Native American Names
Updated Sun Sep 29 2024
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Native American names are best known to most as place names and even tribal names that have been repurposed as baby names, such as Dakota and Cree. A few Native American baby names have broken into the US Top 1000, including Kaya.
Along with Dakota and Kaya, other mainstream Indigenous names include Tallulah, Denali, Sequoia, Tennessee, Yaretzi, Yareli, and Topanga. Unique Native American names include Coro, Halona, Niabi, and Zuzela.
Some Indigenous names, such as Tallulah and Kaya, are related to names from other cultures, such as the Irish Talulla, and the Scandinavian and Hawaiian Kaia.
Please be careful when choosing Native American names that you avoid cultural appropriation — names that are uniquely tied to Indigenous tribes should only be used if they are a part of your heritage.
If you are looking for a Native American name for your baby, consider one of the following, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.
RELATED:
- Dakota
Origin:
Native American tribe and place name; SiouxMeaning:
"friendly one"Description:
A Native American tribe name which is found in the names of two US states, Dakota was one of the first trendy nineties place names, but is now flagging a little in popularity. The cultural question around using a Native American tribe name as a baby name may be partly to blame.
- Dakota
Origin:
Place-name; SiouxMeaning:
"friendly one"Description:
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. While the popularity of Dakota is trending downward for both genders, it's one of those rare genuinely gender-neutral names that is used for nearly equal numbers of boys and girls.
- Yaretzi
Origin:
Nahuatl, AztecMeaning:
"you will always be loved"Description:
This unusual name from the Nahuatl or Aztec language has one of the best meanings around. It sprang onto the US popularity list in 2006 and made a brief appearance in the Top 300 before sliding down a bit. It's popular in Mexico and with US Americans of Latino or Hispanic heritage, hitting on two big girl name trends in those communities: Ya- beginnings and -i endings.
- Yareli
Origin:
Native American, Spanish variation of Yara, ArabicMeaning:
"water lady; small butterfly"Description:
Possibly a derivative variation of Yara, a popular name in Spanish-speaking countries meaning butterfly, Yareli was given to more than 400 baby girls in the US last year.
- Shawnee
Origin:
Native American tribe nameDescription:
The Shawnee were an Eastern tribe that migrated westward; Shawnee makes an unusual name, if a little dated a la Shawn and Tawnee.
- Shyanne
Origin:
Variation of CheyenneMeaning:
"people of a different language"Description:
Shy Anne? The original place-name spelling Cheyenne is preferable to this phonetic and slyly jokey spelling in every way.
- Arizona
Origin:
Place-name from Papago IndianMeaning:
"little springs"Description:
We usually think of place-names as a modern invention, but in fact Arizona ranked on the US Top 1000 from its inception in 1880 until 1911, when it vanished below the surface. It peaked at Number 510 in 1882, before Arizona became a state. One notorious vintage bearer: criminal "Ma" Barker, born Arizona Clark.
- Tallulah
Origin:
Choctaw, IrishMeaning:
"leaping water, lady of abundance"Description:
This hauntingly euphonious Choctaw name has re-entered the public domain, as memories of the outrageous actress Tallulah Bankhead have faded. For years, Tallulah was a name associated only with Bankhead, named for her paternal grandmother who was named after the Georgia town of Tallulah Falls.
- Kaya
Origin:
Scandinavian, English, Literature, JapaneseMeaning:
"pure; one who arranges rocks; perfume, incense; fruit, reward"Description:
A multicultural name, that's currently on style and fits right in with Kaia, Maya, Raya, and Mia. Currently in the Top 500 in both the UK and The Netherlands, it has several different origins and meanings.
- Aiyana
Origin:
American from Arabic or AfricanMeaning:
"large eyes, or time, or beautiful flower"Description:
Aiyana is a name that could easily cross cultures. It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 1999 and hovers near the bottom of the Top 1000.
- Oneida
Origin:
Native AmericanMeaning:
"long awaited"Description:
One of the few familiar Native_American choices, but now associated with several trade names.
- Waneta
Origin:
American, meaning unknownDescription:
Rumors abound about Waneta, which is a Canadian place name. Some say it's an Anglicization of Juanita, while others claim it's a Native American name. Interestingly, Waneta is a common name among the American Amish.
- Tennessee
Origin:
Native American, Cherokee, place-nameMeaning:
"bend in the river; meeting place"Description:
Young rocker Tennessee Thomas has brought this former one-person name over to the girls' side -- though the census roles of North Carolina in 1850 included a female named Tennessee and called Tincy.
- Kiona
Origin:
Native AmericanMeaning:
"brown hills"Description:
Striking and accessible choice.
- Kimana
Origin:
Native American, ShoshoneMeaning:
"butterfly"Description:
Kimana, the name of a resort in the foothills of Mountain Kilimanjaro in Kenya, would make an unexpected path to the nickname Kim.
- Halona
Origin:
Native AmericanMeaning:
"happy fortune"Description:
Resonant and unusual.
- Jamaica
Origin:
Native American place nameMeaning:
"rich in springs"Description:
Among the least gimmicky, most appealing and colorful of all the names found in the atlas, Jamaica almost sings out the rhythms of the West Indies.
- Dyani
Origin:
Native AmericanMeaning:
"deer"Description:
Beautiful Indigenous name connected to visual artist Dyani White Hawk. Dyani was most popular in 2001, when it was given to 73 baby girls.
- Izusa
Origin:
Native AmericanMeaning:
"white stone"Description:
Highly unusual; could be confused with the Isuzu automotive brand.
- Imala
Origin:
Native AmericanMeaning:
"strong-minded"Description:
Distinctive Native-American choice with forceful meaning.
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