Native American Girl Names
Native American girl names come from hundreds of living languages, not one. A Navajo name sounds nothing like an Ojibwe or Inuit one, and each carries the worldview of the people who speak it. This list of 100+ names is organized by language and nation, with honest notes wherever a meaning is popular lore rather than a real translation.
Many Native families today use English first names alongside names given in ceremony or by elders, so a heritage name often works beautifully as a middle name. You will also find Indigenous names from Mexico and South America, a set of historical women worth knowing, and a link to our Native American boy names. For the full overview, start with our Native American names hub, or see Hawaiian girl names for Polynesian choices.
Navajo (Diné) girl names
Diné bizaad, the Navajo language, is the most widely spoken Native language in the US. Many of these are everyday words that families also use as names, and several are tied to the Navajo ideal of hózhó, living in beauty and balance.
| Name | Meaning | Language / nation |
|---|---|---|
| Nizhoni | Beautiful (nizhóní) | Navajo |
| Doli | Bluebird (dólii) | Navajo |
| Yas | Snow | Navajo |
| Hozho | Beauty, harmony, balance (hózhó) | Navajo |
| Sihasin | Hope, assurance | Navajo |
| Kai | Willow tree (kʼaiʼ) | Navajo |
| Yazhi | Little one (yázhí), often used as an affectionate name | Navajo |
| Tsidii | Bird | Navajo |
| Nilchi | Wind, air, the holy breath (nílchʼi) | Navajo |
| Dezba | Traditionally given as “going to war”; a classic Navajo woman’s name | Navajo |
Lakota and Dakota girl names
The Lakota and Dakota (often grouped as the Sioux) are Plains nations whose words show up in many modern names. Spellings below are simplified; the standard Lakota orthography uses marks such as ȟ and š.
| Name | Meaning | Language / nation |
|---|---|---|
| Winona | Firstborn daughter | Dakota |
| Kimimela | Butterfly (kimímela) | Lakota |
| Hanwi | Moon; also the name of the moon spirit (haŋwí) | Lakota |
| Wichapi | Star (wičháȟpi) | Lakota |
| Mahpiya | Sky, cloud (maȟpíya) | Lakota |
| Wanahca | Flower (wanáȟča) | Lakota |
| Zintkala | Bird (zintkála) | Lakota |
| Wiyaka | Feather | Lakota |
| Mni | Water, as in the phrase <em>Mní wičóni</em>, “water is life” | Lakota |
| Chumani | Often given as “dewdrops” | Lakota (commonly attributed) |
Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) girl names
Anishinaabemowin is spoken around the Great Lakes in the US and Canada. Nature words for seasons, sky and water make lovely names, and many families use them as middle names. For more in this spirit, see names that mean water.
| Name | Meaning | Language / nation |
|---|---|---|
| Giizis | Sun; also moon (dibik-giizis, “night sun”) | Ojibwe |
| Waabigwan | Flower | Ojibwe |
| Ziibi | River | Ojibwe |
| Anang | Star | Ojibwe |
| Aki | Earth, land | Ojibwe |
| Nibi | Water | Ojibwe |
| Waaseyaa | It is light, it is dawn | Ojibwe |
| Memengwaa | Butterfly | Ojibwe |
| Ajijaak | Crane | Ojibwe |
| Miigwan | Feather | Ojibwe |
| Ogimaakwe | Leader woman, chief woman | Ojibwe |
| Ziigwan | Spring (the season) | Ojibwe |
| Dagwaagin | Autumn | Ojibwe |
| Bineshii | Bird | Ojibwe |
Cherokee girl names
Cherokee (Tsalagi) has its own syllabary, created by Sequoyah in the 1820s. Some Cherokee-attributed names online are romanticized; where a meaning is the commonly repeated one rather than a clear dictionary word, we say so.
