Fun Facts About the Name Nina
- More than 134 thousand babies named Nina: U.S. records list 134,016 babies given the name Nina from 1880 through 2025. Even 250 boys received the name Nina - about 1 boy for every 535 girls.
What Does the Name Nina Mean?
Nina is a feminine name with more than one independent origin, so it does not have a single etymology. In Spanish, niña means "little girl" or "child," and the name is often explained as coming from that word. In Russian and several other Slavic languages, Nina is a pet form of Antonina, the feminine of the Roman family name Antoninus; in that use the name is a shortening rather than a word with a meaning of its own. A separate tradition links the name to the Georgian form Nino, borne by the fourth-century saint credited with bringing Christianity to Georgia. The Quechua word nina means "fire," and Nina is also used as a given name in Andean South America. These strands resemble each other in sound but are not necessarily related in origin, and the Slavic and Georgian forms in particular should not be assumed to share a root.
Nina Name History & Origins
Nina came into use in different regions along separate paths. In Russia and the Slavic-speaking world it began as an everyday form of Antonina and later stood on its own as a given name. The Georgian name Nino, which appears in English as Nina, belongs to Saint Nino, a woman from Cappadocia traditionally credited with converting the kingdom of Iberia (modern Georgia) to Christianity in the fourth century. In Spain and Latin America, the name is tied to the Spanish word niña, "little girl." In the Andean countries, Nina is used as a given name connected to the Quechua word for fire.
The name also has a place in literature: in Anton Chekhov's play The Seagull, first performed in 1896, Nina Zarechnaya is a young woman whose life changes over the course of the story. That is a literary association rather than the source of the name, which was already in use in several languages beforehand.
How Popular is the Name Nina?
Nina recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1980. Its best rank was #115 in 1887.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #324 | 946 | 0.0589% |
| 2024 | #321 | 955 | 0.0592% |
| 2023 | #338 | 919 | 0.0573% |
| 2022 | #312 | 1,025 | 0.0625% |
| 2021 | #324 | 1,003 | 0.0612% |
| 2020 | #327 | 944 | 0.0584% |
| 2019 | #319 | 1,005 | 0.0599% |
| 2018 | #319 | 1,028 | 0.0605% |
| 2017 | #322 | 1,019 | 0.0590% |
| 2016 | #309 | 1,047 | 0.0591% |
| 2015 | #300 | 1,079 | 0.0605% |
| 2014 | #295 | 1,108 | 0.0620% |
| 2013 | #285 | 1,114 | 0.0635% |
| 2012 | #290 | 1,092 | 0.0620% |
| 2011 | #304 | 1,051 | 0.0598% |
| 2010 | #318 | 1,002 | 0.0564% |
| 2009 | #289 | 1,149 | 0.0626% |
| 2008 | #277 | 1,228 | 0.0649% |
| 2007 | #268 | 1,270 | 0.0661% |
| 2006 | #276 | 1,212 | 0.0638% |
| 2005 | #252 | 1,287 | 0.0697% |
| 2004 | #243 | 1,326 | 0.0722% |
| 2003 | #240 | 1,356 | 0.0742% |
| 2002 | #243 | 1,320 | 0.0735% |
| 2001 | #243 | 1,306 | 0.0725% |
| 2000 | #219 | 1,428 | 0.0786% |
| 1999 | #219 | 1,437 | 0.0810% |
| 1998 | #231 | 1,348 | 0.0763% |
| 1997 | #234 | 1,283 | 0.0737% |
| 1996 | #243 | 1,157 | 0.0660% |
| 1995 | #279 | 989 | 0.0562% |
| 1994 | #265 | 1,062 | 0.0595% |
| 1993 | #272 | 1,016 | 0.0562% |
| 1992 | #269 | 1,051 | 0.0570% |
| 1991 | #254 | 1,101 | 0.0587% |
| 1990 | #260 | 1,102 | 0.0580% |
