Gender: Feminine
Origin: Spanish
Meaning: debated
Ximena Sp/Cat (shee-MEH-nah); South Am. Sp (hee-MEH-nah)
Jimena (hee-MEH-nah)
There are two general theories as to the origins of this name, one is that it is a feminine form of Simon another is that it is derived from the Basque word seme meaning “son.” In either case, it seems to have been a very popular female name in Medieval Spain.
It was borne by Ximena Díaz (1054-1115) the wife of El Cid and who also eventually became his successor to the Valencian throne. It was also borne by an even earlier Spanish noblewoman, Jimena of Asturias (b.900).
Currently Jimena and Ximena both appear in the Mexican top 100. Its Catalan form of Ximena is the 2nd most popular female name in Mexico while its Spanish derivative of Jimena ranked in at # 13.
Her rankings in other countries are as follows:
- # 42 (Spain, 2010 Jimena)
- # 272 (United States, 2010 Ximena)
- # 400 (United States, 2010 Jimena)
Other forms of the name include:
- Ximena (Catalan/Ladino/Portuguese)
- Chimène (French. shee-MEN)
- Ximene (French. zee-MEN)
- Jimena (Galician/Spanish)
- Gimena (Medieval Spanish)
Legitimate Baby Names 