NA f ChineseFrom Chinese
娜 (nà) meaning "elegant, graceful, delicate" or other characters pronounced similarly.
NAAMAH f BiblicalMeans
"pleasant" in Hebrew. This name is borne in the Old Testament by both a daughter of
Lamech and a wife of
Solomon. Some later Jewish texts give Naamah as the name of
Noah's wife, even though she is not named in the Old Testament.
NABOPOLASSAR m Babylonian (Anglicized)From the Akkadian name
Nabu-apla-usur meaning
"Nabu protect my son", derived from the god's name
NABU combined with
aplu meaning "son, heir" and an imperative form of
naṣāru meaning "to protect". This was the name of a 7th-century BC king of the Babylonian Empire, the first of the Chaldean dynasty.
NABU m Semitic MythologyPossibly from a Semitic root meaning
"to announce". This was the name of an Assyrian and Babylonian god of wisdom, letters and writing.
NADAB m Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekMeans
"generous" in Hebrew. This is the name of a son of
Aaron in the Old Testament. He was consumed by flames and killed when he offered unauthorized fire to God. It was also the name of the second king of Israel.
NADIM m Arabic, UrduMeans
"drinking companion", derived from Arabic
ندم (nadima) meaning "to drink together".
NAENIA f Roman MythologyMeans
"incantation, dirge" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of funerals.
NAGENDRA m Hinduism, Indian, Kannada, TeluguMeans
"lord of snakes" from Sanskrit
नाग (naga) meaning "snake" (also "elephant") combined with the name of the Hindu god
INDRA, used here to mean "lord". This is another name for Vasuki, the king of snakes, in Hindu mythology.
NAGORE f BasqueFrom the name of a Basque village where there is a sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin
Mary.
NAHID f PersianModern Persian form of
ANAHITA. This is also the Persian name for the planet Venus.
NAHOR m BiblicalMeans
"snorting" in Hebrew. Nahor is the name of both the grandfather and a brother of
Abraham in the Old Testament.
NAHUM m BiblicalMeans
"comforter" in Hebrew, from the root
נָחַם (nacham). Nahum is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament. He authored the Book of Nahum in which the downfall of Nineveh is foretold.
NAIARA f BasqueFrom the Basque name of the Spanish city of Nájera, which is Arabic in origin. In the 12th century there was a reported apparition of the Virgin
Mary in a nearby cave.
NAIDA f CroatianMeaning uncertain, possibly derived from Greek
Ναϊάς (Naias), a type of water nymph in Greek mythology (plural
Ναϊάδες).
NAILA f ArabicFeminine form of
NAIL. This was the name of the wife of
Uthman, the third caliph of the Muslims. She tried in vain to prevent a mob from murdering her husband, and had several fingers cut off in the process.
NA'IM m ArabicMeans
"tranquil, happy, at ease" in Arabic.
NAIRYOSANGHA m Persian MythologyDerived from Avestan
nairyo "male" and
sangha "word". Nairyosangha was a Zoroastrian Yazata (or angel) who served as a messenger for Ahura Mazda.
NAJA f Native American, Greenlandic, DanishMeans
"boy's younger sister" in Greenlandic. It was popularized in Denmark by the writer B. S. Ingemann, who used it in his novel
Kunnuk and Naja, or the Greenlanders (1842).
NAJI m ArabicMeans
"intimate friend" in Arabic. This can also be another way of transcribing the name
ناجي (see
NAAJI).
NAJIB m ArabicMeans
"noble" or
"intelligent" in Arabic.
NALA m HinduismMeans
"stem" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a king of the Nishadha people in the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata.
NĀLANI f & m HawaiianMeans
"the heavens" or
"the chiefs" from Hawaiian
nā, a definite article, and
lani "heaven, sky, chief".
NAN f EnglishOriginally a diminutive of
ANN. It may have originated with the affectionate phrase
mine Ann, which was later reinterpreted as
my Nan. It is now also used as a short form of
NANCY.
NANA (2) f JapaneseFrom Japanese
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens" and/or
奈 (na), a phonetic character. The characters can be in either order or the same character can be duplicated, as indicated by the symbol
々. Other kanji with the same pronunciations can also be used to form this name.
NANA (3) f GeorgianMeaning unknown. This was the name of a 4th-century queen consort of Georgia who is regarded as a saint in the Orthodox Church.
NANABOZHO m New World MythologyMeans
"my rabbit" in Ojibwe. In Anishinaabe mythology Nanabozho (also called
Wenabozho) is the name of a trickster spirit.
