Meaning: Its source is a Spanish expression meaning "Woman of Latin-American descent."

Languages: This girl's name is used in English and Spanish.

Popularity: The name Latina ranked 3161st in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Narrative: Linguists theorize that Latina (and its male equivalent Latino) developed as short forms of the Spanish expression latinoamericano, meaning ''Latin American.'' This name could be chosen for a child to honor the family's heritage.

However, some parents may choose this name as a synthesis of the popular name prefix La- and the name Tina, a short form of Christina.