Ahtahkakoop m Indigenous American, Cree (Anglicized)From Cree
ᐊᑖᐦᑲᑯᐦᑊ (Atâhkakohp) meaning
"star blanket", derived from
ᐊᑖᕁ (atâhk) "star" and
ᐊᑯᐦᑊ (akohp) "blanket". This was the name of an early 19th-century chief of a Plains Cree people.
Amaru m Indigenous American, QuechuaMeans
"snake" in Quechua. It was borne by Tupaq Amaru and Tupaq Amaru II, two Inca leaders after the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire (in the 16th and 18th centuries).
Atahualpa m Indigenous American, Quechua (Anglicized)From Quechua
Atawallpa meaning
"fortunate hen", from
ataw meaning "fortunate, lucky" and
wallpa meaning "hen". This was the name of the last sovereign Inca emperor. He was executed by the Spanish in 1533.
Cipactli m & f Indigenous American, NahuatlMeans
"crocodile, alligator, caiman, monster" in Nahuatl. This is the name of the first day in the tonalpohualli, the Aztec 260-day calendar.
Cowessess m Indigenous American, Ojibwe (Anglicized)From an Ojibwe or Cree name recorded as
Kiwisance, said to mean
"little child", possibly related to Ojibwe
gwiiwizens meaning "boy" or Cree
ᐊᐋᐧᓯᐢ (awâsis) meaning "child". This was the name of a late 19th-century chief of a mixed band of Plains Cree and Saulteaux people.
Cuauhtemoc m Indigenous American, NahuatlMeans
"descending eagle" in Nahuatl, from
cuāuhtli "eagle" and
temo "descend". This was the name of the last Aztec emperor, ruling until he was captured and executed by the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés in the year 1525.
Dasoda-hae m Indigenous American, ApacheMeans
"he just sits there" in Apache. This was the name of a 19th-century chief of the Tchihende Apache, also known by the Spanish nickname
Mangas Coloradas meaning "red sleeves".
Dehgewanus f Indigenous American, SenecaFrom a name, also spelled as
Dickewamis or
Dehhewämis, which was given to the young British settler Mary Jemison (1743-1833) after she was captured and assimilated into the Seneca. Much later she claimed the name meant
"pretty girl, pleasant thing", though this interpretation does not seem to be valid.
Goyaałé m Indigenous American, ApacheMeans
"one who yawns" in Chiricahua Apache. This was the real name of the Apache leader
Geronimo (1829-1909), who fought against Mexican and American expansion into his territory.
Hiawatha m History, Indigenous American, Iroquois (Anglicized)Meaning uncertain, of Iroquois origin, possibly meaning
"he who combs". This was the name of a Mohawk or Onondaga leader who founded the Iroquois Confederacy around the 15th century. He was later the subject of a fictionalized 1855 poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Iara f Indigenous American, TupiMeans
"lady of the water" in Tupi, from
y "water" and
îara "lady, mistress". In Brazilian folklore this is the name of a beautiful river nymph who would lure men into the water. She may have been based upon earlier Tupi legends.
Iracema f Indigenous American, TupiMeans
"honey lips" in Tupi, from
yra "honey" and
tembe "lips". This is the name of an 1865 novel by José de Alencar, about the relationship between a Tupi woman and a Portuguese man during the early colonial period. Alencar may have constructed the name so that it would be an anagram of
America.
Isapo-Muxika m Indigenous American, SiksikaFrom Siksika
Issapóómahksika meaning
"big Crow foot", from
Issapó "Crow (tribe)",
ómahk "big" and
ika "foot". This was the name of a Blackfoot chief, known as Crowfoot (1830-1890).
Itzamna m Mayan Mythology, Indigenous American, MayanFrom Classic Maya
itzam, an element found in the names of some Maya gods (possibly from
itz "enchanted, nectar" and
mam "grandfather"), combined with
nah "great". Itzamna was the Maya creator god.
Itzcoatl m Indigenous American, NahuatlMeans
"obsidian snake" in Nahuatl, from
itztli "obsidian" and
cōātl "snake". Itzcoatl was the fourth king of Tenochtitlan and the first emperor of the Aztec Empire (15th century).