NANAKO f JapaneseFrom Japanese
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens" duplicated and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible as well.
NANAMI f JapaneseFrom Japanese
七 (nana) meaning "seven" and
海 (mi) meaning "sea". It can also come from
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens" duplicated and
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
NANCY f EnglishPreviously a medieval diminutive of
ANNIS, though since the 18th century it has been a diminutive of
ANN. It is now usually regarded as an independent name. During the 20th century it became very popular in the United States. A city in the Lorraine region of France bears this name, though it derives from a different source.
NANDA m Hinduism, Indian, Kannada, TamilMeans
"joy" in Sanskrit. In Hindu texts this is a name of both
Vishnu and the foster-father of
Krishna, as well as various other characters. In Buddhist texts this is the name of a god and a disciple of Buddha. Nanda was also the name of a 4th-century BC king who founded a dynasty in Magadha in India.
NÁNDOR m HungarianOriginally this was a Hungarian word referring to a Bulgarian people that lived along the Danube. Since the 19th century it has been used as a Hungarian short form of
FERDINAND.
NANOOK m Native American, InuitVariant of
NANUQ. This was the (fictional) name of the subject of Robert Flaherty's documentary film
Nanook of the North (1922).
NAO f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
直 (nao) meaning "straight" or from a combination of
奈 (na), a phonetic character, and
央 (o) meaning "center". Other kanji or kanji combinations can form this name as well.
NAOISE m Irish, Scottish, Irish MythologyMeaning unknown, presumably of Gaelic origin. In Irish legend he was the young man who eloped with
Deirdre, the beloved of
Conchobhar the king of Ulster. Conchobhar eventually succeeded in having Naoise murdered, which caused Deirdre to die of grief.
NAOKI m JapaneseFrom Japanese
直 (nao) meaning "straight" and
樹 (ki) meaning "tree", as well as other combinations of different kanji with the same pronunciations.
NAOKO f JapaneseFrom Japanese
直 (nao) meaning "straight" and
子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other kanji combinations.
NAOMHÁN m Irish, ScottishMeans
"little saint", derived from Irish
naomh "saint" combined with a diminutive suffix.
NAOMI (1) f English, Hebrew, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
נָעֳמִי (Na'omi) meaning
"pleasantness". In the Old Testament this is the name of the mother-in-law of
Ruth. After the death of her husband and sons, she returned to Bethlehem with Ruth. There she declared that her name should be
Mara (see
Ruth 1:20).
... [more] NAOMI (2) f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
直 (nao) meaning "straight" and
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" (usually feminine) or
己 (mi) meaning "self" (usually masculine). Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
NAPHTALI m BiblicalMeans
"my struggle, my strife" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he is a son of
Jacob by
Rachel's servant
Bilhah, and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
NAPIER m English (Rare)From an English and Scots surname meaning
"linen keeper" in Middle English, from Old French
nappe "table cloth".
NAPOLEON m History, EnglishFrom the old Italian name
Napoleone, used most notably by the French emperor Napoléon Bonaparte (1769-1821), who was born on Corsica. The etymology is uncertain, but it is possibly derived from the Germanic
Nibelungen meaning
"sons of mist", a name used in Germanic mythology to refer to the keepers of a hoard of treasure (often identified with the Burgundians). Alternatively, it could be connected to the name of the Italian city of Napoli (Naples).
NAPOLEONE m ItalianOriginal Italian form of
NAPOLEON. Besides the French emperor, it was borne by the 14th-century cardinal Napoleone Orsini and the Italian writer and politician Napoleone Colajanni (1847-1921).
NARAM-SIN m AkkadianMeans
"beloved of Sin", from Akkadian
narāmu and the god's name
SIN. This was the name of a 23rd-century BC ruler of the Akkadian Empire, the grandson of
Sargon.
NARCISSE m & f FrenchFrench masculine and feminine form of
NARCISSUS. This is also the French word for the narcissus flower.
NAREK m ArmenianFrom the name of a 10th-century Armenian saint, Grigor of Narek, who came from the town of Narek (formerly in Armenia, now in eastern Turkey).
NARELLE f English (Australian)Meaning unknown. It was borne by the wife of Umbarra, who was a 19th-century leader of the Yuin, an Australian Aboriginal people.
NARSES m Ancient Persian (Hellenized)Hellenized form of the Persian name
Narseh, which was derived from Avestan
NAIRYOSANGHA. This name was borne by a Byzantine general of Armenian descent who helped restore Italy to the Roman Empire during the reign of Justinian I in the 6th century.
