World Culture names

Native American Name Generator

Get a nature-inspired name for a fictional character, with real words from Lakota, Ojibwe, Cherokee and Diné. These are not tribal names, and the guide below explains why.

A quiet North American landscape gathers prairie grasses, a woven willow basket, a clay vessel, and a cedar bowl on a low table

A few to start with

AmikOjibwe word for beaver
NayeliPossibly from Zapotec (Oaxaca, Mexico) nadxiie lii, "I love you"
KȟoláLakota word for friend, used by a man for a male friend
GiizisOjibwe word for sun
WinonaFirstborn Daughter
TȟatȟáŋkaLakota word for a bull bison

About Native American names

Understanding Native American names

There is no single Native American naming tradition. The United States alone recognizes more than 570 tribal nations, each with its own language and customs, and Canada and Mexico add hundreds more. A Lakota name works differently from a Diné, Haudenosaunee or Tlingit one. In many nations a name is given by an elder or earned in ceremony, may change over a lifetime, and isn't something an outsider can pick from a list.

This generator makes nature-inspired names for fictional characters. It does not produce authentic tribal names, and nothing here should be read as one. Where a word comes from a real language, the meaning names that language: Lakota mátȟo is "bear," Ojibwe migizi is "bald eagle," Cherokee walela is "hummingbird." Use these as a starting point, then research the specific nation your character belongs to, and read Native writers on their own communities.

A short guide

How to come up with a Native American name

Choose a nation first

Decide which nation your character belongs to before you name them, and where and when they live. A Cherokee character in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, in 2020 probably has an English first name, a family surname and perhaps a Cherokee name used by family. A Lakota man in the 1870s would have a Lakota name that English records translated, like Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake, Sitting Bull. Tribal nation websites and language programs are the most reliable first sources.

Give modern characters real surnames

Contemporary Native characters usually carry surnames from family history, government records or translation. Diné families include Begay, Yazzie, Tsosie and Benally; English-form surnames such as Manygoats, Blackhorse and Yellowhorse are common too. Cherokee families include Mankiller and Swimmer, and Lakota families include Red Cloud and Looking Horse. Giving a present-day character an invented "Running Wolf" style name instead of a real family surname is the most common mistake writers make.

Use language words with care

A language word can inspire a name, but a dictionary word isn't automatically a personal name. Ojibwe makwa (bear) and Cherokee yona (bear) are everyday words; how each nation forms names from them follows its own grammar and custom. Keep the spelling and marks, such as the ȟ in Lakota mátȟo or the glottal stop in Ojibwe ma'iingan, and say which language a word comes from. Don't mix words from different nations in one name.

Bring in Native readers and writers

For any character whose Native identity matters to the story, hire a sensitivity reader from that nation, and pay them. Read Native authors writing about their own communities: Louise Erdrich (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians), Tommy Orange (Cheyenne and Arapaho) and Joy Harjo (Muscogee). Debbie Reese (Nambé Pueblo) reviews books with Native characters on her blog, American Indians in Children's Literature. They show naming in context better than any list.

Famous names

Real names and what they mean

Real people, with their nations and the meanings of their names. These names belong to them and their families; they aren't for reuse as character names.

Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake (Sitting Bull), Hunkpapa LakotaUsually translated "Buffalo Bull Who Sits Down." As a boy he was called Slow, and he received his father's name after his first act of bravery in battle, at about 14.
Tecumseh, ShawneeOften translated "Shooting Star" or "Panther Crossing the Sky," linked to a celestial panther in Shawnee belief. Translations differ, a common problem with names recorded by outsiders.
Goyaałé (Geronimo), Bedonkohe ApacheGoyaałé means "one who yawns." Geronimo, the name most people know, came from Mexican soldiers, a reminder that famous names are often outsiders' labels.
Zitkála-Šá, Yankton DakotaThe writer and activist chose this name, meaning "Red Bird," for herself as a young woman; official records list her as Gertrude Simmons Bonnin. Many Native people have carried both kinds of names.
Hinmatóowyalahtq̓it (Chief Joseph), Nez PerceCommonly translated "Thunder Rolling Down the Mountain." Joseph was the baptismal name his father took and passed on, so English-language history remembers him by it.
Sequoyah, CherokeeHe created the Cherokee syllabary, completed in 1821, which made written Cherokee possible. He was also known in English as George Guess or Gist.
Wilma Mankiller, Cherokee NationThe first woman to serve as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, from 1985 to 1995. Her surname comes from a Cherokee military title for a village's protector.
Joy Harjo, MuscogeeThe first Native American U.S. Poet Laureate, from 2019 to 2022. Harjo is a Muscogee family name she has translated as "so brave you're crazy."