| Name | Meaning | Language / nation |
|---|---|---|
| Salali | Squirrel | Cherokee |
| Tsula | Fox | Cherokee |
| Ama | Water | Cherokee |
| Unole | Wind | Cherokee |
| Selu | Corn; Selu is the Corn Mother of Cherokee tradition | Cherokee |
| Awinita | Commonly given as “fawn” | Cherokee |
| Adsila | Commonly given as “blossom” | Cherokee |
| Ayita | Commonly given as “first in the dance” | Cherokee (popular attribution) |
| Galilahi | Commonly given as “attractive, amiable” | Cherokee (popular attribution) |
| Tayanita | Commonly given as “young beaver” | Cherokee (popular attribution) |
| Amadahy | Commonly given as “forest water” | Cherokee (popular attribution) |
Hopi, Inuit and Alaska Native names for girls
From the mesas of Arizona to the Arctic coast, these names come from languages with very different sounds, but all are rooted in the land and sky — perfect if you love names that mean snow.
| Name | Meaning | Language / nation |
|---|---|---|
| Talasi | Pollen; popularly “corn tassel flower” | Hopi |
| Sihu | Flower | Hopi |
| Humita | Shelled corn | Hopi |
| Tuwa | Sand, earth | Hopi |
| Kwahu | Eagle | Hopi |
| Siku | Sea ice | Inuit / Iñupiaq |
| Nuna | Land, earth | Inuit |
| Aput | Snow on the ground | Inuktitut |
| Qannik | Snowflake, falling snow | Inuktitut |
| Anuri | Wind | Inuktitut |
| Ulluriaq | Star | Inuktitut |
| Siqiniq | Sun | Inuktitut |
| Taqqiq | Moon | Inuktitut |
| Sedna | Name of the sea goddess in Inuit tradition | Inuit |
Indigenous girl names from Mexico, Central and South America
“Native American” also covers the Indigenous peoples of Latin America. These names from Nahuatl, Maya, Quechua, Mapuche and Guaraní are widely used today — several are in the US top 1,000. See also our Mexican girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Language / nation |
|---|---|---|
| Xochitl | Flower | Nahuatl (Aztec) |
| Citlali | Star | Nahuatl |
| Metztli | Moon | Nahuatl |
| Yolotl | Heart | Nahuatl |
| Itzel | Popularly “rainbow lady,” linked to the goddess Ix Chel | Maya |
| Ixchel | Maya goddess of the moon, weaving and childbirth | Maya |
| Killa | Moon | Quechua |
| Sisa | Flower | Quechua |
| Quyllur | Star | Quechua |
| Nina | Fire | Quechua |
| Ayelen | Joy, smile | Mapuche |
| Rayen | Flower | Mapuche |
| Millaray | Golden flower | Mapuche |
| Anahi | Heroine of a legend about the ceibo flower | Guaraní |
| Arasy | Mother of the sky in Guaraní tradition | Guaraní |
Names of notable Native American women
These women shaped history, and their names are carried on by many families today. Note that some are personal names rather than words you would give a baby lightly — a good reason to learn each story first.
