Names that start with N run from Nora and Nova, which sit inside the American top 50, all the way to names the federal records have never listed even once. This list gathers 102 of them with meanings, origins, pronunciations and current U.S. rankings.
The popularity figures come from the Social Security Administration, which builds its rankings from Social Security card applications filed at birth (1). Every number here is therefore a U.S. count, and a name has to reach five babies in a single year before it is published at all.
Nora led every N name for girls at #20 in 2025, followed by Nova at #46, Naomi at #47 and Natalie at #89. The other 98 are quieter, which is the point: most of them will be the only one in her class.
Popularity at a Glance
The most popular names on this list in the United States, 1965 to 2025: Nora, Nova, Naomi, Natalie and Natalia.
- Nora
- Nova
- Naomi
- Natalie
- Natalia
102 Popular Female Names That Start with N
Find a notable name for your baby girl somewhere within our list of 102 girl names that start with N.
Naamah
Naamah appears in the Old Testament and traces back to the Hebrew “Na’ămâh.” The sound is soft at the front and open at the end, which gives it an almost sung quality. Pleasantness and grace sit behind it, so the name carries warmth without working for it. Parents who want a biblical name that has not been worn smooth by constant use tend to land here.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Pleasantness, graciousness, loveliness
- Pronunciation: NAY-a-ma, NAY-ah-mah
- Variations: Naama
- Namesakes: Naamah Kelman-Ezrachi, an American-born Rabbi, was the first woman in Israel to become a rabbi.
- Popularity: Naamah ranked #14,392 in the United States in 2025, given to 6 girls that year.
Nabila
Nabila is predominantly a Muslim girl’s name drawn from Arabic, where it reads as noble and highborn. Three clean syllables make it easy to say in almost any language, and it rarely needs spelling twice. The meaning is the real draw, a name that quietly sets a high bar, and Nabi makes a natural short form for the toddler years.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Noble, excellent
- Pronunciation: na-BEE-lah, nah-BEE-lah
- Variations: Nebile
- Namesakes: Nabila Haniss, an American businesswoman and buyer on the reality TV show Storage Wars.
- Popularity: U.S. records put Nabila at #7,042 in 2025, or about one girl in every 100,000.
Nada
Nada comes from the Arabic Nadiyyah, carrying the sense of dew at sunrise and of generosity freely given. Water and open hands make a gentle pair of images to hand a daughter. The one caveat is Spanish, where nada means nothing, and that second reading will follow the name in much of the United States. Weigh it against the sound, which is short, warm and easy for a small child to say, and you still have a lovely sweet name.
- Origin: Arabic, Slavic
- Meaning: Dew at sunrise, generosity, hope
- Pronunciation: NA-da
- Variations: Nadia
- Namesakes: Nada Malanima, an Italian singer famous for being voted singer of the year with her hit Amore Disperato in 1983.
- Popularity: Nada did best at #792 in 1934 and stood at #4,432 in 2025.
Nadia
Nadia is an old name with roots in the Arabic Nadiyyah, where it suggests something delicate and finely made. In Russian it means “hope.” Not many names carry a meaning that simple and that large at once. Nadia crosses languages without losing its shape, which is part of why parents from very different backgrounds keep arriving at it. Nadya and Nadiya are the same name with a different accent.
- Origin: Russian, Arabic
- Meaning: Hope, tender, delicate
- Pronunciation: NAHD-ee-a, NA-DYA
- Variations: Nadya, Nadiya
- Namesakes: Nadia Alexandra Bjorlin, an American actress known for her role as Chloe Lane on the soap opera Days of Our Lives.
- Popularity: Nadia has turned up in U.S. records since 1911 and ranked #565 in 2025.
Nadine
Nadine is the French take on the Russian name Nadia, and it keeps hope as its meaning. In Arabic the name is read as a shower of blessings, which suits a first baby or a long-awaited one. The two-syllable finish gives it a mid-century polish, the sort of name that sounds like a jazz record sleeve, and it has never needed a nickname to work.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Hope
- Pronunciation: nay-DEEN, NA-DEEN,
- Variations: Nadeen
- Namesakes: Nadine Velázquez, an American actress and model known for her role as Catalina Aruca in the TV sitcom My Name Is Earl.
- Popularity: Nadine has held fairly level in the United States, ranking #1,627 in 2025.
Nahid
Nahid is the Persian name for the planet Venus, and it belongs to Anahita, the Iranian goddess tied to water, fertility, healing and wisdom. That is a great deal of meaning packed into two syllables. Iran later gave the name to a satellite, Nahid-1, so the sky connection runs right into the present. Say it once and the stress on the second syllable does all the work.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Planet Venus, generosity, elevated
- Pronunciation: naw-HEED
- Variations: Naheed, Anahita
- Popularity: Nahid peaked at #12,665 in 2005 and dropped out of the U.S. data after 2020.
Nailah
Nailah means one who attains in Arabic, the sense of a woman who gets where she set out to go. Swahili speakers read it closer to queen and lion, which pushes the same idea further. The h gives it a fuller ending than plain Naila. It is a strong name that never sounds severe, and that balance is harder to find than it looks.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: One who attains, attainer, successful
- Pronunciation: NA-ee-lah
- Variations: Naila
- Namesakes: Nailah Blackman, a Trinidadian singer and songwriter known for contributing to the soca genre.
- Popularity: U.S. records put Nailah at #1,829 in 2025, or about one girl in every 14,706.
Naledi
Naledi means star in Sesotho and is given with real pride across Botswana, South Africa and Lesotho. It sits in the same family of meaning as Stella and Estelle, but with a rhythm English speakers rarely hear. Three syllables run together quickly in speech, and for a name that travels well and still surprises people, this is one of the best on the list.
- Origin: Sesotho (Indigenous South African)
- Meaning: Star, bright morning star
- Pronunciation: NAA-LE-DE, nah-leh-DEE
- Popularity: U.S. records put Naledi at #9,900 in 2025, or about one girl in every 166,667.
Nalina
Nalina means lotus, the flower that stands for purity and calm across Hindu tradition, where Lord Rama is described as lotus-eyed. Like most Hindi names, it is rooted in faith rather than fashion. The vowels keep it soft in the mouth and the stress lands cleanly in the middle. It hands a girl a nature name with real depth behind it.
- Origin: Hindi
- Meaning: Lotus
- Pronunciation: Na-LEEN-Uh
- Popularity: Nalina has turned up in U.S. records since 1981 and ranked #7,781 in 2025.
Nana
Nana works in several languages at once. It is a short form of Ioanna in Greek and a pet form of Anna in France, and in a great many households it is simply what you call your grandmother. That last association is either the whole reason to choose it or the whole reason not to. As a given name it is warm, brief and impossible to mispronounce. Some families use it to carry a grandmother forward without repeating her name exactly.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Hebrew
- Meaning: Spring, grace
- Pronunciation: nah-nah
- Namesakes: Nana Meriwether, an American former professional volleyball player and beauty pageant titleholder known for winning Miss USA 2012.
- Popularity: Nana has turned up in U.S. records since 1881 and ranked #7,045 in 2025.
