Entry № 0311 · Russian, Spanish, Hebrew origin

Nina Nina — Meaning, Origin & Baby Name Popularity

/ NEE-nah /
Gender
Girl
Origin
Russian, Spanish, Hebrew
Meaning
"Little girl; grace; fire"
Syllables
2
Rank · US 2025
№ 332
First recorded
Medieval

A name that means "little girl; grace; fire".

Nina has converged from multiple traditions. In Russian, Nina is a diminutive of Antonina. In Spanish, niña means "little girl." In Hebrew, Nina is a diminutive of Hannah, meaning "grace." In Quechua (Andean Indigenous), nina means "fire."

Nina is widely used across Russia, Spain, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and Latin America. The American jazz singer Nina Simone (1933-2003) is one of the most iconic Ninas. Today the name sits in the U.S. top 350.

Little girl, grace, fire. Three traditions, one name.

Where Nina stands.

Current rank · 2025
№ 332 in the U.S.
All-time peak
№ 219 in 2010
Babies named Nina · last year
1,024 in the U.S.
First entered SSA top-1000
1880
Rank, 1995–2025 Lower = more popular
№25 №75 №150 №250 1995 2005 2015 2020 2025 PEAK · №219 NOW · №332

Ninas before her.

Real people
Nina Simone
American jazz singer, pianist, and civil rights activist.
1933 – 2003
Nina Dobrev
Bulgarian-Canadian actress.
born 1989
In fiction
Nina
Heroine of Chekhov's The Seagull.
1896 play

Names connected to Nina.

The number behind Nina.

6

The Nurturer

Nina reduces to six — the number of soft graceful warmth.

Why families chose this name.

"Four letters. Multiple traditions. Nina was the simplest answer to the longest question."
Olga · Mother of one · Moscow