Cree Names: 75+ Documented Names and Meanings

Quick answer: Cree names cannot be reduced to a universal list of baby names. Traditional Plains Cree personal names can be complete words, verb forms, noun-based forms or complex constructions tied to people, families and histories. This guide provides more than 75 documented names, community names and language elements as research starting points. It does not give permission to claim a historical person’s name, turn an ordinary dictionary word into a ceremonial name or bypass a family or community naming process.

Powwow Times publisher Patrick Mitsuing is from Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation in Treaty 6 territory. That lived Cree connection is one reason this page treats names as relationships and records rather than products selected from a generic list. Patrick’s identity is not presented here as authority to assign readers a Cree name, translate every dialect or disclose any private naming teaching.

If you are researching Cree baby names, Cree boy names or Cree girl names, begin by identifying the family, Nation, dialect and kind of name you mean. A name recorded for a nineteenth-century Treaty signatory is different from an English or French given name used by a Cree family today. A Cree word is different again. Those distinctions make the research more accurate and more respectful.

What “Cree names” can mean

Cree peoples live across a vast part of what is now Canada and into the United States. Plains Cree, Woods Cree, Swampy Cree, Moose Cree and the closely related language varieties represented by nêhiyaw, nihithaw, nêhinaw, ininiw, Iiyiyu and other community forms are not one perfectly uniform speech community. Spelling, sounds and vocabulary vary. Standard Roman Orthography is valuable for learning and comparison, but historical records often used English- or French-based spellings that obscured the original form.

Linguist Arok Wolvengrey’s peer-reviewed study Plains Cree Personal Names explains that traditional Plains Cree names show a wide range of grammatical patterns. Nouns, verbs and complex constructions can all appear. The study also warns that historical sources are imperfect: some records preserve only an English translation, some preserve an uncertain anglicization, and some omit the translation. A plausible modern Cree spelling is strongest when the historical spelling, translation and fluent-speaker knowledge support one another.

That evidence changes how a useful page should be built. We should not publish “bear equals Maskwa, therefore name your child Maskwa” as though dictionary lookup were a naming process. We can document public historical names, show how Cree forms are connected with Nations and places, explain common language elements, and direct readers back to families, speakers and reliable language resources.

20 documented Plains Cree personal names

The entries below are historical research records, not a list of names available for adoption. Several belong to chiefs who signed Treaties 4 or 6, and several are carried in the names of present-day First Nations. English translations help readers understand the record, but they do not capture every grammatical, personal or historical dimension of a name.

#	Cree form	Recorded English name	Research note
1	acâhkosa kâ-otakohpit	Star Blanket	Documented for a Cree chief who signed Treaty 4; the dictionary glosses the name as one who has stars as a blanket.
2	atâhkakohp	Ahtahkakoop / Starblanket	Documented for a Cree chief and Treaty 6 signatory; also carried in the name of Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation.
3	cikâstêpêsin	Chakastaypaysin	Documented for a Treaty 6 signatory; glossed as shadow lying on the water.
4	cîpwayân	Chipeewayan	Recorded for a Cree chief and Treaty 6 signatory. Historical English spellings vary.
5	kaskitêw-maskwa-maskosis	Little Black Bear	Documented for a Cree chief and Treaty 4 signatory.
6	kawâhkatos	Kawacatoose / Poor Man	Documented for a Cree chief and Treaty 4 signatory.
7	kâ-awâsis	Cowessess	Recorded for a Cree and Saulteaux chief who signed Treaty 4; the record also notes a Saulteaux form.
8	kâ-kisîwêw	Loud Voice / Kakisheway	Recorded for a Cree and Saulteaux chief connected to the Treaty 4 record.
9	kâ-miyêscawêsit	Beardy	Recorded for a Cree chief and Treaty 6 signatory.
10	kâ-nêwokaskwêhtêw	Four Claw Walker	Also translated as One Who Walks on Four Claws; recorded for a Cree chief and Treaty 4 signatory.
11	kâ-ohpâwahkinam	Flying Dust	Recorded for a Cree chief and Treaty 6 signatory; glossed as one who makes the dust fly up.
12	kâ-osihkosiwayâniw	Ermineskin	Recorded for the Cree chief associated with Ermineskin and the Treaty 6 signing.
13	kâ-pêyakwâskonam	One Arrow	Recorded for a Cree chief and Treaty 6 signatory; the English form remains in One Arrow First Nation.
14	kâ-pitikow	Thunderchild	Recorded for a Cree chief and Treaty 6 signatory; the dictionary discusses the image of rolling thunder.
15	kâh-kîwîstahâw	Kahkewistahaw	Recorded for a Cree chief and Treaty 4 signatory; glossed as he flies encircling.
16	kîsikâwacâhk	Day Star	Recorded for a Cree chief and Treaty 4 signatory; also carried in the name of Day Star First Nation.
17	mahkiyaw	Makaoo	Recorded for a Treaty 6 signatory; the dictionary gives the literal sense big body.
18	mistahi-maskwa	Big Bear	A well-known Plains Cree leader’s name. English records often omit the Cree form or vary its spelling.
19	pîhtokahânapiwiyin	Poundmaker	The Plains Cree name associated with the leader commonly called Poundmaker in English records.
20	môsomin	Moosomin	A documented Cree personal name carried forward in the name of Moosomin First Nation.