| Name | Who she was / meaning | Nation |
|---|---|---|
| Pocahontas | Nickname meaning “playful one”; daughter of Chief Powhatan | Powhatan |
| Matoaka | Pocahontas’s personal name; meaning uncertain | Powhatan |
| Sacagawea | Guide of the Lewis and Clark expedition; Hidatsa for “bird woman” | Lemhi Shoshone |
| Tekakwitha | Kateri Tekakwitha, first Native American saint; often “she who bumps into things” | Mohawk |
| Kateri | Mohawk form of Catherine | Mohawk |
| Nanyehi | Nancy Ward, influential Beloved Woman of the Cherokee | Cherokee |
| Ahyoka | Daughter of Sequoyah who helped prove his syllabary; often “she brought happiness” | Cherokee |
| Zitkala-Sa | Writer and activist Gertrude Bonnin; “Red Bird” | Yankton Dakota |
| Nampeyo | Celebrated potter; Tewa for “snake that does not bite” | Hopi-Tewa |
| Polingaysi | Educator Polingaysi Qöyawayma; name evokes a butterfly among flowers | Hopi |
| Weetamoo | 17th-century sachem (leader) of the Pocasset | Wampanoag |
| Awashonks | 17th-century sachem of the Sakonnet | Wampanoag |
| Sehoy | Name of several influential women of the Wind Clan | Muscogee (Creek) |
| Wilma | Wilma Mankiller, first woman elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation | Cherokee |
Names made famous by literature
Longfellow’s 1855 poem The Song of Hiawatha borrowed Ojibwe and Dakota words, and some of its names became popular American girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Language / nation |
|---|---|---|
| Minnehaha | Dakota, usually translated “waterfall”; Longfellow rendered it “laughing water” | Dakota (via Longfellow) |
| Nokomis | Grandmother | Ojibwe (via Longfellow) |
| Wenonah | Variant of Winona, firstborn daughter | Dakota (via Longfellow) |
| Onawa | From Longfellow’s “Onaway,” meaning “awake” | Ojibwe (via Longfellow) |
Popular “Native American” names with uncertain origins
You will find these on almost every baby-name site. They’re beautiful and widely used, but we couldn’t trace most of them to a specific word in a specific Native language, so treat the meanings as popular lore rather than fact.
| Name | Commonly given meaning | What we know |
|---|---|---|
| Aiyana | Eternal blossom | Very popular in the US; origin unverified |
| Kaya | My elder little sister (Hopi) | Often cited as Hopi; also a Japanese and Turkish name |
| Tala | Wolf | Widely listed; no clear source language |
| Aponi | Butterfly | Often credited to Blackfoot; unverified |
| Dyani | Deer | Unverified; spelling suggests an English adaptation |
| Halona | Of happy fortune | Unverified |
| Chenoa | White dove | Unverified |
| Kiona | Brown hills | Unverified |
| Leotie | Prairie flower | Unverified |
| Nayeli | I love you | Often linked to Zapotec (Mexico) |
| Tallulah | Leaping water | From a Georgia place name, probably Cherokee or Creek |
| Macawi | Generous, motherly | Often given as Dakota; unverified |
How to choose a Native American name respectfully
- Name the nation, not just “Native American.” A name from Diné bizaad or Anishinaabemowin has a specific home; knowing it helps you pronounce it and explain it.
- If you have Native heritage, ask family and elders first. Many nations have naming customs, and some names are given in ceremony rather than chosen from a list.
- Skip sacred figures and ceremonial titles. Names of holy beings or spiritual roles are generally not appropriate as everyday names outside the culture.
- Be wary of “translations” you can’t trace. Names like Aiyana or Tala are lovely, but their popular meanings are often invented; say so rather than repeating them as fact.
- Use it as a middle name. A heritage word such as Anang (star) or Hanwi (moon) pairs well with a familiar first name. Our names that mean star list has more ideas.
- Learn the pronunciation from a speaker. Tribal language programs and online dictionaries (Ojibwe People’s Dictionary, Navajo language apps) include audio.
Frequently asked questions
What is a pretty Native American girl name?
Nizhoni (Navajo, “beautiful”), Kimimela (Lakota, “butterfly”), Winona (Dakota, “firstborn daughter”) and Waabigwan (Ojibwe, “flower”) are all real words with lovely meanings.
Is it okay to use a Native American name if I’m not Native?
Many everyday words, such as nature terms, are used respectfully by non-Native families, but it’s best to avoid sacred names and ceremonial titles, credit the correct nation, and pronounce the name properly.
What does Nizhoni mean?
Nizhoni comes from the Navajo word nizhóní, meaning “beautiful.” It is one of the most popular Native American girl names in the US.
Is Aiyana a real Native American name?
Aiyana is widely listed as Native American with the meaning “eternal blossom,” but no reliable source ties it to a specific Native language. It is best described as a modern American name inspired by Native sounds.
What Native American name means moon?
Hanwi (Lakota), Taqqiq (Inuktitut), Metztli (Nahuatl) and Killa (Quechua) all mean moon. See our names that mean moon for more.