Name of the Day: Nina
When Nicole (aka DirtyHippy) suggested we consider this appellation, we were initially dismissive. Isn’t it a diminutive?, we asked ourselves. But we do hear it quite a bit, and we adore Project Runway’s Colombian-born fashionista who bears the name.
And so here it is, today’s Name of the Day: the surprisingly substantive, ancient and international Nina.
We thought of Nina along the same lines as Gina, Lina and Tina: pet forms of longer Italian and Spanish monikers that are sometimes bestowed independently, but really best in their original forms. Nina is often derived from Antonina and sometimes Giannina, the latter a contracted form of Giovanna. She’s also found in Russian, as a short form of Annina, or again, related to Antonia.
Because niña is the Spanish word for girl, it’s easy to see this name as flimsy and child-like – a slightly more exotic Dolly.
But as they say in the infomercials, “wait, there’s more.”
Among the Quechua of South America, Nina means “fire.” Once the official language of the Incan Empire, it’s still spoken by more than 10 million people, mostly in Peru and Bolivia.
She’s also an ancient fertility goddess who lent her name to the city of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire, back around 1800 BC. (Nina is related to Ishtar, as well as to the Sumerian Inanna and the Semitic Astarte.) In later years, the city’s founding was attributed to the masculine Ninus. Rather than parse these claims, let’s say such ancient use certainly lends Nina some strength. Nineveh is in ruins today, but you’ll hear reports of its neighbor on the nightly news – it’s across the Tigris from modern-day Mosul, Iraq.
In the early 300s, a woman called Nino cured a queen and converted ancient Iberia – the modern-day Republic of Georgia -to Christianity. While Catholics know her as Saint Nina, the Eastern Orthodox Church favors Nino, and the name remains a Top Ten pick for Georgian parents today.
Lastly, it’s sometimes listed as a Swahili name, though we couldn’t confirm usage.
In the US, Nina has been ranked every year since the rankings began in 1880. Back in the late 19th century, she regularly appeared in the Top 200. Since the 1990s, she’s hovered around the 250 mark – neither common nor obscure. About 1200 newborn girls were given the name Nina last year, as many as were called Cassandra or Cecilia, Macy or Miley.
Besides the stylish Nina Garcia of Project Runway fame, there’s Grammy-nominated jazz singer and civil rights activist Nina Simone (born Eunice!), a little-known 18th century opera by Giovanni Paisiello and one of Christopher Columbus’ ships. (In the case of the caravel, it was probably a twist on the name of the ship’s owner, Juan Nino.)
Internationally, Nina ranks #35 in Belgium, and is a Top 200 pick in Norway and Sweden.
All of this makes for an interesting moniker. Nina would be properly pronounced and recognized on any continent, by a speaker of nearly any native tongue. And if you’re eager for a historical hook, take your pick – from the most ancient archeological sites to modern America politics, you’ll find a Nina that suits your interests.
While it’s hard for us to shake our prejudice that Nina is a nickname, we admit that there’s plenty of substance here for parents considering bestowing this one independently. She sounds decidedly pan-European, deeply ancient and still quite current.
Filed under: Myths & Legends, Names for Girls, Names of the Day, Saints | 15 Comments
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I’ve known a few Ninas and none of them were nicknames. In fact one of them is German and told me her name was German. I’d not heard of it only being a nickname before you mentioned it – to me, it stands on its own naturally. I like it, but because I already know a few people named Nina, I wouldn’t use it on my child.
Isn’t that funny? I’m Italian – Nina, Gina, Lina and Tina are all big, though in fact, we only have Ginas in my close family. And since the younger generations are discarding the practice of passing on well-worn family names, the youngest Gina I know is 30-something.
Hooray for Nina! I am really liking this name, for many of the reasons you mentioned. I love the ancient history connection to Nineveh and I also love that it’s such a cross cultural name. Familiar but not common, easy to spell and pronounce, I really feel like this name has it all. The only drawback for me used to be its “cuteness”—the nickname feel you spoke about. But ninagarcia! of Project Runway fame (I’m a big fan of that show too) has totally made me see the name in a new, more powerful and sophisticated light.
