Native American Names for Boys
Across 2 pages
of 2
About this list
Native American names for boys, most not frequently heard these days, include the following. The top names below rank among the current US Top 1000 Baby Names and are ordered by popularity. Unique names rank below the Top 1000 and are listed alphabetically.
The names
Dakota
Place-name; Sioux
"friendly one"
An early and still one of the most popular unisex names , also a place name and name of a Native American people in the northern Mississippi valley, which makes it a controversial baby name choice.…
Dasan
Native American
"son of bird clan leader"
Name from legend that might be an interesting Jason alternative.
Denali
Place-name and Native American
"the great one"
Alaska's Denali National Park is the home of the highest mountain in the US, officially renamed Denali in 2014, endowing the name with a lofty feel. There were 20 boys and 55 girls given the name in…
Eja
Native American, meaning unknown
Singer Shania Twain is said to have chosen this name, pronounced as Asia, for her son to honor her father's Native-American culture.
Geronimo
Native American; Italian variation of Jerome
This name of a renowned Apache leader and mystic would be a difficult choice, since it was used as a rallying cry in so many old westerns and by paratroopers jumping out of their planes in World War…
Hakan
Turkish
"emperor, ruler"
A Turkish twist on the trend for ruler names. Spelled Håkan, this is the Swedish form of Haakon. It may also be a Native American name meaning "fiery".
Halian
Native American
"youthful"
A Julian derivative, via Spanish conquistadors, that could be a more unusual yet still reasonable substitute for that current favorite.
Éowyn
Literature
"horse lover"
A literary name created by J. R. R. Tolkien for a Lord of the Rings noblewoman of Rohan. It would make an interesting choice for literature lovers or fans of names like Elowen and Evelyn.
Lakota
Native American tribal name
"friend to us"
The name of one of the branches of the Great Sioux Nation has a very namelike sound, but is not used as a name by the Lakota people themselves, and could be seen as appropriative.
Mojave
Native American tribal and place-name
Resonant place-name of the beautiful Southern California desert.
Nahma
Native American
"sturgeon"
Fish -- or caviar -- lover's choice, though it would tend to sound like a girl's name.
Nakos
Native American, Arapaho
"sage, wise"
Interesting Native-American choice that could be taken for Greek.
Pawnee
Native American tribal name
Pawnee, the name of a Plains tribe, seems cartoonish as a first name.
Powhatan
Native American, Algonquin
"powwow hill"
Powhatan is identified with the powerful chief and father of Pocahontas; not likely to be adopted by others.
Quanah
Native American, Comanche
"sweet smelling, fragrant"
Name of a major figure in Indigenous history, Quanah Parker, a Comanche chief who became a judge on the Court of Indian Affairs. Quanah is derived from the Comanche word kwana , meaning "odor" or…
Sequoyah
Native American, Cherokee
"sparrow"
A strong, meaningful name, associated with a famous Cherokee linguistic scholar; also suggests the magnificent California sequoia redwood trees.
Tahoe
Native American
"edge of the lake"
A unique natural-wonder option, conjuring up the beauty of the lake between California and Nevada that has become a popular tourist destination.
Tennessee
Native American, Cherokee, place-name
"bend in the river or meeting place"
When playwright Thomas Lanier Williams adopted the pen name of Tennessee, he created a new possibility among American place-names, although it's admittedly a bit bulky in size. Reese Witherspoon…
Teton
Native American, Sioux tribe; also western American place-name
Rare and rugged, though one of the baby names with a lot of teasing potential.
Yancey
Native American
"yankee"
A fancy TV western name that didn't catch on like fellow cowboys Luke and Josh, but definitely has a certain amount of charm. It is also spelled Yancy, as in the 1950s series Yancy Derringer . It was…