Some English records use the same translated label for different Cree forms, and the same Cree form can be represented by several historical spellings. For genealogy or publication, preserve the spelling used in the source, identify the source date, and then consult a fluent speaker or qualified linguist before presenting a reconstructed modern form as certain.

30 Cree Nation, community and place names

Community and place names are included because people frequently encounter them while researching family names and historical leaders. They are not personal-name recommendations. They also demonstrate how landscape, people and history are encoded in longer Cree forms. One English place can have more than one Indigenous name, and one written Cree form can be associated with more than one community in dictionary records.

#	Cree form	English reference	Context
1	amisk sâkahikanihk	Beaver Lake Cree Nation, Alberta	A place/community form connected with beaver lake.
2	asinîwacîsihk	Rocky Boy, Montana	Documented for the Plains Cree reservation; the dictionary describes little rock hills or little rocky mountain.
3	cahcahkiw sâkahikanihk	Pelican Lake First Nation, Saskatchewan	A Woods Cree reserve name connected with pelican lake.
4	cîmawâwinihk	Easterville, Manitoba	A western Swampy Cree community name with a detailed place-based pelican-fishing image.
5	kâ-mihkwaskîwakâhk	Red Earth, Saskatchewan	A Cree reserve name in a region where Plains and Swampy Cree meet.
6	kâ-ministiko-minahikoskâhk	Cumberland House Cree Nation, Saskatchewan	Glossed as a place where there is an island of many pines.
7	kâ-ministikociwahk	Sandy Bay, Saskatchewan	A Woods Cree community name glossed as where there are islands in the stream.
8	kâ-miyosicik kinosêwak	Goodfish Lake, Alberta	The Alberta Elders’ Cree Dictionary explains the reserve name as where the fish are good.
9	nahâskwêyâhk	Mosquito, Grizzly Bear’s Head, Lean Man First Nations	A documented regional name associated with good areas of bush.
10	kâ-nîkânît	Nekaneet First Nation, Saskatchewan	A documented southern Plains Cree reserve name.
11	kâ-ohpâwahkâstahk	Flying Dust, Saskatchewan	A reserve name glossed as where the dust flies up.
12	kâ-pitikônâhk	Thunderchild First Nation, Saskatchewan	A community form built around the historical personal name kâ-pitikow.
13	kâ-têpwêwisîpîwiyiniwak	Calling River People	A documented division of Plains Cree people associated with the Qu’Appelle Valley.
14	kâh-kîwîstahânâhk	Kahkewistahaw First Nation, Saskatchewan	A community form referring to the people or place associated with Kahkewistahaw.
15	kîsikâwacâhk	Day Star First Nation, Saskatchewan	The historical personal name is also carried in the First Nation’s English name.
16	kîskihkomânihk	Poundmaker Cree Nation, Saskatchewan	A documented Cree community/place form associated with Cut Knife.
17	kinosêw sâkahikanihk	Moosomin / Saulteaux First Nation area, Saskatchewan	A fish-lake place form documented for more than one community reference.
18	kinosêw sîpiy	Norway House, Manitoba	A Swampy Cree community name glossed as fish river.
19	kipohtakâw	Alexander First Nation, Alberta	A Plains Cree reserve name glossed as enclosed by wood or bush.
20	kisipatinâhk	George Gordon First Nation, Saskatchewan	A documented form glossed as at the end of the hills.
21	kisipatinâhk	Louis Bull Cree Nation, Alberta	The same written form is documented for a Maskwacîs community and glossed as at the end of the hill.
22	kisipikamâhk	Brochet, Manitoba	A Woods Cree community name glossed as at the end of the lake.
23	manitow sâkahikan	God’s Lake, Manitoba	A Swampy Cree place/community name glossed as spirit lake.
24	maskêko-sâkahikanihk	Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, Saskatchewan	A community form glossed as at muskeg lake.
25	maskêkosihk	Enoch Cree Nation, Alberta	A Plains Cree community name glossed as at little muskeg.
26	môsominaskîhk	Moosomin First Nation, Saskatchewan	A community/place form tied to the historical personal name môsomin.
27	mistikoskâw sâkahikan	Big Island Lake Cree Nation, Saskatchewan	A documented northern Plains Cree community name.
28	mistikwatinâhk	Lucky Man First Nation, Saskatchewan	A reserve name glossed as at tree hill or hills.
29	nîkânîw	Nekaneet naming element	A form connected with being ahead or in front; community spelling and analysis require speaker guidance.
30	têpwêwisîpîw	Qu’Appelle / Calling River	A Cree river and people-name element whose historical and modern uses need local context.

