Indigenous Australian Submitted Names

These names are used by the indigenous people of Australia, also called Aboriginal Australians.
gender
usage
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Adaliya f Indigenous Australian
Aboriginal / Indigenous Name Of The Nothern Territory’s Of Australia Meaning Rainbow Serpent Spirit
Adina f Indigenous Australian
Means "good, pleasant" in Boonwurrung, spoken in Victoria State, near Melbourne, Australia.
Alinta f Indigenous Australian, Nyari, Popular Culture
Means "fire, flame" in Nyari, spoken in Victoria state and New South Wales state, south-eastern Australia. ... [more]
Alira f Indigenous Australian, Wurundjeri, Arrernte
Means "clear quartz crystal" from the word allirea in Wurundjeri, spoken near Melbourne, Australia. ... [more]
Alkawari f Indigenous Australian, Pitjantjatjara
Meaning unknown (but from Pitjantjatjara language). ... [more]
Alkina f Indigenous Australian, Yawaru
Means "moon" in the Yawaru language.
Alkira f Indigenous Australian
An Aboriginal word meaning "the sky".
Allirea f Indigenous Australian
Allirea is a name meaning “quartz” in one of the Aboriginal Australian languages.
Aluka f Indigenous Australian
Meaning "By the Sea"
Angoona f Indigenous Australian, Warlpiri
Meaning unknown (possibly from Warlpiri language).... [more]
Anmanari f Indigenous Australian, Pintupi
Meaning unknown (possibly from Pintupi language). ... [more]
Arika f Indigenous Australian, Wakka Wakka
Means "blue water lily" in Wakka Wakka, spoken in south-east Queensland, Australia.
Babawar m & f Indigenous Australian
Meaning unknown.... [more]
Backo f & m Indigenous Australian
Meaning unknown (from a language possibly spoken near Townsville, Queensland in the south-easthern Australia).... [more]
Bambam m Indigenous Australian, Meriam
Means "yellow" in Meriam, spoken in Torres Strait, Queensland and few southern Australian islands.
Banalandju f Indigenous Australian, Yolngu, Djinba, Ganalbingu
Banalandju is a main character in Australian film 'Ten Canoes' set in Arnhem Land, Northern Territories.
Bando f Indigenous Australian
Meaning unknown.... [more]
Barangaroo f Indigenous Australian
Of uncertain etymology. Name borne by an Eora woman of the Cammeraygal clan (fl. 1780s).
Beangagarrie m Indigenous Australian
Local Aboriginal name of Myroodah Station near Looma, Western Australia.
Bili f & m Indigenous Australian (Anglicized, Rare)
This name is Indigenous Australian.
Binda f Indigenous Australian
Means 'Green place' and 'Deep water'.
Bindall m & f Indigenous Australian
Derives from Bindal an ethnic name. This Aboriginal people live in Burdakin Shire, Queensland.
Bindi f Indigenous Australian, Nyungar
Means "butterfly" from the word bindi-bindi in Nyungar, spoken in Western Australian near Perth.... [more]
Biralee f Indigenous Australian, English (Australian)
Means "baby" in an Australian Aboriginal language. Using Aboriginal words as names was a popular trend in 1970s Australia.
Birrinbirrin m Indigenous Australian, Yolngu
Birrinbirrin is a main character in Australian film "Ten Canoes".
Brindabella f Indigenous Australian
Locational name, from the Brindabella mountain range on the border of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Usually said to be from a local language, meaning "two hopping mice" - hopping mice are native Australian mice... [more]
Bunji m & f Indigenous Australian
All round aboriginal name. It means 'Mate, buddy, friend, partner.'
Cardinia f Indigenous Australian, English (Australian, Rare)
A place name from the outskirts of Melbourne, Victoria. Corruption of the Bunurong or Wadawurrung word Kar-din-yarr, meaning "look to the sunrise", because it was to the east of the Wadawurrung peoples' land.
Colba f Indigenous Australian
Meaning unknown.
Colebee m Indigenous Australian
This was the name of two famous Australian Aborigines, recorded in the early history of Sydney. The meaning of the name is yet unknown. Also, this particular spelling may be an anglicized form of the original Aboriginal name, since it is close in appearance to English (sur)names like Coleby and Colby.
