Nima

Nima is a masculine first name that is particularly common in Persian-speaking regions. Its meanings include 'the Just' as well as possibly 'the Strong' or 'the Commander of the Army'. The name originates from the Old Persian nima (نیما), which means 'just' or 'fair', but can also be associated with 'the Half Moon'.

What does the name Nima mean?

In Persian-speaking regions, Nima is understood as a masculine first name associated with 'the Just', but it also allows interpretations such as 'the Strong' or 'the Commander of the Army'. The term originates from the Old Persian nima (نیما), which means 'just', 'fair', but also 'the Half Moon' or 'the Bow'. In Arabic, Nima can be used for both men and women and literally means 'the Blessing' or freely translated 'the Blessed' as well as in a religious context 'Gift of God' or 'Grace of God'. This derives from the Arabic Ni'mah (نعمة), which stands for 'blessing', 'gift of God', and 'grace'. In Tibetan culture, Nima is used as a gender-neutral name and directly translates to 'the Sun' or metaphorically 'born on a Sunday'. Here, the name is based on the Tibetan word nyima (ཉི་མ), which means 'the Sun' and 'the Day'. In Hebrew, the name Nima means 'Yarn' or also 'Melody' and 'String'. Additionally, it is occasionally interpreted in Persian as 'Face' and 'small' or considered a type of 'Flower'. In Iranian culture, it is common to name sons after the poet Nima Youshij, who shaped modern Persian poetry; his civil name was Ali Esfandiari, while Nima was his artistic name. Variants of the name include Nyima, Nyma, Neema, and Niema.

Where does the name Nima come from?

The origins of the name Nima lie in both Old Persian and Tibetan, where it appears as a masculine and feminine first name with the meanings 'the Just' or 'the Blessed'. The etymological roots are: Old Persian nima (نیما) = just, fair, as well as the Half Moon or the Bow; Arabic Ni'mah (نعمة) = blessing, gift of God, grace of God; Tibetan nyima (ཉི་མ) = the Sun, the Day. The languages from which the name originates are Arabic, Hebrew, and Tibetan.

How do you pronounce Nima?

The pronunciation of Nima is two syllables and emphasizes the vowel. The name is usually pronounced as 'Ni-ma' [ˈniːma], starting with a long I sound that radiates a certain clarity. The open ending '-ma' provides a gentle closure to the name. Due to the distinct vowel combination, Nima conveys a modern and friendly impression – a name with a harmonious structure and calm aura.

Popularity

In Germany, the name Nima enjoys great popularity and currently ranks 839th in the list of the most common male first names. Its highest placement was in 2007 when it reached 759th place. In the last ten years, Nima has been chosen as a first name about 420 times, placing it 996th in the ten-year statistics. Over the period from 2010 to 2024, it ranks 1,055th.

Nicknames & pet names

Niente / Nimchen / Nimi / Nimimchen / Nimo / Nims / Nimu / Ninna / Ninni

Similar first names

Famous people

• Nima A Rowshan (Iranian musician)
• Nima Arkani-Hamed (physicist from the USA)
• Nima Aziminejad (musician from Iran)
• Nima Behnoud (Iranian designer)
• Nima Delavari (Iranian football player)
• Nima Ghavidel (Iranian football player)
• Nima Latifiahvas (football player from Germany)
• Nima Mirkhoshhal (pianist from Germany)
• Nima Najafi-Hashemi (German rapper)
• Nima Nakisa (Iranian footballer)
• Nima Nourizadeh (English film director)
• Nima Rumba (Nepalese singer)
• Nima Sangay (Bhutanese football player)
• Nima Sarvestani (Swedish film director)
• Nima Tamang (Indian footballer)
• Nima Yaghobi (rapper)
• Nima Youschidsch (Iranian poet)