Catalan is an ethnic group which originates in Mediterranean Spain and France. This group is also known as Valencian Community and speaks Western Romance language.
Catalan baby names have similarities with that of the Spanish names. The last name or the surname is the father's and mother's name connected by the word “i” instead of the Spanish y. Catalan baby names are mostly hyphenated especially when they begin with Josep or Maria, for example Maria-Dolors or Josep–Maria. There are lot of pronunciation differences between Spanish and Catalan names, such as the vowel "o" is pronounced as a long "u". For example, Josep and Joan are pronounced as Ju-sep and Ju-an respectively. Similarly, the dipthong "au" is pronounced with a long "o" sound. Catalan baby names are based on the poetics of Costa Brava beaches, monumentality of Barcelona and excitement of Corrida. Many Catalan baby names are shortened to hypocoristic forms by using only the final portion of the name.
