These names are or were used by the various indigenous peoples who inhabit North and South America.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
WambleemSioux Means "eagle, golden eagle" in Lakota. From the Lakota waŋblí (wahm-hel'-lee) 'eagle, golden eagle', sometimes used as a generic term for both golden eagles and bald eagles.
WamlisapafSioux Means "black eagle" in Lakota. From the Lakota waŋblí (wahm-hel'-lee) 'eagle, golden eagle', and sah'-pah "black".
WampagkítmAguaruna From the Awajún name of a type of bird that lives in tall trees.
WanahtonmSioux Means "one who attacks, charges; charger" in Lakota, from the Lakota waánataŋ. This was borne by Chief Wánataŋ (ca. 1795-1848), also known as Wanata and Wanataan, a leader of the Yanktonai, a tribe of the Dakota.
WashoemPopular Culture, Cherokee Nickname of Cordell Walker in the famous Tv series: 'Walker, Texas Ranger'. The name is claimed to be Cherokee meaning "lone eagle".
WashtafSioux Means "to be good; pretty; handsome; attractive" in Lakota. From the Lakota wašté (wash" tay).
Wa-tho-hukmAlgonquian Means "bright path" in the Meskwaki-Sauk language, possibly in part from the Meskwaki-Sauk word wâpâthowa ("light, be bright"). This was the Meskwaki-Sauk name of Jim Thorpe, an American athlete and Olympic gold medalist.
WatsekafAlgonquin Means "pretty girl" in Potawatomi, from the Potawatomi winsakeekyahgo "pretty girl".
WeenjipahkihelexkwefLenape Means "Touching Leaves Woman" in the Unami (now extinct but being revitalized) language of the Lenape people. A notable bearer was Nora Thompson Dean (1907-1984), a traditionalist and one of the last fluent speakers of the southern Unami dialect of the Lenape language.
WeetamoofWampanoag Allegedly means "sweet heart" in the Native American Wampanoag language.... [more]
We'whamIndigenous American A Zuni name of unknown etymology. We'wha was a Zuni Native American lhamana from New Mexico, and a notable weaver and potter.
WicapiwakanfSioux From Lakota wičháȟpi "star" and wakȟáŋ "sacred, holy".
WichahpifSioux From Lakota wičháȟpi (wee-chahk'-pee) "a star, stars".
Wīhkasko-kisēyinmCree Means "sweetgrass" in Cree. This was the name of a 19th-century Crow man who became one of the leading Plains Cree chiefs in the Battleford region of Saskatchewan, Canada.
XelasmNew World Mythology, Salishan Name used by the Lummi people of northwest Washington state for the Transformer, a being that appears in the mythologies of many indigenous peoples who inhabited the Pacific Northwest Coast. This legendary figure (or figures) is also known as Xáays in Squamish and Xa:ls in Halkomelem.
XelhuanmNahuatl, Aztec and Toltec Mythology Probably related to Nahuatl xeloa "to divide, to distribute". This was the name of a giant in Aztec mythology, one of seven survivors of the great flood.
Xetanm & fShipibo-Conibo From the Shipibo xeta meaning "tooth, beak" and the genitive suffix -n.
XihuitlmNahuatl Means "year, comet", referring to the 365-day Aztec calendar, or "turquoise, greenstone, herbs; greenish things".
Xilohuaf & mNahuatl Derived from Nahuatl xilotl "green ear of maize, young corncob" and the possessive suffix -hua.
XilonenfAztec and Toltec Mythology, Nahuatl Probably means "doll made of maize", from Nahuatl xilotl "green ear of maize, young corncob" and nenetl "doll, idol". This was an aspect of Chicomecōātl, an Aztec goddess of agriculture, also called "the hairy one" in reference to the hair-like tassels of the corn.
XilotlfNahuatl Means "green ear of maize, young corncob" in Nahuatl.
XiloxochfNahuatl Means "calliandra (flower)" in Nahuatl, ultimately derived from xilotl "green maize, young ear of corn" and xōchitl "flower".
XiloxochcatlmNahuatl Derived from Nahuatl xiloxochitl "silk-cotton tree" or "calliandra" (see Xiloxoch) and -catl "person, inhabitant".
