36+ Native American Boy Names

Editor-in-ChiefUpdated Dec 5, 202536 Names

Native American Boy Names are a wonderful choice for your baby. These names have special meaning and history. Parents love them for their sound and significance. Choosing one of these names gives your child a connection to something meaningful. Think about how the name sounds with your last name. Say it out loud to hear the flow. Consider what the name means and if it fits your family. A good name should feel right when you call your child. This list has Native American Boy Names for you to look at. Browse through and find names that catch your eye. Write down your favorites and compare them. Pick the name that feels perfect for your little one.

Popular Names

Below is a visual overview of the most popular native american boy names for boys and girls. Use this snapshot to compare top picks at a glance.

Top Native American Boy Names ranked by popularity

Native American Boy 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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

Origin:Native American, English
Meaning:"Friend Ally"
Description:Variant spelling of Dakota, referencing the Dakota people and commonly interpreted with themes of friendship.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

Origin:Native American, Modern English
Meaning:"Friend Ally"
Description:A variant spelling of Dakota, from Siouan usage often glossed with friendship and alliance.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

Origin:Native American, Siouan
Meaning:"Friendly Ally"
Description:Used as a modern given name drawing on Siouan language ethnonyms and social concepts of alliance.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

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.

VIEW FULL ANALYSIS

Why Choose Native American Boy Names?

Choosing from native american boy 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

Baby Name Expert & Lead Editor

Editor-in-Chief with 15+ years in baby naming and linguistics. Columbia University M.A. in Linguistics.

Classic NamesName EtymologyCultural Naming Traditions

View Profile →

You might also like

Native American Baby Names