Nanala
Nanala is a sunflower name from Hawaii, and it also describes someone who gazes at the sun the way the flower does. The image is a cheerful one for a summer baby. Nana works as an easy nickname for the early years.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Sunflower
- Pronunciation: NA-NA-LUH
- Popularity: Nanala has been off the U.S. charts since 2022, when it last showed up at #14,795.
Nancy
Nancy began as a medieval pet form of Annis, attached itself to Ann, then set up on its own. It became one of the great mid-century American girl names, familiar enough that most people still picture someone specific when they hear it. Grace is the meaning underneath, easy to forget behind all that everyday use. The name now reads vintage rather than dated. Nan and Nance are ready-made, and neither has been claimed by anything else. If you want a name your grandmother and your daughter can share, this is the shortlist.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Grace
- Pronunciation: NAN-see
- Variations: Nanette, Nannie, Nanny, Nanci
- Namesakes: Nancy Ann Kerrigan, an American figure skater known for her series of bronze and silver medal wins in the World Championships and Winter Olympics between 1991 and 1994.
- Popularity: U.S. records put Nancy at #967 in 2025, or about one girl in every 6,061.
Nane
Nane has more than one origin, but the Armenian origin is the one that carries. Nane is the Armenian mother goddess, tied to war and wisdom, shown as a young woman in the clothing of a warrior with a spear and shield in hand. The comparison to Athena is obvious once you see it. It carries a story most people have never heard, reason enough on its own to consider it.
- Origin: Egyptian, Armenian
- Meaning: Good-natured person, young goddess of war, wisdom, motherhood
- Pronunciation: NAH-ne
- Popularity: Nane last appeared in U.S. records in 2022, at #17,030.
Nanette
Nanette is Anne with a French ending, the ette suffix that puts a little lace on a plain name. It shares a root with Nancy, so the two sit in one family without clashing. There is even a rose called the Rosa Nanette, deep pink running to purple, and the name carries a stage-door charm, with Nan or Nettie covering the everyday.
- Origin: English, French
- Meaning: Grace, merciful
- Pronunciation: na-NEHT, nan-ETT, non-ETT
- Variations: Annie, Nancy, Nannette, Nannytte, Nannett, Nanett
- Namesakes: Nanette Fabray, an American actress known for her roles in the TV series One Day at a Time and Coach.
- Popularity: Nanette sits at #14,412 in the 2025 U.S. rankings, a rarity given to roughly one in every 250,000 girls.
Nanu
Nanu is short, playful and used in more than one part of the world. In Hindi it reads as small and beautiful, which is roughly what every parent thinks in the first week. The doubled n gives it a bounce that suits a nickname-style given name.
- Origin: Egyptian
- Meaning: Pretty, cute, beautiful
- Pronunciation: nah-nu
- Popularity: Nanu falls below the five-birth line the Social Security Administration uses, so it carries no published U.S. rank.
Naolin
Naolin comes out of Aztec tradition by way of Spanish, where it is tied to the god of the sun. That gives it heat and authority, and it works for a girl or a boy. The spelling looks unusual on the page but breaks into two clear beats. Naolinn and Naolyn are there if you want a softer finish.
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: Aztec god of the sun
- Pronunciation: nao-lin, na-ol-in
- Variations: Naolinn, Naolyn, Naolynn
- Popularity: Naolin is too rare for U.S. federal name records, which publish a name only once at least five babies of that sex receive it in a single year.
Naomi
Naomi belongs to the Book of Ruth, where her loyalty and grief drive the whole story. The meaning runs to pleasantness and sweetness, and the sound matches it. It is also of Japanese origin, a unisex name read as straight and beautiful, which gives it two entirely separate homes. That double life is rare in a name this familiar. Naomi has stayed in use for well over a century without ever feeling like a trend.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Pleasantness, sweetness, delight
- Pronunciation: nay-O-mee, nie-O-mee
- Variations: Noam, Noemie, Noemi
- Namesakes: Naomi Ellen Watts, a British actress known for her role in the 2005 remake of the film King Kong.
- Popularity: Naomi is climbing in the United States, #47 in 2025 and up about 43% comparing the last ten years of births with the ten before them.
Narcissa
Narcissa is the feminine form of Narcissus, the hunter of Greek mythology, who fell in love with his reflection and could not leave it. The myth is a warning, but the name kept the flower: narcissus, the daffodil, first thing up after a hard winter. Read it that way and it becomes a spring name with a long memory. Three syllables make it formal, and Cissa softens it day to day.
- Origin: Greek, Roman
- Meaning: Daffodil
- Pronunciation: nahr-SIS-ah
- Namesakes: Narcissa Niblack Thorne, an American artist known for her extremely detailed miniature rooms depicting historical interiors from Europe, Asia, and North America.
- Popularity: Narcissa peaked at #3,062 in 1915 and dropped out of the U.S. data after 1996.
Narda
Narda pairs two ideas that do not usually share a name: something fragrant and someone fervently devoted. The plant world supplies the first and Latin supplies the second. Marvel readers may know Narda Ravanna, the Belladonna, from the Spider-Man comics, and it is short, firm and almost never heard on a playground.
- Origin: Greek, Latin
- Meaning: Fragrant, fervently devoted
- Pronunciation: nar-dah
- Namesakes: Narda Onyx, an Estonian American actress known for appearing in many TV shows, including The Beverly Hillbillies, Have Gun – Will Travel, and The Man from UNCLE.
- Popularity: Narda last appeared in U.S. records in 2004, at #13,771.
Narelle
Narelle carries a piece of Australian history. She was the wife of Umbarra, the 19th-century leader of the Yuin people, and the Yuin language is now extinct, so the true meaning of her name is lost. Little river is the reading that survived. The Narellan River in New South Wales may explain the French-sounding ending. A name with a gap in the record like this one asks you to accept a little mystery.
- Origin: Indigenous Australian
- Meaning: Little river
- Pronunciation: nuh-RELLE
- Popularity: Narelle has been off the U.S. charts since 2018, when it last showed up at #17,431.
Narina
Narina is a Persian name tied to the pomegranate flower, rosy and fresh. A butterfly found in India carries the name too, and in Japanese the ri sound means white jasmine, so the flowers keep turning up. Three syllables, a soft r, nothing hard to say. It suits parents who want a nature name that has not been picked over.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Rosy, fresh, passionate, pomegranate flower
- Pronunciation: NA-REE-NA, nuh-REE-nah
- Popularity: Narina peaked at #16,958 in 2021 and dropped out of the U.S. data after 2021.
Nasrin
Nasrin means wild rose in Persian, the kind that grows without anyone planting it. The r sits far back in the mouth and softens the whole word, which is why the name sounds calm rather than sharp. It is spelled several ways, Nesrin and Nasreen among them, so expect to say which one you mean. Nasrin has the makings of a genuine international girl’s name.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Wild rose
- Pronunciation: nas-REEN
- Variations: Nesrin, Nazrin, Nasreen
- Namesakes: Nesrin Cavadzade, a Turkish actress famous for being awarded Best Supporting Actress for her performance in To Better Days in 2011 and Best Actress in The Lamb in 2014.
