24 of the most beautiful Indigenous Australian baby names and their meanings
These popular Aboriginal baby names are the perfect inspiration for naming your little one.
PLEASE NOTE: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that this article may contain references to deceased persons.
Compiling a list of Aboriginal names for children comes with some challenges.
At the time of European settlement in 1788, more than 250 Indigenous Australian languages including 800 dialectal varieties were spoken on the continent.
Sadly today, only 13 traditional languages are acquired by children. However there remains more than 100 Aboriginal dialects in Australia, which makes the meaning of Aboriginal names often tricky to define.
Thankfully, Welcome to Country website has put together a list of most popular Aboriginal boy names and Aboriginal girl names which we’ve shared in the galleries below.
Aboriginal baby names
According to the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), Indigenous names may have changed over the years due to European settlers writing them down incorrectly.
Also interesting to note is that Indigenous people may have used or been known by many different names throughout their lives. They may have a traditional name, a kinship name, a European first or last name, or a nickname.
As for pronunciation, Mom Junction notes that Aboriginal languages usually put the accent on the first and second last syllable but also, with many of the languages having been forced into disuse, the original pronunciations may have been lost.
“There was once a time when the use of Aboriginal baby names were discouraged and not recognised on paper,” notes the website Welcome to Country. “During those times, Indigenous people would have one traditional name recognised by family groups and one English name for use in the wider community. Thankfully we are now seeing a resurgence of Indigenous names returning without any thought of a second or alternative English name.
“We have tried our best to match the names below with their correct language groups however for some names, it isn’t clear about which language group they originate from. It is also important to note that some names/words are present in more than one Aboriginal language group and may have different meanings.”
Please enjoy Welcome to Country’s list of names below …
12 popular Aboriginal baby names for girls
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12 popular Aboriginal baby names for boys
Birrani is a word that comes from Wiradjuri country and is the traditional word for boy.
Coen is a name that is popular with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.
The name Coen is a Hebrew word for priest. The Aboriginal meaning for Coen is ‘thunder’.
Jarrah is a famous type of eucalyptus tree which is well known for its deep red colour. The name Jarrah is derived from the Noongar word Djarraly.
Iluka is a Bunjalung word that means by the sea. There is a small township called Iluka on Bunjalung country and it is right on the water too.
Jiemba is the name for the planet Venus or ‘the laughing star’ and it is a Wiradjuri word.
This name is found in different language groups from the east coast of Australia to the west Kimberly coast.
In the Dharug language around Sydney, the word Ngarra has a number of meanings.
One of the most beautiful meanings is ‘together with you’.
Nullah is a name made famous by Baz Luhrman’s film Australia, where a young Brandon Walters broke a million hearts around the world as the young Aboriginal boy named Nullah.
The word Nullah is a word for war club/hunting stick derived from the Dharug language.
This name that comes from a tree. Minjarra is the name for a bush plum which grows on Ngarrawanji land in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
Monaro is a Ngarigo word for plateau or high plain, which has its origins in the mountain regions of South East Australia.
There is a small township by this name and the name has reached cult status in Australia with the famous Holden Monaro.
The perfect name for a young warrior. Jandamarra has been gaining popularity in recent years after the release of the documentary film of the Bunuba resistance leader.
Waru is a very common word used in various Aboriginal languages.
The most well-known meaning comes from the Pintupi/Luritja word for fire.
In Kalkadoon country the word Waru is a word used to describe the milky way.