Names and meanings

Popular Native American names

Popular Native American names
Name	Meaning	Gender
Amik	Ojibwe word for beaver	Unisex
Giizis	Ojibwe word for sun	Unisex
Ma'iingan	Ojibwe word for wolf	Unisex
Elohi	Cherokee word for earth or world	Unisex
Nayeli	Possibly from Zapotec (Oaxaca, Mexico) nadxiie lii, "I love you"	Female
Kȟolá	Lakota word for friend, used by a man for a male friend	Male
Ajijaak	Ojibwe word for sandhill crane	Unisex
Winona	Firstborn Daughter	Female
Tȟatȟáŋka	Lakota word for a bull bison	Male
Kamama	Cherokee word for butterfly	Unisex
Yona	Cherokee word for bear	Unisex
Nizhóní	Diné (Navajo) word for beautiful	Female

60 more Native American names and meanings

Male Native American names

Male Native American names
Name	Meaning
Goyaałé	Chiricahua Apache leader Geronimo’s name; commonly glossed “one who yawns.”
Heȟáka Sápa	Lakota name of Black Elk; “Black Elk.”
Maȟpíya Lúta	Lakota name of Red Cloud; “Red Cloud.”
Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake	Lakota name of Sitting Bull; often translated “Buffalo Bull Sits Down.”
Tȟašúŋke Witkó	Lakota name of Crazy Horse; commonly translated “His Horse Is Crazy.”
Hinmatóowyalahtq̓it	Nez Perce name of Chief Joseph; commonly translated “Thunder Rolling Down the Mountain.”
Tecumseh	Shawnee leader’s name; its meaning is disputed.
Wovoka	Northern Paiute religious leader’s name; a personal name with complex history.
Ohiyesa	Dakota name of writer Charles Eastman; often glossed “winner.”
Sequoyah	Cherokee creator of the syllabary; the name’s origin is uncertain.

Female Native American names

Female Native American names
Name	Meaning
Zitkála-Šá	Yankton Dakota writer’s name; “Red Bird.”
Kateri	Mohawk form of Catherine, used by Kateri Tekakwitha.
Weetamoo	Pocasset Wampanoag leader’s name; its meaning is uncertain.
Lozen	Chiricahua Apache warrior and strategist’s name; its meaning is uncertain.
Dahteste	Chiricahua Apache scout and strategist’s name; its meaning is uncertain.
Sacagawea	Shoshone woman who interpreted for the Lewis and Clark expedition; name origin disputed.
Pocahontas	Powhatan woman’s public name; its precise meaning and name history are debated.
Sarah Winnemucca	Northern Paiute writer and activist; Sarah is her English given name.
Wilma Mankiller	Cherokee political leader and activist; Mankiller is her family surname.
Buffalo Calf Road Woman	English-rendered name of a Cheyenne woman remembered for her courage.
Galilahi	Possibly from Cherokee ulilohi, "attractive"; origin uncertain
Nookomis	Ojibwe for "my grandmother"; Longfellow spelled it Nokomis

Native American names

Native American names
Name	Meaning
Čhetáŋ	Lakota word for “hawk”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Wáŋblí	Lakota word for “eagle”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Mátȟo	Lakota word for “bear”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Wičháȟpi	Lakota word for “star”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Maȟpíya	Lakota word for “sky” or “cloud”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Tȟaté	Lakota word for “wind”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Pȟéta	Lakota word for “fire”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Kȟaŋǧí	Lakota word for “raven”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Sápa	Lakota word for “black”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Lúta	Lakota word for “red”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Ama	Cherokee word for “water”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Waya	Cherokee word for “wolf”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Tsula	Cherokee word for “fox”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Awinita	Cherokee word for “fawn”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Adsila	Cherokee word for “blossom”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Salali	Cherokee word for “squirrel”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Gola	Cherokee word for “winter”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Unega	Cherokee word for “white”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Walela	Cherokee word for “hummingbird”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Makwa	Ojibwe word for “bear”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Migizi	Ojibwe word for “eagle”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Noodin	Ojibwe word for “wind”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Anang	Ojibwe word for “star”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Aki	Ojibwe word for “earth” or “land”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Waabigwan	Ojibwe word for “flower”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Binesi	Ojibwe word for a large bird, often rendered “thunderbird.”
Ogimaa	Ojibwe word for “leader” or “chief”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Gichi	Ojibwe word element meaning “great” or “big”; not a universal given name.
Tó	Diné word for “water”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Shash	Diné word for “bear”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Dibé	Diné word for “sheep”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Dził	Diné word for “mountain”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Yázhí	Diné word meaning “little” or “small”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Hózhǫ́	Diné concept of beauty, balance, and harmony; not a simple name gloss.
Łį́į́ʼ	Diné word for “horse”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Tsé	Diné word for “rock” or “stone”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Tłʼízí	Diné word for “goat”; a language form, not a universal given name.
Atʼééd	Diné word for “girl”; a language form, not a personal name.