XipemAztec and Toltec Mythology, Nahuatl Means "the flayed one", derived from Nahuatl xipehua, "to flay, to skin, to peel". This was the name of an Aztec deity also known as Xipe Totec, god of ritual flaying and agriculture, who oversaw vegetation, springtime, regeneration, metal crafts, deadly warfare, and the east... [more]
XiuhcanahualtzinfNahuatl Meaning unknown, although the first element is probably "xihuitl" or "xiuh", meaning "turquoise, grass, green/blue thing" or "year, comet" or "flame, fire". The last element is probably "-tzin", a diminutive or reverential suffix... [more]
XiuhcozcatlmNahuatl Means "domestic wild turkey" in Nahuatl. Alternately, may be derived from xihuitl "turquoise" and cozcatl "necklace, ornament, jewel".
XiuhcozolfNahuatl Derived from Nahuatl xihuitl "year" and cozolli "cradle". Often given to girls born during the New Fire ceremony xiuhmolpilli, "the binding of the years", an event held every 52 years to align the Aztec’s ritual calendar with the annual calendar.
XiuhcuefNahuatl Derived from Nahuatl xihuitl "year" and cuēitl "skirt". Often given to girls born during the New Fire ceremony xiuhmolpilli, "the binding of the years", an event held every 52 years to align the Aztec’s ritual calendar with the annual calendar.
XiuhcuetzinfAztec, Nahuatl Possibly derived from Nahuatl xihuitl, which can mean "turquoise, grass, greenish thing", "year, comet", or "flame, fire", cueitl "skirt", and -tzin, a diminutive or reverential suffix... [more]
XiuhnenetlfNahuatl Derived from Nahuatl xihuitl "year" (or "turquoise") and nenetl "doll, idol; vulva". Often given to girls born during the New Fire ceremony xiuhmolpilli, "the binding of the years", an event held every 52 years to align the Aztec’s ritual calendar with the annual calendar.
XiuhquenmNahuatl Possibly derived from xihuitl "year" (or "turquoise") and quemitl "garments, clothing; ritual vestments". Often given to boys born during the New Fire ceremony xiuhmolpilli, "the binding of the years", an event held every 52 years to align the Aztec’s ritual calendar with the annual calendar.
XiuhtezcatlmNahuatl Means "turquoise mirror", from Nahuatl xihuitl "turquoise" and tezcatl "mirror".
XiuhtlalpillimNahuatl Can mean either "binding of the years" or "turquoise cloth" in Nahuatl, the former derived from xihuitl "year", the latter from xihuitl "turquoise, greenish thing". Often given to boys born during the New Fire ceremony xiuhmolpilli, "the binding of the years", an event held every 52 years to align the Aztec’s ritual calendar with the annual calendar.
XiuhtlaltzinfNahuatl From Nahuatl xiuhtlalli "turquoise lands, jade land", itself derived from xihuitl (xiuh-) "turquoise, grass, greenish thing" and tlālli "earth, land, soil", and the diminutive or reverential suffix -tzin.
XiuhtlatlacmNahuatl Possibly derived from xihuitl "year" and tlatlac "something burned". Often given to boys born during the New Fire ceremony xiuhmolpilli, "the binding of the years", an event held every 52 years to align the Aztec’s ritual calendar with the annual calendar.
Xiuhtototlm & fNahuatl Means "lovely cotinga" in Nahuatl, literally "turquoise bird" a species of bright blue birds. Derived from xihuitl "turquoise" and tototl "bird".
XiuhtzitzquimNahuatl Derived from Nahuatl xihuitl "year" and tzitzquia "to seize, grasp, take hold of". Often given to boys born during the New Fire ceremony xiuhmolpilli, "the binding of the years", an event held every 52 years to align the Aztec’s ritual calendar with the annual calendar.
XiuhxochitlfNahuatl Means "turquoise flower" in Nahuatl, from xihuitl "turquoise" and xōchitl "flower".
Xochihuam & fNahuatl, Mexican Means "flower-bearer, owner of flowers" in Nahuatl, figuratively "to bewitch women; seducer, seductress" or "effeminate man". Derived from xōchitl "flower" and the possessive suffix -hua.
XochimitlmNahuatl Means "flower arrow" or "flowery arrow" in Nahuatl, a specific kind of arrow used as an offering in a feast. Derived from xōchitl "flower" and mitl "arrow, dart".
XochinahualmNahuatl Means "flower sorcerer" or "flower disguise" in Nahuatl.
Xochipepem & fNahuatl Means "flower gatherer" in Nahuatl, from xochitl "flower" and pepena "to choose, to pick something".
XochiquenmNahuatl Means "flowery garment", from Nahuatl xochitl "flower" and quemitl "garments, clothing; ritual vestments".
XochitecamNahuatl Means "inhabitant of Xochitlan", or taken from the name of a famous female sacrificial victim (given as an honorary title to victims sacrificed in the 13th month).