- Popularity: Nasrin last appeared in U.S. records in 2023, at #13,066.
Natalia
Natalia comes from the Latin natalis and points at one birthday in particular, Christmas. Girls born on the day have carried it for centuries, though nobody checks the calendar before using it now. The full form is formal in the best sense, four syllables with some ceremony in them, and Talia is the nickname that will happen whether you plan for it or not.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Birthday of the Lord
- Pronunciation: na-TAHL-ee-a, na-ta-LEE-a
- Variations: Natalee, Natalie, Nathalie, Natille, Natalina
- Namesakes: Natalia Gastiain Tena, a British actress and musician known for her roles in the Harry Potter film series and the HBO series Game of Thrones.
- Popularity: Natalia did best at #79 in 2021 and stood at #144 in 2025.
Natalie
Natalie is the English and French form of Natalia, from the Latin phrase natale domini, the birthday of the Lord. It manages to sound classic and current at the same time, so it ages with the person rather than the decade. Nat and Natty wait in the wings for the small years, with no spelling arguments along the way.
- Origin: Latin, English, French
- Meaning: Birthday of the Lord
- Pronunciation: NAT-a-lee, NA-ta-lee
- Variations: Natalia
- Namesakes: Natalie Wood, an American actress famous for her co-starring role at age 8 in Miracle on 34th Street.
- Popularity: Natalie ranked #89 in the United States in 2025, one of only four N names for girls inside the top 100.
Natasha
Natasha is the Russian pet form of Natalya that outgrew the original everywhere outside Slavic countries. Like Natalia and Natalie it goes back to a Christmas birth, so the whole group shares one root. The middle syllable gives it a warmth the shorter forms lack. Tash and Tasha are waiting whenever the full name feels like too much.
- Origin: Russian
- Meaning: Birthday of the Lord, Christmas day
- Pronunciation: na-TAHSH-a, nu-TA-sha
- Variations: Natalya
- Namesakes: Natasha Gregson Wagner, an American actress known for her roles in films including Lost Highway, Two Girls and a Guy, Urban Legend, and High Fidelity.
- Popularity: Natasha has slipped to #1,148 in 2025 in the United States, down about 49% comparing the last ten years of births with the ten before them.
Nayeli
Nayeli is a Native American name of Zapotec origin, and it means I love you. The Zapotec civilization of southern Mexico is an old one, so the name carries real lineage. It is widely used among Latino families in the United States, where the three syllables land easily in English. Few names say their meaning quite so directly.
- Origin: Zapotec
- Meaning: I love you
- Pronunciation: Nay-elle-ee, Nah-YAY-lee
- Variations: Anayeli, Nayely
- Namesakes: Lydia Nayeli Rangel Hernández, a Mexican footballer who plays midfielder for Tigres UANL and the Mexico women’s national team.
- Popularity: Nayeli has held fairly level in the United States, ranking #271 in 2025.
Nazanin
Nazanin translates less like a word and more like a compliment: graceful maiden, sweetheart, lovely, delightful. Farsi stacks the affection up rather than settling on one term. The stress falls on the final syllable, which gives the name a lift at the end, and Naz is the obvious short form for the years when three syllables are too many.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Sweetheart, lovely, delightful
- Pronunciation: naw-za-NEEN
- Variations: Nazenin
- Namesakes: Nazanin Boniadi, an Iranian-born British actress and official spokesperson for Amnesty International.
- Popularity: Nazanin ranked #6,755 in the United States in 2025, given to 17 girls that year.
Nazareth
Nazareth is a place before it is a person, the town in northern Israel where Jesus grew up. The meaning is not settled, though it is usually traced to a Hebrew root for a branch that will bear fruit, or another for keeping watch and guarding. Either reading gives a child something to live up to. It suits a girl or a boy, and Naz shortens it without losing the weight.
- Origin: Hebrew, Arabic
- Meaning: Branch, watch, guard, keep
- Pronunciation: NAZ-a-reth
- Popularity: Nazareth held the #2,530 spot in 2025, roughly one girl out of every 22,727.
Neasa
Neasa may be an Irish form of Ness or a version of the Greek Agnes, and the sources do not agree. The Irish legend is the better story: a woman first called Assa, meaning gentle, was renamed Ní-assa, not gentle, after she set out to avenge the murder of her foster fathers. That is a name with a hinge in the middle of it. The spelling gives English speakers trouble, since it begins nearer NYA than NEE.
- Origin: Greek, Irish
- Meaning: holy, pure, not gentle
- Pronunciation: NYA-sah
- Popularity: The U.S. data shows Neasa only in 2008, when it reached #19,628 before disappearing from the charts.
Nebetta
Nebetta reaches back to the 17th dynasty of Egypt, where Princess Nebetta, sister of the pharaoh Ahmose, was called the child of the moon. The meaning is unusually specific for a name this old. If your daughter arrives at night, it makes a quiet keepsake of the hour.
- Origin: Egyptian
- Meaning: Child of the moon
- Pronunciation: neh-bet-ah
- Popularity: Nebetta is too rare for U.S. federal name records, which publish a name only once at least five babies of that sex receive it in a single year.
Nedda
Nedda is the Sicilian short form of Antonietta and doubles as a form of Nella. The Slavic route is the more interesting one: nedelja breaks into ne, not, and delat, to do, which is how Sunday got its name in several Slavic languages. Born on Sunday is the meaning that came out of that, a day of rest packed into two crisp syllables that are a rarity now.
- Origin: Slavic, Sicilian
- Meaning: Born on Sunday
- Pronunciation: NED-dah
- Variations: Antonia, Antoniana
- Popularity: Nedda has been off the U.S. charts since 1991, when it last showed up at #11,107.
Neel
Neel collects meanings from several directions at once. It comes from the Latin Cornelius, like a horn, and from Irish and Gaelic, where it reads as champion. It is also an Old French personal name from the Latin Nigellus, and the Hindi meaning is sapphire blue. Any one of those would carry a child; together they make a name that refuses to be pinned down. It works for a girl or a boy and never needs a second syllable.
- Origin: Latin, Gaelic, Hindu
- Meaning: Like a horn, champion, sapphire blue
- Pronunciation: N-EE-L, NAYL
- Variations: Neeltjie, Neilina, Nelly, Nel
- Namesakes: Neel Jani, a Swiss professional Porsche factory driver famous for winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2016.
- Popularity: Neel ranked #1,581 in the United States in 2025, given to 108 girls that year.
Neelam
Neelam is the blue sapphire, and the stone does the talking. In Hindu practice it is often given to a child born under the birth star Anuradha, and a flawless sapphire is said to lift poverty and bring health and a prosperous life. The name therefore carries a wish as much as a description. Nilam is the alternate spelling if you prefer fewer letters.
- Origin: Sanskrit, Hindi
- Meaning: Blue sapphire
- Pronunciation: NEE-lam
- Variations: Nilam
- Namesakes: Neelam Sivia, an Indian TV and film actress known for her role in the Punjabi film 47 to 84.
- Popularity: Neelam’s last appearance in U.S. records was 2023, at #14,665.
