Ondinah as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Ondinah

What is the meaning of the name Ondinah ?

The baby name Ondinah is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced on-DEE-nah (IPA: /ɔnˈdiːnə/ or US /ɑnˈdiːnə/).

Ondinah is Italian, Latin, Spanish in Origin.

Ondinah is a modern elaboration of Ondina/Ondine, ultimately from Latin unda “wave” and the Romance word onda. In Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian, Ondina means “little wave” and, by extension, a water nymph; French Ondine and Germanic Undine share the same mythic sense. The final h in Ondinah is a contemporary stylistic suffix, mainly seen in English-speaking use, without altering the root meaning.

The name’s backdrop is the European undine tradition, widely popularized by Fouqué’s 1811 novella Undine, after which Ondina/Ondine appeared sporadically in Romance-language use. Ondina also saw modest use in 20th-century Iberia and Latin America, while the h-form is chiefly 21st-century and Anglophone. Ondinah itself is rare but appealing for oceanic imagery and a lyrical feel. Variants include Ondina (Portuguese/Spanish/Italian), Ondine (French), Undine/Undina (German/Slavic). Meaning: “wave,” “little wave,” or “water nymph.”

⚙ Ondinah doesn't appear in any of the birth registries or name datasets we track. That's typically a sign of a rare name, a regional or traditional one, or a modern coinage. By any reading, it's an exceptionally uncommon choice.