XochiteotlmNahuatl Means "flower god", from Nahuatl xōchitl "flower" and teotl "god, deity; divine or sacred force".
Xochitonalm & fNahuatl, Aztec and Toltec Mythology Derived from Nahuatl xōchitl "flower" and tonalli "day, sun, heat; fate, soul". This was also the name of a giant cayman said to reside on the path to the afterlife.
XochitototlmNahuatl Means "black-backed oriole" in Nahuatl, literally "flower bird", a small black and yellow passerine. Ultimately derived from xōchitl "flower" and tototl "bird".
XochitzetzeloamNahuatl Means "he sprinkles flowers", derived from Nahuatl xōchitl "flower" and tzetzeloa "to shake something, to sift something".
XolomitlmNahuatl Possibly derived from Nahuatl xolotl "servant, page, slave" and omitl "bone". Alternatively, the first element could instead mean "cornstalk", or refer to the Aztec deity Xolotl, or perhaps to the dogs named after the god.
YakáfShipibo-Conibo Means "sit down, set oneself down, settle" in Shipibo.
YakarimPopular Culture, Sioux (?) The name of the title character, a little Sioux boy, in the French-Belgian comic book series Yakari (1973-) and its television adaptions (1983, 2005).
YalutafMiwok Miwok name meaning "women out on flat telling one another there are lots of farewell-to-spring seed", farewell-to-spring being a flowering plant native to coastal areas of California and the Pacific Northwest (species Clarkia amoena), the seeds of which Miwok people gathered to grind for food.
YanayfQuechua, Spanish From Quechua yanay meaning "my beloved", from yana "lover" and -y, possesive suffix. It can also mean "my blackness" or figuratively "my dark-skinned girl", as yana means "black" in Quechua too.
YancuiltzinmNahuatl Possibly derived from yancuic "new" with a diminutive or reverential suffix -tzin. This was the name of a 14th-century Tetzcoco tlatoque who co-ruled with Tochpilli under Tepanec suzerainty.
YaonemitlmNahuatl Derived from Nahuatl yaotl "combatant; war, battle" and nemi "to live, to dwell; to be; to go about, to walk", possibly meaning "to live like a combatant" or "to be war-like".
YaopipimNahuatl Means "war spy, enemy spy", from Nahuatl yaotl "combatant, enemy" or yao- "war, battle" and pipia "to spy, to stalk".
Yaoxochitlf & mNahuatl, Mexican Means "enemy flower" or "war flower", from Nahuatl yaotl "enemy, combatant; war" and xochitl "flower". This can refer to a type of organised warfare, or to an actual flower, possibly the marigold.
Yäpam & fAymara Means "excellent, very suitable" in Aymara.
YapufAymara Means "land which has been planted before harvest" in Aymara.
YaquicamNahuatl Meaning uncertain, possibly related to Nahuatl yaoquiza "to go to war". Alternatively, may be related to Yaquin.
YaquinmNahuatl Possibly derived from Nahuatl yaqui "departed, gone, having left for a place".
Yecatlahuam & fNahuatl Meaning uncertain. Possibly derived from Nahuatl yecatl "fresh water" and tlahua "granting".
YecatototlmNahuatl Meaning uncertain. Possibly derived from Nahuatl yecatl "fresh water" and tototl "bird"; alternatively, could be a variant of Ehecatototl.
YehlmNew World Mythology, Tlingit The Tlingit creator-god, the bringer of culture as well as a trickster. He stole fire and gave it to humankind. Assuming the shape of a large raven, he flew over the primal fog and dissipated it with his wings until the first lands emerged... [more]
YmafQuechua (?) Yma Sumac was the stage name of Peruvian soprano Zoila Augusta Emperatriz Chávarri del Castillo (1922-2008). She based it on her mother's name, which was derived from Quechua ima shumaq meaning "how beautiful!", although in interviews Sumac claimed it meant "beautiful girl" or "beautiful flower".... [more]
Yo-da-gentfIroquois Allegedly means "she who saves" or "she who carries help" in the Oneida language. This was the honorary Oneida name of Dr. Lillie Rosa Minoka Hill, given to her by the Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin.
Zitkala-šafSioux Means "red bird" from Lakota ziŋtkála "bird" and šá "red". This name was adopted by a Yankton Dakota writer and political activist, birth name Gertrude Simmons (1876-1938).
ZondafSpanish (Latin American), Indigenous American Name of a specific type of fast, dry mountain wind in Argentina. The name comes from a valley in San Juan Province, Argentina. Both the valley and the wind are related to an Indigenous people Ullum-Zonda similar to the Huarpe people.