# "Wilson" as hispanic first name **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 20, 2005, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilson-as-hispanic-first-name/304771 "2005-05-20T17:24:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anvil\_Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/cab0a1/32.png) [@Anvil\_Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anvil_Soup)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilson-as-hispanic-first-name/304771/1 "2005-05-20T17:24:40Z")
There are currently four hispanic major league baseball players with a first name of Wilson ([Álvarez](http://www.baseball-reference.com/a/alvarwi01.shtml), [Betemit](http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/betemwi01.shtml), [Delgado](http://www.baseball-reference.com/d/delgawi01.shtml), and [Valdez](http://www.baseball-reference.com/v/valdewi01.shtml)). Three are originally from the Dominican Republic; the other (Álvarez) is Venezuelan. Since “W” is generally only associated with foreign words in Spanish, this seems a bit odd. This can’t be out of respect for Woodrow Wilson, I wouldn’t think, since everything I’ve read suggests he was rather unpopular in the DR, where he is presumably best known for ordering an extended occupation by the US Navy. Is this just a random fluke, or is the name popular for another reason? ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilson-as-hispanic-first-name/304771/2 "2005-05-20T20:30:58Z")
> [@Anvil Soup](#): > > There are currently four hispanic major league baseball players with a first name of Wilson … > Is this just a random fluke, or is the name popular for another reason? Don’t know the answer, but that’s an interesting observation. There was also Wilson Heredia, a fellow Domincian, who played for the Yankees in the late 1990s. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilson-as-hispanic-first-name/304771/3 "2005-05-21T00:22:19Z")
Not many “Wilsons” here, only now starting to show up more often, maybe even in reaction to those other Wilsons… ---
**Author:** ![user\_v1.05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/5daacb/32.png) [@user\_v1.05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_v1.05)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilson-as-hispanic-first-name/304771/4 "2005-05-21T00:44:07Z")
they’re probably named after wilson sporting goods ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilson-as-hispanic-first-name/304771/5 "2005-05-21T01:19:32Z")
> [@Anvil Soup](#): > > Since “W” is generally only associated with foreign words in Spanish, this seems a bit odd. Walter is very popular in many parts of Latin America. I’ve seen quite a few other pretty “unhispanic” given names there. (BTW, the cite says Alvarez is from Maracaibo.) ---
**Author:** ![Anvil\_Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/cab0a1/32.png) [@Anvil\_Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anvil_Soup)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilson-as-hispanic-first-name/304771/6 "2005-05-21T01:34:44Z")
> [@etmiller](#): > > Walter is very popular in many parts of Latin America. I’ve seen quite a few other pretty “unhispanic” given names there. (BTW, the cite says Alvarez is from Maracaibo.) Out of curiosity … how popular is “very?” Are people from Maracaibo not considered Venezuelan? I had always heard him described as Venezuelan when he played here. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilson-as-hispanic-first-name/304771/7 "2005-05-21T01:47:30Z")
> [@Anvil Soup](#): > > Out of curiosity … how popular is “very?” I’d say I’ve come across about 15 to 20 Walters from Latin America. So it’s _relatively_ very popular, if that makes sense. I mean, considering OP’s point that “W” is used only in foreign words. > [@Anvil Soup](#): > > Are people from Maracaibo not considered Venezuelan? I had always heard him described as Venezuelan when he played here. Yes. Maracaibo is in Venezuela. He’s from Maracaibo, hence, he’s Venezuelan. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilson-as-hispanic-first-name/304771/8 "2005-05-21T03:26:05Z")
> [@user v1.05](#): > > they’re probably named after wilson sporting goods I’m glad someone said it, 'cos I almost couldn’t hold back. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![sewalk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@sewalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sewalk)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilson-as-hispanic-first-name/304771/9 "2005-05-21T04:31:36Z")
> [@Anvil Soup](#): > > Since “W” is generally only associated with foreign words in Spanish, this seems a bit odd. What about Wilfredo? I’ve encoutered this name occaionally among Latinos. It is obviously a Latinization of a Germanic name, but it is an old one. I do agree that Wilson does seem out of place among so many well-known Latino baseball players. **user v1.05** may actually be onto something; stranger things have happened. ---
**Author:** ![La\_Llorona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@La\_Llorona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/La_Llorona)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilson-as-hispanic-first-name/304771/10 "2005-05-21T04:36:10Z")
Also in the category of Hispanic W names is Wilmer Valderrama, who was born in America of Venezuelan heritage. I was just burning to say the Wilson sporting goods thing too for some reason… ---
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilson-as-hispanic-first-name/304771/11 "2005-05-21T08:06:33Z")
I once met a Colombian with a very Anglo first name. He explained to me that he had been named after his godfather, an English man. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilson-as-hispanic-first-name/304771/12 "2005-05-21T13:26:00Z")
I once met a guy from Singapore whose name was “Lester”. When I asked about his name he told me his parents gave him the name because their dream was for their son to one day go to the US. They thought “Lester” was a very American sounding name. I told him he was lucky they didn’t name him Yankee Doodle. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilson-as-hispanic-first-name/304771/13 "2005-05-21T13:39:23Z")
‘Wilson’ sounds to me a very British colonial name…I’m wondering if there’s been some influence on hispanic countries from the West Indies? ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2005, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilson-as-hispanic-first-name/304771/14 "2005-05-22T00:39:23Z")
“W” is used for loanwords from foreign origins, _OR_ for names descended from the Visigothic period (yet I’ve not met that many --any-- Wambas or Witizas anywhere 😉 ) Though in the latter case, in proper Castilian it should be pronounced in the Germanic manner, as “V”. But in Latin America it’s “w” as in English. ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilson-as-hispanic-first-name/304771/15 "2005-05-22T16:30:35Z")
> [@anson2995](#): > > Don’t know the answer, but that’s an interesting observation. There was also Wilson Heredia, a fellow Domincian, who played for the Yankees in the late 1990s. [Wilson Jermaine Heredia](http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=75031) played Angel in _RENT_ and won a Tony for his performance.