Do The Names Dinah And Diana Have The Same Meaning?

These names are often confused, but in meaning and origin they are quite different. Dinah (prounounced DIE-na) is a rare name nowadays. It is a Biblical name derived from the ancient Hebrew word din, meaning "judgement." In the Bible, Dinah was one of the daughters of the patriarch Jacob, whose rape was avenged by two of her brothers. The name was often used by the Puritans.

Diana, on the other hand, was shunned by the Puritans as it is the name of a pagan goddess. Diana (Artemis in Greek) was the Roman goddess of the moon and of chastity. Mainly due to the fame of the late Princess Diana, the name is now extremely well known.

Both names can be shortened to Di. The name Dina, which can be pronounced DEE-na, may have begun as a variant of Dinah but is now often used as a name in its own right (as in the singer Dina Carroll) and may also derive from the Italian diminutive Dina.

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