131+ Native American Baby Names
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Historical Names ConsultantUpdated Oct 8, 2025131 Names
Native American baby names come from Indigenous peoples of North America. These names often have deep connections to nature, spirits, and tribal traditions. Each tribe has its own languages and naming customs. These names honor ancient wisdom and cultural heritage.
When choosing a Native American name, learn about its specific tribal origin. Some names are sacred or have special significance. Consider if the name is appropriate for your family to use. Native American names can be beautiful when chosen with respect.
This list includes 0 Native American baby names to browse. Look at the tribal origins and meanings of each name. Say them out loud to hear how they sound. Choose carefully and honor the culture behind each name.
Popular Names
Below is a visual overview of the most popular native american baby names for boys and girls. Use this snapshot to compare top picks at a glance.
Native American Baby Names for Girls
- Origin:Native American, Sioux
- Meaning:"Ally Friend"
- Description:Taken from the name of the Dakota people and related geography, it entered use as a given name in the late twentieth century.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"People of the Plains"
- Description:Adopted from the Cheyenne ethnonym, the name entered English usage and is used as a given name with cultural reference.
- Origin:Native American
- Meaning:"Eternal Blossom"
- Description:Often presented with nature-related glosses in modern usage, but documentary support for a single traditional source is limited.
- Origin:English, Native American
- Meaning:"Helpful Descendant"
- Description:Commonly used as a modern nickname spelling of Cody, with meaning typically inherited from Cody interpretations rather than Kodi itself.
- Origin:Native American, Modern
- Meaning:"Eternal Blossom"
- Description:Often presented with Native American-inspired meanings; documentation varies, so precise linguistic origin is uncertain.
- Origin:English, Cherokee
- Meaning:"Giant Redwood Tree"
- Description:Sequoia is a modern nature name referencing the giant redwood genus, associated with North American contexts.
- Origin:Indigenous American, English
- Meaning:"On My Way"
- Description:Often attributed to Indigenous language sources meaning on my way, it gained prominence through late twentieth century popular culture.
- Origin:Native American
- Meaning:"Firstborn Daughter"
- Description:A spelling variant of Winona, commonly glossed as firstborn daughter and associated with Lakota and related indigenous usage.
- Origin:Native American, Modern English
- Meaning:"Firstborn Daughter"
- Description:Modern feminine name associated with a gloss of firstborn daughter, popularized in North American usage through public figures.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"Friend"
- Description:Often glossed as friend in some Native American naming interpretations, but usage also reflects modern short-name fashion.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"Solitude"
- Description:Enola is often linked to a Cherokee source glossed as solitude, though documentation and pathways of adoption vary.
- Origin:Native American, Modern English
- Meaning:"Friend Ally"
- Description:A variant spelling of Dakota, from Siouan usage often glossed with friendship and alliance.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"People of the Cheyenne"
- Description:Cheyanne is a modern spelling variant referencing the Cheyenne people, used in English given-name contexts.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"People of the Cheyenne"
- Description:A spelling variant of Cheyenne, derived from an ethnonym, used as a given name in modern English contexts.
- Origin:Hebrew, Indigenous American
- Meaning:"Judge My Cause"
- Description:Used in multiple traditions, including interpretations linked to Hebrew roots for judging, though usage can be culturally diverse.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"Friend Ally"
- Description:Variant spelling of Dakota, referencing the Dakota people and commonly interpreted with themes of friendship.
- Origin:Native American, Navajo
- Meaning:"Deer"
- Description:Dyani is often associated with Navajo usage and is commonly glossed as deer within contemporary naming references.
- Origin:Native American
- Meaning:"Allies or Friends"
- Description:Lakota is an ethnonym used as a given name, commonly glossed as allies or friends within Siouan contexts.
- Origin:Latin, Native American
- Meaning:"Of the Seneca People"
- Description:Known from the Roman philosopher and the Haudenosaunee nation, it functions as a learned and ethnonymic reference.
