Native-American Names

For being able to claim ownership of the only truly American names, the Indians of the “New World” have had little or no impact on the personal names used in the United States until very recently. Today, there's no denying the current trend for capturing some of these names for use by people of other ethnic backgrounds. Part of it may be driven by the current fashion of using place names as first names; if you choose a name like Dakota or Wyoming for your baby, you are, by default, giving your child a Native American name. The popular movie Dances with Wolves that was released nearly a decade ago also had a lot to do with the popularity of this name fashion. Names with Native American connections, such as Dakota and Winona, were uncommon before the movie came out; they greatly gained in use following its release.

Travel much beyond this, however, and you may very well be going where you shouldn't without even realizing it. Of course, the chances are pretty good that choosing one of these names will never be the source of a significant culture clash for either you or your child. However, unless you're a Native American (in which case you've probably already consulted a tribal elder for help in choosing a name), or you're adopting a baby with this heritage, it still may not be the best idea—even if you have the best of intentions—for the following reasons:

• Traditions vary widely among tribes. What may be an acceptable borrowing of a name to some tribes may be unthinkable to others.
• In some tribes, the use of names is highly restrictive. Certain names can only be used by specific families within the tribe, and can only be transferred by loan or gift. Using a name of this sort without first receiving permission could be considered an enormous faux pas or even theft. At a minimum, it's an affront to a specific culture and race.
• For some Native American tribes, personal names are kept very private, sometimes even secret, and reserved for use only among other members of the same tribe. When members of one of these tribes are with people not of their own group, they'll often use “public” names instead of their true given names.
• Many Native American names are created specifically for the bearer or to describe various stages of the bearer's life. For this reason, there are very few common Native American names.

Names such as Woo-ka-nay (“arched nose”), which was the real name of the Cheyenne warrior Roman Nose, or Wa Tha Huck, the original name of legendary Indian athlete Jim Thorpe (it means “bright path”), are clearly names chosen by tribal elders and given to specific people. As such, they really aren't appropriate for use by others.

Still, there are ways of integrating Native American influences into given names if you really want to do so. Using words from Native American languages that relate to elements of nature—such as Tawa, the Hopi word for sun—is the approach taken by many parents who choose this name fashion. Some ordinal names, such as the Sioux name Winona, which means “eldest female child,” are also in common use and can be used by non-Native Americans. Tribal names in common use, such as Dakota, are also acceptable, as are geographic place names.

Sources for these names include:

• Native American chronologies and encyclopedias
• Tribal histories and almanacs
• Books on Native American mythology and terminology
• Books on various aspects of Native American culture

On the Trail

The list of names that appears here includes names that are in fairly wide use today, which makes them acceptable choices for anyone searching for a name of Native American derivation. Where the tribe of origin is known, you'll find it noted.

• Brant: This Old English name meaning “proud” was also the last name of Joseph Brant, the Mohawk chieftain who lead the Iroquois tribes into Canada after the American Revolution.
• Chaska: “First-born son” (Sioux).
• Chenoa: “White dove.”
• Cherokee: Native American tribal name.

• Cheyenne: Native American tribal name.
• Cholena: “Bird” (Delaware).
• Chula: “Fox.”
• Chumani: “Dewdrops” (Sioux).
• Cree: Native American tribal name. Country-western singer Cree Summer takes her name from this tribe.
• Dakota: “Friends” or “allies.”
• Dyani: “Deer.”
• Halona: “Fortunate.”
• Isanti: “Knife” (Sioux).
• Kai: “Willow tree” (Navajo).
• Kiona: “Brown hills.”
• Lomasi: “Pretty flower.”
• Nocona: “Camper” or “wanderer” (Comanche).
• Odina: “Mountain” (Algonquin).
• Oneida: “Expected.”
• Tadi: “Wind” (Omaha).
• Tahatan: “Hawk” (Sioux).
• Taima: “Crash of thunder” (Fox).
• Talisa: “Beautiful water” (Creek).
• Takoda: Sioux name derived from Dakota, with the same meaning.
• Tama: “Beautiful” (Fox).
• Tanis: “Little daughter” (Cree).
• Tawa: “Sun” (Hopi).
• Tuwa: “Earth” (Hopi).
• Winona: “First-born daughter” (Sioux).
• Wyanet: “Beautiful.”
• Wynono: “First-born son.”
• Wyome: “Large prairie” (Algonquin). This name is the basis for Wyoming.
• Yuma: “Son of the chief.”

Excerpted from The Complete Idiot's Guide to Baby Names © 1999 by Sonia Weiss. All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Used by arrangement with Alpha Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

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