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At a Glance: Name: Hina – Meaning: sun, light – Origin: Japanese; also Hawaiian/Polynesian and South Asian – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: HEE-nah
Hina is a clean, modern girl's name with a worldly feel, pronounced HEE-nah. In its Japanese sense it means sun or light, and the name also shows up in Hawaiian/Polynesian and South Asian traditions. You may have read that it means 'doll,' but that's a mix-up with a different kanji (雛) used in hina-ningyo dolls; the Japanese meaning is sun, light.
Meaning & Origin of Hina
Meaning: Sun, light.
Origin: Japanese; also Hawaiian/Polynesian and South Asian.
A common claim: Often said to mean 'sunshine' and/or 'doll' (the latter tied to the Hinamatsuri doll festival). Actually: 'Sunshine' fits the Japanese sense (sun, light), but 'doll' isn't accurate — that's likely confusion with a different kanji (雛), used in hina-ningyo dolls.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Hina
Phonetic: HEE-nah IPA: /ˈhiːnə/
Popularity of Hina
Hina ranked #4687 in the U.S. in 2024, with 29 babies given the name. Its highest ranking in the data, which runs from 1973 to 2024, was #4574 in 1995, when 22 babies were named Hina.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1973–2024.
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Free printable nursery art for Hina, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Hina mean?
Sun, light. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Hina)
How do you pronounce Hina?
Hina is pronounced HEE-nah (IPA: /ˈhiːnə/).
Is Hina a popular name right now?
Hina is near its all-time peak (#4574 in 1995), ranked #4687 in 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1973–2024.)
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