Fun Facts About the Name Ximena
- More than 39 thousand babies named Ximena: U.S. records list 39,662 babies given the name Ximena from 1880 through 2025. Even 13 boys received the name Ximena - about 1 boy for every 3,050 girls.
What Does the Name Ximena Mean?
Ximena is a Spanish feminine given name and the older Spanish spelling of Jimena. In medieval Castilian, the letter x stood for a "sh" sound that later became the modern Spanish j sound, so Ximena and Jimena are the same name written at different stages of the language.
The literal meaning is not securely established, and the language of origin is disputed. The name is usually discussed together with the medieval masculine name Ximeno (Jimeno), whose background is also unclear. Suggested explanations include a Germanic personal name from the Visigothic period and a connection with the biblical name Shim'on (Simon, Basque Ximun); neither is firmly supported by the surviving early record.
Ximena Name History & Origins
Ximena belongs to the medieval Castilian naming tradition and appears in early documents alongside the masculine Ximeno. The x in those spellings was pronounced like English "sh." Between the 16th and 17th centuries Spanish changed that sound to the modern j, and the name came to be written Jimena. The older X spelling was later revived and is now used as a name in its own right.
The best-known early bearer is Jimena Díaz, wife of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, El Cid, in the eleventh century. She is named Ximena in medieval accounts of the Cid, and the medieval poem Cantar de mio Cid and later works about him kept the name in literary circulation; those works are literature, not the origin of the name.
The masculine Ximeno gave rise to the patronymic surname Jiménez (also Ximénez), meaning "son of Ximeno," which is common throughout the Spanish-speaking world. As a given name, Ximena has remained in use in Spain and, with the X spelling, is used in Latin America and by Spanish-speaking families in the United States.
How Popular is the Name Ximena?
Ximena recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2016. Its best rank was #118 in 2018.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #183 | 1,686 | 0.1049% |
| 2024 | #173 | 1,744 | 0.1081% |
| 2023 | #158 | 1,812 | 0.1131% |
| 2022 | #144 | 2,009 | 0.1226% |
| 2021 | #138 | 2,000 | 0.1220% |
| 2020 | #129 | 2,037 | 0.1261% |
| 2019 | #129 | 2,187 | 0.1304% |
| 2018 | #118 | 2,571 | 0.1512% |
| 2017 | #121 | 2,546 | 0.1475% |
| 2016 | #120 | 2,680 | 0.1513% |
| 2015 | #125 | 2,602 | 0.1458% |
| 2014 | #143 | 2,341 | 0.1311% |
| 2013 | #162 | 1,960 | 0.1117% |
| 2012 | #216 | 1,463 | 0.0831% |
| 2011 | #216 | 1,465 | 0.0833% |
| 2010 | #274 | 1,210 | 0.0681% |
| 2009 | #313 | 1,052 | 0.0573% |
| 2008 | #333 | 1,012 | 0.0535% |
| 2007 | #370 | 885 | 0.0460% |
| 2006 | #392 | 815 | 0.0429% |
| 2005 | #353 | 891 | 0.0482% |
| 2004 | #397 | 770 | 0.0419% |
| 2003 | #509 | 564 | 0.0309% |
| 2002 | #604 | 424 | 0.0236% |
| 2001 | #873 | 263 | 0.0146% |
| 2000 | #1,480 | 125 | 0.0069% |
| 1999 | #2,016 | 78 | 0.0044% |
| 1998 | #3,495 | 35 | 0.0020% |
| 1997 | #2,307 | 59 | 0.0034% |
| 1996 | #3,023 | 40 | 0.0023% |
| 1995 | #2,844 | 43 | 0.0024% |
| 1994 | #3,890 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 1993 | #5,668 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1992 | #3,090 | 38 | 0.0021% |
| 1991 | #4,207 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 1990 | #4,520 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1989 | #8,023 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1988 | #4,651 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1987 | #8,768 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1986 | #10,880 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #9,290 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1984 | #6,287 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1983 | #12,031 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1982 | #8,207 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1981 | #6,797 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1980 | #12,129 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #7,309 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1977 | #7,554 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1975 | #9,051 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1973 | #8,409 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1972 | #9,645 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1971 | #5,538 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1970 | #4,759 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1966 | #7,605 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | #12,112 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #10,655 | 7 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Ximena Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You like to help others, but sometimes you take on too much and sacrifices are difficult to bear. You might be called upon to make so many emotional adjustments that find yourself in a state of constant turmoil. At the best, you might be exalted leader. You have good ability to observe and be resourceful in times of trouble. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Ximena's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Ximena's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.