Indigenous Australian Names

General Name Discussion
1

[name_m]Hi[/name_m] there, wanted to share some Indigenous Australian names that I’ve come across in my years of living around the different states and territories of Australia.

(Note: there are hundreds of indigenous languages and I acknowledge and respect their cultures and thank those who have shared their names with me)

I know there’s a few names in there that’ll be pronounced more with the American accent rather than Aussie one so give it a try in both and see which way sounds better to you.

Adelong - plain with a creek
Akora - hut
[name_f]Alinta[/name_f] - fire
[name_f]Alira[/name_f] - quartz
Alkira - bright, sunny
Alumuna - our home
Antakira - south
Arinyuna - distant, long way away
Arrabri - big mountain
Arrellah - dancing ground
Arriemutha - sea

Ballin - river
Beela - river
Booah - mahogany
Bulga - a single mountain

Callemondah - hilly
Carawatha - pine forest
Carinya - happy peaceful home
Carramar - shade of trees
Currindah - black duck

Daku - sand hill
Danina - farewell
Djenak - evil spirit

Elinya - native grass

Goorda - island

Illira - shelter

[name_u]Jarrah[/name_u] - tree
[name_f]Jedda[/name_f] - wild goose
Jeetho- depart
Jilliby - where two creeks meet
Jingal - moon
Jirrah - kangaroo
Joalah - lyrebird (prn. koala with a j)

Kallara - tea tree
Kallioota - green country
Kaiela - river (prn. [name_u]Kye[/name_u]-[name_f]Ella[/name_f])
[name_f]Kallee[/name_f] - emu
Kaycenee - water
Karalaya - pretty flower
Karani - duck
[name_f]Karie[/name_f] - traveller
Kariwara - west
Katandra - song of birds
[name_f]Karrah[/name_f] - black cockatoo
Karrendi - birds of flight
Karu - creek
[name_f]Keera[/name_f] - big lagoon, big mountain
[name_f]Kiandra[/name_f] - sharp stones
[name_f]Korina[/name_f] - white cockatoo
Kullah - koala
Kullindi - she oak
Kuranna - thunder
Kuranya- rainbow

Lallira - sun
[name_f]Lutana[/name_f]- moon

Marana - stars
Marombi - shield
Meelah - native well
Merrigum - little plain
Merrindah - beautiful
Meruko - wattle
Milina - paperbark tree
[name_f]Minka[/name_f] - cave
Miluna - racing
Mireen - south
MiriMiri - high up
Moonah - island

Nakari- moon
[name_f]Narelle[/name_f] - little river
Nariel - small spring
Narranda - east
Nimitybelle - source of many springs
[name_f]Noora[/name_f] - camp
Nullah - club

Pitara - desert

Tallara - rain
Tarraleah - kangaroo
Tarrina - albatross
Tatura - small lagoon
Tiari - wind
Tjila - the big one, leader
Tyalla - eucalyptus

Walkandi - north
Wambiri - sea coast
Wyuna - clear water

Yarrah - red river gum
Yarran - acacia tree
Yindi- sun
Yurrah - plenty of trees

Curious to find out which ones have potential for those outside of Australia and which ones are you favourites.

I’ve been curious about;
[name_f]Alira[/name_f] :heart:
Beela (she was a sweet but cheeky little girl)
Jilliby (fun to say and kinda sounds like jellybean)
[name_f]Karie[/name_f] (short, sweet, and cute)
Lallira (luh lir uh, could say it all say)
Merrigum (sounds like it belongs in the may Gibbs books with snugglepot and cuddlepie)
Tiari

The names I’ve come across the most are;
[name_f]Alinta[/name_f]
Carinya
Danina
Jirrah
Katandra
Meelah
Merrindah
[name_f]Minka[/name_f] (mostly girls under ten)
[name_f]Narelle[/name_f] (mostly older women)
Tarrina (tuh rin uh not taryn-a)
Yarrah

It’s interesting to see how different names are especially in remote locations.

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2

Thank you for sharing. I’ve been looking for names from Indigenous Australia and am excited to see them here. The fact that they are primarily nature names is amazing to me. I am drawn to many of the meanings.