Native American last names

Native American last names
Name	Meaning
Begay	Diné family surname; its meaning should not be assumed without family context.
Yazzie	Diné family surname; its meaning should not be assumed without family context.
Nez	Diné family surname; its meaning should not be assumed without family context.
Tsosie	Diné family surname; its meaning should not be assumed without family context.
Tso	Diné family surname; its meaning should not be assumed without family context.
Benally	Diné family surname; its meaning should not be assumed without family context.
Natonabah	Diné family surname; its meaning should not be assumed without family context.
Bitsuie	Diné family surname; its meaning should not be assumed without family context.
Bitsilly	Diné family surname; its meaning should not be assumed without family context.
Charley	Surname used by Diné families; also common in other communities.
Chee	Diné family surname; its meaning should not be assumed without family context.
Clah	Diné family surname; its meaning should not be assumed without family context.
Cly	Diné family surname; its meaning should not be assumed without family context.
Todacheene	Diné family surname; its meaning should not be assumed without family context.
Deschene	Diné family surname; its meaning should not be assumed without family context.
Manygoats	Diné family surname with an English form; family history informs its use.
Blackhorse	Diné family surname with an English form; family history informs its use.
Yellowhorse	Diné family surname with an English form; family history informs its use.
Whitehorse	Diné family surname with an English form; family history informs its use.

Good to know

Native American names: frequently asked questions

What is my Native American name?

No quiz or generator can tell you, because there's nothing to look up. Sites that turn your birthday or your own name into a "spirit name" are inventing it. In many nations a name is given by elders or family, often in ceremony, and carries ties to that community. If you have Native ancestry, ask your family and your tribal nation. For a fictional character, use this page as a starting point and anchor the name in one nation.

Is there a funny Native American name generator?

This page won't give you one, and we'd steer you away from them. Gag name generators make jokes out of naming customs that matter to living nations, and they recycle stereotypes from old Westerns. If you want humor, write a Native character who is funny on their own terms. Reservation Dogs, the comedy series co-created by Sterlin Harjo (Seminole and Muscogee), shows how much better that works.

Is this an Indian name generator?

Searches for "Indian names" mix two different things. If you want names from India, such as Arjun, Priya or Ananya, those come from different languages and customs entirely, from Hindi to Tamil. If you mean Native American names, many Native people prefer their nation's own name, such as Diné, Lakota or Haudenosaunee, or the words Native and Indigenous. "American Indian" is still used in law and by some Native people themselves.

What are Native American names for boys and girls?

Real names belong to particular nations and people. Famous Lakota men's names include Maȟpíya Lúta (Red Cloud) and Heȟáka Sápa (Black Elk); women's names include Zitkála-Šá (Red Bird, Yankton Dakota) and Winona, Dakota for "firstborn daughter." For a character, research names from one specific nation. Skip the Hollywood pattern of "warrior" names for boys and "flower" names for girls, which doesn't reflect how any nation actually names children.

What are some Native American last names?

Contemporary surnames include Diné names such as Begay, Yazzie, Tsosie, Benally and Nez; English-form names such as Manygoats, Blackhorse and Yellowhorse; Cherokee names such as Mankiller and Swimmer; and Lakota names such as Red Cloud and Looking Horse. Many Native people also carry common English surnames like Smith or Johnson, the result of centuries of government records, missions and intermarriage.

How do I name a Cherokee or Navajo character?

Start with the nation itself. Three federally recognized Cherokee tribes, the Cherokee Nation, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the United Keetoowah Band, each run language programs. Cherokee words like yona (bear) and walela (hummingbird) are written ᏲᎾ and ᏩᎴᎳ in Sequoyah's syllabary. For a Diné (Navajo) character, words like nizhóní (beautiful) and shash (bear) are a start, and surnames like Begay are realistic. Avoid sacred terms entirely.