Over 600 Babies Named Haaland Amid World Cup Fever

The World Cup has inspired a naming boom across Latin America, with more than 600 babies in Colombia registered with variations of the name Haaland over the past five years, according to the Registraduría Nacional Source: larepublicaco. In Peru, hundreds of newborns have also been named after the Norwegian striker, with one child simply registered as "Mundial" Source: hoydo.

The Haaland craze

The phenomenon is not limited to Colombia. Peru's RENIEC reported that Haaland has become a popular choice, despite Peru not qualifying for the tournament. "Haaland now is also Peruvian," said spokesperson Iván Torres Source: hoydo. Meanwhile, in Ecuador, authorities reported at least seven registered cases since 2022 Source: larepublicaco. In Mexico, a viral certificate showed a girl named Quiñona Ysisidra Morita Haaland Guevara, referencing multiple footballers Source: hoydo.

Other football-inspired names

The trend extends beyond Haaland. In Colombia, there are 14,712 people named after Luis Díaz and 1,096 after James Rodríguez Source: larepublicaco. In Argentina, names like Enzo, Emiliano, and Lionel surged in popularity ahead of the final Source: hoydo. Overall, names inspired by Messi, Neymar, and Cristiano Ronaldo account for around 30,000 registrations each in Peru Source: hoydo.

The naming boom reflects the deep cultural impact of the World Cup in the region.