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Nina

Girl name · 1,280 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Nina: 1,280 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 62 births in 2025.

Nina is a name with a wonderfully global reach. Its most common origin in the English-speaking world is as a Spanish, Italian, or Russian diminutive of names ending in *-nina*, such as Antonina or the Russian Anna. In these traditions, it carries the elegant meaning of "grace." However, Nina also has deep roots in Quechua, where it simply means "fire," a powerful and vibrant meaning. A luminous bearer was the legendary American jazz singer and civil rights activist Nina Simone, whose voice and artistry defined a generation. The name is also shared by a major river in Siberia, the source of which was named after a local princess. A charming note is its phonetic similarity to the Spanish word *niña*, meaning "little girl," giving it an almost onomatopoeic tenderness.