Nina

See also: Appendix:Variations of "nina"

English

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈniːnə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːnə

Proper noun

Nina

1. A female given name in continuous use since the 19th century.
   • 1990, Sue Miller, Family Pictures, Harper & Row, →ISBN, pages 5, 25:

     The first three, Macklin, Lydia, and Randall, were the special ones. Even those names, we thought, showed greater imagination, greater involvement on our parents' part, than ours did: Nina, Mary, Sarah. Clearly by that time they had run out of gas.
     "Nina. Such a pretty, old-fashioned name. I hope you don't mind my saying that." "No; I'm glad you think so."

2. The Babylonian goddess of the watery deep, daughter of Ea.
3. (gambling, dice games) Ellipsis of Nina from Pasadena.

Derived terms

• nina
• Nina from Carolina
• Nina from Pasadena

Related terms

• Ninotchka

Translations

female given name

• Belarusian: Ні́на f (Nína)
• Czech: Nina (cs) f
• Danish: Nina c
• Faroese: Nina f
• Finnish: Niina (fi), Nina (fi)
• French: Nina (fr)
• Georgian: ნინა (nina)
• German: Nina (de)
• Greek: Νίνα (el) (Nína)
• Italian: Nina (it)
• Latvian: Ņina f
• Norwegian: Nina (no)
• Polish: Nina (pl)
• Portuguese: Nina (pt) f
• Russian: Ни́на (ru) f (Nína)
• Sicilian: Nina f
• Swedish: Nina (sv) c
• Telugu: నీనా (nīnā)
• Ukrainian: Ніна f (Nina)

Noun

Nina (plural Ninas)

1. (crosswording) Alternative letter-case form of nina (“a hidden message revealed in the completed grid of a crossword”).
   • 2013, Alan Connor, Two Girls, One on Each Knee: The Puzzling, Playful World of the Crossword:

     Ninas are also a way for setters to flex their muscles.

Anagrams

• Inna, inna, Nain, nain, nani, Nian

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɲɪna]

Proper noun

Nina f

1. a female given name, equivalent to English Nina

Declension

Declension of Nina (hard feminine)

	singular	plural
nominative	Nina	Niny
genitive	Niny	Nin
dative	Nině	Ninám
accusative	Ninu	Niny
vocative	Nino	Niny
locative	Nině	Ninách
instrumental	Ninou	Ninami

Danish

Proper noun

Nina c

1. a female given name popular in the 1970s and the 1980s

Faroese

Proper noun

Nina f

1. a female given name

Usage notes

Matronymics

• Nina's son: Ninuson
• Nina's daughter: Ninudóttir

Declension

	singular
	indefinite
nominative	Nina
accusative	Ninu
dative	Ninu
genitive	Ninu

Finnish

Alternative forms

• Niina

Etymology

Variant of Niina.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈni(ː)nɑ/, [ˈni(ː)nɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -inɑ
• Syllabification^(key): Ni‧na
• Hyphenation^(key): Ni‧na