Nefertari
Nefertari means the most beautiful, from the Egyptian nfrt-jrj, and it belonged to the favored wife of Ramesses the Great. She was highly educated and carried out diplomatic work on his behalf, which is the part usually left out of the story. It is still read as a royal name, in bearing and in intellect. Four syllables make it a commitment, and Tari makes it livable.
- Origin: Ancient Egyptian
- Meaning: Beautiful companion
- Pronunciation: nehf-ar-TAHR-ee, nef-er-TAR-ee
- Variations: Nofertari
- Popularity: Nefertari’s 2025 U.S. ranking was #5,352, close to one girl in every 66,667.
Nefertiti
Nefertiti means beauty has arrived, which is a bold thing to announce at birth. The Egyptian queen who wore it, royal wife of the pharaoh Akhenaten, is still recognized from portraits that outlasted her by thousands of years. Almost no name comes with a face attached that firmly, and it is a heavy crown for a small head, though the sound is lighter than the history suggests.
- Origin: Egyptian
- Meaning: Beauty has arrived
- Pronunciation: nehf-ar-TEE-tee
- Popularity: Nefertiti did best at #2,780 in 1980 and stood at #9,290 in 2025.
Negar
Negar is a Persian name for a beloved or a sweetheart, and it also means pattern and painting. The overlap is deliberate in Farsi poetry, where the beloved is the picture. It may sound unfamiliar to an English ear at first, yet it is only two syllables and reads exactly as it looks.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Beloved, soulmate, idol, sweetheart
- Pronunciation: neh-GAWR
- Popularity: Negar was last recorded in the U.S. data in 1991, at #14,689.
Negin
Negin is the gemstone set into a piece of jewelry rather than the jewelry itself, which is a more precise meaning than most names manage. The word implies something rare and deliberately chosen. Parents who want a small, bright name with a Persian root tend to find their way here. It also avoids the spelling pileup that longer Persian names can bring.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Gemstone
- Pronunciation: neh-GEEN
- Namesakes: Negin Farsad, an Iranian-American comedian, actress, writer, and filmmaker known for her solo show Bootleg Islam, which she wrote and performed.
- Popularity: Negin dropped off the U.S. charts after 2000, its last appearance at #16,824.
Neith
Neith was an early Egyptian goddess who covered home and femininity alongside hunting and war, a range no single English word gets near. Neith is the Greek form of the Egyptian Nit, possibly meaning “water.” To an English ear it sounds as though it could have come out of Ireland, which is part of the appeal. It carries ancient roots most guests will not recognize, and almost nobody else in the room will share it.
- Origin: Egyptian, Greek
- Meaning: Divine mother, water
- Pronunciation: NEE-th
- Namesakes: Neith Nevelson, an American artist best known for her paintings of horses, female nudes, and male faces.
- Popularity: Neith falls below the five-birth line the Social Security Administration uses, so it carries no published U.S. rank.
Nell
Nell is a Medieval diminutive for Ellen, Eleanor, Selene and Helen, more or less any name with that el sound in it. It has spent the last few decades standing on its own and holds up as a full name. The Little Nell is a climbing plant with pale pink flowers that stand for cleverness and ingenuity. Bright shining one is the meaning underneath, and one syllable carries it fine.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Bright shining one, moon
- Pronunciation: NEHL
- Variations: Nel, Nehl, Nehll
- Namesakes: Nell Carter, an American singer and actress best known for her role as Nell Harper on the TV sitcom Gimme a Break!
- Popularity: Nell did best at #211 in 1913 and stood at #1,628 in 2025.
Nellie
Nellie comes from the Latin Cornelia. It also stands close to Eleanor and Helen. It is the friendlier cousin of Nell, with a soft ending that reads as warm rather than fussy. Names like this one spent a century sounding old-fashioned before turning back into something parents actively want. Horn and sunray are the meanings behind it, which is a pleasant pair to inherit.
- Origin: Latin, Greek
- Meaning: Horn, sunray
- Pronunciation: NEHL-ee, NEH-li
- Variations: Nelly
- Namesakes: Nellie Vladimirovna Kim, a retired Soviet and Belarusian gymnast known for her three gold medals and a silver medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and two gold medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics.
- Popularity: Nellie has turned up in U.S. records since 1880 and ranked #533 in 2025.
Nena
Nena is Spanish for baby girl, and the literal reading is little girl. In some families it also means great-granddaughter, and it works as a short form of Antonina or Giannina. That is the one thing to think about: the name says small, and she will not be small forever. Plenty of parents decide that is exactly the point.
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: Baby girl
- Pronunciation: NEE-na
- Variations: Nina
- Namesakes: Nena Lekovic, a Serbian songwriter who has been influential in the Eastern European pop music scene, collaborating with several famous pop stars.
- Popularity: Nena peaked at #950 in 1954 and dropped out of the U.S. data after 2024.
Nenet
Nenet belongs to a goddess of the deep, which gives a very short name an unusual amount of gravity. Two syllables, both light, attached to a meaning that is anything but. It has the international feel of a name that never settled in one country.
- Origin: Egyptian
- Meaning: Goddess of the deep
- Pronunciation: ne-NET
- Variations: Naunet
- Popularity: Nenet is too rare for U.S. federal name records, which publish a name only once at least five babies of that sex receive it in a single year.
Neisha
Neisha means night in Arabic and turns toward lovely, pure and flower-like in Hindi. The sh in the middle keeps it soft the whole way through. Spelling it out will be a regular chore, since Neesha and Naisha are both in circulation.
- Origin: Arabic, Hindu
- Meaning: Night
- Pronunciation: nee-shuh
- Variations: Neesha, Naisha.
- Namesakes: Neza Buh, known as Neisha, a Slovenian pianist and pop singer widely known for her musical talent.
- Popularity: Neisha has held fairly level in the United States, ranking #8,717 in 2025.
Nephele
Nephele comes from the Greek nephos, cloud, and the myth is worth reading. Zeus shaped a cloud into the likeness of Hera to trap Ixion, a mortal who wanted her, and Nephele was what he made. Being born out of a trick did not stop her becoming a figure in her own right. Three light syllables and an ele ending fit the current taste for softness. Nefeli is the Greek spelling still in everyday use.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Cloudy
- Pronunciation: NEHF-a-lee, NEFF-eh-lee
- Variations: Nefeli
- Popularity: Nephele has turned up in U.S. records since 2024 and ranked #12,816 in 2025.
Neriah
Neriah is an Old Testament name that reads as the lamp of the Lord, a burning light. It sounds close to Maria, which is also a biblical name. That makes it feel familiar even to people meeting it for the first time. The name works for a girl or a boy. It pairs easily with a shorter middle name, and the meaning needs no explaining.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Burning light of God, lamp of the Lord
- Pronunciation: ni-RIE-a
- Variations: Neriahu, Neria, Neriya
- Popularity: Neriah is climbing in the United States, #762 in 2025 and up about 43% comparing the last ten years of births with the ten before them.
