Shima

Meaning: (Mother, Island, it is often written with characters used phonetically. The word does not necessarily denote an island surrounded by water, but can also mean a field separated from its village and surrounded by someone else's property.)

Origin: (Japanese, Native American, Native American- Navajo)

Pronunciation: (SHIYMAH)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I think I heard this when watching The Hunt with John Walsh show. That episode was where a man of either a Hindu or Buddhist community molested several young girls and the girl’s parents said if the contact was seen as bad to the girls then there was something perverse in their thinking. I think this was a name of one of the girls that was showed on the show just like Shyama *see on list of posts* but I am not sure as I’ve moved some names around and so I am not 100% sure.

Shima is a beautiful name that reminds me of many different names I’ve used for my character before like Shika *see on list of posts* and Shamar. The meanings are great and lovely and I love the meanings of Japanese names and one of the origins for this name is Japanese. The name is short and easily pronounced. I think this looks like a girl name from an Anime or something.

Sawa

Meaning: (Swamp, Marsh, Rock)

Origin: (Japanese, Native American, Native American-Miwok)

Pronunciation: (SAA-Waa)

Gender: Female

I was watching the 2014 movie Kite and the main female assassin was named this. Since then I have used it as the name of my main character in a short story I wrote and entered in this years Nelson Algren Literary Awards Short Story Contest, fingers crossed that I win or am a runner up or finalist at least! :~) Her last name is Almund *see on list of posts*.

When I saw the movie Kite I was at first not sure how her name was pronounced or said properly but I looked it up and it is really easy to pronounce and is so cool. I love Japanese names. The meanings are decent and the name itself is easy enough.

Now the pronunciation I said is pretty easy but there is one funny or odd thing about it. When saying it I think it sounds like an English speaker trying to sound like an Asian or foreigner who is saying the word Sour. However I read about one person saying it sounds like a person from Boston trying to say Sour. So I guess I really am not the only one saying it sounds like someone with an accent trying to say Sour.

With both the character in the movie and my character it seems a name fit for a fighter and a unique interesting character. I would love to see this name used more often.

Catalapa / Catalape / Catalpa

Meaning: (Winged Head, The name derives from the Muscogee name for the tree, "kutuhlpa" meaning "winged head" and is unrelated to the name of the Catawba people. The spellings "Catalpa" and Catalpah" were used by Mark Catesby between 1729 and 1732, and Carl Linnaeus published the tree's name as Bignonia catalpa in 1753.Giovanni Antonio Scopoli established the genus Catalpa in 1777.

The bean-like seed pod is the origin of the alternative vernacular names Indian bean tree and cigar tree for Catalpa bignonioides and Catalpa speciosa, respectively. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalpa )

Origin: (Native American, English)

Pronunciation: (Catalpa: ka-TAL-pa, ca-TAL-pa, ka-TALL-pa Catalape: ka-TAL-uh-pee, ka-TAL-uh-peh, ka-TALL-uh-pee, ka-TALL-uh-peh Catalapa: ka-TAL-uh-pa, ka-TALL-uh-pa

If you want to hear how this name is said then go to this link and run your cursor over the word to hear how it is pronounced:  http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=catalpa )

Gender: Uni-Sex

This is the name of another street I saw last summer when going to a religious convention. Meadowmere *see on list of posts* was about one or two streets away from Catalapa. I thought oh wow that’s kind of interesting and Native American like. So I put it on my list and as my list is always backed up for months and months I am just now getting to this name.

Now the street name was Catalapa but I could find no meaning for it spelled that way but I found it spelled Catalpa so I reason both probably mean the same but don’t quote me on that. It has an interesting meaning and long history of use so that is really nice. This name does seem Native American like to me but it could of course fit in a Fantasy or Sci-fi novel.

Now the pronunciation I found was for Catalpa so I tweaked it when putting together the pronunciation options for Catalapa and Catalape. Even with these pronunciations this name could throw some readers or even writers off so I think it would take a special kind of character and author to pull this off effectively.