Daku m Indigenous Australian
Means "sand hill" in Diyari.
Darana m & f Indigenous Australian, Indigenous Australian Mythology
According to the legend of the Aboriginals, the original settlers of Australia, Darana was one of the Deities during Dreamtime (the time before humans occupied Earth).... [more]
Dayindi m Indigenous Australian
Dayindi is a main character in Australian film "Ten Canoes".
Djalu m Indigenous Australian, Yolngu
Of Australian Aboriginal origin (Yolngu, to be precise) , the meaning of this name is not yet known to me at the moment. A known bearer of this name is Djalu Gurruwiwi, an Australian Aboriginal didgeridoo maker and player.
Djarrjuntjun m Indigenous Australian
Means 'Roots of the paperback tree’
Djarrtjuntjun m Indigenous Australian, Gumatj
Meaning "roots of the paperbark tree that still burn and throw off heat after a fire has died down". Famous bearer is Mandawuy Djarrtjuntjun Yunupingu, an Aboriginal Australian musician and educator.
Dural m Indigenous Australian
Locational name meaning "gully, valley" in Dharug.
Elanora f Indigenous Australian (Rare)
Australian locational name. Derived from an Australian Aboriginal word meaning "home by the sea" or "home by the water".
Ellin f Indigenous Australian
An Aboriginal word that means "wish".
Gabii m Gamilaraay
A skin name given to male children of Gambuu and Maadhaa who marries Yibadhaa... [more]
Gambuu m Gamilaraay
A skin name given to male children of Gabii and Yibadhaa who marries Maadhaa.
Gurumarra m Indigenous Australian
Australian Aboriginal. Gunggay dialect. Yarrabah region Cairns, Queensland Australia. Meaning: dry lightning (lightning with no rain or thunder).
Iluka m Indigenous Australian
Named for the village of Iluka in northern New South Wales. Often translated as "by the sea" in an Australian Aboriginal language, it is probably derived from the Djangati term yiluga, of unknown meaning.
Inala f Indigenous Australian (Rare)
A suburb of Brisbane which literally means "rest time, night time" in a local language, but is often glossed as "place of peace".
Inyuwa f Indigenous Australian, Pintupi
Of Australian Aboriginal origin (Pintupi, to be precise), the meaning of this name is not yet known to me at the moment. A known bearer of this name was Inyuwa Nampitjinpa (b. between circa 1920 to 1922, d. 1999), an Australian Aboriginal painter who was also the mother of fellow painters Walangkura Napanangka (b... [more]
Irabinna m Indigenous Australian
Means "warrior" in Kaurna.
Jannali f Indigenous Australian
Allegedly an Aboriginal name from the Northern Territory, meaning “the moon”.
Jarli m Indigenous Australian
Means "barn owl" in the Jiwarli language. While the last speaker of Jiwarli passed away in 1986 a dictionary was able to be made and many people continue speak words or phrases in the language.
Jarrah m Indigenous Australian, Nyungar
From the Nyungar word djarraly referred to a kind of Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus marginata). Nyungar language is spoken in the southwest of Western Australia, near Perth.
Jedda f Indigenous Australian, Noongar, Popular Culture
Means "wren" or "little wild goose" from djida, a word in Noongar, spoken in South West Region, Western Australia. ... [more]
Jiemba m & f Indigenous Australian
Possibly from the Pallanganmiddang word djimba meaning "star". Some sources claim it means "laughing star" in Wiradjuri.
Jindalee f Indigenous Australian
Locational name thought to mean "a bare hill" in an unknown dialect from New South Wales.
Karalee f Indigenous Australian
A Brisbane suburb thought to mean "grass around a waterhole" in a local language.
Karangarang f Indigenous Australian
Possibly means "pelican", deriving from the Dharug word karranga-ba ("pelican"). Name borne by a prominent Eora woman (1771-1837).
Kareela f Indigenous Australian
Australian locational name. Derived from an Australian Aboriginal word which means "place of trees and water" or "south wind".
Karri f Indigenous Australian
Australian Aboriginal word for the Eucalypt Tree, Eucalyptus Diversicolour, which is found in the South Western Region of Western Australia.