- Origin:Indigenous American, Spanish
- Meaning:"Noble"
- Description:Yareni is used in Mexican Spanish contexts and may reflect Indigenous influence, though specific meaning is not standardized.
- Origin:Spanish, Indigenous American
- Meaning:"Ewe"
- Description:A modern Latin American feminine name that appears to blend Spanish phonology with Indigenous-sounding elements, without a fixed historical meaning.
- Origin:Indigenous American, Modern Spanish
- Meaning:"Unique; Special"
- Description:Iyari appears in some Indigenous naming traditions and also as a modern name, with meanings varying by community.
- Origin:Navajo
- Meaning:"Beautiful"
- Description:From Navajo, it means beautiful and is sometimes adopted as a given name outside its original linguistic community.
- Origin:Nahuatl, Indigenous American
- Meaning:"Spring of Water"
- Description:A Nahuatl-origin name associated with water imagery, commonly interpreted as spring of water or flowing source.
- Origin:Nahuatl, Indigenous American
- Meaning:"Moon"
- Description:A Nahuatl word-name meaning moon, used as a given name reflecting Indigenous linguistic heritage and cosmological symbolism.
- Origin:Irish, Native American
- Meaning:"Leaping Water"
- Description:Commonly associated with Tallulah traditions and interpreted as leaping water, though proposed etymologies vary across Irish and indigenous attributions.
- Origin:Native American, American
- Meaning:"White Dove"
- Description:Often presented as Indigenous-derived in popular sources, it is used in the United States, though documentation varies by claim.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"People of the South Wind"
- Description:Borrowed from the U.S. place name, it traces to Kansa and related Siouan ethnonyms with debated glosses.
- Origin:English, Native American
- Meaning:"People of the Cherokee Nation"
- Description:Adopted from the ethnonym for the Cherokee people, typically signaling heritage or commemorative naming intent.
- Origin:Native American
- Meaning:"Butterfly"
- Description:Aponi is associated with Native American naming, commonly glossed as butterfly, reflecting transformation symbolism in name selection.
- Origin:Hopi, Native American
- Meaning:"Spirit"
- Description:Catori is recorded as a Hopi-derived name, often glossed with spiritual connotations in English renderings.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"People of Cheyenne"
- Description:A creative spelling of Cheyenne, referencing the Indigenous ethnonym and commonly used as a given name in English contexts.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"Long Tail"
- Description:Associated with the Erie people and Lake Erie, and occasionally used as a given name from the toponym.
- Origin:Indigenous American, English
- Meaning:"Happy Fortune"
- Description:Name used in English contexts and sometimes attributed to Indigenous origins, commonly glossed with happiness or fortunate meanings.
- Origin:Spanish, Indigenous American
- Meaning:"God"
- Description:A variant spelling often associated with Itzel, frequently linked to Maya usage, though precise etymology and meaning remain inconsistently documented.
- Origin:Indigenous American, Spanish
- Meaning:"Oak/Halo; Ewe"
- Description:Used as a given name from the ethnonym of the Aymara people of the Andes, adopted into Spanish-language naming.
- Origin:Indigenous American
- Meaning:"People of the Big Canoe"
- Description:A place-name used as a given name, from an Indigenous ethnonym interpreted as people of the big canoe.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"Friend, Ally"
- Description:Dekota is a spelling variant of Dakota, often associated with meanings such as friend or ally in popular interpretation.
- Origin:Native American, Chinook Jargon
- Meaning:"High; Above"
- Description:From Chinook Jargon sahali meaning above or high, it reflects Pacific Northwest linguistic contact and occasional modern given-name use.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"Shawnee Person"
- Description:Derived from the ethnonym of the Shawnee people, later adopted as a given name in English-speaking contexts.
- Origin:Indigenous American, Spanish
- Meaning:"Ewe"
- Description:Name with uncertain etymology, sometimes linked to indigenous or Spanish-influenced usage, valued for its simple vowel pattern.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"Place Name"
- Description:Miami is a toponymic given name taken from the city and earlier tribal ethnonym, functioning primarily as a place reference.
