First Nations, Indigenous, and Native American Names

A floral name of Cree origin, Mihkokwaniy means "rose" or "red flower". It notably appears in the title of a poem by Oji-Cree, Two-Spirit storyteller, Joshua Whitehead.

Cool Cherokee color name.

A Mohawk name with a beautiful meaning, Kiawentiio is borne by First Nations actress and singer Kiawentiio Tarbell who has starred as Katara in the Netflix live-action remake of Avatar: The Last Airbender and Anne with an E.

Shoshoni along with Shoshone and Shoshonee is the name of a tribe indigenous to the western US as well as personal names for a baby girl. Lovely and evocative as they are, none was given to more than five baby girls in the US last year, making them exceedingly rare.

Also rendered as Nîpisiy, this Cree name means "willow" or "willow branch". The willow is symbolic of flexibility, learning to be kind, and understanding.

Purportedly the name of Pocahontas' mother.

Akycha is a solar goddess in Inuit culture.

Celestial name from the Cree language.

A Lakota word name meaning "star", Wicahpi has appeared in the US data a handful of times, primarily as a girl name.

Nokomis is the name of Nanabozho's grandmother in the Ojibwe Native American traditional stories, and is used as a given name for girls. It is also the name of a coastal town in Florida.

Waylla is a name from the Quechua language of the Peruvian Andes, as well as the word for the stipa obtusa grass that grows there. It is also a mountain name — Waylla is in the Andes on the border between Bolivia and Chile.

A rare Ojibwe word name with a sweet animal meaning.

Shoshonee along with Shoshone and Shoshoni is the name of an indigenous tribe in the Western US as well as a personal name. This name has a lovely sound and nature meaning, but was given to fewer than five baby girls in the US last year.

This spelling variation of Peta, chosen by Ani DiFranco for her daughter, might be a little difficult to pull off. Alternative suggestions: Petra and Petal.

From a Cree word meaning "rain", Kimiwan is also the name of a large freshwater lake in Alberta, Canada, notable as a birding spot. It may also be used as a surname.

The Aztec goddess of fertility and the maguey plant — also known as agave — which has historically been made into paper.

This unisex Native American name offers a good substitution to Dakota.

From the Cree word or phrase kimiwan meaning "rain", Kimowan is a nature-inspired Cree name, notably borne by artist Kimowan Metchewais whose work explored Indigenous identity though community, environment, and language. It also appears in a song title by singer Arlette Alcock.