Baby Girl Names That Begin With N

Unusual, Popular, and Classic Female Name Choices

Feb 17, 2008

A Cute Little Girl, Ivan Philipov, Stock Xchange

Natalie? Nevaeh? Noelle? Here are some classic, unique, and trendy names for little girls that start with the letter N.

Baby girl names that begin with N are a little unusual. Unlike the wildly popular letter M, this similarly melodic letter just isn't used as much-- which can make N-names a nice alternative to all the Makaylas and Madisons and Megans out there.

If you're looking for a baby girl name that starts with N, here are some popular, classic, and unusual choices in the United States. This data comes from the U.S. Social Security Baby Name Index.

Popular & Trendy Baby Girl Names that Start with N

Natalie & Natalia. Natalie's all the rage. It rose from moderate popularity up to #16 on the U.S. popularity charts in 2006. Natalia, the Russian version of this name, also is a growing hit at #94. These names are derived from a Latin name that means "the Lord's birthday."
Nevaeh. Nevaeh is a name trend that caught on for no apparent reason in the early 1990s, and in 2006, it was up to #43 on the name charts. Its meaning? Nevaeh is "heaven" spelled backwards. The name is especially popular among African American parents, but not exclusively so.
Nicole. Nicole's no longer the top-20 sensation that it was in the 1980s, but it's still widely used at #74. It's also a very popular middle name that complements popular names that contain the letter L (Ashley Nicole, Kaylee Nicole, and so forth). Nicole is the female form of Nicholas, which comes from a Greek word that means "victorious people." Nicolette is a less popular variation.

Classic Baby Girl Names that Start with N

Nancy. This quintessential Baby Boom name was popular between 1930 and 1970, and was in the top 10 in the 1940s and 1950s. These days, it's down at #326, but the name is classic enough that it doesn't sound too dated. Nancy is actually a form of the name Ann, which means "favored grace."
Nora. If you're looking for a Scandinavian name that's unusual but not strange, try Nora. Originally, it comes from an Italian name that means "compassion." The similar names Norma and Noreen sound much more dated.

Unusual Baby Girl Names that Start with N

Naomi. Naomi's actually more popular than you might think-- up to #129 in 2006, and climbing. In Great Britain, the name has been popular for quite some time. Although this name is beautiful, be warned that it is often mispronounced-- the first syllable is correctly pronounced NAY, but it's often mispronounced as NY (much to the annoyance of the author). Naomi is a Biblical name from the Book of Ruth that means "pleasant."
Nina. Nina's always been a moderately popular name that's never become trendy. Like Naomi, it's often mispronounced (as NY-nah instead of the correct NEE-nah). Nina comes from Spanish expression that means "girl."
Nadia. Like Naomi, this Russian name is quickly climbing the American charts-- up to #188 in 2006. Nadia comes from a Russian name that means "hope." The French version of this name is Nadine.
Nyssa. This unusual Scandinavian name means "little fairy or elf." Doctor Who fans will recognize this as one of the companion's names.
Noelle. This unusual name becomes a bit more widely used in December, for obvious reasons. The masculine form, Noel, is also sometimes used for girls.