The first name Nina
A girl’s name.
Pronounced /ˈniːnə/ 2 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Borrowed into English in the nineteenth century, apparently from several sources. Many borrowings are of Russian Ни́на (Nína), the name of a Georgian saint in the fourth century, also known as Nino, of obscure origin and meaning, possibly connected with the Assyrian king Ninus. Others are of an Italian short form of diminutives like Annina from Anna and Giovannina from Giovanna. Phonologically or orthographically similar names are present in several languages, including Afrikaans, Hindi, Italian, Persian, Romanian, Russian, Spanish and some Native American languages. In many of those, it is a nickname for names ending in -ina or -nina. (hidden message in crossword): After Nina Hirschfeld, the daughter of the American caricaturist Al Hirschfeld; her name was often concealed in his drawings.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 318 girls were named Nina, making it the 157th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2019, with 360 births (#139).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Nina with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Nina at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 946 girls born in the United States were named Nina, the 324th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1980, when 1,889 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Nina in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Nina in Czech, Danish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese and Swedish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Nicknames for Nina
- Ninoscka
Famous people named Nina
117 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Nina BadrićCroatian singer, born 1972
- Nina HossGerman actress, born 1975
- Nina HartleyAmerican pornographic film actress (born 1959)
- Nina SublatiGeorgian singer, born 1995
- Nina KennedyAustralian athlete, born 1997
- Nina KraljićCroatian singer, born 1992
- Nina FochAmerican actress (1924–2008)
- Nina MercedezAmerican former pornographic actress, producer and director, born 1979
- Nina AgdalDanish model, born 1992
- Nina DerwaelBelgian artistic gymnast, born 2000
- Nina BurgerAustrian footballer, born 1987
- Nina AriandaAmerican actress, born 1984
Questions
- What does the name Nina mean?
- Borrowed into English in the nineteenth century, apparently from several sources. Many borrowings are of Russian Ни́на (Nína), the name of a Georgian saint in the fourth century, also known as Nino, of obscure origin and meaning, possibly connected with the Assyrian king Ninus.…
- How popular is the name Nina?
- In 2025, 318 girls born in England and Wales were named Nina, ranking 157th. Its peak was 2019, with 360 births.
- What are nicknames for Nina?
- Common nicknames for Nina include Ninoscka.
- Is Nina a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 134,038 US babies named Nina since 1880 were girls.
- When was Nina most popular?
- 1980 in the United States, when 1,889 babies were named Nina, its highest rank at 148th.
- How do you pronounce Nina?
- Nina is /ˈniːnə/, 2 syllables.