Itzel f Indigenous American, MayanMeaning uncertain, possibly from Classic Maya
itz meaning
"resin, nectar, dew, liquid, enchanted". Otherwise, it might be a variant of
Ixchel.
Ixchel f Mayan Mythology, Indigenous American, MayanPossibly means
"rainbow lady", from Classic Maya
ix "lady" and
chel "rainbow". Ixchel was a Maya goddess associated with the earth, jaguars, medicine and childbirth. She was often depicted with a snake in her hair and crossbones embroidered on her skirt.
Kaneonuskatew m Indigenous American, Cree (Anglicized)Means
"he who walks on four claws" in Cree, derived from
ᓀᐅᐧ (newo) "four" and the root
ᐊᐢᑲᓯᕀ (askasiy) "claw". This was the name of a 19th-century Plains Cree chief in Saskatchewan, also known as George Gordon.
Licarayen f Indigenous American, MapucheMeans
"stone flower" in Mapuche, from
likan "a type of black stone" and
rayen "flower". According to a Mapuche legend this was the name of a maiden who sacrificed herself in order to stop the wrath of the evil spirit of a volcano.
Mahpiya m & f Indigenous American, SiouxFrom Dakota or Lakota
maȟpíya meaning
"cloud, sky". This is the first part of the names of the Dakota chief Mahpiya Wicasta (1780-1863), known as Cloud Man, and the Lakota chiefs Mahpiya Luta (1822-1909), known as Red Cloud, and Mahpiya Iyapato (1838-1905), known as Touch the Clouds.
Mekaisto m Indigenous American, SiksikaFrom Siksika
Mí'kiai'stoowa meaning
"red crow", from
mi'ki "red" and
mai'stóó "crow". Red Crow (1830-1900) was a chief of the Kainai Blackfoot.
Motecuhzoma m Indigenous American, NahuatlMeans
"he becomes angry like a lord" in Nahuatl, from
mo- "himself",
tēcu- "lord" and
zōma "become angry, frown". This name was borne by two emperors of the Aztec Empire.
Mupitsukupʉ m Indigenous American, ComancheMeans
"old owl" in Comanche, derived from
mupitsi "owl" and
tsukupʉ "old man". This name was borne by a 19th-century chief of the Penateka Comanche.
Naja f Indigenous American, Greenlandic, DanishFrom Greenlandic
najaa meaning
"his younger sister". It was popularized in Denmark by the writer B. S. Ingemann, who used it in his novel
Kunnuk and Naja, or the Greenlanders (1842).
Pachakutiq m Indigenous American, QuechuaMeans
"changer of the world" in Quechua, derived from
pacha "world, time" and
kutiy "to return, to change" combined with the agentive suffix
-q "doer". This name was borne by a 15th-century (precontact) ruler of the Inca Empire.
Pitikwahanapiwiyin m Indigenous American, Cree (Anglicized)From Cree
ᐲᐦᑐᑲᐦᐊᓇᐱᐏᔨᐣ (Pîhtokahanapiwiyin) meaning
"sits at the buffalo pound", derived from
ᐲᐦᑐᑲᐦᐋᐣ (pîhtokahân) "buffalo pound, buffalo corral" and
ᐊᐱᐤ (apiw) "sit". This was the name of a Plains Cree chief, also known as Poundmaker (1842-1886).
Pocahontas f Indigenous American, Powhatan (Anglicized)Means
"little playful one" in Powhatan, an Algonquian language. This was the nickname of a 17th-century Powhatan woman, a daughter of the powerful chief
Wahunsenacawh. She married the white colonist John Rolfe and travelled with him to England, but died of illness before returning.
Potsʉnakwahipʉ m Indigenous American, ComancheMeans
"male bison back" in Comanche, derived from
potsʉ "male bison" and
kwahi "back (body part)". This name was borne by a 19th-century war chief of the Penateka Comanche, also called Buffalo Hump.
Sacagawea f Indigenous AmericanProbably from Hidatsa
tsakáka wía meaning
"bird woman". Alternatively it could originate from the Shoshone language and mean "boat puller". This name was borne by a Native American woman who guided the explorers Lewis and Clark. She was of Shoshone ancestry but had been abducted in her youth and raised by a Hidatsa tribe.
