Native American Names for Boys

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.…

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…

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…

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.

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…

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".

Dasan

Native American

"son of bird clan leader"

Name from legend that might be an interesting Jason alternative.

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.

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…

Yosemite

Native American tribal name

"those who kill"

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

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.

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…

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.

Halian

Native American

"youthful"

A Julian derivative, via Spanish conquistadors, that could be a more unusual yet still reasonable substitute for that current favorite.