Nino

Nino has distinct Italian and Georgian histories. In Italian, it is a familiar form of names ending in -nino, including Giannino and Antonino. Its meaning then depends on the longer name behind it. It can also stand as an independent given name, which explains why an Italian Nino need not have one fixed translation.

In Georgia, Nino is traditionally a feminine name associated with Saint Nino, the fourth-century woman credited with bringing Christianity to the country. Its origin is uncertain, with a connection to Greek Ninos sometimes proposed. The two traditions therefore differ in both gender association and linguistic history. A family choosing Nino may be preserving an Italian nickname tradition or honoring the Georgian saint; the four Latin letters alone do not tell the whole story.