:smiling_face_with_three_hearts: :pray: :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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You’re very welcome, I had more names without meanings but I haven’t been able to find them.

Any particular meanings you’re looking for?

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4

I love any meanings having to do with water, forest, landscapes (meadow, mountain, etc.), plants and space, but anything works for me as long as it is positive. :blush:

5

Yes thank you for sharing!
[name_f]My[/name_f] favorites are Alkira, [name_u]Jarrah[/name_u], Kullindi, [name_f]Lutana[/name_f], Nakari, [name_f]Noora[/name_f] and Yindi!

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This link has some more names/words
www.ceramicnameplates.com.au/aboriginal-words

This link has meanings of Aussie towns

If you scroll to the bottom of this link you’ll find flora and fauna, animals, natural objects and a whole bunch more.

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7

Thank you! I’m starting to drift off to sleep (albeit a little to early tonight). I’ll definitely be having a look at it in the morning. :blush:

8

That’s so interesting, thank you for posting this!

I like a lot of them, and most of them have great meanings. I think my favourite is Alumuna.

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9

oh this is lovely! my favourite indigenous australian name is araluen (waterlily), which wasn’t on your list. from your list, I adore elinya and tallara.

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10

So many great names! Two I like that you haven’t mentioned are, for a boy, [name_m]Miro[/name_m] (a type of spear thrower in the Nyungar language) and [name_f]Iluka[/name_f] for a girl, which means ‘by the sea’ in the Bunjalang language. I also love [name_f]Jedda[/name_f], which, as you said, means ‘wild goose’ but apparently it may be derived from the Noongar word for ‘wren’

11

Thanks for sharing. These names are so beautiful. I really like [name_f]Alira[/name_f] and [name_f]Alinta[/name_f].

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I left a fair few off my list because they’re more place or object names rather than people names. I’m used to the places like [name_f]Araluen[/name_f], Winnellie, and Larrakeyah (also spelled Larrakia) in the Northern Territory. [name_u]Haven[/name_u]’t heard those kinds of names on actual people like with those mentioned on my list.

The one I feel in love with while I was near [name_m]Darwin[/name_m] was a a place called Marrakai :heart_eyes:

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There are 250 First Nations languages with 800 dialects but only around 120 of those are still spoken today. The most spoken of those languages has less than 5,000 speakers. Some words share roots with the neighbouring areas and some share roots from areas on the other side of the country. It really depends on the words.

I like that more of the First Nations names for places are being used these days too or at least with their current names eg [name_m]Melbourne[/name_m]/Naarm part of [name_u]East[/name_u] Kulin Country or Bendigo being part of Dja Dja Wurrung Country, Grampians/Gariwerd, [name_m]Hobart[/name_m] in Nipaluna Country.

Sometimes I feel like sharing all the place names I can find but then I go nah it’s silly no one will be interested in names like that or I’m so used to them so they’re normal to me but others will think they’re such strange out there names.

I could spend so much time on this subject!

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these are so gorgeous! my favourites are akora, alira, elinya ( :heart_eyes:), illira, karie, kuranna, kuranya, lallira, meelah, milina, miluna, noora, tallara, tyalla, wyuna & yindi!!

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15

I love this one :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: thank you for sharing ~!

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16

Lallira swept me off my feet I am in love ahhhhhh

thank you so much for sharing these!! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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18

I like a lot of these but I could especially see Miluna getting some more usage even if it’s just on here. It’s like a perfect combination of [name_f]Milena[/name_f] and [name_f]Luna[/name_f]

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thank you for sharing this with us!! All of these names are incredibly beautiful. [name_f]My[/name_f] favorites are Yindi, Yarrah (I have Yaara on my list,) Katandra, and Antakira. Very few of these names are registered to the database, I’d love to see them added! @pam

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You’re welcome :blush:
I agree more needs to be added. There are a few that have been added that aren’t accurate and it bugs me.

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[name_f]My[/name_f] daughter is Tyalla, born last year :heart: She belongs to Kuku-Yalanji tribe. I’m trying to find information about which language her name comes from, so many beautiful Aboriginal names, I’ve never come across anyone with my daughter’s name

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