Niamh f Irish, Irish MythologyMeans
"bright" in Irish. She was the daughter of the sea god
Manannán mac Lir in Irish legends. She fell in love with the poet
Oisín, the son of
Fionn mac Cumhaill. It has been used as a given name for people only since the early 20th century.
Nichelle f African AmericanCombination of
Nicole and
Michelle. This name spiked in popularity in the late 1960s when the actress Nichelle Nichols (1932-2022) portrayed Nyota Uhura on the
Star Trek television series. Nichols was given the name Grace at birth but it was changed at a young age.
Nicole f French, English, Dutch, GermanFrench feminine form of
Nicholas, commonly used in the English-speaking world since the middle of the 20th century. A famous bearer is American-Australian actress Nicole Kidman (1967-).
Nieves f SpanishMeans
"snows" in Spanish, derived from the title of the Virgin
Mary Nuestra Señora de las Nieves meaning "Our Lady of the Snows".
Nîga f KurdishMeans
"look, gaze" in Kurdish, of Persian origin.
Nijolė f LithuanianMeaning unknown. This was possibly the name of a Lithuanian goddess of the underworld (according to the Polish-Lithuanian historian Teodor Narbutt).
Nikephoros m & f Ancient Greek, Greek MythologyMeans
"carrying victory" from Greek
νίκη (nike) meaning "victory" and
φέρω (phero) meaning "to carry, to bear". This name was borne by several Byzantine emperors, including the 10th-century Nikephoros II Phokas. Besides being a masculine personal name, it was also a title borne by the goddess
Athena.
Nili f HebrewAcronym of the phrase
נצח ישׂראל לא ישׁקר (Netzach Yisrael Lo Yishaker) meaning
"the eternity of Israel will not lie". This phrase appears in the Old Testament in
1 Samuel 15:29. It was used as the name of a Jewish spy network in Palestine during World War I.
Nimue f Arthurian RomanceMeaning unknown. In Arthurian legends this is the name of a sorceress, also known as the Lady of the Lake, Vivien, or Niniane. Various versions of the tales have
Merlin falling in love with her and becoming imprisoned by her magic. She first appears in the medieval French
Lancelot-Grail Cycle.
Nina 1 f Russian, Italian, English, German, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Lithuanian, Dutch, Polish, Slovene, Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, BelarusianShort form of names that end in
nina, such as
Antonina or
Giannina. It was imported to Western Europe from Russia and Italy in the 19th century. This name also nearly coincides with the Spanish word
niña meaning
"little girl". A famous bearer was the American musician Nina Simone (1933-2003).
Ninel f RussianReversal of the surname
Lenin. Lenin was the founder of the former Soviet state. This name was created by Communist parents who were eager to reject traditional names.
Ning f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
宁 (níng) meaning "peaceful, calm, serene", as well as other characters pronounced in a similar way.
Ningal f Sumerian MythologyMeans
"great lady", from Sumerian
𒎏 (nin) meaning "lady" and
𒃲 (gal) meaning "big, great". This was the name of a goddess of reeds in Sumerian mythology. She was the daughter of
Enki and the wife of
Nanna.
Ninhursag f Sumerian MythologyMeans
"lady of the mountain", from Sumerian
𒎏 (nin) meaning "lady" and
𒉺𒂅 (hursaĝ) meaning "mountain". This was the name of the Sumerian mother and fertility goddess, the primary consort of
Enki.
Ninisina f Sumerian MythologyMeans "lady of Isin", from Sumerian
𒎏 (nin) meaning "lady" combined with the name of the city-state of
Isin. This was the name of a Sumerian goddess of healing, later conflated with
Gula.
Nino 2 f GeorgianMeaning unknown, possibly from a Greek feminine form of
Ninos. Saint Nino (sometimes called Nina) was a Greek-speaking woman from Asia Minor who introduced Christianity to Georgia in the 4th century.