Karro f Indigenous Australian
Means "blood" in Kaurna.
Killara f & m Indigenous Australian (Rare), Darug
Means "permanent, always there" in Darug. ... [more]
Kimba f Indigenous Australian (?)
Aboriginal (unknown nation) name meaning 'Brush Fire'.
Kirra f Indigenous Australian, English (Australian)
Kirra is a beach-side suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland which has been popular with holidaymakers since the early 20th century. The name of the suburb is believed to be an Indigenous name, however the specific language and meaning are unknown... [more]
Koa m Indigenous Australian, English (Australian)
Means "crow" in the Kaurna language.
Kudnarto f Indigenous Australian
Means "third-born child" in Kaurna Warra.
Kuparr m Indigenous Australian
Means "red earth, burnt earth", referring to red ochre, in Ngiyampaa.
Kurraki m Indigenous Australian
Means "white cockatoo" in Kaurna.
Lenah f Indigenous Australian
Means "kangaroo" in the Palawa language of Tasmania. Lenah Valley is a suburb of Hobart.
Leumeah f Indigenous Australian (Rare)
From the Tharawal language of the Macarthur region of Sydney, Leumeah was the name of a land grant given to convict explorer John Warby in 1816. Appropriately the word is believed to mean ‘here I rest’ and is now the name of an outer Sydney suburb in the same area.
Lilardia f Indigenous Australian
Lilardia means "flower".
Lowanna f English (Australian), Indigenous Australian, Literature
Means "girl" in the Gumbaynggir language from mid-north New South Wales amd the name of a village near Coffs Harbour where the language originates. The word is also thought to mean "woman" or refer to "women’s business" in other Indigenous languages too... [more]
Lowitja f Indigenous Australian
Possibly an Aboriginal phonetic adaptation of Lois 1 or else derived from Yankuntjatjarra, spoken in Southern Australia. This name is borne by Lowitja O'Donoghue (b... [more]
Lutana f Indigenous Australian
Means "the moon" in the Palawa language of Tasmania. There is a suburb of Hobart with this name. A famous namesake is Lutana Spotswood, a language worker who gave a eulogy in Palawa at the funeral of a Tasmanian premier.
Makinti f Indigenous Australian, Pintupi
Of Australian Aboriginal origin (Pintupi, to be precise), the meaning of this name is not yet known to me at the moment. A known bearer of this name was Makinti Napanangka (c. 1930-2011), an Australian Aboriginal painter.
Mangana m Indigenous Tasmanian
Meaning unknown. This was the name of the father of Trugernanner (often referred to as Truganini), who was the last full-blooded Tasmanian Aboriginal, dying in 1876.
Manmarra f Indigenous Australian
Means "moonshine" in Kaurna.
Maroochy f Indigenous Australian
This name apparently means "black swan" in one of the Australian Aboriginal languages (probably either Kabi Kabi or Turrubal). A known bearer of this name is Maroochy Barambah (b. in the 1950s), an Australian Aboriginal mezzo-soprano singer.
Marrii m Gamilaraay
A skin name given to male children of Yibaay and Gabudhaa who marries Buudhaa... [more]
Mawukura m Indigenous Australian, Walmajarri
This is an Indigenous Australian name used by the Walmajarri people. Famous bearer is Mawukura (born c. 1924) an Australian Aboriginal artist and a Walmajarri man.
Medika f Indigenous Australian
Derived from the Australia-based Kaurna word mitika meaning "flower, blossom". Kaurna language is spoken near Adelaide, Australia. It is also used to mean "water lily".
Merindah f Indigenous Australian
Means "beautiful" in one of the Indigenous languages of the Sydney area, possibly Darug.
Merri f Indigenous Australian
Means "rocky" in Wurungjeri.
Merriman m English, Indigenous Australian
Transferred use of the surname Merriman.... [more]
Minygululu m Indigenous Australian
Minygululu is a main character in Australian film "Ten Canoes".
Mirri f & m Indigenous Australian, Gooniyandi
Means "sun" in Gooniyandi, spoken in northern Western Australia.
Mirrin f Indigenous Australian, Arrernte
Means "cloud" in Arrernte.