250 on the SSA list is a bit higher than I’m normally comfortable with, but the fact that Nina hasn’t really fallen or risen much in the past 20 years makes me more comfortable. I often think that if you are trying to avoid trendy names, it’s probably best to look at how quickly a name is rising rather than just its current placement.
Nicole better use Nina or else I will auf her. Her only excuse will be if her next LO is a boy, as He-Nina wouldn’t be very attractive.
I’ve been checking the blog daily since Nicole suggested it to me. Such a great site! I see she has already gotten a shout out to that other name… Lori was it?… and Nina in the short time I’ve been reading. I also found Everett, who may I say is dead sexy and never reminds me of pork, upon my searching.
I believe I saw you may post suggestions in the comments section? Well I would like to throw Abel out there for you. YCCII – as well as The Hippy, though too stoned to remember – suggested it to me weeks ago, and I cannot get the name out of my head! It has a very limited fan base (yet steady on the SSA!) from my early findings, and I would love to hear your take. Thanks a bunch.
Welcome, rockingfetal! Glad you’re enjoying it.
Abel – what an interesting thought! He’ll be Name of the Day on August 23.
Very exciting! I look forward to it.
I think one of Laura Wattenberg’s girls (you know, the author of “The Baby Name Wizard”) is Nina. IIRC, her younger one is Eve. I really like Nina but prefer her as a nickname for Antonina, which I lov but sadly does not mesh well with my surname. She’s far too simple for me otherwise. I wouldn’t mind meeting a few though, it beats a host of other names I hear nearly daily!
I love Nina! It’s simple, but very pretty. It reminds me of Diane Keaton’s character in the Father of the Bride movies and I find her character to be really awesome and funny.
I like Gina, Lina and Mina too. I had an aunt named Gina who passed away in 2005 from pneumonia and she was a great person. I’ve never met a mean Nina or Gina and I’ve never met anyone named Lina. I’ve never met anyone named Mina either. You don’t hear that name everyday. lol
Anyways, I’m thinking of using Athena if I ever have another little girl and I could possibly use Nina as a nickname. It’s one of my favorite names. It goes well with my last name too.
I have known two middle-aged Ninas, and curiously enough, they were both pronounced long i, Nine-ah.
Nina as a nickname for Athena – that’s quite clever, Laney!
And Allison, now that you mention it, I’ve met a “Nine-ah,” too – also older. I haven’t got a clue why that alternate pronunciation was out there – maybe a song? I’ll keep an ear out – and if anyone runs into a Nine-ah, please ask!
My very favorite person, also my grandmother, is named Nina. Her husband has called her “NINE-UH”, but she abhors it and won’t answer to it any longer. The prettier and proper way to pronounce it is “Nee-nuh”. I am considering this name very serious if we have a girl (due in early August). What I am not fond of it my Gram’s middle name, Louise. Though it flows nicely with Nina, I don’t like it. And I’m having trouble coming up with other middle names that go well. Nina Rose, Nina Christine, and Nina Ann, and Nina Elise are out. Help? I may even use Nina as a middle name if I find another first name I like.
My name is Nina and it is pronounced Nine-uh. I have met a few other girls who pronounce it the same way. My parents knew a few people who with the name Nina and just liked it. I do like it the way it is pronounced and it goes very well with my middle name, Nina Victoria.
Hmmm … younger NINE uh, any idea if there was something in particular that influenced your parents? I’m quite curious about the pronunciation – it does seem like NINE uh was once more common, but I can’t figure out why. (Though NEE nah is clearly dominant now … could that be because of the influence of Tina and Gina?)
Nina Victoria is a fabulous combo, BTW.
My name is nina.
hahahaha.
Best name ever.
Hey- I’m a “nine-ah” too….I just love it. My middle name happens to be Christine…too rhymey with “knee-na” but goes well with “nine-ah” I think. I was named after my great grandmother…also my husband is a chef at a senior living facility and he knows a resident there named “nine-ah”…I agree that it must be old fashioned. I have only personally met a few others in my lifetime.