- Origin:Native American
- Meaning:"Friend to Everyone"
- Description:Often associated with Lakota or Dakota themes, it is used in contemporary naming with a generalized friendship interpretation.
- Origin:Native American, Japanese
- Meaning:"Son of Honesty; River Plain"
- Description:Yuma occurs as a place-linked name in the American Southwest and as a Japanese given name with varied kanji meanings.
- Origin:Indigenous, English
- Meaning:"People of the Plains"
- Description:Usually a variant of Cheyenne, it references an Indigenous ethnonym and place name, adapted into modern given name use.
- Origin:Modern English, Native American
- Meaning:"God/Beloved"
- Description:Recent creative name sometimes linked to indigenous inspired elements, though precise linguistic source is often undocumented.
- Origin:Native American
- Meaning:"Friend; Ally"
- Description:Derived from Siouan ethnolinguistic terminology, it is commonly glossed as friend or ally and used as a modern given name.
- Origin:Native American, American
- Meaning:"Beautiful Daughter of the Stars"
- Description:Shenandoah is a toponymic name from the Shenandoah Valley and river, with multiple proposed Native American etymologies.
- Origin:Nahuatl, Indigenous Mexican
- Meaning:"Star; Bright Celestial Light"
- Description:A Nahuatl-derived given name associated with the night sky, reflecting Indigenous Mexican linguistic heritage.
- Origin:Native American
- Meaning:"Vegetation Gatherers"
- Description:Alabama derives from a Native American ethnonym historically interpreted as vegetation gatherers or plant collectors.
- Origin:Modern, Native American
- Meaning:"Eternal Blossom"
- Description:Ayianna is a modern name sometimes associated with interpretations such as eternal blossom in contemporary naming traditions.
- Origin:Indigenous American, Canadian
- Meaning:"Grace"
- Description:Angeni is used in some Indigenous North American contexts, though meanings vary by community and are not universally standardized.
- Origin:Spanish, Indigenous American
- Meaning:"Grace; Light"
- Description:Used in Latin American contexts as a contemporary name, sometimes linked to Indigenous-language influences though exact etymology varies.
- Origin:Native American, American English
- Meaning:"People of the Plains"
- Description:Variant spelling influenced by Cheyenne, itself a tribal name; semantic associations are ethnographic rather than lexical.
- Origin:English, Native American
- Meaning:"Cheyenne People"
- Description:Cheyene is a spelling variant of Cheyenne, derived from a tribal ethnonym adopted into English given-name usage.
- Origin:English, Native American
- Meaning:"People of the Cheyenne"
- Description:A modern spelling variant of Cheyenne, referencing the Indigenous nation name as adopted into English naming practice.
- Origin:English, Native American
- Meaning:"God/Anointed; Champion"
- Description:Variant of Cheyenne, a tribal and place name used in English contexts, with meaning not consistently treated as lexical.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"People of the Plains"
- Description:Cheyeanne is a variant spelling of Cheyenne, referencing the Plains people and later adopted into English given-name practice.
- Origin:Indigenous American, English
- Meaning:"God/Anointed; Grace"
- Description:A shortened spelling influenced by Cheyenne, referencing an Indigenous ethnonym, used as a modern given name in English.
- Origin:Indigenous American, English
- Meaning:"From the meadow"
- Description:A short form often associated with Cheyenne or similar names, used as an independent given name in English.
- Origin:Native American, Modern English
- Meaning:"Friend or Ally"
- Description:A spelling variant of Dakota, referencing the Dakota people and often interpreted through the sense of ally or friend.
- Origin:Indigenous American, English
- Meaning:"Earth"
- Description:A toponymic given name from the Genesee region and river, used in American English with debated Indigenous etymology.
- Origin:Spanish, Indigenous American
- Meaning:"God"
- Description:Itsel is used in Latin America and may draw from indigenous-language inspirations, though its meaning is not securely established.
