Nina
proper nounnouncommon in dialogue
- //ˈniːnə//
A female given name in continuous use since the 19th century.
proper noun
- 1
A female given name in continuous use since the 19th century.
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
Variant of Nina from PasadenaEllipsis of Nina from Pasadena.
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.
noun
- 1
Variant of ninaAlternative letter-case form of nina (“a hidden message revealed in the completed grid of a crossword”).
Ninas are also a way for setters to flex their muscles.
Forms
- plural
- Ninas
Nina · A female given name in continuous use since the 19th century.
NINA · A NINA loan.nine · A numerical value equal to 9; the number following eight and…Nine · A surname.