Mudrooroo m Indigenous Australian
Means "paperbark tree" in the Bibbulmun language group spoken by the Noongar.... [more]
Munandjarra f Indigenous Australian, Yolŋu
Munandjarra is a main character in Australian film "Ten Canoes".
Munânguri f Indigenous Australian
Of uncertain etymology, possibly deriving in part from the Dharug element guri ("ear"). Name borne by a sister of the prominent Eora leader Bennelong.
Myaree f Indigenous Australian
Locational name believed to be derived from an Australian Aboriginal word meaning "foliage".
Naata f Indigenous Australian, Pintupi
Of Australian Aboriginal origin (Pintupi, to be precise), the meaning of this name is not yet known to me at the moment. A known bearer of this name is Naata Nungurrayi (b. circa 1932), an Australian Aboriginal painter.
Nadi m Indigenous Australian
Meaning unknown.
Ngira f Indigenous Australian
Meaning 'bushfire'
Ngoia f Indigenous Australian, Warlpiri
Of Australian Aboriginal origin (Warlpiri, to be precise), the meaning of this name is not yet known to me at the moment. A known bearer of this name is Ngoia Pollard Napaltjarri (b. circa 1948), an Australian Aboriginal painter.
Nicermenic m Indigenous Tasmanian
Meaning unknown. This was the name of the father of Fanny Cochrane Smith (1834-1905), who was the last fluent speaker of a Tasmanian language.
Nowalingu f Indigenous Australian
Nowalingu is a main character in Australian film "Ten Canoes".
Nyakul m Indigenous Australian, Pitjantjatjara
Of Australian Aboriginal origin (Pitjantjatjara, to be precise), the meaning of this name is not yet known to me at the moment. A known bearer of this name was Nyakul Dawson (c. 1935-2007), an Australian Aboriginal tribal elder and artist.
Nymbulda f Indigenous Australian, Ngarrindjeri
Of Australian Aboriginal origin (Ngarrindjeri, to be precise), the meaning of this name is not yet known to me at the moment. This was the name of the mother of David Unaipon (1872-1967), an Australian Aboriginal preacher, inventor and writer.
Nyukuti m Indigenous Australian, Pintupi
Of Australian Aboriginal origin (Pintupi, to be precise), the meaning of this name is not yet known to me at the moment. A known bearer of this name was Nyukuti Tjupurrula, the husband of Australian Aboriginal painter Makinti Napanangka (c... [more]
Nyurapayia f Indigenous Australian, Pintupi
Of Australian Aboriginal origin (Pintupi, to be precise), the meaning of this name is not yet known to me at the moment. A known bearer is Nyurapayia Nampitjinpa (b. circa 1935), an Australian Aboriginal painter.
Omeo m Indigenous Australian
Australian place name, a town in Victoria. Means "mountains, hills" in Gunaikurnai.
Oodgeroo f Indigenous Australian
Means "paperbark tree" in Mundjan, spoken by the Noonuccal tribe. (See Mudrooroo.)... [more]
Orana f Indigenous Australian
Meaning "the moon" in Australian Aboriginal.
Papalya f Indigenous Australian, Pintupi
Of Australian Aboriginal origin (Pintupi, to be precise), the meaning of this name is not yet known to me at the moment. A known bearer of this name was Papalya Nangala, the mother of Australian Aboriginal painter Takariya Napaltjarri (b... [more]
Parara f Indigenous Australian, Pintupi
Of Australian Aboriginal origin (Pintupi, to be precise), the meaning of this name is not yet known to me at the moment. A known bearer of this name was Parara Napaltjarri (c. 1944-2003), an Australian Aboriginal painter.
Patyegarang f Indigenous Australian
Of uncertain etymology. Name borne by an indigenous Australian woman (fl. 1780) of the Cammeraygal clan of the Eora nation.
Payu f Indigenous Australian, Pintupi
Of Australian Aboriginal origin (Pintupi, to be precise), the meaning of this name is not yet known to me at the moment. A known bearer of this name is Payu Napaltjarri (b. circa 1952), an Australian Aboriginal artist who also happens to be the sister of fellow artists Yakari Napaltjarri (b... [more]
Pemau f Indigenous Australian (?)