- Origin:Native American, Modern
- Meaning:"Bear Spirit"
- Description:A modern name sometimes associated with Native American-inspired meanings referencing animal strength.
- Origin:Spanish, Indigenous American
- Meaning:"Victory; Bitter/Sea"
- Description:Latin American given name with uncertain etymology, sometimes linked to Indigenous-language origins, though meanings differ across references.
- Origin:Japanese, Native American
- Meaning:"Beautiful"
- Description:Koya occurs across multiple cultures as a short form or independent name, with meanings varying by origin.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"Laurel"
- Description:Best known as a place name in North America, it has been adapted as a given name with unclear original semantic content.
- Origin:Native American
- Meaning:"People of the Standing Stone"
- Description:Ethnonymic name referring to the Oneida people, used as a given name and place name in North America.
- Origin:English, Indigenous
- Meaning:"The Chosen One"
- Description:Attested in North American records, it may relate to forms like Juanita or Indigenous derived terms, but etymology is not fully settled.
- Origin:Native American
- Meaning:"People of the Stone"
- Description:Name associated with Oneida, an Indigenous ethnonym commonly glossed as people of the standing stone.
- Origin:Native American
- Meaning:"Black Drink Cry"
- Description:Name associated with the Seminole leader Osceola, often explained as black drink cry, used as a commemorative given name.
- Origin:African, Native American
- Meaning:"Bitter/Sea"
- Description:A name used in multiple communities with unclear single-source etymology, and meanings vary by local linguistic context.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"People of the Cheyenne"
- Description:Modern given name influenced by Cheyenne ethnonym and place names, with meaning tied to the Cheyenne people.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"People of Cheyenne"
- Description:A spelling variant of Cheyenne, derived from an ethnonym and widely used in contemporary English speaking naming practices.
- Origin:Cherokee, English
- Meaning:"From the meadow"
- Description:A variant of Sequoia and Sequoyah associations, referencing Indigenous-linked naming and the iconic tree designation.
- Origin:English, Native American
- Meaning:"Southern People"
- Description:Often a modern variant referencing Shawnee ethnonymy, though used independently as a given name with variable cultural framing.
- Origin:Navajo
- Meaning:"Sunshine; Light"
- Description:Navajo-origin name associated with light and sunshine, reflecting descriptive naming practices in Diné language contexts.
- Origin:Irish, English, Native American
- Meaning:"God Is Gracious"
- Description:Shaunee is a feminine variant related to Sean, ultimately from John and associated with the idea that God is gracious.
- Origin:Indigenous American, English
- Meaning:"Home"
- Description:Used in North America with uncertain origin, sometimes appearing as a stylized form associated with Indigenous or modern naming.
- Origin:English, Cherokee
- Meaning:"Sparrow"
- Description:Creative variant influenced by Sequoia and Sequoyah forms, sometimes associated with a Cherokee figure and folk meanings such as sparrow in popular usage.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"Good Place to Dig"
- Description:Place-name used as a given name, from Kansas toponymy often interpreted as good place to dig or similar glosses.
- Origin:Native American, Modern
- Meaning:"People; Grace"
- Description:Tewana is used as a given name with possible Indigenous inspiration, though documented meanings differ across sources.
- Origin:Indigenous American, English
- Meaning:"Fire"
- Description:An uncommon name sometimes linked to indigenous or regional usages, though specific etymology varies and is inconsistently recorded.
- Origin:English, Indigenous American
- Meaning:"Firstborn Daughter"
- Description:Generally regarded as a variant of Winona, it appears in English usage with an Indigenous-derived firstborn meaning.
- Origin:Native American
- Meaning:"Firstborn Daughter"
- Description:Associated with a Native American origin in literary and naming traditions, commonly glossed as firstborn daughter.