Nerissa
Nerissa means from the sea, and the Greek sense runs closer to sea nymph or mermaid. Shakespeare used it in The Merchant of Venice, which is where most people first meet the name. The double s in the middle gives it a hush. If water names appeal, this one has a lighter touch than Marina.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: From the sea
- Pronunciation: ne-RIS-a
- Namesakes: Nerissa Nields, an American rock and folk musician who was part of The Nields.
- Popularity: Nerissa sat at #10,681 in the 2025 U.S. rankings, near one girl in every 166,667.
Nessa
Nessa has several origins, each pulling in a different direction. In Greek it may be a form of Agnes, holy or pure, or a short form of Vanessa, meaning “butterfly.” In Hebrew, Nessa means “miracle,” while the Scottish reading is a headland jutting into the water. Take the one you like; the sound is the same either way.
- Origin: Scottish, Scandinavian
- Meaning: Headlands, promontory
- Pronunciation: NEHS-ah
- Variations: Ness, Neasa, Neassa, Neas,
- Namesakes: Nessa Diab, an American radio and TV personality known for her hip-hop show on New York City’s top-rated Hot 97.
- Popularity: Nessa did best at #2,302 in 2016 and stood at #2,744 in 2025.
Neve
Neve comes from the Latin nivis, meaning “snow.” It is also the anglicized spelling of the Irish Niamh, which means bright or radiant, so the name arrives holding two passports. One syllable, said NEEV, and the spelling will need saying aloud more than once. A winter baby makes it obvious, though it does not need the season to work.
- Origin: Latin, Irish
- Meaning: Snow, bright
- Pronunciation: NEEV
- Variations: Niamh
- Namesakes: Neve Adrianne Campbell, a Canadian actress known for her work in the drama and horror genres.
- Popularity: Neve entered U.S. records in 1996 and held #3,156 in 2025.
Nevena
Nevena comes from the South Slavic neven, the marigold. That flower holds its color into autumn, which is a fair thing to wish on a child. Three syllables, all soft, with the stress in the middle, and Neva makes a tidy short form.
- Origin: Slavic
- Meaning: Marigold
- Pronunciation: ne-VEE-nah
- Variations: Nevenka, Nevica
- Namesakes: Nevena Tsoneva, a Bulgarian pop singer known for winning the first season of the Bulgarian Music Idol TV series in 2007.
- Popularity: Nevena is climbing in the United States, #16,586 in 2025 and up about 18% comparing the last ten years of births with the ten before them.
Neza
Neza is the Slovene form of the Latin Agnes. Pure is the meaning, and the lamb that follows Agnes around comes with it. The name looks foreign on a first reading and then turns obvious, two syllables and no silent letters. It is one a child can grow into rather than one she has to grow out of.
- Origin: Slavic
- Meaning: Pure
- Pronunciation: nez-a, ne-za
- Variations: Janja, Ines
- Popularity: Neza falls below the five-birth line the Social Security Administration uses, so it carries no published U.S. rank.
Nicki
Nicki comes from the Greek Nikolaos. That name is built out of nike, victory, and laos, people. Nike herself was the goddess of triumph, so the name has been carrying that message for a very long time. It reads as informal, the sort of name that sounds like it is already a nickname, which some parents love and others avoid. Nikki, Niki and Nicky are all in play if the spelling matters to you.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: People of victory
- Pronunciation: nik-ee
- Variations: Nickee, Nickie, Nickey, Nicky, Niki, Nikkee, Nikkey, Nikki
- Namesakes: Nicki Lynn Aycox, an American actress, and musician, known for her roles in Supernatural, Cold Case, Jeepers Creepers 2, Perfect Stranger, and The X-Files.
- Popularity: The last year Nicki showed up in U.S. records was 2022, when it stood at #10,202.
Nicole
Nicole is the French feminine of Nicholas, from the Greek Nikolaos: victory of the people. It crossed into English and stayed for decades, which is why it now sounds like a specific generation rather than a specific person. Give it another twenty years and it will read as classic instead of familiar. The meaning, at least, does not date.
- Origin: Greek, French
- Meaning: People of victory
- Pronunciation: ni-KOL, NEE-KAWL, ni-Kohl
- Variations: Nichole, Nikole, Nikkole
- Namesakes: Nicole Mary Kidman, an American-Australian actress known for her roles in the films Dead Calm, Bangkok Hilton, Batman Forever, and Far and Away.
- Popularity: Nicole ranked #383 in the United States in 2025, given to 803 girls that year.
Nicoline
Nicoline is derived from the ancient Greek name Nīkólaos. Saint Nicholas was a 4th-century Christian saint. Nicoline is a refreshing combination name and variant of the Greek names Coline and Nicole, linked to Nicholas. The selfless meaning of Nicoline holds a great life lesson after Saint Nicholas, who had a reputation for secret gift-giving.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Victory of the people
- Pronunciation: ni-ko-leen
- Variations: Nicole, Coline
- Namesakes: Nicoline Artursson, a Swedish fashion model and Miss World Sweden 2011 titleholder.
- Popularity: Nicoline’s best U.S. showing was #4,169 back in 1918, and it last appeared in the data in 1995.
Nielsine
Nielsine is the feminine form of Niels and means “champion.” Nielsine is an attractively feminine Danish girl’s name. Nielsine is among the more unusual female names that start with N.
- Origin: Danish
- Meaning: Champion, horn
- Pronunciation: niel-sin
- Variations: Neila, Nilsine
- Popularity: Nielsine is too rare for U.S. federal name records, which publish a name only once at least five babies of that sex receive it in a single year.
Nienke
Nienke is the Dutch Frisian diminutive of Katherine. Nienke is rooted in Greek mythology and has been adopted into historically Christian countries. Catherine of Alexandria was one of the first Christian Saints.
- Origin: Old Greek
- Meaning: Pure, clear of dirt, clean of shame or guilt, purified
- Pronunciation: NEEN-ka
- Variations: Nynke, Ninke
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking exists for Nienke: fewer than five American girls a year have been given it, which is the cutoff for publication.
Nigella
Nigella is the feminine of Nigel, which traces to the Latin niger and means “dark.” A second thread runs through the Celtic niadh, champion, so the name holds shadow and strength together. The Roman habit of adding an a to a masculine name is what produced this shape, by way of the Old French Nigellus. It has real weight, with Ella sitting underneath if she ever wants something plainer.
- Origin: Latin, Celtic
- Meaning: Champion, black
- Pronunciation: nie-gella
- Namesakes: Nigella Lucy Lawson, an English food writer and TV chef known for her cooking program and cookery books How to Eat and How to Be a Domestic Goddess.
- Popularity: Nigella reached #12,084 in 2003 at its U.S. peak, then disappeared from the records after 2015.
Nightingale
Nightingale was originally an English last name but was also used as a nickname for a person with a good singing voice. Nightingale is derived from the German bird of the same name, known for its lovely song. It can be shortened to Gale, a more practical everyday nickname.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Night singer
- Pronunciation: NIE-ting-gayl
- Namesakes: Annie Nightingale, an English radio and television broadcaster famous for being the first female radio presenter.
- Popularity: U.S. federal name records only publish a name once five babies of that sex receive it in a year, a line Nightingale has not reached.