Ninsun f Sumerian MythologyFrom Sumerian
nin-sumun-a(k) meaning
"lady of the wild cow", derived from
𒎏 (nin) meaning "lady" and the genitive form of
𒄢 (sumun) meaning "wild cow". In Sumerian mythology Ninsun was the divine mother of
Gilgamesh.
Niobe f Greek MythologyMeaning unknown. In Greek mythology Niobe was the daughter of Tantalos, a king of Asia Minor. Because she boasted that she was superior to
Leto, Leto's children
Apollo and
Artemis killed her 14 children with poison arrows. In grief, Niobe was turned to stone by
Zeus.
Nisa f TurkishFrom Arabic
نساء (nisa) meaning
"women". This is the name of the fourth chapter of the Quran (surah an-Nisa).
Nitya f & m Indian, HindiMeans
"always, eternal" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the feminine form
नित्या (an epithet of the Hindu goddess
Durga) and the masculine form
नित्य.
Njeri f Eastern African, KikuyuMeans
"travelling one" in Kikuyu. Njeri (or Wanjeri) is the name of one of the nine daughters of
Mumbi in the Kikuyu origin legend.
Njinga m & f Central African, MbunduPossibly from a Bantu root meaning
"to twist, to wrap" (
kujinga in Kimbundu), alluding to the wrapping of the umbilical cord around the neck of the newborn. This name was borne by kings and queens of the African kingdoms of Ndongo and Kongo, notably a 17th-century queen of Ndongo who resisted the Portuguese.
Nnenna f Western African, IgboMeans
"father's mother" in Igbo. This name is given in honour of the child's paternal grandmother.
Nnenne f Western African, IgboMeans
"mother's mother" in Igbo. This name is given in honour of the child's maternal grandmother.
Noa 3 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
乃 (no), a possessive particle, and
愛 (a) meaning "love, affection". This name can also be constructed from other kanji or kanji combinations.
Noah 2 f BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
נֹעָה (No'ah) meaning
"motion". In the Old Testament this is the name of a daughter of
Zelophehad. In English this name is typically spelled the same as the name of the male biblical character
Noah, though in Hebrew they are written distinctly.
Noam m & f Hebrew, FrenchMeans
"pleasantness" in Hebrew. A famous bearer is Noam Chomsky (1928-), an American linguist and philosopher.
Nobuko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
信 (nobu) meaning "trust" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji characters can also form this name.
Noel m & f EnglishEnglish form of
Noël or
Noëlle (rarely). It was fairly popular in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand in the middle of the 20th century. It is occasionally written with a diaeresis, like in French. A famous bearer is British musician Noel Gallagher (1967-).
Noelani f HawaiianMeans
"heavenly mist" from Hawaiian
noe "mist" and
lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Noga f & m HebrewModern Hebrew transcription of
Nogah, usually used as a feminine name.
Nokomis f New World MythologyFrom Ojibwe
nookomis meaning
"my grandmother". In Anishinaabe legend this is the name of
Nanabozho's grandmother. It was used by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow for the grandmother of
Hiawatha in his 1855 poem
The Song of Hiawatha.
Nola f EnglishMeaning uncertain, possibly a feminine form of
Noll inspired by
Lola. It has been most common in Australia and New Zealand, especially in the first half of the 20th century.
Nollaig f & m IrishMeans
"Christmas" in Irish. This name was created in the 20th century as a translation of
Noël.
Nolwenn f BretonFrom the Breton phrase
Noyal Gwenn meaning
"holy one from Noyal". This was the epithet of a 6th-century saint and martyr from Brittany.
Non f WelshPossibly derived from Latin
nonna meaning
"nun". According to tradition, this was the name of the mother of Saint
David.
Nona 1 f Roman MythologyDerived from Latin
nonus meaning
"ninth", referring to the nine months of pregnancy. This was the name of a Roman goddess of pregnancy. She was also one of the three Fates (or Parcae).
Nona 2 f English, Ancient Roman (Rare)Feminine form of
Nonus. It was also used in 19th-century England, derived directly from Latin
nonus "ninth" and traditionally given to the ninth-born child.