- Origin:Native American, Modern English
- Meaning:"Bitter/Sea"
- Description:Rare modern given name with uncertain etymology, possibly influenced by Indigenous-sounding forms and regional naming patterns.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"Firstborn Daughter"
- Description:Often treated as an adapted form of Winona, associated with firstborn daughter meanings in Indigenous-derived naming.
- Origin:Native American
- Meaning:"Grace"
- Description:Wetona is reported in some Native American contexts, but meanings and tribal associations are not uniformly documented.
- Origin:Spanish, Indigenous American
- Meaning:"Noble"
- Description:Widely used in Latin America and the diaspora, often treated as a modern creation with uncertain Indigenous etymological attribution.
Native American Baby Names for Boys
- Origin:Native American, Sioux
- Meaning:"Ally Friend"
- Description:Taken from the name of the Dakota people and related geography, it entered use as a given name in the late twentieth century.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"Friend"
- Description:Often glossed as friend in some Native American naming interpretations, but usage also reflects modern short-name fashion.
- Origin:English, Native American
- Meaning:"Helpful Descendant"
- Description:Commonly used as a modern nickname spelling of Cody, with meaning typically inherited from Cody interpretations rather than Kodi itself.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"Friend Ally"
- Description:Variant spelling of Dakota, referencing the Dakota people and commonly interpreted with themes of friendship.
- Origin:Native American
- Meaning:"Friend to Everyone"
- Description:Often associated with Lakota or Dakota themes, it is used in contemporary naming with a generalized friendship interpretation.
- Origin:Modern English, Native American
- Meaning:"Friend"
- Description:Often presented as a modern phonetic form linked to Dakota interpretations of friend, though usage is contemporary and variable.
- Origin:Native American
- Meaning:"Allies or Friends"
- Description:Lakota is an ethnonym used as a given name, commonly glossed as allies or friends within Siouan contexts.
- Origin:Native American
- Meaning:"The One who Returns"
- Description:Denahi is associated with North American Indigenous-inspired naming, often glossed as returning or coming back.
- Origin:Native American, Modern English
- Meaning:"Friend Ally"
- Description:A variant spelling of Dakota, from Siouan usage often glossed with friendship and alliance.
- Origin:Latin, Native American
- Meaning:"Of the Seneca People"
- Description:Known from the Roman philosopher and the Haudenosaunee nation, it functions as a learned and ethnonymic reference.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"Friend, Ally"
- Description:Dekota is a spelling variant of Dakota, often associated with meanings such as friend or ally in popular interpretation.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"Wealth"
- Description:Reported as a rare given name with uncertain origin, sometimes linked to Indigenous-language attributions without consistent documentation.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"Chief Leader"
- Description:Name associated with Southeastern Native American usage where micco functioned as a title for chief or leader, later adopted as a given name.
- Origin:Native American, Siouan
- Meaning:"Friendly Ally"
- Description:Used as a modern given name drawing on Siouan language ethnonyms and social concepts of alliance.
- Origin:English, Cherokee
- Meaning:"Giant Redwood Tree"
- Description:Sequoia is a modern nature name referencing the giant redwood genus, associated with North American contexts.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"Friend and Ally"
- Description:A spelling variant of Dakota, linked to Sioux ethnonym usage and commonly glossed as friend or ally.
- Origin:Native American, Slavic, Spanish
- Meaning:"Bear"
- Description:Mato is documented as bear in some Native American contexts and also occurs as a short form elsewhere.
- Origin:Spanish, Native American
- Meaning:"Place Name"
- Description:Toponymic given name taken from Taos, a New Mexico place name with Spanish and Indigenous associations rather than a fixed lexical meaning.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"People of the Plains"
- Description:Adopted from the Cheyenne ethnonym, the name entered English usage and is used as a given name with cultural reference.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"Land Between Rivers"
- Description:A toponymic given name derived from the New England place name, historically linked to regional Indigenous language interpretations.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"Friendly Ally"
- Description:Jakota resembles Dakota-derived naming and is used as a modern variant, with meanings often presented as friendly ally in popular sources.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"People of the South Wind"
- Description:Borrowed from the U.S. place name, it traces to Kansa and related Siouan ethnonyms with debated glosses.