Cheyenne

Meaning: (Derived from the Dakota Indian Shaiyena which is from Shaia “To Speak Unintelligibly”. The name is that of a tribe of Algonquian Indians, as well as a river and city name.)

Origin: (Native American)

Pronunciation: (shiy-AN, shiy-EHN, shy-ENN)

Gender: Female

Okay so I’ve added other Native American tribe names like Cherokee *see on list of posts* but I never got around to adding Cheyenne as I thought it was too over used and I wasn’t a fan. I don’t like the meaning but the name is decent and a good nickname could be Chey (Shy).

Alaqua / Alaquah

Meaning: (Sweet Gum Tree)

Origin: (Native American)

Pronunciation: (AL-uh-Kwah, al-ah-kwa, ah-LAH-Kwah)

Gender: Female, Possibly Uni-Sex

A few months ago I was looking for an alternative to a name I had used many years ago, it is an extremely long story as to why I needed the change but after research and asking a few people I decided to keep the name I had. But I loved this name that looks so similar so I decided to add it to my blog. It is a unique name with a pretty meaning. It does have a very Native American look but also a Science Fiction / Fantasy look as well. I love this name very much.

I have used Alaquah just this month in one of my short stories. It is the name of a tribal elder.

Chiana

Meaning: (An Algonquian tribe of the Great Plains and Capital city of Wyoming. Unintelligible Speakers. Chiana is a variant of Cheyenne (Native American Indian): from the French name "Shaiyena".)

Origin: (French, Native American)

Pronunciation: (CHEE-ahn-uh, K-IYAENAH)

Gender: Female

A few months ago I was watching re-runs of the sci-fi TV show Farscape. One of the alien women on the living ship is named Chiana. I love that show and I also love many of the names on the show. I have already added Aeryn *see on list of posts* and Moya *see on list of posts*. The meanings of this name aren’t so great but it does have an interesting history. I love the look of the name as well.

Falla

Meaning: (Torch, Bonfire, Resembling a Crow, This name, with variant spelling Fala, is of Scottish territorial origin from the lands of Fala in Midlothian. The name is believed to derive from the Medieval English "Falwe", (ultimately from the Olde English pre 7th Century "Falh"), meaning "Fallow" i.e. a piece of ploughed ground left uncropped for a year or more. The surname from this source was first recorded in the latter part of the 12th Century (see below). One, Bartholomew de Faulaw was witness to a charter in favour of the House of Soltre between the years 1214 -1240. One, George de Falow was Provost of Edinburgh in 1421. The variant spellings Fallawe, Fawlo, Faulo and Falowe appear on record in Scotland during the period 1426 - 1453. James Fala was a tenant under the Abbey of Kelso in 1576. On June 24th, 1723 William Falla and Janet Veitch were married in Edinburgh, Midlothian. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Radulf Falache, charter witness, which was dated circa 1165 - "The Register of Paisley Monastery", during the reign of King William, "The Lion of Scotland", 1166 - 1214. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling. http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Falla)

Origin: (Spanish, Catalan, Scottish, Old English, Native American)

Pronunciation: (FAElah)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I read this name in the 2014 Year Book of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I think a man in the Philippines was named this. I think the name and meanings are nice. I don’t really see this name very often but I wouldn’t mind seeing it. I don’t think it is name that would work on too many character but given the right author it could be used well.

Tallulah

Meaning: (Abundance, Lady, Princess, Bubbling Water, Leaping Water, Related to the Choctaw word for Water, “Oka”. The Choctaws lived near the Tallulah Waterfall, which derives its name from the Hitchiti (Creek) Indian word for “Town”. The name also possibly derives from a Gaelic name meaning “Fruitful Woman”.)

Origin: (Native American)

Pronunciation: (Tuh-Loo-La, TAH-loo-lah)

Gender: Female

I had never been a huge fan of this name. I first saw it as the name of British actress Tallulah Riley, in 2005’s Pride & Prejudice. I however have now looked into it and I do like it a lot. The meanings are pretty and it’s seemingly pronounceable by many different people no matter there accent and heritage. On my fathers side we come from the Choctaw Indian heritage, so I am particularly drawn to this name. It would be cool to use this as a nod to my heritage. That being said I don’t love it enough to ever name a future child this, except if it was a middle name. I might however use it as a future characters name. It is lovely, unique and has a good look to it.

