Nina

Meanings

1. A female given name in continuous use since the 19th century.
2. The Babylonian goddess of the watery deep, daughter of Ea.
3. Ellipsis of Nina from Pasadena.

1. Alternative letter-case form of nina (“a hidden message revealed in the completed grid of a crossword”).

1. A hidden message revealed in the completed grid of a crossword.

1. A NINA loan.

1. Initialism of no Irish need apply (in job advertisements).

Etymology

Borrowed into English in the nineteenth century, apparently from several sources. Many borrowings are of Russian Ни́на (Nína), the name of a Georgian saint in the fourth century, also known as Nino, of obscure origin and meaning, possibly connected with the Assyrian king Ninus. Others are of an Italian short form of diminutives like Annina from Anna and Giovannina from Giovanna. Phonologically or orthographically similar names are present in several languages, including Afrikaans, Hindi, Italian, Persian, Romanian, Russian, Spanish and some Native American languages. In many of those, it is a nickname for names ending in -ina or -nina. (hidden message in crossword): After Nina Hirschfeld, the daughter of the American caricaturist Al Hirschfeld; her name was often concealed in his drawings.