| 1989 | #234 | 1,172 | 0.0636% |
| 1988 | #212 | 1,227 | 0.0689% |
| 1987 | #209 | 1,265 | 0.0728% |
| 1986 | #243 | 1,073 | 0.0625% |
| 1985 | #215 | 1,199 | 0.0697% |
| 1984 | #200 | 1,342 | 0.0797% |
| 1983 | #198 | 1,342 | 0.0803% |
| 1982 | #194 | 1,427 | 0.0843% |
| 1981 | #166 | 1,701 | 0.1020% |
| 1980 | #148 | 1,889 | 0.1138% |
| 1979 | #284 | 857 | 0.0534% |
| 1978 | #375 | 565 | 0.0369% |
| 1977 | #354 | 625 | 0.0408% |
| 1976 | #368 | 567 | 0.0387% |
| 1975 | #312 | 726 | 0.0498% |
| 1974 | #313 | 732 | 0.0499% |
| 1973 | #314 | 741 | 0.0508% |
| 1972 | #306 | 799 | 0.0525% |
| 1971 | #316 | 839 | 0.0504% |
| 1970 | #325 | 826 | 0.0472% |
| 1969 | #315 | 813 | 0.0482% |
| 1968 | #310 | 805 | 0.0491% |
| 1967 | #269 | 978 | 0.0592% |
| 1966 | #259 | 1,064 | 0.0629% |
| 1965 | #265 | 1,059 | 0.0600% |
| 1964 | #266 | 1,143 | 0.0603% |
| 1963 | #249 | 1,273 | 0.0660% |
| 1962 | #248 | 1,278 | 0.0650% |
| 1961 | #251 | 1,242 | 0.0615% |
| 1960 | #248 | 1,236 | 0.0611% |
| 1959 | #236 | 1,339 | 0.0662% |
| 1958 | #251 | 1,194 | 0.0594% |
| 1957 | #232 | 1,320 | 0.0646% |
| 1956 | #228 | 1,326 | 0.0660% |
| 1955 | #220 | 1,351 | 0.0691% |
| 1954 | #206 | 1,489 | 0.0767% |
| 1953 | #215 | 1,377 | 0.0732% |
| 1952 | #210 | 1,356 | 0.0731% |
| 1951 | #241 | 1,035 | 0.0575% |
| 1950 | #238 | 1,011 | 0.0590% |
| 1949 | #243 | 943 | 0.0551% |
| 1948 | #234 | 1,022 | 0.0602% |
| 1947 | #235 | 999 | 0.0564% |
| 1946 | #226 | 1,013 | 0.0645% |
| 1945 | #217 | 882 | 0.0675% |
| 1944 | #201 | 1,007 | 0.0759% |
| 1943 | #214 | 939 | 0.0673% |
| 1942 | #217 | 915 | 0.0677% |
| 1941 | #205 | 878 | 0.0727% |
| 1940 | #196 | 911 | 0.0797% |
| 1939 | #194 | 917 | 0.0836% |
| 1938 | #192 | 972 | 0.0881% |
| 1937 | #196 | 901 | 0.0847% |
| 1936 | #194 | 937 | 0.0901% |
| 1935 | #184 | 966 | 0.0921% |
| 1934 | #178 | 1,027 | 0.0984% |
| 1933 | #177 | 976 | 0.0968% |
| 1932 | #187 | 974 | 0.0913% |
| 1931 | #182 | 997 | 0.0936% |
| 1930 | #193 | 996 | 0.0885% |
| 1929 | #197 | 968 | 0.0867% |
| 1928 | #197 | 1,023 | 0.0887% |
| 1927 | #195 | 1,057 | 0.0886% |
| 1926 | #187 | 1,111 | 0.0937% |
| 1925 | #184 | 1,197 | 0.0983% |
| 1924 | #186 | 1,212 | 0.0970% |
| 1923 | #182 | 1,192 | 0.0988% |
| 1922 | #188 | 1,131 | 0.0942% |
| 1921 | #181 | 1,212 | 0.0983% |
| 1920 | #179 | 1,226 | 0.1023% |
| 1919 | #178 | 1,124 | 0.0995% |
| 1918 | #176 | 1,165 | 0.1006% |
| 1917 | #174 | 1,154 | 0.1067% |
| 1916 | #170 | 1,130 | 0.1082% |
| 1915 | #171 | 1,085 | 0.1103% |
| 1914 | #171 | 828 | 0.1087% |
| 1913 | #174 | 668 | 0.1070% |
| 1912 | #170 | 582 | 0.1043% |
| 1911 | #165 | 466 | 0.1114% |
| 1910 | #160 | 478 | 0.1206% |
| 1909 | #159 | 434 | 0.1250% |
| 1908 | #151 | 449 | 0.1343% |
| 1907 | #152 | 433 | 0.1359% |
| 1906 | #164 | 340 | 0.1151% |
| 1905 | #159 | 354 | 0.1214% |
| 1904 | #156 | 348 | 0.1264% |
| 1903 | #153 | 345 | 0.1317% |
| 1902 | #145 | 369 | 0.1397% |
| 1901 | #160 | 295 | 0.1233% |
| 1900 | #155 | 376 | 0.1254% |
| 1899 | #125 | 390 | 0.1674% |
| 1898 | #134 | 383 | 0.1480% |
| 1897 | #142 | 336 | 0.1435% |
| 1896 | #148 | 320 | 0.1345% |
| 1895 | #133 | 348 | 0.1490% |
| 1894 | #127 | 347 | 0.1557% |
| 1893 | #128 | 330 | 0.1550% |
| 1892 | #127 | 340 | 0.1601% |
| 1891 | #131 | 273 | 0.1472% |
| 1890 | #126 | 314 | 0.1649% |
| 1889 | #121 | 315 | 0.1766% |
| 1888 | #120 | 304 | 0.1702% |
| 1887 | #115 | 266 | 0.1822% |
| 1886 | #119 | 238 | 0.1647% |