- Origin:Native American
- Meaning:"Friend; Ally"
- Description:Derived from Siouan ethnolinguistic terminology, it is commonly glossed as friend or ally and used as a modern given name.
- Origin:Indigenous American, Modern English
- Meaning:"Spotted Predator"
- Description:A word based name referencing the jaguar animal, adopted for symbolic attributes such as strength, speed, and predatory grace.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"From the meadow"
- Description:Waco is a place derived name associated with a Texas city and a Native American ethnonym, with debated original meaning.
- Origin:English, Native American
- Meaning:"People of the Cherokee Nation"
- Description:Adopted from the ethnonym for the Cherokee people, typically signaling heritage or commemorative naming intent.
- Origin:Indigenous American, English
- Meaning:"From the meadow"
- Description:A short form often associated with Cheyenne or similar names, used as an independent given name in English.
- Origin:Spanish, Native American
- Meaning:"Cholla Cactus"
- Description:Choya is used as a regional name and nickname, sometimes referencing cholla cactus, with meanings shaped by local tradition.
- Origin:Quechua, Native American
- Meaning:"Star"
- Description:A Quechua-origin name meaning star, also used as a place-name in North America and adopted as a given name.
- Origin:Lakota, Native American
- Meaning:"First Born Son"
- Description:A Lakota name traditionally glossed as firstborn male child, often reflecting kinship position within a family.
- Origin:Native American, Modern English
- Meaning:"Friend or Ally"
- Description:A spelling variant of Dakota, referencing the Dakota people and often interpreted through the sense of ally or friend.
- Origin:Indigenous American
- Meaning:"Ally; Friend"
- Description:A variant spelling of Dakota, associated with Siouan ethnonyms and often glossed as ally or friend.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"Friend; Ally"
- Description:A variant spelling of Dakota, derived from a Siouan ethnonym often glossed as friend or ally in common explanations.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"Friend; Ally"
- Description:Dakotta is a variant spelling of Dakota, from a Siouan ethnonym often glossed as friend or ally in popular etymologies.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"Long Tail"
- Description:Associated with the Erie people and Lake Erie, and occasionally used as a given name from the toponym.
- Origin:Navajo, Native American
- Meaning:"Mister or Respected Man"
- Description:A Navajo-derived title-like name used to denote a respected man, functioning historically as an honorific and personal identifier.
- Origin:Native American
- Meaning:"Black Drink Cry"
- Description:Name associated with the Seminole leader Osceola, often explained as black drink cry, used as a commemorative given name.
- Origin:Native American, English
- Meaning:"Shawnee Person"
- Description:Derived from the ethnonym of the Shawnee people, later adopted as a given name in English-speaking contexts.
- Origin:Native American, American
- Meaning:"Beautiful Daughter of the Stars"
- Description:Shenandoah is a toponymic name from the Shenandoah Valley and river, with multiple proposed Native American etymologies.
- Origin:Latin, Indigenous American
- Meaning:"Pure/Rejoice"
- Description:Variant spelling of Seneca, referencing both a Roman cognomen and an Iroquoian people name in Anglophone use.
- Origin:Indigenous, English
- Meaning:"Bitter/Sea"
- Description:Adopted from a Pacific Northwest place name, it functions as a toponymic given name without a standardized personal-name meaning.
- Origin:Native American, Japanese
- Meaning:"Son of Honesty; River Plain"
- Description:Yuma occurs as a place-linked name in the American Southwest and as a Japanese given name with varied kanji meanings.
Why Choose Native American Baby Names?
Choosing from native american baby names gives your child a story-rich start. These names often carry a clear emotional meaning, making your final choice feel both personal and intentional.
Written by
Dr. Elena VasquezName Historian & Etymology Expert
Ph.D. in Medieval History from Stanford. Expert in historical naming practices and etymology.
Historical NamesRoyal NamesName Etymology