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$Title{Names for Boys:  N}
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Editors of Consumer Guide
Harder, Kelsey}
$Subject{Names Boys N}
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The Ultimate Baby Name Book


Names for Boys:  N


Nab (see Barnaby)

Nado (see Barnard)

Naldo (see Reginald)

Nando (see Ferdinand)

Nandor (see Ferdinand)

Nano (see Ferdinand)

Nat (see Nathan)

Natal (see Noel)

Natale (see Noel)

Natan (see Nathan)

Nataneal, Nataniel (see Nathaniel)

Nate (see Nathan)

Nathan             Hebrew "the given."  In the Old Testament, the prophet
                   Nathan was the one man who could stand up to King David.
                   He chastised him for sending Bathsheba's husband into
                   battle.  Nathan has been a popular Jewish name for
                   centuries.  Nathan Hale was the often-quoted, American
                   Revolutionary hero who said on the gallows, "I regret I
                   have but one life to give for my country."  Like other
                   biblical names, Nathan became extremely popular in the
                   1980s.
       Nicknames:  Nat, Nate, Natty
      Variations:  Natan, Nathaniel, Natilio

Nathanael (see Nathaniel)

Nathaniel          Form of Nathan.  Nathaniel was a popular name in New
                   England during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
    Famous names:  Nathanael Greene (American Revolutionary general)
                   Nathaniel Hawthorne (novelist)
                   Nathaniel West (novelist)
      Variations:  Nataneal (Spanish), Nataniel (Spanish), Nathanael

Natilio (see Nathan)

Natty (see Nathan)

Nayo (see Barnard)

Neacail (see Nicholas)

Neal               Variation of Neil.

Neale (see Neil)

Nealey (see Neil)

Neall (see Neil)

Nealson (see Nelson)

Necho (see Andrew)

Necolas (see Nicholas)

Ned                Form of Edward, Edwin, or Theodore.
     Famous name:  Ned Beatty (actor)

Neel (see Neil)

Neil               Irish "brave" or "chief."  Irish names go in and out of
                   style quickly in the United States.  In the 1950s, Neil was
                   a popular name.
    Famous names:  Neil Armstrong (astronaut)
                   Neil Diamond (musician)
                   Neil Sedaka (singer)
                   Neil Simon (playwright)
 Other spellings:  Neal, Neale, Neall, Neel, Neill, Nial, Niel
        Nickname:  Nealey
      Variations:  Nels (Scandinavian), Nelson, Niall (Scottish), Niels,
                   Nigel, Niles, Nils (Scandinavian), O'Neil

Neill (see Neil)

Nelo (see Daniel)

Nels (see Neil)

Nelson             English "son of Neil."  South African civil rights activist
                   Nelson Mandela, jailed for more than twenty-five years,
                   has given this unusual first name worldwide recognition.
    Famous names:  Nelson Algren (novelist)
                   Nelson Eddy (singer)
      Variations:  Nealson, Nilson

Nevil, Nevile (see Neville)

Neville            Latin "the new town."
    Famous names:  Neville Chamberlain (statesman)
                   Neville Marriner (conductor)
                   Nevil Shute (novelist)
 Other spellings:  Nevil, Nevile

Nial, Niall (see Neil)

Niccolini (see Nicholas)

Niccolo (see Nicholas)

Nichol (see Nicholas)

Nicholas           Greek Nikolaos, "victory of the people," from nike
                   [victory] + laos [people] through Latin nicolaus.  So many
                   miracles are credited to the fourth-century St. Nicholas
                   that he has become the patron of Russian schoolchildren,
                   sailors, and pawnbrokers.  In a convoluted way, St.
                   Nicholas is connected to the mythical character Santa
                   Klaus.  Klaus is the German shortened form of Nikolaus, and
                   German and Dutch immigrants brought Sinter Klaus and the
                   tradition of giving gifts on St. Nicholas' feast day,
                   December 6, to the United States.  Eventually, Santa Claus
                   came to deliver gifts on Christmas Eve.  Nicholas has long
                   been a popular name in Europe.  It was the name of five
                   popes and two Russian emperors.  In England, the name goes
                   back to before the Norman Invasion.  Its long-established
                   roots have given rise to many variations, including Cole
                   and Colin, which are now popular independent names.  Famous
                   Italians of this name include Niccolo Machiavelli, author
                   of The Prince, a philosophy of politics, and violinist
                   Niccolo Paganini.  The Polish thinker Nicolaus Copernicus
                   revolutionized astronomy with his then-heretical theory
                   that the earth revolved around the sun.  Charles Dickens
                   used the name for the title character of Nicholas Nickleby.
                   Although Nicholas has enjoyed moderate popularity in the
                   past, in the mid 1980s it is among the top-20 names for
                   boys.
     Famous name:  Nicholas Poussin (painter)
  Other spelling:  Nicolas
       Nicknames:  Nick, Nicki, Nickie, Nicky, Nik, Nikky
      Variations:  Claus, Colacho, Cole, Colin (Celtic), Culaza, Kalus
                   (Danish), Klaus (German), Neacail (Scottish), Niccolini
                   (Italian), Niccolo (Italian), Nichol, Nicol, Nicola
                   (Italian), Nicolai (Russian), Nicolao, Nicolaas (Dutch),
                   Nicolas (French and Spanish), Nicolaus, Nicolet, Nicolo
                   (Italian), Nicolum, Nike, Nikita (Russian), Niklas
                   (German), Nikolai (Slavic), Nikolaos (Greek), Nikolaus
                   (German)