Proper noun

Nina

1. a female given name popular in the 1970s and the 1980s

Declension

Inflection of Nina (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		Nina	Ninat
genitive		Ninan	Ninojen
partitive		Ninaa	Ninoja
illative		Ninaan	Ninoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		Nina	Ninat
accusative	nom.	Nina	Ninat
	gen.	Ninan
genitive		Ninan	Ninojen Ninain rare
partitive		Ninaa	Ninoja
inessive		Ninassa	Ninoissa
elative		Ninasta	Ninoista
illative		Ninaan	Ninoihin
adessive		Ninalla	Ninoilla
ablative		Ninalta	Ninoilta
allative		Ninalle	Ninoille
essive		Ninana	Ninoina
translative		Ninaksi	Ninoiksi
abessive		Ninatta	Ninoitta
instructive		—	Ninoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Nina (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Ninani Ninani accusative nom. Ninani Ninani gen. Ninani genitive Ninani Ninojeni Ninaini rare partitive Ninaani Ninojani inessive Ninassani Ninoissani elative Ninastani Ninoistani illative Ninaani Ninoihini adessive Ninallani Ninoillani ablative Ninaltani Ninoiltani allative Ninalleni Ninoilleni essive Ninanani Ninoinani translative Ninakseni Ninoikseni abessive Ninattani Ninoittani instructive — — comitative — Ninoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Ninasi Ninasi accusative nom. Ninasi Ninasi gen. Ninasi genitive Ninasi Ninojesi Ninaisi rare partitive Ninaasi Ninojasi inessive Ninassasi Ninoissasi elative Ninastasi Ninoistasi illative Ninaasi Ninoihisi adessive Ninallasi Ninoillasi ablative Ninaltasi Ninoiltasi allative Ninallesi Ninoillesi essive Ninanasi Ninoinasi translative Ninaksesi Ninoiksesi abessive Ninattasi Ninoittasi instructive — — comitative — Ninoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Ninamme Ninamme accusative nom. Ninamme Ninamme gen. Ninamme genitive Ninamme Ninojemme Ninaimme rare partitive Ninaamme Ninojamme inessive Ninassamme Ninoissamme elative Ninastamme Ninoistamme illative Ninaamme Ninoihimme adessive Ninallamme Ninoillamme ablative Ninaltamme Ninoiltamme allative Ninallemme Ninoillemme essive Ninanamme Ninoinamme translative Ninaksemme Ninoiksemme abessive Ninattamme Ninoittamme instructive — — comitative — Ninoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Ninanne Ninanne accusative nom. Ninanne Ninanne gen. Ninanne genitive Ninanne Ninojenne Ninainne rare partitive Ninaanne Ninojanne inessive Ninassanne Ninoissanne elative Ninastanne Ninoistanne illative Ninaanne Ninoihinne adessive Ninallanne Ninoillanne ablative Ninaltanne Ninoiltanne allative Ninallenne Ninoillenne essive Ninananne Ninoinanne translative Ninaksenne Ninoiksenne abessive Ninattanne Ninoittanne instructive — — comitative — Ninoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative Ninansa Ninansa accusative nom. Ninansa Ninansa gen. Ninansa genitive Ninansa Ninojensa Ninainsa rare partitive Ninaansa Ninojaan Ninojansa inessive Ninassaan Ninassansa Ninoissaan Ninoissansa elative Ninastaan Ninastansa Ninoistaan Ninoistansa illative Ninaansa Ninoihinsa adessive Ninallaan Ninallansa Ninoillaan Ninoillansa ablative Ninaltaan Ninaltansa Ninoiltaan Ninoiltansa allative Ninalleen Ninallensa Ninoilleen Ninoillensa essive Ninanaan Ninanansa Ninoinaan Ninoinansa translative Ninakseen Ninaksensa Ninoikseen Ninoiksensa abessive Ninattaan Ninattansa Ninoittaan Ninoittansa instructive — — comitative — Ninoineen Ninoinensa

Statistics

• Nina is the 43^rd most common female given name in Finland, belonging to 14,865 female individuals (and as a middle name to 1,075 more), according to August 2025 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

Anagrams

• Anni, nain

French

Etymology

Associated with Ninette and Ninon, French pet forms of Jeannine, Jeanne.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ni.na/

Proper noun

Nina f

1. a female given name

Anagrams

• nain

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈniːna]

• Audio (Austria):

  (file)

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Ni‧na

Proper noun

Nina

1. a female given name, popular since the 1980s

Latvian

Etymology

First recorded as a given name of Latvians in early 20th century. From Russian Ни́на (Nína).

Proper noun

Nina f

1. a female given name
2. a transliteration of the Russian female given name Ни́на (Nína)

Related terms

• Ņina

References

• Klāvs Siliņš: Latviešu personvārdu vārdnīca. Riga "Zinātne" 1990, →ISBN
• [5] Population Register of Latvia: Nina was the only given name of 969 persons in Latvia on May 21st 2010, including Russian speakers.

Norwegian Bokmål

Nina Grieg, a Norwegian bearer of the name.