Allegedly an Australian Aboriginal name of Bundjalung origin. This is borne by Pemau Stone Bancroft (2018-), daughter of Australian actress Yael Stone and Jack Manning Bancroft; his mother, artist Bronwyn Bancroft, "has said that her great-great-great-grandmother Pemau was one of only two or three survivors from her clan (the Djanbun clan of the Bundjalung nation), the rest murdered when their land was settled by a white farmer."
Pemuluwuy m Indigenous Australian
The name of a prominent Bidjigal Aboriginal warrior of the Eora nation who lead a resistance against Sydney colonists in the 1790s - 1800s. He was also considered a carradhy or ‘clever man’. He convinced many surrounding Aboriginal nations to join his resistance against the British and was considered to be exceptional in most everything he did.
Pirili f Indigenous Australian
One of the characters in the AUSTRALIAN T.V. programme "Lift Off" has this name!
Pirrmangka f Indigenous Australian, Pintupi
Of Australian Aboriginal origin (Pintupi, to be precise), the meaning of this name is not yet known to me at the moment. A known bearer of this name was Pirrmangka Napanangka (c. 1945-2001), an Australian Aboriginal painter who also happened to be the sister of fellow painter Walangkura Napanangka (b... [more]
Ridjimiraril m Indigenous Australian
Ridjimiraril is a main character in Australian film "Ten Canoes".
Takariya f Indigenous Australian, Pintupi
Of Australian Aboriginal origin (Pintupi, to be precise), the meaning of this name is not yet known to me at the moment. A known bearer of this name is Takariya Napaltjarri (b. circa 1960), an Australian Aboriginal painter.
Tanganutura f Indigenous Tasmanian
means "to weep bitterly" in Palawa. This was the name of the mother of Fanny Cochrane Smith (1834-1905), who was the last fluent speaker of a Tasmanian language.
Tarni f Indigenous Australian
Means "surf, wave, breaker" in Kaurna. The original form of Tahnee.
Tatali f Indigenous Australian, Pintupi
Of Australian Aboriginal origin (Pintupi, to be precise), the meaning of this name is not yet known to me at the moment. A known bearer of this name was Tatali Nangala (b. between circa 1925 to 1928, d. 1999 or 2000), an Australian Aboriginal painter.
Thoomi f Indigenous Australian
It comes from the Aboriginal language Adnyamathanha mostly spoken in Flinders Ranges, South Australia. Thoomi is a main character in 2017 Australian movie Cargo.
Tidam m & f Indigenous Australian
Meaning star, Waghiwoori Tribe
Tjampu m Indigenous Australian
Means "left-handed" in Ngaatjatjarra, spoken in the arid central and central-western desert in Australia.
Tjunkiya f Indigenous Australian, Pintupi
Of Australian Aboriginal origin (Pintupi, to be precise), the meaning of this name is not yet known to me at the moment. A known bearer of this name was Tjunkiya Napaltjarri (c. 1927-2009), an Australian Aboriginal painter.
Toba m Indigenous Australian, Pintupi
Of Australian Aboriginal origin (Pintupi, to be precise), the meaning of this name is not yet known to me at the moment. A known bearer of this name was Toba Tjakamarra, the husband of Australian Aboriginal painters Tjunkiya Napaltjarri (c... [more]
Truganina f Indigenous Australian
Locational name derived from Truganini.
Truganini f Indigenous Australian
Means "grey saltbush" (scientific name: Atriplex cinerea) in Palawa. Truganini is believed to have been the last "full-blood" Palawa (Tasmanian Aboriginal) woman; she died in 1876.
Trugernanner f Indigenous Tasmanian
Meaning unknown. This was the name of Trugernanner (often referred to as Truganini), who was the last full-blooded Tasmanian Aboriginal, dying in 1876.
Umbarra m Indigenous Australian
Umbarra, or King Merriman (died 1904) was an Aboriginal elder of the Djirringanj/Yuin people of the Bermagui area on the South Coast of New South Wales.
