Girl · #327 in 2026

Nina

Nina is a feminine given name with various origins and alternate spellings accordingly. Nina may also serve as a short form of names ending in "-nina/-ina", such as Clementina, Christina, or Giannina. It serves as a diminutive of the variation of the nevertheless original form of the Hebrew name Johannah, or Joanina.

  • Russian
  • Italian
  • English
  • German
Current Rank
#327
Peak Rank
#114 (1980)
Total Babies
135K
5-Yr Trend
-4%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
1980
Peak Year
#114
Peak Rank
135K
Total Count
147
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Nina

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Nina is a feminine given name with various origins and alternate spellings accordingly. Nina may also serve as a short form of names ending in "-nina/-ina", such as Clementina, Christina, or Giannina. It serves as a diminutive of the variation of the nevertheless original form of the Hebrew name Johannah, or Joanina.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • Russian
  • Italian
  • English
  • German
  • French
  • Swedish
  • Norwegian
  • Danish
  • Finnish
  • Lithuanian
  • Dutch
  • Polish
  • Slovene
  • Czech
  • Slovak
  • Croatian
  • Serbian
  • Bulgarian
  • Ukrainian
  • Belarusian
  • Quechua
  • Aymara
  • Latvian

The Story of Nina

Nina first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 119 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1980: 1,889 births, good for #148 nationwide. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #327 among baby girl names with 952 births, holding steady (-4%). In total, more than 135K Ninas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Nina

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Nina. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Nina

Phonetically similar names — useful when Nina is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Nina

What does the name Nina mean?
Nina is a feminine given name with various origins and alternate spellings accordingly. Nina may also serve as a short form of names ending in "-nina/-ina", such as Clementina, Christina, or Giannina. It serves as a diminutive of the variation of the nevertheless original form of the Hebrew name Johannah, or Joanina.
What is the origin of the name Nina?
Nina has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Russian, Italian, English, German, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Lithuanian, Dutch, Polish, Slovene, Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Quechua, Aymara, Latvian.
How popular is Nina in 2026?
In 2026, Nina ranks #327 among girls' names in the U.S., with 952 babies given the name that year.
When was Nina most popular?
Nina reached its peak popularity in 1980, ranking #114 that year with 1,889 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Nina most popular?
Nina has historically been most popular in District of Columbia, Oregon, West Virginia. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Nina.
Is Nina a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Nina is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Nina?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Nina include Rosie, Goldie, Sonya. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Nina?
Common variants and related forms of Nina include Antanina, Antonina, Antonine, Asia, Chevonne, Genette. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

Similar Names

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Goldie
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Sonya
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Lela
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👧
Lucile
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Margot
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Jaclyn
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About the name Nina

Nina is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 135K births in the dataset. Nina's peak popularity came in 1980 when it ranked #114. Use the chart and map above to compare Nina's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.