Here you’ll find 26 Literary girl names that start with N that begin with N, organized from “Naamah” to “Nyx”. Many names come from myth, poetry, and novels, offering varied tones from ancient to modern.
Literary girl names that start with N are female names drawn directly from novels, poetry, myth, and other written works. For example, “Nyx” moves from Greek myth into contemporary fantasy, while “Naamah” appears in religious texts and later fiction.
Below you’ll find the table with Name, Pronunciation, Origin, and Meaning.
Name: The literary name as it appears in texts, so you can spot familiar or fresh options at a glance.
Pronunciation: A simple phonetic respelling to help you say the name correctly when discussing or testing it aloud.
Origin: Lists the author, work, and language where the name appears, giving you literary context and cultural roots.
Meaning: Etymology or literary significance that explains the name’s original sense or its role in a story.
Literary girl names that start with N
| Name | Pronunciation | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nausicaa | NAW-sih-KAH | Homer — Odyssey (c. 8th c. BC) — Ancient Greek | Phaeacian princess who aids Odysseus |
| Niamh | NEE-av or NEE-iv | Unknown/Traditional — Fenian Cycle (medieval Irish tales) — Old/Middle Irish | bright or “radiant” (mythic) |
| Niobe | NEE-oh-bee | Ovid — Metamorphoses (c. 8 AD) — Latin | Proud mother punished and turned to stone |
| Nyx | NIKS | Hesiod — Theogony (c. 7th–8th c. BC) — Ancient Greek | Personification of night; primordial goddess |
| Nike | NEE-kee | Hesiod — Theogony — Ancient Greek | Victory personified; goddess of triumph |
| Nemesis | neh-MEH-sis | Hesiod/Ovid — Theogony/Metamorphoses — Ancient Greek/Latin | Retribution; divine balance against hubris |
| Nimue | NIH-myoo or nih-MOO-ee | Thomas Malory — Le Morte d’Arthur (1485) — Middle English (Arthurian legend) | Lady of the Lake; Arthurian enchantress |
| Niniane | nih-NEE-ahn | Thomas Malory / Chrétien de Troyes — Arthurian romances (12th–15th c.) — Old French/Middle English | Variant Lake Lady name in Arthurian tales |
| Nerissa | neh-RIS-ah | William Shakespeare — The Merchant of Venice (c. 1596) — Early Modern English | Likely Shakespearean or popularized by him |
| Nynaeve | NIN-ayv | Robert Jordan — The Eye of the World (1990) — English | Author-coined; strong-willed wisdom-woman |
| Nymeria | nih-MEER-ee-ə | George R.R. Martin — A Game of Thrones (1996) — English (A Song of Ice and Fire) | Legendary warrior-queen in-world; namesake of direwolf |
| Nienor | NEE-eh-nor | J.R.R. Tolkien — The Silmarillion (published 1977; tales older) — English (Sindarin/Quenya roots) | Sindarin sense: “daughter of sorrow” |
| Nessa | NESS-ah | J.R.R. Tolkien — The Silmarillion — English (Quenya/Sindarin) | Vala of speed; youthful connotations |
| Nienna | nee-EN-ah | J.R.R. Tolkien — The Silmarillion — English (Quenya/Sindarin) | Personification of pity and mourning |
| Nerdanel | ner-DAN-el | J.R.R. Tolkien — The Silmarillion — English (Sindarin/Quenya) | Tolkien creation; wise craftswoman |
| Nimrodel | nim-ROH-del | J.R.R. Tolkien — The Fellowship of the Ring (1954) — English (Sindarin influence) | River-maiden or “lady of the shining stream” |
| Nuala | NOO-lah | Unknown/Traditional — Irish myth (e.g., The Children of Lir) — Old/Middle Irish | Diminutive of Fionnuala; “fair-shouldered” |
| Ninsun | NIN-soon | Unknown/Various — Epic of Gilgamesh (Sumerian/Akkadian versions; 2nd millennium BCE) — Sumerian/Akkadian | Lady of the wild cows; wise mother of Gilgamesh |
| Ningal | NIN-gahl | Sumerian hymns and myths — Various cuneiform texts — Sumerian | Goddess; consort of moon god Nanna |
| Nisaba | NIS-ah-bah | Sumerian literary texts — Hymns and inscriptions — Sumerian | Goddess of writing and grain; patron of scribes |