Sequoyah m Indigenous American, CherokeeProbably derived from Cherokee
ᏏᏆ (siqua) meaning
"hog". This was the name of the Cherokee man (also known as George Guess) who devised the Cherokee writing system in the 19th century.
Skenandoa m Indigenous American, Oneida (Anglicized)Possibly from Oneida
oskanutú meaning
"deer". This was the name of an 18th-century Oneida chief. According to some sources the Shenandoah River in Virginia was named after him, though the river seems to have borne this name from before his birth. It is possible that he was named after the river, or that the similarity in spellings is a coincidence.
Tashina f Indigenous American, Sioux (Anglicized)From Lakota
Tȟašína meaning
"her blanket", derived from
šiná "blanket, shawl". This is the first part of the name of historic figures such as Tȟašína Lúta, called Red Blanket, or Tȟašína Máni, called Moving Robe Woman.
Tasunka m Indigenous American, Sioux (Anglicized)From Lakota
Tȟašuŋke meaning
"his horse", derived from
šuŋg "horse". This forms the first part of the name of Tasunka Witko (1840-1877), translated as Crazy Horse, a Lakota war leader.
Tatanka m Indigenous American, Sioux (Anglicized)From Lakota
tȟatȟáŋka meaning
"male bison". This was the first part of the name of the Lakota holy man and chief Tatanka Iyotake (1831-1890), usually translated into English as Sitting Bull.
Tecumseh m Indigenous American, ShawneeMeans
"panther passing across" in Shawnee. This name was borne by the Shawnee leader Tecumseh (1768-1813), who resisted American expansion along with his brother the spiritual leader
Tenskwatawa.
Tekakwitha f Indigenous American, MohawkMeans
"she who bumps into things" or
"she who puts things in place" in Mohawk. Tekakwitha, also named
Kateri, was a 17th-century Mohawk woman who has become the first Native American Catholic saint.
Tosahwi m Indigenous American, ComancheMeans
"white knife" in Comanche, derived from
tosa- "white" and
wihi "knife". This name was borne by a 19th-century Penateka Comanche chief.
Tʉhʉyakwahipʉ m Indigenous American, ComancheMeans
"horse back" in Comanche, derived from
tʉhʉya "horse" and
kwahi "back (body part)". This was the name of a 19th-century chief of the Nokoni Comanche.
Tupaq m Indigenous American, QuechuaMeans
"royal, noble" in Quechua. This was the name of a 15th-century (precontact) Inca emperor, Tupaq Inka Yupanki. After the Spanish conquest it was borne by a 16th-century ruler of the Neo-Inca State at Vilcabamba, and in the 18th century it was borne by a descendant who led a rebellion against Spanish rule. Both of them were named Tupaq Amaru, and both were executed by the Spanish.
Ubirajara m Indigenous American, TupiMeans
"lord of the spear" in Tupi, from
ybyra "wood, stick, spear" and
îara "lord, master". This is the name of an 1874 novel by José de Alencar.
Voestaa'e f Indigenous American, CheyenneMeans
"white bison calf woman" in Cheyenne, derived from
vóésta "white bison calf" and the feminine suffix
-e'é. Because white bison calves were rare they were considered sacred.
Wahunsenacawh m Indigenous American, PowhatanMeaning unknown. This name was borne by a 17th-century chief of the Powhatan people. He was also known as Powhatan, as a result of confusion between his name and his birthplace.
Winona f English, Indigenous American, SiouxMeans
"firstborn daughter" in Dakota or Lakota. According to folklore, this was the name of a daughter of a Dakota chief (possibly
Wapasha III) who leapt from a cliff to her death rather than marry a man she hated. Numerous places in the United States have been named after her. The actress Winona Ryder (1971-) was named after the city in Minnesota where she was born.
Yaxkin f & m Indigenous American, MayanFrom
Yaxk'in, the name of the seventh month in the Maya calender, derived from Classic Maya
yax "green, first" and
k'in "sun, day".
Zazil f Indigenous American, MayanMeans
"clear, light, clarity" in Yucatec Maya. Zazil Há was a 16th-century Maya woman who married the Spanish shipwreck survivor Gonzalo Guerrero.