Nika
Nika lands in three languages at once. Persian gives it good and pure crystal water, while Russian uses it as a short form of Veronika. Greek connects it to Nike, the goddess of victory. Two syllables that short rarely carry that much. It also works as a middle name or as half of a combination like Nika-Lynn.
- Origin: Persian, Slavic, Greek
- Meaning: Good, pure crystal water, victory
- Pronunciation: NEE-ka
- Namesakes: Nika Futterman, an American voice and television actress known for her voices in various animated series, including Asajj Ventress in Star Wars.
- Popularity: Nika held the #3,200 spot in the 2025 U.S. rankings, roughly one girl out of every 32,258.
Nikita
Nikita derives from the Greek Niketas, meaning “victory.” Originally a masculine Russian name, Nikita was used as a female name in the 1990 film La Femme Nikita.
- Origin: Greek, Slavic
- Meaning: Unconquered, victor
- Pronunciation: nyi-KYEE-ta, nih-KEE-tah
- Namesakes: Nikita Lianne Ramsey, an English actress known for her role as Piper Williamson in the TV series House of Anubis.
- Popularity: Nikita did best at #250 in 1986 and stood at #4,524 in 2025.
Nila
Nila is Danila’s short form, meaning “God is judge.” Nila means “dark blue, sapphire” in Sanskrit but also takes on the meaning of Danila. Nila Devi is the third consort of Lord Vishnu and pardons the mistakes and shortcomings of devotees.
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: Blue, dark blue
- Pronunciation: NIL-a, NEE-la
- Variations: Neela, Nyla, Nylah
- Namesakes: Nila Mack, an American producer best known as the creator and director of the CBS radio children’s series Let’s Pretend.
- Popularity: Nila’s U.S. record dates to 1890, and it ranked #1,754 in 2025.
Nilam
Nilam is a revered Hindu name due to its blue-color association. In the Hindu faith, the positive attributes of Nilam include being stable, calm, home-loving, detail-oriented, obedient, trustworthy, logical, active, organized, and responsible.
- Origin: Hindu
- Meaning: Blue sapphire, blue stone
- Pronunciation: NEE-lahm
- Variations: Nealam, Neelam, Nylam
- Popularity: Nilam has not appeared in the U.S. data since 1996, when it last stood at #12,989.
Nilashri
Nilashri directly relates to the color blue, which depicts Lord Vishnu. Blue is a strong spiritual color in the Hindu religion and is used in the meanings of many related names. Blue indicates a connection to Lord Vishnu and symbolizes purity and inner strength
- Origin: Hindu
- Meaning: Blue beauty
- Pronunciation: NEE-lash-ree
- Popularity: Fewer than five girls a year have received Nilashri, so the Social Security Administration does not publish a rank for it.
Nili
NILI is an acronym in Hebrew, taken from Netzah Yisrael Lo Yeshaker, the Eternal One of Israel will not lie. Not many names begin life as a sentence. It is also a Muslim girl’s name meaning “blue.” That promise underneath it is not something many short names manage to carry.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: The everlasting of Israel will not lie
- Pronunciation: NI-lee
- Popularity: In 2025, Nili landed at #6,758 in the U.S. rankings, a name given to 17 girls.
Niloufar
Niloufar derives from the Old Persian word “nilufar.” Floral name meanings connect a name to nature and are always refreshing. There is no prejudice in the beauty of nature, and most cultures keenly adopt floral names like Niloufar.
- Origin: Persian, Farsi
- Meaning: Lotus, water lily
- Pronunciation: nee-loo-FAR
- Variations: Nilophur, Nelofar, Nilofar, Nilufar, Niloofar, Neiloufar
- Namesakes: Nilufar Usmonova, an Uzbek singer and actress known for her various roles in film and music albums released in 2008 and 2009.
- Popularity: Niloufar last showed up in the U.S. data in 2023, at #10,935, and has been absent since.
Nina
Nina is Spanish for little girl, Russian for Anne, and the tail end of a dozen longer names ending in nina. Mythology adds two more: a Babylonian ocean goddess and an Incan goddess of fire, which is a strange pair to share a name. All of that sits inside two syllables anyone can say on the first try. It is close to the definition of a name that travels.
- Origin: Spanish, Russian, Scandinavian
- Meaning: Little girl, favor, grace
- Pronunciation: NEE-nah
- Variations: Antonina, Catalina, Constantina, Genevieve, Janina, Karina, Katharina, Marina
- Namesakes: Nina Simone, an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist known for her various music styles.
- Popularity: Nina has turned up in U.S. records since 1880 and ranked #324 in 2025.
Ninella
Ninella is the Russian post-revolutionary feminine form of Lenin. Ninella derives from the Lena River or Elyu-Ene, which means “the Large River.” Other sources claim that Ninella is of Turkish origin with the same meaning. Ninella sounds like a floral name
- Origin: Russian
- Meaning: Lady of the earth, the pure lady, the large river
- Pronunciation: ni-NEHL-la
- Variations: Leniana, Ninel, Lenina
- Popularity: Ninella has not crossed the threshold U.S. federal name records require, five babies of that sex in a single year, so it carries no published rank.
Nirvana
Nirvana names a state rather than a person, the place of great bliss in Hindu thought. The rock band of the early 1990s is the other association and it is not going anywhere. Parents who choose it usually mean the first thing and make peace with the second. It works for a girl or a boy, and it is one of very few word names that promises calm.
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: Place of great bliss
- Pronunciation: nir-VAHN-uh
- Popularity: Nirvana is climbing in the United States, #2,428 in 2025 and up about 156% comparing the last ten years of births with the ten before them.
Nisha
Nisha derives from the Dravidian Tamil “nisha,” meaning “night, midnight.” In Hindu mythology, Nisha was the twin sister of Ziarre, the goddess of the day. Nisha also means “courage, spirit, morale, resolution” and has further virtuous Islamic meanings.
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: Night
- Pronunciation: NEE-sha, nish-uh
- Namesakes: Nisha Rawal, an Indian actress known for her role in the TV show Main Lakshmi Tere Aangan Ki.
- Popularity: Nisha stays rare in the United States, ranked #8,216 in 2025 with 13 girls given the name.
Nitzan
Nitzan derives from the Hebrew “Nitzana,” meaning “a flower bud, blossom.” Nitzan is a religiously observant communal settlement in southern Israel, a trading post in early history. Nitzan is a historical name with strong religious ties
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Flower bud, blossom
- Pronunciation: NIT-zan
- Variations: Nizana, Nitzana, Nitzanah
- Popularity: Nitzan is rare enough that it has never hit the five-births-a-year mark U.S. federal records require for publication.
Noa
Noa is an Old Testament name in its own right, not a respelling of Noah. It comes from the Hebrew No’ah and means motion. Noah, by contrast, traces to Noach, rest. The two names sit at opposite ends of the same idea. Three letters, one clean sound, modern without being invented.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Motion
- Pronunciation: NO-a
- Variations: Noah
- Popularity: Noa is climbing in the United States, #226 in 2025 and up about 273% comparing the last ten years of births with the ten before them.