Always prefer the current spelling and self-description published by the Nation itself when writing about a living community. Dictionary and historical forms remain useful for language research, but a community has authority over how it identifies today.

34 Cree words and name elements readers often encounter

This section explains public vocabulary that may appear inside names, place names or online “Cree baby name” lists. These are language-learning entries, not automatically personal names. Cree is highly grammatical: stems combine with prefixes, suffixes and person markers, and the form that appears in a complete name may differ from the standalone dictionary headword.

#	Word or element	Short gloss	Use carefully
1	acâhkos	star	A public dictionary word that appears in larger names and expressions; not automatically a personal name.
2	amisk	beaver	An animate noun and common place-name element.
3	askiy	land / earth	A foundational public vocabulary word with grammatical forms that change in compounds.
4	atihk	caribou	An animate noun; dialect and local pronunciation matter.
5	atim	dog	A common animate noun, not a ready-made baby name.
6	awâsis	child	A public kinship/life-stage word that also appears within recorded historical names.
7	cîmân	canoe / boat	A common inanimate noun used as a dictionary model for a class of words.
8	kaskitêw-	black / dark-coloured element	A combining element seen in documented names; a fluent speaker should analyze any complete form.
9	kîsikâw	day	A public time word, distinct from the recorded personal-name form kîsikâwacâhk.
10	kinosêw	fish	An animate noun frequently visible in Cree place names.
11	maskêk	muskeg / swamp	A landscape element found in community and place names.
12	maskwa	bear	An animate noun often searched as a name, but a dictionary word is not automatically a personal name.
13	mahkêsîs	fox	An animate noun; spelling and pronunciation follow the chosen Cree dialect and orthography.
14	mistahi	much / greatly	An adverbial element encountered in larger forms, including historical names.
15	mistik	tree / wood / stick	A common noun and productive element in place names.
16	miyo-	good / well element	A productive initial element. The full word and grammar determine the actual meaning.
17	môswa	moose	An animate noun. Do not confuse it with every similarly spelled historical name.
18	nipiy	water	A public inanimate noun; compounds and place names take additional forms.
19	pîsim	sun / moon	Context determines the celestial reference in Cree usage.
20	sâkahikan	lake	A common place-name element visible in many documented community forms.
21	sîpiy	river	A common place-name element.
22	sîsîp	duck	An animate noun and a useful example of why pronunciation should come from speakers or audio resources.
23	sôhki-	strongly / firmly element	A productive initial element; it should not be detached from grammar and marketed as a complete name.
24	tânisi	hello / how are you	A widely taught greeting with orthographic variation; it is not a generic personal name.
25	tâpwê	truly / it is true	A public expression whose use and pronunciation deserve language context.
26	wâhkôtowin	kinship / relatedness	A major public concept and noun, not a decorative name label.
27	wâpikwaniy	flower	A public noun that may attract name searches; verify dialect, form and community usage.
28	wîhkask	sweetgrass	A public plant word with cultural significance; this page does not discuss restricted uses.
29	nêhiyaw	a Cree person	A Plains Cree identity word; other Cree dialects have different forms.
30	nêhiyawêwin	the Cree language	The Plains Cree language name, not a personal name.
31	pimâtisiwin	life	A public abstract noun whose full cultural and grammatical context is larger than a one-word gloss.
32	sâkihitowin	loving one another / mutual love	A relational noun; verify form and usage with fluent speakers.
33	miyo-wîcêhtowin	good relations / getting along well	A public relational expression, not a casual baby-name suggestion.
34	maskihkiy	medicine	A public noun whose cultural meanings can extend beyond an English gloss; no ceremonial knowledge is given here.

Are Cree names divided into boy names and girl names?

Not in the simple way commercial baby-name websites suggest. A historical name may be connected with a man or woman in the surviving record, but that does not prove the grammatical form belongs exclusively to one gender. Naming practices are relational and community-specific, and Cree grammar classifies nouns by animacy rather than using the same masculine/feminine noun system found in some European languages.