| Nerthus | NER-thus | Tacitus — Germania (c. 98 AD) — Latin (reporting Germanic belief) | Earth/fertility goddess among Germanic tribes |
| Naomi | nay-OH-mee | Hebrew Bible — Book of Ruth (c. 6th–4th c. BCE) — Hebrew | pleasantness; Ruth’s mother-in-law |
| Nympha | NIM-fah | New Testament — Epistle to the Colossians (1st century AD) — Koine Greek | bride or female house-church host |
| Naamah | nah-AH-mah | Hebrew Bible — Genesis and later traditions — Hebrew | Possibly “pleasant” or “beautiful one” |
| Nanna | NAH-nah | Poetic Edda / Prose Edda (medieval compilations, c. 13th c.) — Old Norse | Goddess linked to Baldr; associated with grief |
| Nysa | NY-sə or NYE-sə | Various classical authors — e.g., Nonnus — Dionysiaca (5th c. AD) — Ancient Greek | Nymph or mountain tied to Dionysus’ upbringing |
Descriptions
Nausicaa
Homer’s Phaeacian princess who rescues and shelters Odysseus; emblematic of youthful hospitality and classical compassion in later art and literature.
Niamh
A golden-haired Otherworld princess who elopes with the poet-warrior Oisín; central in Celtic myth and Irish poetic tradition.
Niobe
Ovid’s tragic figure whose boastful pride brings divine punishment; a classical symbol of hubris and maternal grief.
Nyx
Hesiod’s powerful primordial goddess of night, invoked across classical poetry and later mythic and literary works.
Nike
Greek goddess of victory appearing in early epic; a frequent symbol in poetry and modern cultural references.
Nemesis
Goddess who punishes arrogance and preserves balance; a recurring literary motif from classical to modern times.
Nimue
Medieval enchantress who gives Excalibur and entangles Merlin; iconic Arthurian figure appearing in many retellings.
Niniane
Medieval romance name for a Lady of the Lake figure related to Nimue; appears across Arthurian literature and adaptations.
Nerissa
Portia’s confidante in The Merchant of Venice; a memorable supporting character from Shakespeare’s play.
Nynaeve
A central, fiery-willed Aes Sedai in The Wheel of Time; name coined by Jordan and widely recognized in fantasy fandom.
Nymeria
Martin’s fictional warrior-queen from Westerosi legend; Arya Stark names her direwolf after this literary ancestor.
Nienor
A tragic woman in Tolkien’s legendarium; name crafted from his Elvish languages, central to a sorrowful tale.
Nessa
A Vala associated with dance and swiftness in Tolkien’s cosmogony; a name created within his invented languages.
Nienna
A compassionate Vala who embodies sorrow and healing; Tolkien-coined with clear thematic importance.
Nerdanel
An Elvish noblewoman and Fëanor’s wife; a Tolkien-invented name notable for her wisdom and artistic skill.
Nimrodel
An Elvish maiden of Lothlórien celebrated in LOTR’s songs; a poetic Tolkien creation tied to landscape and lore.
Nuala
A poetic Irish name appearing in folklore and legend, often as a transformed or enchanted daughter figure.
Ninsun
The sagacious mother of Gilgamesh in Mesopotamian epic poetry; a respected figure from ancient literature.
Ningal
A Sumerian goddess appearing in hymns and mythic literature as a maternal and cultic figure.
Nisaba
Sumerian deity of writing and scholarship, frequently invoked in ancient literary and administrative texts.
Nerthus
A continental Germanic goddess described by Tacitus; known from literary ethnography rather than oral survival.
Naomi
A central biblical figure whose story anchors the Book of Ruth; a widely known name from sacred literature.
Nympha
Named in Colossians as a woman hosting a church; a rare early Christian personal name from scripture.
Naamah
A female biblical figure attested in Genesis and later Jewish legend, with varied literary afterlives.
Nanna
Norse goddess and Baldr’s wife appearing in Eddic poetry; a literary source for Norse myth.
Nysa
Mythic nymph/place associated with Dionysus’ nurture appearing in classical epic and later poetic retellings.