Noelene
Noelene derives from the Old French Noel, a variant of Nael, from the Latin Natalis. Noelene is found in many languages but is particularly common in French, Eastern Europe, and English-speaking countries.
- Origin: Latin, French
- Meaning: Christmas, day of Christ’s birth
- Pronunciation: no-LEEN
- Variations: Noeline, Natalie, Natalee, Noelle, Noel, Talia, Talya
- Popularity: Noelene’s only U.S. showing was 1943, when it reached #4,559 and then vanished from the charts.
Noelia
Noelia is the Spanish feminine variation of the French Noël. Noelia carries the Christmas spirit and themes of family and generosity.
- Origin: Spanish, French
- Meaning: Born on Christmas
- Pronunciation: NO-EHL-ee-ah
- Variations: Noella, Noela
- Namesakes: Noelia Freire, a Spanish model, crowned Miss Universe Spain in 2016.
- Popularity: The 2025 U.S. figures put Noelia at #1,405, with 156 girls given the name.
Noella
Noella is the feminine form of Noel and is mostly gender-neutral, but the French Noella has a more feminine flair. The Roman feminine spelling of ending Noella with an “a” instead of an “e” says it all. Noella pairs well as a first or middle name.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Christmas
- Pronunciation: NOH-el-ah
- Variations: Noela, Noellah
- Namesakes: Noella Leduc, an American pitcher and outfielder who played from 1951 through 1954 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
- Popularity: Noella came in at #1,975 in the 2025 U.S. data, about one girl in every 16,393.
Noga
Noga means morning light in Hebrew, the brightness in the first hour after sunrise. It is a short, unfussy name that sounds friendly in almost any language. Two syllables, a hard g, nothing to spell twice. Parents who want a nature name without flowers or seasons in it often land here.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Morning light, brightness
- Pronunciation: NO-gaa
- Variations: Nogah
- Popularity: Noga reached its best U.S. ranking yet in 2025, at #5,862.
Nola
Nola is an English form of the Irish name Fionnuala and the feminine counterpart to Nolan. It can also be a short form of Magnolia, which brings the tree and its scent along with it. White shoulder is the meaning underneath. It carries a vintage feel without the dust, and pairs easily with a modern middle name.
- Origin: Gaelic, Irish English
- Meaning: White shoulder
- Pronunciation: no-lah
- Namesakes: Nola Hatterman, a Dutch actress and painter best known for her portraits of people of color and her still-life paintings and illustrations for magazines.
- Popularity: Nola’s U.S. record runs back to 1880, and it stood at #822 in 2025.
Nona
Nona comes from the Latin “nonus,” meaning “ninth,” and was traditionally given to a ninth-born child. In ancient Roman mythology, Nona was one of the three Fates and the goddess who watched over pregnancy, which gives the name a second reading tied to the nine months before birth.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Ninth
- Pronunciation: No-nah
- Variations: Nonah, Nonna, Nonnah
- Namesakes: Nona Bernis Hendryx, an American vocalist, record producer, songwriter, musician, and author known as part of the trio Labelle, and their hit Lady Marmalade.
- Popularity: Nona ranked #8,725 in the 2025 U.S. data, a name given to roughly one in every 142,857 girls.
Noor
Noor derives from the Arabic Nur, meaning “light, the divine light.” Noor is also the short form of the feminine name Eleonora meaning “God is my light, torch, beautiful, light, bright, and shining.” Noor can be likened to a beacon of hope and guidance.
- Origin: Dutch, Arabic
- Meaning: God is my light, beautiful, shining
- Pronunciation: NOR, NOOR
- Variations: Ellen, Noortje, Nora,Nur, Nura
- Namesakes: Noor Bukhari, a former Pakistani actress, director, model, and television host known for her appearance in 44 Urdu films and 20 Punjabi films.
- Popularity: Noor ranked #659 in the United States in 2025, given to 435 girls that year.
Nora
Nora may come from the Old Norse Nori, though the better-known route runs through Honora and the Latin word for honor. Light is the meaning that stuck. It reached its highest American ranking yet in 2025, which is unusual for a name that has been in the records since the 1880s. Norah, Noora and Elenora extend it if the short form feels too plain.
- Origin: Anglo-Norman, Latin
- Meaning: Light, honorable one
- Pronunciation: NAWR-a
- Variations: Noora, Lanora, Elenora, Norah, Noor
- Namesakes: Nora Arnezeder, a French actress recognized as an accomplished actress in the French film industry.
- Popularity: Nora is on the rise in the United States, reaching #20 in 2025, up about 143% over the past decade compared with the one before it.
Norarose
Norarose is a modern combination of Nora and Rose. This is an enchanting combination of two short and equally beautiful names. Versatility is immense as both names can be used as nicknames and Norarose in more formal settings.
- Origin: Latin, Irish, English
- Meaning: Honor, flower
- Pronunciation: nor-uh-rose
- Popularity: Norarose has been missing from the U.S. charts since 2022, its final appearance at #17,101.
Nori
Nori means ceremony or doctrine in Japanese, peaceful in Hebrew, and north in Old Norse. There is also a side reading of a small person. It is also the dried edible seaweed, which is either charming or a problem depending on your household. The name works for a girl or a boy and stops at two syllables. Few names let you choose your own meaning this freely.
- Origin: Japanese, Hebrew, Norse
- Meaning: Ceremony, doctrine, rites, peaceful
- Pronunciation: nor-ee
- Variations: Nory
- Popularity: Nori’s U.S. record stretches back to 1950, and it held the #1,196 spot in 2025.
Norma
Norma is the standard, the pattern, the norm, taken straight out of Latin. As the feminine of Norman it also reads as Norsewoman, a long way from the image most Americans carry. That image belongs to Norma Jeane, the name Marilyn Monroe was born with. The old-fashioned edge is exactly what is bringing names like this one back.
- Origin: Latin, English
- Meaning: From the north, the pattern
- Pronunciation: nor-mah
- Namesakes: Norma Jeane Mortenson/Baker, the birth name of Marilyn Monroe, an American actress, model, and singer known for playing comic “blonde bombshell” characters.
- Popularity: Norma held #2,012 in the 2025 U.S. rankings, going to 95 girls that year.
Nour
Nour is a fairly popular feminine name, but it can be further feminized to Noora or Nura. While Noor is commonly used in Arabic countries, Nour is preferred in many European countries. Nour represents light and, with that, life, and it symbolizes goodness and purity.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Light, the divine light
- Pronunciation: NOOR
- Variations: Noor
- Popularity: Nour placed #1,531 in the 2025 U.S. data, given to 139 girls.
Nourbese
Nourbese is a beautiful Egyptian girl’s name that also has roots in West Africa and means “wonderful child.” Nourbese is a neutral name with a melodic ring to it. Although African cultures do not shorten their given names, Nourbese can be shortened to Nour, which means “light.”
- Origin: Egyptian
- Meaning: Wonderful
- Pronunciation: NOOR-bee-see
- Variations: Nourbeze, Nurbese, Nurbeze
- Popularity: The Social Security Administration only publishes names given to at least five babies a year, and Nourbese has not crossed that line.
