Yeah, I'm not sure which names are popular in Ecuador, either. I love those 3, I'd definitely consider Hugo for my own kid, and I love the nicknames Rafa & Gonza. Good luck to your friends!
Added: Ooh, okay, if you're interested, these are the 10 most common boy names in Ecuador. I think it's a running total and not for a specific year, but they're all pretty standard.
Juan Carlos
José Luis
Luis Alberto
Miguel Ángel
Carlos Alberto
Víctor Hugo (hahah)
Jorge Luis
Marco Antonio
Luis Fernando
Julio César
(from ine.es)