For that reason, Powwow Times does not split the historical entries into “Cree boy names” and “Cree girl names” without community evidence. Readers searching those phrases deserve an accurate answer: talk with family and the appropriate people in your Nation rather than relying on a gender filter generated by an unsourced website.

Can anyone use a Cree word as a baby name?

Legally choosing a word and being given or recognized by a name within a community are different matters. A dictionary can tell you that a form exists, but it cannot establish your relationship to it, confirm that your proposed spelling works as a personal name, or explain private cultural responsibilities. Non-Cree parents should be especially cautious about selecting a Cree word only because it looks or sounds appealing.

Cree families also use English, French, biblical and other names, sometimes alongside Cree names or nicknames. There is no authenticity test based on whether a person’s government-issued first name is visibly Cree. Colonial schools, churches, registries and record keepers disrupted and changed Indigenous names, and present-day families make their own decisions within that history.

How to research a Cree family or personal name

1. Start with your own family. Record the pronunciation, spelling variants, nicknames, places and people associated with the name.
2. Identify the Nation and dialect. Plains Cree resources should not automatically be used to “correct” Woods, Swampy, Moose or East Cree forms.
3. Preserve the historical source. Save the treaty, scrip, band, church, census or family-record spelling before attempting a modern reconstruction.
4. Compare more than one source. Historical English spellings may represent Cree sounds inconsistently.
5. Use speaker-supported dictionaries. Look for grammatical information, source abbreviations and audio rather than copying a one-line translation.
6. Ask what kind of name it is. A person’s name, Nation name, place name, nickname and ordinary noun are not interchangeable.
7. Do not publish private teachings. Family or ceremonial knowledge may not belong in a public SEO article.
8. Credit the people who help. Speakers, relatives, historians and language workers are sources, not anonymous verification tools.

For language-learning options, see Powwow Times’ guide to learning Cree online. For the wider naming problem and guidance on evaluating unsourced lists, read Native American Names: Meanings, Languages and Respectful Research.

Pronunciation and spelling

The circumflexes in forms such as â, ê, î and ô mark long vowels in one common version of Standard Roman Orthography. Some resources use macrons instead. A long vowel is meaningful, not decorative. Consonants and dialect features also vary, including the familiar y, th, n, l and r differences across Cree language varieties.

A page can display a written form, but pronunciation is best learned through audio and speakers. Do not remove diacritics merely to make a name “easier,” and do not add them to a historical spelling without explaining that you are presenting a linguistic reconstruction. Syllabics are likewise a writing system with community and regional conventions, not a decorative font conversion.

Frequently asked questions about Cree names

What is a traditional Cree name?

A traditional Cree personal name is a culturally and linguistically grounded name connected with a person and community, not simply any Cree dictionary word. Documented Plains Cree names can use nouns, verbs and complex grammatical constructions.

What are popular Cree baby names?

There is no reliable universal popularity chart for Cree-language baby names across all Cree Nations. Families use many kinds of names, and public registration data usually do not explain language, Nation, naming context or whether an English spelling represents a Cree form.

Is Maskwa a Cree name meaning bear?

Maskwa is a Plains Cree word for bear. That dictionary meaning does not by itself establish that Maskwa is an appropriate personal name for any reader. Historical names may contain bear-related elements in larger grammatical forms.

Why do Cree names have several spellings?

Cree has multiple dialects and writing conventions, while historical record keepers often wrote what they heard through English or French spelling habits. A person may also be recorded under a Cree form, an English translation, an anglicization and a government or church name.

Where can I verify a Plains Cree word?

Use speaker-informed resources such as itwêwina, the Maskwacîs Dictionary, the Alberta Elders’ Cree Dictionary and Nation or school language programs. Check the dialect and grammatical entry rather than relying on a search-result snippet.

Sources and editorial limits

• Arok Wolvengrey, “Plains Cree Personal Names,” Anthropological Linguistics 63(1/2), 2021.
• itwêwina Plains Cree dictionary, which brings together Cree: Words, the Maskwacîs Dictionary, the Alberta Elders’ Cree Dictionary and other cited resources.
• nêhiyawêwin / Plains Cree dictionaries and grammars.
• Cree: Language of the Plains, University of Regina learning resource.

Editorial note: This page discusses public historical and linguistic records. It does not describe a naming ceremony, assign names, disclose restricted knowledge or claim one Plains Cree form represents every Cree community. Corrections from Cree speakers, families and Nations should be evaluated against the cited record and incorporated with attribution.