Given name & surname · also Polynesian
Ina
“an illuminated man”
Ina is used as a given name and a surname. One African interpretation is “an illuminated man.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One African interpretation is “an illuminated man.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is African.
How it developed
In Danish usage, Ina is a short form of Wilhelmina.
The story
In mythological stories, Ina is associated with a moon goddess.
Ina through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 34,139
- 65 boys · 34,074 girls
- Most popular year
- 1921
- 751 babies
- 2025
- 66
- #2,627 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −4%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 66 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,627 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 3.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 745 in 1921. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (17). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 11,921 as a first name in 2020; 261 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Ina’s family of names
In Danish usage, Ina is a short form of Wilhelmina. In Faroese usage, Ina has a related form in Inna. In Czech usage, Ina has a related form in Inna.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Ina has relatives in 9 languages.
9 related names in 9 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 4
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 7
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 7
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Ina
- Ina BalinAmerican actress (1937-1990)
- Ina ClaireAmerican stage and film actress (1893-1985)
- Ina WroldsenNorwegian singer and songwriterborn 1984
- Ini Dima-OkojieNigerian banker turned actress and singerborn 1990
- Inna ZhukovaBelarus rhythmic gymnastborn 1986
- Ina May GaskinAmerican midwife (*1940)
- Ina CoolbrithAmerican poet, writer, and librarian (1841–1928)
- Ina-Yoko TeutenbergGerman racing cyclistborn 1974
- Ina BenitaPolish actress (1912–1984)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Ina, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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