Before the 2000s, this feminine first name was rarely given in France. Its popularity is brand new.
There are names that we rarely hear, if at all, and with the years that pass, gradually gain popularity, until they rise to the rank of new trendy first names. This surprise rise can be explained in different ways: a character in a film or series that is creating a buzz, the child of a star who has just been born, or quite simply thanks to a trend coming from abroad. This is the case with the first name of Adriana Karembeu’s daughter, born on August 17, 2018, and whose father is Aram Ohanian, a businessman of Armenian origin.
According to the guide The Official First Names 2024 (First editions), written by Stéphanie Rapoport and Claire Tabarly Perrin, this feminine first name became known from the 19th century, first in Europe and in English-speaking countries, before spreading to France and more precisely to Paris . Indeed, according to the authors of the guide, its growth in France is due to Parisians who were “quick to adopt it and propel it into the top 30 female ranks in the early 2000s”we can read. Before that, twenty-four years ago, it was very little given. However, it has many advantages…
It is a sweet and short first name, Nina, which is the Russian diminutive of Anne. If we look at its etymology, it comes to us from the Hebrew “hannah” whose meaning is “grace”, as well as the abbreviated form of the first names Christiana and Antonia. Its history is linked to Saint Nina, who is said to have spread the faith throughout Georgia in the 4th century. Then, the first name Nina became popular in all Slavic countries and then in Spanish-speaking countries. In France, “the Bretons attribute Celtic roots to it”, explain Stéphanie Rapoport and Claire Tabarly Perrin in their book.
Since then, the name Nina has come a long way and is now flourishing in France. It is also in the top 20 national trendy first names and it has undoubtedly not finished making people talk about it. The proof is that his male equivalent, Nino, is also experiencing great growth. So, if you are planning to expand your family in the coming years, it is in your best interest to closely follow the rise of the first name Nina, but also of the first name Nino if you are expecting a boy.