Nonna f Late Greek, RussianFeminine form of
Nonnos. This was the name of a 4th-century saint from Nazianzus in Cappadocia. She was the mother of Saint Gregory of Nazianzus.
Noriko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
典 (nori) meaning "rule, ceremony" or
紀 (nori) meaning "chronicle" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Norma f English, Italian, LiteratureCreated by Felice Romani for the main character in the opera
Norma (1831). He may have based it on Latin
norma "rule". This name is also frequently used as a feminine form of
Norman.
Novalee f English (Modern)Elaboration of
Nova using the popular name suffix
lee. It was used for the central character in the novel
Where the Heart Is (1995), as well as the 2000 film adaptation.
Novella f ItalianDerived from Latin
novellus meaning
"new, young, novel", a diminutive of
novus "new". This name was borne by the 14th-century Italian scholar Novella d'Andrea, who taught law at the University of Bologna.
Nox f Roman MythologyMeans
"night" in Latin. Nox is the Roman goddess of the night, the equivalent of the Greek goddess
Nyx.
Noyabrina f Russian (Rare)Derived from Russian
ноябрь (noyabr) meaning
"November". It was coined by Communist parents in order to commemorate the October Revolution of 1917, which according to the Gregorian calendar (not in use in Russia at the time) actually took place in November 1917.
Nuan f ChineseFrom Chinese
暖 (nuǎn) meaning "warm, genial" or other characters with a similar pronunciation.
Nubia f VariousFrom the name of the ancient region and kingdom in Africa, south of Egypt. It possibly derives from the Egyptian word
nbw meaning "gold".
Nurcan f TurkishMeans
"bright soul" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic
نور (nur) meaning "light" and Persian
jan meaning "soul, life".
Nurgül f TurkishMeans
"radiant rose" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic
نور (nur) meaning "light" and Persian
گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose".
Núria f Catalan, PortugueseFrom a Catalan title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nostra Senyora de Núria, meaning "Our Lady of Nuria". Nuria is a sanctuary in Spain in which there is a shrine containing a famous statue of Mary.
Nurit f HebrewMeans
"buttercup (flower)" in Hebrew (genus Ranunculus).
Nurten f TurkishMeans
"radiant skin" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic
نور (nur) meaning "light" and Persian
تن (tan) meaning "body".
Nüwa f Chinese MythologyFrom Chinese
女 (nǚ) meaning "woman, female" and
娲 (wā), a character of uncertain origin that refers to the goddess herself. This is the name of the creator goddess in Chinese mythology, depicted as a snake with a human head. She molded humans from earth or clay with her brother
Fuxi.
Nyah f English (Modern)Meaning unknown, possibly a variant of
Nia 2 or
Nia 3. This name briefly entered the American popularity charts after it was featured in the movie
Mission: Impossible 2 (2000).
Nyala f VariousFrom the name of a type of African antelope, ultimately derived from the Bantu word
nyálà.
Nydia f English (Rare), Spanish, LiteratureUsed by British author Edward Bulwer-Lytton for a blind flower-seller in his novel
The Last Days of Pompeii (1834). He perhaps based it on Latin
nidus "nest".
Nyla f EnglishProbably a feminine form of
Niles. It gained popularity in the early 2000s, influenced by similar-sounding names such as
Kyla.
Nympha f Ancient Greek, Biblical Greek, BiblicalVariant of
Nymphe (as well as the usual Latinized form). This name is mentioned briefly by
Paul in his epistle to the Colossians in the New Testament, though it is uncertain whether it refers to a woman
Nympha or a man
Nymphas. The name was later borne by an obscure 4th-century saint possibly from Palermo, Sicily.
Nyoman m & f BalinesePossibly from a Balinese word meaning
"end, remainder". This name is traditionally bestowed upon the third-born child.
Nyssa f VariousFrom the name of an ancient town of Asia Minor where Saint Gregory was bishop in the 4th century. Nyssa is also the genus name of a type of tree, also called the Tupelo.
Nyx f Greek MythologyMeans
"night" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of the night, the daughter of Khaos and the wife of Erebos.