Save Gender Feminine Usage Literature Pronounced Pron. Nynn-ee-on [key] Other Forms FormsNyniane , Niniann Meaning & History Variant of Ninniane. It was used by American fantasy novelist Marion Zimmer Bradley for a priestess in 'The Mists of Avalon' (1983), her revisionist account of the Arthurian legend, in which Niniane, Viviane and Nimue are distinct characters.