Origin of the name Naomi

1. From the Hebrew name נָעֳמִי (Na'omiy) meaning "pleasantness". In the Old Testament this is the name of the mother-in-law of Ruth. After the death of her husband and sons, she returned to Bethlehem with Ruth. There she declared that her name should be Mara (see Ruth 1:20).
Though long common as a Jewish name, Naomi was not typically used as an English Christian name until after the Protestant Reformation. A notable bearer is the British model Naomi Campbell (1970-).

2. From Japanese 直 (nao) meaning "straight" and 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" (usually feminine) or 己 (mi) meaning "self" (usually masculine). Other kanji combinations can also form this name.