Waku m Indigenous Australian, Pintupi
Of Australian Aboriginal origin (Pintupi, to be precise), the meaning of this name is not yet known to me at the moment. A known bearer of this name was Waku Tjungurrayi, the father of Australian Aboriginal painter Takariya Napaltjarri (b... [more]
Walangkura f Indigenous Australian, Pintupi
Of Australian Aboriginal origin (Pintupi, to be precise), the meaning of this name is not yet known to me at the moment. A known bearer of this name is Walangkura Napanangka (b. between circa 1938 to 1946), an Australian Aboriginal painter.
Wanala f Indigenous Australian
Wanala is a name meaning “Autumn”.
Waratah f Indigenous Australian
An Australian native flowering bush with a distinctive (usually) crimson flower-head. Its name comes from the Eora language indigenous to the Sydney region. The floral emblem of New South Wales.
Wariwéar f Indigenous Australian
Of uncertain etymology, possibly deriving from the Dharug word warrawal ("milky way"). Name borne by an Eora woman who was the sister of prominent leader Bennelong.
Warragul m Indigenous Australian
Place name; a town in the West Gipppsland region of rural Victoria in Australia. Its name is derived from warrigal, from a local language meaning "wild, wild dog (dingo)".
Warrin m Indigenous Australian
Means "winter, season of wet and cold" in one of the Indigenous languages from around the Sydney area.
Warriya m Indigenous Australian
Means "second born son" in Kaurna.
Watorea f & m Indigenous Australian, Maori
Derived from Maori wātō rea meaning "sunset". This name was used for a tropical cyclone in 1976 near Australia.
Wawiriya f Indigenous Australian
This is borne by Wawiriya Burton, an Australian Aboriginal artist from Pipalyatjara, who is also a ngangkaṟi (traditional healer).
Wintjiya f Indigenous Australian, Pintupi
Of Australian Aboriginal origin (Pintupi, to be precise), the meaning of this name is not yet known to me at the moment. A known bearer of this name is Wintjiya Napaltjarri (b. between circa 1923 to 1934), an Australian Aboriginal painter who also happens to be the sister of fellow painter Tjunkiya Napaltjarri (c... [more]
Witto Witto m Indigenous Australian
From the Kaurna wito wito meaning "ornamental tuft of feathers worn by young men".
Yaay f Gamilaraay
Variant of Yhi.
Yakari f Indigenous Australian, Pintupi
Of Australian Aboriginal origin (Pintupi, to be precise), the meaning of this name is not yet known to me at the moment. A known bearer of this name is Yakari Napaltjarri (b. circa 1925), an Australian Aboriginal artist who also happens to be the sister of fellow artists Parara Napaltjarri (c... [more]
Yalamay f Indigenous Australian, Pintupi
Of Australian Aboriginal origin (Pintupi, to be precise), the meaning of this name is not yet known to me at the moment. This is the name of one of the two daughters of Australian Aboriginal artist Topsy Gibson Napaljarri (b... [more]
Yannathan m Indigenous Australian
Place name; a rural suburb on the outskirts of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. Its name is from a local language and means "walk about, travel, journey, roam".
Yarai f Gamilaraay
Variant of Yhi.
Yarramundi m Indigenous Australian
Means "deep water" in Darug. Yarramundi was a famous 18th/19th century Indigenous leader from the western Sydney area; many of his descendants still live in the area.
Yeeralparil m Indigenous Australian
Yeeralparil is a main character in Australian film "Ten Canoes".
Yhi f Gamilaraay, Indigenous Australian Mythology
In Gamilaraay mythology, Yhi was the sun goddess who brought light to the land.
Yibaay m Gamilaraay
A skin name given to male children of Marrii and Buudhaa who marries Gabudhaa... [more]
Yileen m Indigenous Australian
Means 'A dream,' in an Indigenous Australian language.
Yinarupa f Indigenous Australian, Pintupi
Of Australian Aboriginal origin (Pintupi, to be precise), the meaning of this name is not yet known to me at the moment. A known bearer of this name is Yinarupa Nangala (b. between circa 1948 to 1961), an Australian Aboriginal painter.
Yindi f Indigenous Australian, Yolngu
Means "to descend" in Yindjibarndi and "mother" in Yolngu. Possibly also means "sun" in other Aboriginal languages.