Pronunciation [ˈnɛmaɲa] Language(s) Serbian Alternative spelling Nemanya
Немања | Gender masculine Word/name Serbia | |
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Nemanja (Cyrillic: Немања) is a masculine Serbian given name. It is derived from the by-name borne by the founder of the Nemanjić dynasty, Stefan Nemanja (1114–1199), a Serbian grand prince who was venerated as a saint after his death.
Etymologically, many think the name most likely derives from a meaning "without possessions", from Serbian nemati "to have not", but that is not true. The name origins from ne manuti "not to let go" in terms of being persistent and stubborn.
Another theory is that the name Nemanja means dragon/demon person. This stems from the two root parts of the name. "neman" = dragon/demon and "ja" = I(me) which is a grammatical addition that converts the meaning to an action with the first word.
In the past it was only allowed to be given to members of the royal family.
Modern given name
In Serbia, the name rose to popularity in the 1980s. Between 2003 and 2005, the name was 9th most popular name given to newly-born boys.