Names Starting with N

gender
usage
Nubia f Various
From the name of the ancient region and kingdom in Africa, south of Egypt. It possibly derives from the Egyptian word nbw meaning "gold".
Nudd m Welsh Mythology
Welsh cognate of Nuada. This is the name of a figure in Welsh legend, appearing in early poetry and in Culhwch and Olwen as the father of Gwyn.
Nuh m Arabic, Turkish
Arabic and Turkish form of Noah 1.
Nuha 1 f Arabic
Means "mind, wisdom" in Arabic.
Nuha 2 f Semitic Mythology
Meaning unknown. This was the name of a pre-Islamic Arabian goddess of the sun, identified with Shams.
Nuka m & f Indigenous American, Greenlandic
From Greenlandic nukaa meaning "younger sibling".
Numitor m Roman Mythology
Meaning unknown. In Roman mythology Numitor was the king of Alba Longa and the father of Rhea Silvia. He was overthrown by his brother Amulius, but reinstated by his grandsons Romulus and Remus.
Nuño m Medieval Spanish
Spanish form of Nuno.
Nuno m Portuguese, Medieval Portuguese
Medieval Portuguese and Spanish name, possibly from Latin nonus "ninth" or nunnus "grandfather". Saint Nuno was a 14th-century Portuguese general who defeated a Castilian invasion.
Nunzia f Italian
Short form of Annunziata.
Nunziatina f Italian
Diminutive of Nunzia.
Nunzio m Italian
Masculine short form of Annunziata. It also coincides with the related Italian word nunzio "messenger" (ultimately from Latin nuntius).
Nur f & m Arabic, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Urdu, Bengali, Uyghur, Indonesian, Malay
Means "light" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition النور (al-Nur) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Nura f Arabic
Strictly feminine form of Nur.
Nur ad-Din m Arabic
Means "light of religion", from Arabic نور (nur) meaning "light" combined with دين (din) meaning "religion, faith".
Nurasyl m Kazakh (Rare)
From Kazakh нұр (nur) meaning "light" and асыл (asyl) meaning "precious, noble" (both words ultimately of Arabic origin).
Nuray f Turkish, Azerbaijani
Means "bright moon" in Turkish and Azerbaijani, ultimately from Arabic نور (nur) meaning "light" and Turkic ay meaning "moon".
Nurbek m Kyrgyz
From Kyrgyz нур (nur) meaning "light" (of Arabic origin) combined with the Turkic military title beg meaning "chieftain, master".
Nurcan f Turkish
Means "bright soul" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic نور (nur) meaning "light" and Persian jan meaning "soul, life".
Nurettin m Turkish
Turkish form of Nur ad-Din.
Nurgül f Turkish
Means "radiant rose" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic نور (nur) meaning "light" and Persian گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose".
Nurgul f Kazakh, Kyrgyz
Kazakh and Kyrgyz form of Nurgül.
Nuri m Arabic, Turkish
Means "my light" in Arabic.
Núria f Catalan, Portuguese
From 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.
Nuria f Spanish
Spanish form of Núria.
Nurislam m Kazakh
From Kazakh нұр (nur) meaning "light" (of Arabic origin) combined with Islam, the name of the religion (ultimately from Arabic إسلام).
Nurit f Hebrew
Means "buttercup (flower)" in Hebrew (genus Ranunculus).
Nurlan m Kazakh, Kyrgyz
From Kazakh нұр (nur) meaning "light" (of Arabic origin) combined with ұлан (ulan) meaning "young man, boy". The corresponding Kyrgyz roots are нур and улан.
Nurmuhamad m Avar
Combination of Arabic نور (nur) meaning "light" and the name Muhamad.
Nursultan m Kazakh
From Kazakh нұр (nur) meaning "light" and сұлтан (sultan) meaning "sultan, king" (both words of Arabic origin).
Nurten f Turkish
Means "radiant skin" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic نور (nur) meaning "light" and Persian تن (tan) meaning "body".
Nuru f Eastern African, Swahili
Means "light" in Swahili, ultimately from Arabic نور (nur).
Nuruddin m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic نور الدين (see Nur ad-Din).
Nurul m & f Arabic, Indonesian, Malay
First part of compound Arabic names beginning with نور ال (Nur al) meaning "light of the" (such as نور الدين (Nur al-Din) meaning "light of religion").
Nurullah m Arabic, Turkish
Means "light of Allah", from Arabic نور (nur) meaning "light" combined with الله (Allah).
Nurzhan m Kazakh
From Kazakh нұр (nur) meaning "light" (of Arabic origin) and жан (zhan) meaning "soul" (of Persian origin).
Nuša f Slovene
Short form of Anuša.
Nut f Egyptian Mythology
From Egyptian 𓈖𓅱𓏏 (nwt) meaning "sky". Nut was the Egyptian goddess of the sky and heavenly bodies. She was the wife of her brother Geb, with whom she mothered Osiris, Isis, Seth, and Nephthys.
Nuur m Eastern African, Somali
Somali form of Nur.
Nüwa f Chinese Mythology
From Chinese () meaning "woman, female" and (), 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.
Nuwan m Sinhalese
Possibly from Sinhala නුවණ (nuvana) meaning "wisdom" or නුවන (nuvana) meaning "eye".
Nwanneka f Western African, Igbo
Means "sibling is greater" in Igbo.
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 Various
From the name of a type of African antelope, ultimately derived from the Bantu word nyálà.
Nyambura f Eastern African, Kikuyu
From Kikuyu mbura meaning "rain". This is the name of one of the nine daughters of Mumbi in the Kikuyu origin legend.
Nyarai f Southern African, Shona
From Shona nyara meaning "be shy, be quiet, be humble".
Nydia f English (Rare), Spanish, Literature
Used 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".
Nye m Welsh
Diminutive of Aneirin.
Nyla f English
Probably 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, Biblical
Variant 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.
Nymphas m Ancient Greek, Biblical Greek, Biblical
Short form of Nymphodoros. This name is mentioned briefly by Paul in his epistle to the Colossians in the New Testament. Alternatively, the Greek text might be read as Nympha referring to a woman. Some bible translations use Nymphas, others use Nympha.
Nymphe f Ancient Greek
Means "bride, nymph" in Greek.
Nymphodora f Ancient Greek
Feminine form of Nymphodoros. This was the name of a 4th-century saint who was martyred with her sisters Menodora and Metrodora.
Nymphodoros m Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek νύμφη (nymphe) meaning "bride, nymph" and δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift".
Nynke f Frisian
Frisian diminutive of Katherine.
Nynniaw m Old Welsh
Probably a Welsh form of *Ninniau (see Ninian). This form is used for Nennius in Brut y Brenhinedd, the Middle Welsh translation of the 12th-century Latin chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth. The name also appears in the Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen belonging to a man who is transformed into an ox.
Nyoman m & f Balinese
Possibly from a Balinese word meaning "end, remainder". This name is traditionally bestowed upon the third-born child.
Nyongesa m Eastern African, Luhya
Means "born on Saturday" in Luhya.
Nyree f English (New Zealand)
Anglicized form of Ngaire. It was borne by New Zealand actress Nyree Dawn Porter (1936-2001).
Nyssa f Various
From 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 Mythology
Means "night" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of the night, the daughter of Khaos and the wife of Erebos.
Nyyrikki m Finnish Mythology
Meaning unknown. This was the name of a Finnish god of the hunt, the son of Tapio.