Alternative forms

• Nine, Ninna

Etymology

The precise origin is uncertain. Probably from Russian Ни́на (Nína, “female given name”), although Nina can also have arisen independently as a short form of female given names ending in -nina or -nine, or as a pet form of names ending in -in, -ina, -ine, -inn, -inna or -inne.

Norwegian sources analyse Russian Ни́на (Nína) in particular as a short form of Антони́на (Antonína) or as a pet form belonging to the А́нна (Ánna) name family. Under the former analysis, it is connected with Latin Antōnīna, the feminine form of Antōnīnus, from Antōnius, a Roman family name of uncertain, probably Etruscan, origin.

Under the А́нна (Ánna) analysis, the wider name family ultimately goes back to Late Latin Anna (“female given name”), from Koine Greek Ἄννα (Ánna, “Anna”), from Biblical Hebrew חַנָּה (Ḥannāh, “Hannah; grace, favour”).

Nordic Names additionally records an analysis of Russian Ни́на (Nína) as a feminine form related to Greek Νῖνος (Nînos), ultimately connected in that source with the Assyrian divine name Nin; this derivation is uncertain.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈniːna/, [ˈniːna]
• Rhymes: -iːna
• Hyphenation: Ni‧na

Proper noun

Nina

1. a female given name

   Nina kommer på besøk i morgen. ― Nina is coming to visit tomorrow.

   • 2025 April 25, “Offisielt fra statsråd 25. april 2025”, in Regjeringen.no‎^[6]:

     Åremålsbeskikkelse av direktør Nina Cecilie Kulås som direktør for Direktoratet for forvaltning og økonomistyring for en periode på seks år.

     Appointment on a fixed term of Director Nina Cecilie Kulås as Director of the Norwegian Agency for Public and Financial Management for a period of six years.

Usage notes

• The Norwegian name day for Nina is 4 April, shared with Nancy and Nanna.
• The earliest known Norwegian bearer may have been Nina Karlsen, born in Søndre Land in 1816. She was baptized Nicoline, however, and it is uncertain when she began using the name Nina. Nordic Names therefore records 1816 as the earliest documented Norwegian use.
• In the 19th century, Nina was particularly associated with Hedmark.
• The name had its main Norwegian popularity peak in 1965–1969. It reached second place among names given to newborn girls in 1966.

Statistics

• According to Statistics Norway, 18,134 people in Norway had Nina as a first name as of 31 December 2025.

References

• Kruken, Kristoffer and Ola Stemshaug (1995), Norsk personnamnleksikon, Oslo: Det Norske Samlaget.

Anagrams

• Anni, Inna

Polish

Etymology

Uncertain.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɲi.na/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ina
• Syllabification: Ni‧na

Proper noun

Nina f

1. a female given name, equivalent to English Nina

Declension

Declension of Nina

	singular	plural
nominative	Nina	Niny
genitive	Niny	Nin
dative	Ninie	Ninom
accusative	Ninę	Niny
instrumental	Niną	Ninami
locative	Ninie	Ninach
vocative	Nino	Niny

Further reading

• “Nina”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[7] (in Polish)

Portuguese

Etymology

Etymology tree

Georgian ნინო (nino)

Russian Ни́на (Nína)bor.

Portuguese Nina

Borrowed from Russian Ни́на (Nína), from Georgian ნინო (nino).

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈnĩ.nɐ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈni.nɐ/

Proper noun

Nina f

1. a female given name from Russian, equivalent to English Nina

Slovak

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɲina/, [ˈɲina]
• Rhymes: -ina
• Hyphenation: Ni‧na

Proper noun

Nina f (diminutive Ninka or Ninočka)

1. a female given name

Declension

Declension of Nina
(pattern žena)

	singular	plural
nominative	Nina	Niny
genitive	Niny	Nín
dative	Nine	Ninám
accusative	Ninu	Niny
locative	Nine	Ninách
instrumental	Ninou	Ninami

Further reading

• “Nina”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2026

Swedish

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Nina c (genitive Ninas)

1. a female given name popular in the 1970s and the 1980s

Anagrams

• -inna, nian