Nick               Form of Dominic or Nicholas.
     Famous name:  Nick Nolte (actor)

Nicki, Nickie, Nicky (see Dominic, Nicholas)

Nico (see Anthony)

Nicol (see Nicholas)

Nicola (see Nicholas)

Nicolaas, Nicolas (see Nicholas)

Nicolai (see Nicholas)

Nicolao (see Nicholas)

Nicolaus (see Nicholas)

Nicolet (see Nicholas)

Nicolo (see Nicholas)

Nicolum (see Nicholas)

Niel (see Neil)

Niels (see Neil)

Nigel (see Neil)

Nik (see Dominic, Nicholas)

Nike (see Nicholas)

Nikita             Russian form of Nicholas.
     Famous name:  Nikita Khrushchev (statesman)

Nikky (see Nicholas)

Niklas (see Nicholas)

Nikolai (see Nicholas)

Nikolaos (see Nicholas)

Nikolaus (see Nicholas)

Niles (see Neil)

Nilo (see Daniel)

Nils (see Neil)

Nilson (see Nelson)

Nionios (see Dennis)

Nix (see Richard)

Noah               Hebrew "rest" or "wandering."  The story of Noah and his
                   ark is probably the best-known tale in Western
                   Civilization, although essentially the same story occurs in
                   most other cultures.  Because of his goodness and
                   righteousness, God favored Noah and let him in on the
                   secret that the world was going to be destroyed by a flood.
                   Noah was given directions on building a boat and told how
                   to select those who were to be saved from the flood.  After
                   the flood, the descendants of Noah repeopled the world.
                   The name came into vogue in the seventeenth century, when
                   it was used by the Puritans.  It remained popular until the
                   end of the nineteenth century when it gradually stopped
                   being used.
    Famous names:  Noah Beery (actor)
                   Noah Webster (lexicographer)
       Variation:  Noe

Noam               Hebrew "pleasing."  This name is a masculine variation of
                   Naomi.  Since it has no biblical reference, it was not used
                   by the Puritans, and consequently, the name continues to be
                   used primarily by European Jews.
     Famous name:  Avram Noam Chomsky (linguist)

Nobby (see Norbert)

Noble (see Nolan)

Nod (see Robert)

Noe (see Noah)

Noel               Latin natalis, "new"; also, Old French noel or nowel;
                   traditionally used as a name for children born on
                   Christmas Day.  For a boy born on Christmas Day, Noel is an
                   apt name, even though it is less popular than Christopher.
     Famous name:  Sir Noel Coward (playwright)
 Other spellings:  Nowel, Nowell
      Variations:  Natal (Spanish), Natale (Italian)

Nolan              Celtic "noble."
     Famous name:  Nolan Ryan (baseball pitcher)
      Variations:  Noble, Noland

Noland (see Nolan)

Noldy (see Arnold)

Noll (see Oliver)

Nolly (see Oliver)

Norbert            Old German "divine brightness" from Njord [god of the sea]
                   + berhta [bright].  Norbert, like Albert, is an unusual
                   name.  St. Norbert was struck by lightning and began to
                   hear the words of God.  He reformed his life, became a
                   monk, and established the Order of Premonstrants.
     Famous name:  Norbert Beverly Enzer (child psychologist)
       Nicknames:  Bert, Bertie, Nobby

Norm               Form of Norman.
     Famous name:  Norm Cash (baseball player)

Norman             Old English "North man."  This name has roots in England,
                   but it wasn't until the nineteenth century that it attained
                   a slight degree of popularity in the United States.
    Famous names:  Norman Jewison (movie director)
                   Norman Lear (movie producer)
                   Norman Mailer (writer)
                   Norman Rockwell (painter)
       Nicknames:  Norm, Normie, Normy
      Variations:  Normand, Norris

Normand (see Norman)

Normie, Normy (see Norman)

Norris (see Norman)

Nort (see Norton)

Norton             Old English "north town."  This is an old name.  Several
                   Nortons have served in Congress; others have contributed to
                   the arts and to education.  The name was used by Art Carney
                   in the television situation comedy The Honeymooners.
     Famous name:  Charles Norton Goldman (lawyer)
        Nickname:  Nort

Nowel, Nowell (see Noel)

Numps (see Humphrey)