IN BARCELONA WHERE I LIVE, NAMES LIKE MARC OR MARIA ARE NOW VERY FASHIONABLES BETWEEN THE NEWBORNS.
MY FAMILY NAME, ESTEVEZ, IS NOT COMMON HERE IN CATALONIA, AND OFTEN THE PEOPLE FORGETS THE "Z", BECAUSE ESTEVE IST MORE USUAL. THIS NAME, AS ALL MY FAMILY ,COMES FROM GALICIA WHERE IS VERY COMMON. IT HAS NO MEANING, AS ANOTHER NAMES, AS ZAPATERO FOR INSTANCE. BUT WHAT'S REALLY VERY UNCOMMON IST MY FIRST NAME, HERMINIA. I WAS NAMED AFTER MY MOTHER THAT SHARED WITH ME THIS ODD NAME. WHEN I WAS I CHILD, I HATED IT, BUT NOW I GET USED TO IT AND I DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.
NOWADAYS, NAMES AS JONATHAN AND MELISSA ARE LESS USEFUL THAN TEN YEARS AGO, FORTUNATELY.
USUALLY WE USE THE FIRST NAME WHEN WE MEET SOMEONE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A CIRCLE OF CLOSE FRIENDS, BUT IN BUSINESS OR IN FORMAL ACTIVITIES WE USE DE FAMILY NAME.
I'M AFFRAID THAT MANY PEOPLE USE PET NAMES AS CARI, AMOR OR GUAPA, TO SHOW AFFECTION.