Niño

Niño is a Spanish word meaning "boy" or "child." In everyday usage it refers to a young male and can function as a term of endearment for children. As a proper name, Niño is a common surname in Spanish-speaking countries and is also used as a given name or nickname; in Italian, the related form Nino is a common given name.

In climatology, El Niño refers to the warm phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The term, meaning "the little boy" in Spanish, originates from fishermen who noted its appearance around Christmas. El Niño alters global weather patterns, often bringing increased rainfall to parts of the Americas and Asia and drought to other regions. Its opposite phase is La Niña, meaning "the little girl," a cooling of the central and eastern Pacific.

Beyond language and climate, Niño appears in culture as a surname and given name, including in media, literature, and history. The term also features in various idioms and compound expressions across Spanish-speaking communities.