Native American Names

A slow and sultry southern choice that's definitely cool for babies of either gender. While the word feels French and has its roots in 18th century French Louisiana, it derives from the Choctaw word bayuk, which means "small stream."

A Miwok tribe name with a pleasant meaning.

Has an evocative feel, unusual to the Western ear without being identified with any particular culture.

Fresher sounding than Mandy or Brandy, but Thandie might be a more original way to go.

Kimana, the name of a resort in the foothills of Mountain Kilimanjaro in Kenya, would make an unexpected path to the nickname Kim.

Interesting Native-American choice that could be taken for Greek.

The evocative name of one of our most beautiful national parks -- yes, but also the bombastic cartoon character, Yosemite Sam.

Name of a major figure in Indigenous history, Quanah Parker, a Comanche chief who became a judge on the Court of Indian Affairs.

Highly unusual; could be confused with the Isuzu automotive brand.

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.

A place name from Venezuela believed to come from an indigenous word for wind, this can make an innovative choice for a child of either sex.

Feminissima.

Shy Anne? The original place-name spelling Cheyenne is preferable to this phonetic and slyly jokey spelling in every way.

Rare and rugged, though one of the baby names with a lot of teasing potential.

Cherokee is the name of a Native American tribe, the largest in the United States stretching from North Carolina through Oklahoma. The meaning of the word Cherokee is uncertain: It may be Choctaw for "those who live in the mountains" or "those who live in the cave country" or it may be an Anglicization of the word the Cherokee use to refer to themselves, Tsalagi. The name was given to 19 baby girls in the U.S. in 2013 but was not recorded on the boys' roster, though we'd consider it equally appropriate for either gender.

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.

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 first spotted in the Edna Ferber novel Cimarron, which became a popular movie.

One of the few familiar Native_American choices, but now associated with several trade names.

Cherokee is the name of a Native American tribe, the largest in the United States stretching from North Carolina through Oklahoma. The meaning of the word Cherokee is uncertain: It may be Choctaw for "those who live in the mountains" or "those who live in the cave country" or it may be an Anglicization of the word the Cherokee use to refer to themselves, Tsalagi. The name was given to 19 baby girls in the U.S. in 2013 but was not recorded on the boys' roster, though we'd consider it a gender neutral name.

Highly unusual possibility for a twin girl.