Native American Boy Names
Native American boy names are not one tradition but hundreds. Hundreds of federally recognized tribes live in the U.S., each with its own language and naming customs. In many nations a boy receives a childhood name and later earns another through deeds or ceremony. Here are 90+ names and name-words with accurate meanings, credited to the specific language they come from, from Lakota Mato (bear) to Ojibwe Migizi (bald eagle).
We avoid the invented “Indian names” that circulate online. You’ll find real words from Lakota, Ojibwe, Cherokee, Navajo and Hopi, Dakota birth-order names, and the names of great leaders. For girls, see Native American girl names, or go back to all Native American names. For Pacific names, browse Hawaiian boy names.
Animal names from Native languages
Animals hold a central place in many Native cultures as relatives, teachers and clan symbols. These are real words for animals in Lakota, Ojibwe (Anishinaabemowin), Cherokee and Navajo, written without diacritics for easy reading. See also names that mean wolf.
| Name | Meaning | Language |
|---|---|---|
| Mato | Bear | Lakota (matȟó) |
| Wanbli | Eagle | Lakota (wanblí) |
| Cetan | Hawk (source of the popular name Chayton) | Lakota (čhetáŋ) |
| Hehaka | Elk | Lakota |
| Sunkmanitu | Wolf | Lakota |
| Kangi | Raven, crow | Lakota (kȟaŋǧí) |
| Zintkala | Bird | Lakota |
| Makwa | Bear | Ojibwe |
| Makoons | Little bear, bear cub | Ojibwe |
| Migizi | Bald eagle | Ojibwe |
| Maiingan | Wolf | Ojibwe (ma’iingan) |
| Ajijaak | Sandhill crane | Ojibwe |
| Amik | Beaver | Ojibwe |
| Nigig | Otter | Ojibwe |
| Gaagaagi | Raven | Ojibwe |
| Mishiikenh | Turtle | Ojibwe |
| Waya | Wolf | Cherokee |
| Yona | Bear | Cherokee |
| Tsula | Fox | Cherokee |
| Uwohali | Eagle | Cherokee |
| Awi | Deer | Cherokee |
| Tsisqua | Bird | Cherokee |
| Kanuna | Bullfrog | Cherokee |
| Waabooz | Rabbit | Ojibwe |
| Ojiig | Fisher (also a star story of the Big Dipper) | Ojibwe |
| Waawaashkeshi | Deer | Ojibwe |
| Shash | Bear | Navajo (Diné) |
| Maii | Coyote | Navajo (Diné, mą’ii) |
Nature and sky names
Wind, thunder, stars and rivers appear in names across Native nations. These words come straight from living languages still taught today.
| Name | Meaning | Language |
|---|---|---|
| Tate | Wind | Lakota (tȟaté) |
| Mahpiya | Cloud, sky | Lakota (maȟpíya) |
| Wakinyan | Thunder being | Lakota |
| Anpo | Dawn | Lakota (aŋpó) |
| Animikii | Thunder, thunderbird | Ojibwe |
| Giizis | Sun; also moon | Ojibwe |
| Anang | Star | Ojibwe |
| Noodin | Wind | Ojibwe |
| Ziibi | River | Ojibwe |
| Mitig | Tree | Ojibwe |
| Asin | Stone | Ojibwe |
| Nibi | Water | Ojibwe |
| Wi | Sun, moon | Lakota (wí) |
| Atsila | Fire | Cherokee |
| Nvda | Sun, moon | Cherokee |
| Nvya | Rock, stone | Cherokee |
| Ama | Water | Cherokee |
| Tawa | Sun; the Hopi sun spirit | Hopi |
Names meaning strong, brave and wise
Qualities admired in a young man, expressed in Native languages. Pair them with names that mean warrior for more ideas.
| Name | Meaning | Language |
|---|---|---|
| Ohitika | Brave | Lakota |
| Ogichidaa | Warrior, protector of the people | Ojibwe |
| Bidziil | He is strong | Navajo (Diné) |
| Ahiga | He fights (commonly given) | Navajo (Diné) |
| Ashkii | Boy | Navajo (Diné) |
| Hozho | Beauty, balance, harmony | Navajo (Diné) |
| Atsa | Eagle | Navajo (Diné) |
| Doli | Bluebird | Navajo (Diné) |
| Kwahu | Eagle | Hopi |
| Honani | Badger | Hopi |
| Kola | Friend (source of the name Koda) | Lakota (kȟolá) |
Dakota birth-order names
Traditionally, Dakota children received a name based on their birth order, before earning other names later in life. The five for sons are well documented; the famous name Winona is the matching name for a first daughter.