| 1885 | #130 | 193 | 0.1451% |
| 1884 | #131 | 187 | 0.1449% |
| 1883 | #120 | 177 | 0.1576% |
| 1882 | #120 | 171 | 0.1586% |
| 1881 | #129 | 123 | 0.1338% |
| 1880 | #135 | 119 | 0.1308% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | #8,571 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1994 | #9,832 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #6,247 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1989 | #5,072 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1988 | #5,576 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #5,306 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1986 | #4,375 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1985 | #6,291 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1984 | #4,126 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1982 | #5,438 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1981 | #6,022 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #5,336 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1973 | #5,644 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1972 | #4,804 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1969 | #3,003 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1965 | #4,278 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1962 | #4,467 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1961 | #3,572 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1960 | #3,558 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1959 | #4,398 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1957 | #4,381 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1956 | #4,311 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1947 | #4,107 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1941 | #3,396 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1938 | #3,885 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1937 | #3,880 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1936 | #3,916 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1935 | #2,657 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1934 | #4,051 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1931 | #4,161 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1930 | #4,387 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1928 | #3,604 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1926 | #4,637 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1925 | #4,709 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1924 | #4,775 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1918 | #4,038 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1917 | #3,851 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1916 | #4,322 | 5 | 0.0006% |
| 1895 | #1,203 | 5 | 0.0043% |
| 1885 | #1,048 | 5 | 0.0046% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Nina Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a vivid imagination who can bring inspired messages to the world. You like to enjoy the pleasures of life, and when self is overcome, you can rise to the heights. You have an ability to avoid trouble - that is why you often fails to learn from experiences. You are restless, sociable people-oriented, a lover of change, and a seeker of adventure and new thrills. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Nina's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Nina's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.