Cherokee

Meaning: (People of a Different Speech, The name of one of the largest Native American tribes, used as a given name. The Cherokee originally lived in the southeastern America. They were farmers, and one of the first tribes to produce a written language.)

Origin: (Native American)

Pronunciation: (CHARE-oh-kee)

Gender: Female, Possibly Uni-Sex

I remember seeing the movie True Women which was based off a novel a few years back and then again recently. In the movie Angelina Jolie’s character names one of her daughter’s Cherokee. I thought it was weird but she names her that after her own Native American heritage. Anyway a few days ago I was in Wal-Mart and there was a lady in the long line in front of me. She had a son about four or five and a daughter about two or three and then a baby who she told the cashier that it was almost three months old. The cashier said the cute two year old girl looked like a little girl she knew and then she asked the mom what the girls name was. The mom said the girls name was Cherokee and they named her that after the Indian Tribe.

Now seeing and hearing this a lot recently I decided to add this rare given name. I have heard of Cheyenne’s but no real life Cherokee’s until I was in the store. It’s a pretty name and there could be many reasons to use a Native American tribe name as a given name in a novel.  

Topanga

Meaning: (A Place Above, Where the Mountain meets the Sea, A variant form of Topanga is the name Topangah. Another variant of Topanga is the pet form Topi.)

Origin: (Native American)

Pronunciation: (toh-PAN-gə, TAH-pang-uh, Tow-PeyN-Gah, toe-pane-guh)    

Gender: Female, Possibly Uni-Sex

I saw that the old TV series Boy Meets World is going to have a sequel called Girl Meets World that will follow the daughter of Cory and Topanga from Boy Meets World. I used to watch that show many, many years ago. I think the name Topanga is a bit weird but I like the meanings. Also I don’t add Native American names too much so I decided to add this one.

Sequoia

Meaning: (Sparrow, Large Tree, Giant Redwood Tree, Tallest Tree on Earth and one of the longest lived, From the name of huge trees that grow in California. The tree got its name from the Cherokee scholar Sequoya (also known as George Guess), the inventor of the Cherokee alphabet.)

Origin: (Native American, English (Rare), English Nature Name)

Pronunciation: (se-KWOH-yə, sə-KOI-ə, seh-KWOY-ah, Go to this site and run your cursor over the name Sequoia to hear how it is pronounced: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=sequoia )

Gender: Female

I was watching a show on TV the other day and the persons name was Sequoia. I think it is a beautiful, powerful name. There is an interesting history behind the name of the Sequoia tree. It's a beautiful nature name.

Nova

Meaning: (New, Chases Butterfly (Hopi), Astronomy: a nova is a star that releases a tremendous burst of energy, becoming temporarily extraordinarily bright.)

Origin: (Latin, Native American)

Pronunciation: (NOH-vah, Go to this site and run your cursor over the name Nova to hear how it is said: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=nova&submit=Submit)

Gender: Female

I have the name Terranova on my blog but never added Nova alone so the other day when I heard this name on T.V I decided I might as well add it. The name is beautiful and astronomy wise it is a beautiful name to be given to a character. The Native American meaning is beautiful and cute too. It's a short name which could be a major plus as well.

Shenandoah

Meaning: (Daughter of the Stars, A Chief, Derived from the Algonquian schind-han-do-wi, the literal translation of which has been thought to be "spruce stream," "great plains," or "beautiful daughter of the stars." The name of a river and valley in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northern Virginia, Shenandoah was popularized as a given name by the folk song "Shenandoah.")

Origin: (Native American, English)

Pronunciation: (sheh-nan-DOH-ə, Go to this site and run your cursor over Shenandoah to her how it is said: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=shenandoah&submit=Submit)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I have thought this was a beautiful name with a beautiful meaning since I read the novel Daughter of the Stars by Phyllis A. Whitney. The pronunciation is a bit tricky but there are plenty of nicknames. I would love to see a character named this.