Nova
Nova is the Latin novus, new. In astronomy, a nova is a star that flares up suddenly and brightly. In the language of the Hopi people it reads as chaser of butterflies, a gentler picture of the same energy. Two syllables, no spelling questions, and it works for a girl or a boy. It is hard to name a better fit for a first child.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: New
- Pronunciation: NOH-vuh
- Variations: Novah
- Namesakes: Nova Margery Pilbeam, an English film and stage actress known for leading roles in two Alfred Hitchcock films.
- Popularity: Nova’s U.S. record goes back to 1885. It stood at #46 in 2025, off its 2021 peak of #32.
Novalee
Novalee is an American combination name derived from delightful baby girl names Nova and Lee. The “lee” at the end feminizes Novalee to a whole new level. Emphasis is placed on the word “new.”
- Origin: American
- Meaning: New field
- Pronunciation: NO-va-lee
- Popularity: Novalee entered U.S. records in 1962 and reached #977 in 2025.
Novella
Novella is the feminine form of the Latin Novello, from nŏvus, new. The meaning gives you a way to greet a new family member without saying anything sentimental. Three syllables with a soft landing, and the nickname Nova is already sitting inside it. Young one and new one are gentle things to be called.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: New, new one, young
- Pronunciation: NO-ve-lah
- Popularity: Novella stays rare in the United States, ranked #2,559 in 2025 with 69 girls given the name.
Novia
Novia means “fiancée,” “bride,” “girlfriend,” or “sweetheart” in Spanish. This falls in line with the Latin meaning of Novia, a charming short name. Novia could be a unique alternative to the more popular Nova.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: New
- Pronunciation: NO-vee-a
- Popularity: Novia sat at #9,301 in the 2025 U.S. rankings, just 11 girls that year.
Nox
Nox is the Latin counterpart of the Greek Nyx. It also carries the Roman goddess of the night behind it. It gets read as a feminine take on the Scottish Knox, though the two names have nothing to do with each other. One syllable, hard consonants, no softening anywhere. For a small name with steel in it, this is the shortest route.
- Origin: Latin, Greek
- Meaning: Night
- Pronunciation: NOKS
- Variations: Nyx
- Popularity: Nox stood at #3,425 in the 2025 U.S. rankings, close to one girl in every 50,000.
Noya
Noya derives from Hebrew, and the meaning includes “divine beauty.” In Arabic, the meaning includes “rose flower, beautiful, ornamented.”
- Origin: Hebrew, Arabic
- Meaning: Ornament, divine beauty, beautifully ornamented
- Pronunciation: NO-ya
- Popularity: Noya’s strongest U.S. showing came in 2024 at #5,108, easing to #6,053 in 2025.
Nuala
Nuala is Fionnuala’s short form, which derives from Irish mythology. In Irish mythology, Finnguala was the daughter of Lir of the Túatha Dé Danann. The Túatha Dé Danann are a race of supernaturally-gifted people in Irish mythology.
- Origin: Celtic, Irish
- Meaning: White shoulders
- Pronunciation: NOO-la
- Variations: Fionnuala, Finnguala, Fionnula
- Namesakes: Nuala Holloway, an Irish school teacher, former actress, artist, and model, crowned Miss Ireland in 1974.
- Popularity: Nuala first appears in U.S. records in 1948 and ranked #12,837 in 2025.
Nubia
Nubia takes its name from the gold-rich region along the Nile in southern Egypt and northern Sudan. The word may come from the Egyptian nbw, meaning “gold.” Few names put an entire ancient kingdom behind a child. The actress Nubia Marti already carried it well on screen, and it stays heavy with history in the best sense.
- Origin: Egyptian, African
- Meaning: Gold
- Pronunciation: NOO-bia
- Namesakes: Nubia Marti, a Mexican actress best known for her role in the TV soap opera SOS I’m falling in love.
- Popularity: Nubia is climbing in the United States, #5,062 in 2025 and up about 23% comparing the last ten years of births with the ten before them.
Nubiti
Nubiti is an Old Egyptian name tied to the status or appearance of a bronze-skinned baby girl. In essence, Nubiti is a term of endearment and praise which is precious.
- Origin: Egyptian
- Meaning: Golden lady
- Pronunciation: NU-bee-tee
- Popularity: Nubiti stays below the five-birth threshold the Social Security Administration uses for publication, so it has no ranked U.S. figure.
Nuha
Nuha means mind and wisdom in Arabic, a name about intellect rather than appearance. It also belonged to a pre-Islamic Arabian sun goddess identified with Shams. The Semitic reading is unknown, so this mysterious name keeps part of itself back. It leans toward intellect over appearance, a quiet, confident pick for a child who grows into it.
- Origin: Arabic, Semitic
- Meaning: Wise, goddess of the sun
- Pronunciation: NOO-ha
- Popularity: Nuha’s 2025 U.S. rank was #3,888, given to 38 girls.
Nuit
Nuit is the ancient Egyptian goddess of the heavens. Originally she was only the goddess of the night sky, but gradually she came to represent the sky in general. Nuit also protects souls in the afterlife, and one of her many titles is “She Who Protects.”
- Origin: Egyptian
- Meaning: Sky, Night
- Pronunciation: NOO-it, NOOT
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking exists for Nuit: fewer than five American girls a year have been given it, which is the cutoff for publication.
Nurit
Nurit is a traditional Hebrew girl’s name for a flowering plant with red and yellow blooms, the buttercup. Two syllables, a hard t at the end, no obvious nickname. It is a nature name for parents who find the English flower names too sweet.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Buttercup flower
- Pronunciation: NU-RIT
- Variations: Neurit, Narit
- Popularity: Nurit’s U.S. peak came in 1964 at #7,488, and it dropped out of the records after 1972.
Nuru
Nuru is the Swahili form of the Arabic Nur, and it means light. Two syllables, both open, so it carries across a room. It works for a girl or a boy and sits in the same family as Noor, Nour and Nura if you want the connection without the repetition.
- Origin: Swahili
- Meaning: Light
- Pronunciation: NU-roo
- Variations: Noor, Nur, Noori, Noorie
- Popularity: Nuru stays rare in the United States, ranked #12,840 in 2025 with 7 girls given the name.
Nylaya
Nylaya comes from the Oriya “nilaja,” meaning “home, mansion, abode.” Oriya is spoken in the Indian states of Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh, and the name carries the same meaning in Hindu use.
- Origin: Indian (Oriya)
- Meaning: Home
- Pronunciation: NA-la-ya
- Variations: Nilaja, Nilala, Nilayah, Nylitah
- Popularity: Nylaya is trending upward in the United States, at #11,658 in 2025 and up about 20% over the last decade compared with the one before it.
Nyx
Nyx was the primordial goddess of night in Greek myth, old enough that Zeus himself was said to be wary of her. She could bring sleep upon any mortal, a power worth wishing on any household with a newborn. There is no way to shorten it, which is either the appeal or the objection depending on the parent.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Night
- Pronunciation: NUYKS, NIKS
- Variations: Nix
- Popularity: Nyx remains uncommon in the United States, holding #2,577 in 2025 with 68 girls given the name.
