz being used as a boy’s Christian name. - ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-out-there-called-cruz/291196/4 "2005-02-21T17:07:32Z")
The lieutenant governor of California is Cruz Bustamante. He is a male. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-out-there-called-cruz/291196/5 "2005-02-21T17:24:47Z")
Well it looks as though those professors are wrong. After doing some digging around on the web it does appear that this can be used as a boy’s name both in Spanish and Portuguese. In fact Cruz was the 531st most popular boy’sname in the US in 1998. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-out-there-called-cruz/291196/6 "2005-02-21T18:06:35Z")
[Cruz Reynoso](http://www.spielbauer.com/Reynoso.htm) is a California State Supreme Court justice and a man. In my opinion, Cruz is a perfectly nice name for a boy or a girl. I give it a thumbs-up. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-out-there-called-cruz/291196/7 "2005-02-21T18:10:36Z")
Dr Clive Griffin looks like a bit of an ass now. No doubt his apology will be a work of erudition. ---
**Author:** ![jay-c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jay-c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jay-c)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-out-there-called-cruz/291196/8 "2005-02-21T19:24:51Z")
> [@trublmakr](#): > > The now-defunct soap _Santa Barbara_ had a lead male character named Cruz. I’ve never heard it as a girl’s name. My 16 year old nephew was named Cruz, after the character on the soap. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-out-there-called-cruz/291196/9 "2005-02-21T19:32:29Z")
Cruz is not a girl’s name by itself, although the word Cruz is female. The girl’s name would be Mari Cruz… as many people have repeatedly asked me, “why are all Hispanic women called Maria?” answer: because we never are, it’s always mary-something. I know half a dozen Maricruces; one of them is called Cruz only but her Christian name includes the Mary. In Navarra we had a president called Juan Cruz, after St John of the Cross (San Juan de la Cruz). I also know a Cruz Miguel and a José Cruz. Don’t know anybody who is only called Cruz (with no extras). The story here in Spain is that the Beckhams intended to call the kid Cruzcampo - which is a brand of beer. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-out-there-called-cruz/291196/10 "2005-02-21T19:40:44Z")
> [@Rayne Man](#): > > Those ambassadors of British intellect , the Beckhams , have named their new son Cruz ( Spanish for cross) . Unfortunately this turns out to be a girl’s name My uncle Cruz is going to be pissed. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-out-there-called-cruz/291196/11 "2005-02-21T22:04:08Z")
> [@some lady](#): > > It is an old-fashioned girl’s name and also it is quite clearly Spanish and difficult to pronounce for an English-speaking person. Difficult to pronounce? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-out-there-called-cruz/291196/12 "2005-02-21T22:08:53Z")
My friend is Mexican/Puerto Rican and his name is Marcos Cruz Lastname. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2005, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-out-there-called-cruz/291196/13 "2005-02-22T04:16:08Z")
> [@trublmakr](#): > > The now-defunct soap “Santa Barbara” had a lead male character named Cruz. That was exactly my first thought when I saw the subject of this thread. I loved _Santa Barbara_! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2005, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-out-there-called-cruz/291196/14 "2005-02-22T04:41:47Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > That was exactly my first thought when I saw the subject of this thread. I loved _Santa Barbara_! 😃 I remember that show. Loved that show. And, here’s [Cruz Castillo](http://sbstars.webcindario.com/picmartinez.htm)! ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2005, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-out-there-called-cruz/291196/15 "2005-02-22T04:42:45Z")
I’ve worked with a guy named Cruz. He was about 6’5" and 300lbs. Also studies Karate. He would be offended if you called him a “girl” or “feminine”. I’ve never heard it as a girl’s name, except as a surname. Penelope Cruz. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2005, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-out-there-called-cruz/291196/16 "2005-02-22T06:03:03Z")
I’ve lived in New Mexico most of my life, and the three people named Cruz I’ve known were all men (or boys, back in the day). ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2005, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-out-there-called-cruz/291196/17 "2005-02-22T06:20:12Z")
People are worried about Cruz? These people named their older two sons Brooklyn and Romeo. Little Cruz should be thanking his lucky stars. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2005, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-out-there-called-cruz/291196/18 "2005-02-22T07:23:47Z")
> [@FilmGeek](#): > > Difficult to pronounce? 😕 I’m trying to puzzle that one out myself. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2005, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-out-there-called-cruz/291196/19 "2005-02-22T09:31:06Z")
I, too, work with a guy named Cruz. ---
**Author:** ![curly\_chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@curly\_chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curly_chick)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2005, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-out-there-called-cruz/291196/20 "2005-02-22T09:44:29Z")
I’d say that the comment about the name being difficult to pronounce comes from the notion that the speaker was aimer her remarks at a UK audience. Spanish is not a big language in the UK. From what I’ve heard, the Spanish as spoken in America is Spanish as per Central and South America, where it might be that such a name would be more likely pronouced the same as cruise. The Beckhams are in Madrid, where the pronunciation of it would use a soft th sound for the z, would it not? So Americans and people familiar with Spanish from that side of the Atlantic might pronounce this child’s name as Cruise. People who speak Spanish from Spain might call him something like Crooo-th and back home in England C-R-U-Z in English spells something like Cruzz, which rhymes with buzz. That’s why I think that comment was made, but is seems a bit silly to me to say it in the first place. All manner of names which were originally foreign language names are used in English all the time. Right enough, when it comes to foreign names in English there are all manner of horrific tongue mangling attempts by people who have never seen it before, but since this child is a famous child, the preferred pronunciation of his name will be common knowledge, won’t it? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-out-there-called-cruz/291196.md?page=2)