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Nerina
How to Pronounce Nerina
Pronounced nuh-REE-nuh /nəˈriː.nə/Medium
Meaning: Nerina is an Italian and Latin name derived from Nereus, the sea god of Greek myth, and his daughters the Nereids, so it carries the sense of a sea nymph. It appears in Italian pastoral poetry as a graceful, water-linked name and is also used in botany for the Nerine lily.Medium
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
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
Nerina comes from Nereus and the Nereids, the sea nymphs of Greek myth, and reached English through Italian pastoral poetry, where it appears as a name for a lovely water-linked maiden. In the United States it has always been very rare, showing up only occasionally from the 1970s onward, with its modest high coming surprisingly late, around 2022. It has been given to only a couple dozen girls a year at most.
Because its tiny high point is recent, Nerina reads less as a dated name and more as a quiet, poetic rarity that a few families have rediscovered. Its watery mythological roots and soft three-beat sound fit the current taste for lyrical, nature-linked names, though it remains well off the beaten path.
Variations
Nicknames
Famous Bearers
- ★Nerina Pallot (b. 1974)British singer-songwriter and musician
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Nerina mean?
It is an Italian and Latin name derived from Nereus and the Nereids, the sea nymphs of Greek myth, so it carries the sense of a sea nymph.
How do you pronounce Nerina?
It's said nuh-REE-nuh /nəˈriː.nə/, three syllables, stress on the middle.
Is Nerina a boy or girl name?
Nerina is used as a girl's name.
How popular is Nerina?
It has always been very rare in the United States, a poetic name given to only a couple dozen girls a year even at its recent high.