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Home › Baby Names Directory › Nation

Nation

♀ Girl

Pronounced NAY-shun /ˈneɪ.ʃən/High

Meaning: The ordinary English word nation used directly as a name. It comes through Old French from the Latin natio, 'a birth, a people, a tribe,' built on the verb nasci, 'to be born.'Low

In 30 seconds: A word name, plainly: Nation is the English word, from Latin natio, 'a people' (said 'NAY-shun').
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Origin MediumEnglish, Latin
MeaningThe ordinary English word nation used directly as a name. It comes through Old French from the Latin natio, 'a birth, a people, a tribe,' built on the verb nasci, 'to be born.'
U.S. rank (2022)#8898 ↗ Rising
2022 U.S. births12 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2022
Total births (all-time)≈ 68

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202220022022

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Nation is the ordinary English word used as a given name. It arrived in English through Old French from the Latin natio, 'a birth, a breed, a people,' formed on nasci, 'to be born' - the same root behind native, nativity and natal. Word names of this kind, alongside Legend, Justice and Royal, have become a small but visible strand in modern American naming. We present Nation plainly as what it is: an English word taken up as a name (said 'NAY-shun').

It appears only in very small numbers in the U.S. Rare, bold, and word-name simple.

Did you know? Nation shares a root with native and nativity - the Latin nasci, 'to be born' - so at bottom it means a people bound by common birth.
Overall data confidence 40%
References - Nation — English word nation < Old French < Latin natio 'a people, birth'

Variations

NationsNashunNatio

Nicknames

NateNayNash

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Nation…

Liberty— a like abstract word name
Legend— a like bold modern word name
Royal— a like status word name
Nixon— shares Nation's English roots
Ashton— the same modern feel

Explore names like Nation

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Nation mean?

Nation is the English word used as a name, from Latin natio ('a people, a birth'), built on nasci, 'to be born.'

How do you pronounce Nation?

It's said NAY-shun /ˈneɪ.ʃən/ - two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Nation a boy or girl name?

Nation is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Nation?

Nation is extremely rare in the U.S.

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