Native American Names

Bayou

Native American nature name

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…

Tahoe

Native American

"edge of the lake"

Unique baby names are often found in nature, conjuring up the beauty of the lake between California and Nevada that has become a popular tourist destination. Though Tahoe is also a line of SUVs,…

Coro

Native American

"wind"

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.

Tennessee

Native American, Cherokee, place-name

"bend in the river; meeting place"

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.…

Wynonna

Sioux Indian

"first-born daughter"

Spelling used by country singer Wynonna Judd, one of two celebrities (the other is Winona Ryder) who brought this unusual Native American name widespread notice.

Alaska

Native American

"great land"

State name Alaska stems from an Aleutian word for the land mass itself. The number of baby girls named Alaska has doubled in the past five years, and is sure to continue increasing as more place…

Kateri

Mohawk variation of Katherine

"pure"

St. Kateri Teckakwitha is the first Native American saint, canonized in 2012. St. Kateri was the daughter of a Mohawk warrior, born in 1656 in upstate New York. She converted to Christianity at age…

Hurricane

Spanish from Native American word name

"hurricane"

Hurricane is a storm, but it's also an American name , thanks to rising tennis star Hurricane Black -- whose sister's name is Tornado. There's no reason this tempestuous choice can't work for boys…

Cherokee

Native American tribal name

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…

Xochitl

Nahuatl, Aztec

"flower"

Xochitl is a Nahuatl or Aztec floral name used in southern Mexico and pronounced SO-chee-tl or SHO-chee-tl, although sometimes the "tl" at the end is not pronounced, making it SO-Chee. A Nameberry…

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. Twice as many girls as boys were given the name in…

Aquinnah

Native American place-name

The Native American name for Martha's Vineyard and for a town at the far end of that lovely island, this was used by Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan for one of their twin daughters.

Nonoma

Native American

Purportedly the name of Pocahontas' mother.

Arizona

Place-name from Papago Indian

"little springs"

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…

Aiyana

American from Arabic or African

"large eyes, or time, or beautiful flower"

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.

Shyanne

Variation of Cheyenne

"people of a different language"

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

Dyani

Native American

"deer"

Beautiful Indigenous name connected to visual artist Dyani White Hawk. Dyani was most popular in 2001, when it was given to 73 baby girls.