Nina: meaning and UK use

What does Nina mean?

The cited entry traces Nina as a short form of names such as Antonina and Giannina. Spanish niña, meaning little girl, is a different word with a different pronunciation.

Language or name family covered

Several European name traditions

Meaning or derivation

A short form of names ending in -nina

Our browsing group

girl; international, vintage

Browsing groups describe our editorial shortlist, not rules about who may use a name. A name can cross languages and genders.

Sources for this entry — reviewed 2026-10-07:

• Behind the Name — Nina

Pronunciation and related forms

NEE-nuh (English)

English respellings are approximate; IPA is labelled where used. Follow the pronunciation a person or family chooses, and check it with a speaker of the intended language if that connection matters to you.

Related forms recorded in the reference: Antonina, Giannina, Niina. These may be full forms, diminutives or forms in another language; they are not necessarily pronounced alike or counted together in statistics.

How popular is Nina?

In 2025, 318 baby girls in England and Wales were registered as Nina, making it the 157th most popular girls’ name. That is up 3 places on 2024, when it ranked 160th. Ten years earlier, in 2015, it ranked 203rd, so it has climbed 46 places in a decade. Its best year in the ONS series was 2021, at 137th. These figures cover England and Wales, not the whole UK.

2025 rank (girls)

157th

2025 registrations

318

Best rank in this series

137th (2021)

Every year from 1996 to 2025

Nina: rank and number of baby girls by year (ONS)

Year	Rank	Babies
2025	157	318
2024	160	315
2023	161	317
2022	151	323
2021	137	360
2020	145	350
2019	139	360
2018	151	345
2017	159	348
2016	157	354
2015	203	267
2014	166	331
2013	189	279
2012	176	291
2011	195	263
2010	235	209
2009	235	206
2008	250	199
2007	243	210
2006	254	184
2005	244	186
2004	230	198
2003	245	183
2002	259	152
2001	259	151
2000	242	164
1999	212	195
1998	216	193
1997	217	193
1996	247	159

The sum of published counts in this 1996–2025 girls series is 7,603. This is a lower bound where years are suppressed, not the number of living people with the name. A best rank is the best position within this series; it does not establish an all-time record.

Sources: ONS release, 2025; girls' dataset; boys' dataset. Our 20 top-ten positions were checked against Table 1 in the 2025 workbooks. The history chart and spelling comparisons come from the separate ONS 1996–2025 workbook, checked 7 October 2026. Spelling variants are separate entries. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate statistics.

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Names to compare with Nina

These suggestions share a browsing group and one or more of our style tags or source-context labels. They are taste comparisons, not etymological relatives or a popularity ranking.

• Maeveinternational, vintage · Intoxicating
• Margotvintage, international · A short form of Marguerite
• Adavintage · From an element meaning noble
• Aishainternational · Living or alive
• Amarainternational · Grace
• Ananyainternational · Unique

Read the UK naming guide for the difference between inspiration lists and official statistics, or return to the full name finder.

Registering or changing the name

Once you decide on Nina, confirm the registration process for your UK nation with the register office. If you later want to change a registered name, the route depends on the circumstances and may require consent from people with parental responsibility.

Start with GOV.UK birth registration or GOV.UK guidance on changing a child’s name. Our registration guide and child name-change guide explain where to find the relevant official process.