| Name | Meaning | Language |
|---|---|---|
| Chaska | First-born son | Dakota |
| Hepan | Second-born son | Dakota |
| Hepi | Third-born son | Dakota |
| Chatan | Fourth-born son | Dakota |
| Hake | Fifth-born son | Dakota |
Names of great Native American leaders
These men shaped history as diplomats, warriors, prophets and statesmen. Their names are powerful namesakes, though many families feel they should be used with knowledge of the story behind them.
| Name | Meaning | Who he was |
|---|---|---|
| Tecumseh | Shooting star; panther crossing the sky | Shawnee leader who built an intertribal alliance |
| Tenskwatawa | The open door | Shawnee prophet, Tecumseh’s brother |
| Sequoyah | Meaning disputed | Created the Cherokee syllabary |
| Degataga | He stands firm | Cherokee name of Stand Watie |
| Tatanka | Bison bull, from Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake (Sitting Bull) | Hunkpapa Lakota leader |
| Osceola | Black drink singer (Asi-yahola) | Seminole leader |
| Cochise | Having the strength of oak (commonly given) | Chiricahua Apache leader |
| Geronimo | Spanish form of Jerome; his Apache name Goyaałé means “one who yawns” | Bedonkohe Apache leader |
| Hiawatha | He who makes rivers (commonly given) | Co-founder of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy |
| Deganawida | Two rivers flowing together | The Great Peacemaker |
| Massasoit | Great sachem (a title) | Wampanoag leader |
| Metacomet | Meaning uncertain | Wampanoag leader, “King Philip” |
| Pontiac | From Obwandiyag, meaning uncertain | Odawa leader |
| Keokuk | Watchful fox | Sauk leader |
| Ouray | Arrow (commonly given) | Ute leader and negotiator |
| Manuelito | Little Manuel (Spanish) | Navajo war leader |
| Washakie | Gourd rattle (commonly given) | Eastern Shoshone chief |
| Wovoka | Wood cutter | Paiute prophet of the Ghost Dance |
| Quanah | Fragrant | Quanah Parker, Comanche leader |
| Tamanend | The affable one | Lenape chief who met William Penn |
| Uncas | Fox (commonly given) | Mohegan sachem |
| Ohiyesa | The winner | Charles Eastman, Dakota physician and author |
| Seattle | From Si’ahl | Duwamish and Suquamish leader |
| Powhatan | Named for a place, “falls in a current” | Paramount chief, father of Pocahontas |
Popular names with Native American roots
Some names now common across the U.S. came from Native words or names, often through place names. These are easy to wear in everyday life.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Dakota | Friend, ally | Dakota |
| Cheyenne | From Dakota Šahíyena, “speakers of a foreign language” | Dakota via French |
| Tahoe | Lake | Washo (da’aw) |
| Koda | Friend (from Lakota kola) | Modern spelling |
| Sequoia | Named for Sequoyah | Via the redwood tree name |
How to choose a Native American boy name respectfully
- If your family is Native, ask elders or your tribe’s language program; many nations have naming ceremonies and specific protocols.
- If you’re not Native, choose everyday words (like Mato or Makwa) over ceremonial names, and never use sacred names or titles such as “Chief.”
- Credit the language: Makwa is Ojibwe, not generically “Native American.” Knowing the source helps you pronounce and explain it.
- Be skeptical of lists that give dramatic meanings like “brave wolf who runs at dawn” for short names; real words rarely translate that way.
- Consider supporting the language you borrow from, for example through a tribal language revitalization program.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Native American name for a boy that means bear?
Mato (Lakota), Makwa (Ojibwe), Yona (Cherokee) and Shash (Navajo) all mean bear. Makoons is Ojibwe for “little bear.”
What Native American name means wolf?
Waya is Cherokee for wolf, Ma’iingan is Ojibwe, and Sunkmanitu is a Lakota word for wolf.
What does Chayton mean?
Chayton is a popular anglicized form of the Lakota word čhetáŋ, meaning hawk or falcon.
What does Dakota mean?
Dakota means “friend” or “ally” in the Dakota language. It is also the name of the Dakota people and two U.S. states.
Is it okay to use a Native American name if I’m not Native?
Many Native people are comfortable with respectful use of everyday words with known meanings. Avoid sacred or ceremonial names, don’t invent “translations,” and learn the correct language and pronunciation.