NARUHITO m JapaneseFrom Japanese
徳 (naru) meaning "virtue" and
仁 (hito) meaning "compassionate". Naruhito (1960-) is the current emperor of Japan. Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.
NASH m English (Modern)From a surname that was derived from the Middle English phrase
atten ash "at the ash tree". A famous bearer of the surname was the mathematician John Nash (1928-2015). The name was popularized in the 1990s by the television series
Nash Bridges.
NASIR m ArabicMeans
"helper" in Arabic. This transcription represents two different Arabic names.
NATALIA f Polish, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, English, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Greek, Georgian, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Late RomanLatinate form of
Natalia (see
NATALIE).
NATALIE f English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, NorwegianFrom the Late Latin name
Natalia, which meant
"Christmas Day" from Latin
natale domini. This was the name of the wife of the 4th-century martyr Saint Adrian of Nicomedia. She is venerated as a saint in the Orthodox Church, and the name has traditionally been more common among Eastern Christians than those in the West. It was popularized in America by actress Natalie Wood (1938-1981), who was born to Russian immigrants.
NATASHA f Russian, EnglishRussian diminutive of
NATALYA. This is the name of a character in Leo Tolstoy's novel
War and Peace (1865). It has been used in the English-speaking world only since the 20th century.
NATHANIEL m English, BiblicalVariant of
NATHANAEL. It has been regularly used in the English-speaking world since the Protestant Reformation. This has been the most popular spelling, even though the spelling
Nathanael is found in most versions of the New Testament. The American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864), author of
The Scarlet Letter, was a famous bearer of this name.
NATSUKI f JapaneseFrom Japanese
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens" and
月 (tsuki) meaning "moon". Alternatively, it can come from
夏 (natsu) meaning "summer" and
希 (ki) meaning "hope". Other kanji combinations can form this name as well.
NATSUKO f JapaneseFrom Japanese
夏 (natsu) meaning "summer" and
子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other kanji combinations.
NATSUMI f JapaneseFrom Japanese
夏 (natsu) meaning "summer" and
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". It can also come from
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens" and
摘 (tsumi) meaning "pick, pluck". Other kanji combinations are possible.
NAZ f TurkishMeans
"coy" in Turkish, of Persian origin.
NAZARET f & m Spanish, ArmenianFrom Nazareth, the town in Galilee where
Jesus lived. This name is feminine in Spanish and masculine in Armenian.
NAZARIUS m Late RomanLatin name meaning
"from Nazareth". Nazareth was the town in Galilee where
Jesus lived. This name was borne by several early saints, including a man martyred with Celsus in Milan.
NAZGUL f Kyrgyz, KazakhDerived from Persian
ناز (naz) meaning "delight, comfort" and
گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose".
NAZZARENO m ItalianItalian form of the Late Latin
Nazarenus, which meant
"from Nazareth, Nazarene". Nazareth was the town in Galilee where
Jesus lived. According to the New Testament, the phrase
Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum meaning "Jesus the Nazarene, king of the Jews", was inscribed on the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.
NEASA f Irish, Irish MythologyMeaning uncertain. In Irish legend she was the mother of
Conchobhar, king of Ulster. According to some versions of the legend she was originally named
Assa meaning "gentle", but was renamed
Ni-assa "not gentle" after she sought to avenge the murders of her foster fathers.
NEBUCHADNEZZAR m Babylonian (Anglicized), BiblicalFrom
נְבוּכַדְנֶאצֲּר (Nevukhadnetzzar), the Hebrew form of the Akkadian name
Nabu-kudurri-usur meaning "Nabu protect my eldest son", derived from the god's name
NABU combined with
kudurru meaning "eldest son" and an imperative form of
naṣāru meaning "to protect". This name was borne by a 12th-century BC king of the Babylonian Empire. It was also borne by a 6th-century BC king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. He captured Jerusalem, and ultimately destroyed the city's temple and deported many of its citizens, as told in the Old Testament.
NECHTAN m Irish Mythology, Ancient CelticCeltic name of uncertain meaning, possibly meaning
"damp" (cognate with
NEPTUNE). In Irish mythology Nechtan was the husband of Boand, the goddess of the River Boyne. This name was also borne by the 5th-century Saint Nectan of Hartland in Devon, who was supposedly born in Ireland. It was also the name of several kings of the Picts.
NED m EnglishDiminutive of
EDWARD or
EDMUND. It has been used since the 14th century, and may have had root in the medieval affectionate phrase
mine Ed, which was later reinterpreted as
my Ned.