Lucky m & f English, Indian, HindiFrom a nickname given to a lucky person. It is also sometimes used as a diminutive of
Luke. A famous bearer was the Italian-American gangster "Lucky" Luciano (1897-1962).
Lugus m Gaulish Mythology (Hypothetical)Possibly from one of the Indo-European roots *
lewk- "light, brightness", *
lewg- "dark" or *
lewgh- "oath". This was the name of a Celtic (Gaulish) god of commerce and craftsmanship, who was equated by the Romans with
Mercury. He probably forms the basis for the characters and names of
Lugh (Irish) and
Lleu (Welsh).
Luigi m ItalianItalian form of
Louis. It has been borne by five prime ministers of Italy since the 19th century. This is also the name of
Mario's brother in Nintendo video games (debuting 1983), called
ルイージ (Ruīji) in Japanese.
Lumír m CzechMeaning unknown, though the second element is likely Slavic
miru meaning "peace" or "world". In Czech legend this is the name of a bard.
Lyall m English (Rare)From a Scottish surname that was derived from the Old Norse given name
Liulfr (which was derived in part from
úlfr "wolf").
Lydos m Ancient GreekMeaning unknown. This was the name of the semi-legendary king who gave his name to the region of
Lydia in Asia Minor.
Mabon m Welsh MythologyLater Welsh form of
Maponos. In the Welsh tale
Culhwch and Olwen he is a prisoner freed by
Arthur's warriors in order to help hunt the great boar Trwyth. His mother is
Modron.
Madai m BiblicalMeans
"Medes" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of
Japheth. He was the ancestor of the Medes, an ancient people related to the Persians.
Madoc m Welsh (Rare)From the Old Welsh name
Matauc, derived from
mad meaning
"good, fortunate" combined with a diminutive suffix. This is the name of a warrior mentioned in the 7th-century Welsh poem
Y Gododdin. It was also borne by several medieval rulers, including the 12th-century Madoc ap Maredudd, the last prince of Powys. Another bearer, according to later folklore, was a son of the 12th-century
Owain the Great who sailed to the Americas.
Magdy m Arabic (Egyptian)Alternate transcription of Arabic
مجدي (see
Majdi). This corresponds more closely with the Egyptian Arabic pronunciation of the name.
Mahli m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
מַחְלִי (Machli), possibly meaning
"weak, sick". This was the name of two characters mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.
Maina m Eastern African, KikuyuMeans
"sing, dance" in Kikuyu. Kikuyu males were traditionally organized into age sets or generations, each lasting about 30 years. The
Maina generation occupied the last part of the 19th century.
Major m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from the given name
Mauger, a Norman French form of the Germanic name
Malger meaning
"council spear". The name can also be given in reference to the English word
major.
Malik 1 m ArabicMeans
"king" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
الملك (al-Malik) is one of the 99 names of Allah. This can also be another way of transcribing the name
مالك (see
Maalik).
Malte m Danish, Swedish, GermanDanish short form of the Old German name
Helmold. This name was used by the Austrian author Rainer Maria Rilke for the title character in his novel
The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge (1910).
Manno m GermanicOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
man meaning
"person, man" (Proto-Germanic *
mannô).
Manoj m Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Odia, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, KannadaModern form of
Manoja.
Marco m Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, DutchItalian form of
Marcus (see
Mark). During the Middle Ages this name was common in Venice, where Saint Mark was supposedly buried. A famous bearer was the Venetian explorer Marco Polo, who travelled across Asia to China in the 13th century.
Maria f & m Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Occitan, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Faroese, Dutch, Frisian, Greek, Polish, Romanian, English, Finnish, Estonian, Corsican, Sardinian, Basque, Armenian, Russian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Biblical Greek, Biblical Latin, Old Church SlavicLatin form of Greek
Μαρία, from Hebrew
מִרְיָם (see
Mary).
Maria is the usual form of the name in many European languages, as well as a secondary form in other languages such as English (where the common spelling is
Mary). In some countries, for example Germany, Poland and Italy,
Maria is occasionally used as a masculine middle name.
... [more] Marie f & m French, Czech, German, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, AlbanianFrench and Czech form of
Maria. It has been very common in France since the 13th century. At the opening of the 20th century it was given to approximately 20 percent of French girls. This percentage has declined steadily over the course of the century, and it dropped from the top rank in 1958.
... [more] Mario m Italian, Spanish, German, CroatianItalian and Spanish form of
Marius. Famous bearers include American racecar driver Mario Andretti (1940-) and Canadian hockey player Mario Lemieux (1965-). It is also borne by a Nintendo video game character, a mustached Italian plumber, who debuted as the playable hero of
Donkey Kong in 1981. Spelled
マリオ (Mario) in Japanese Katakana, he was reportedly named after Mario Segale (1934-2018), an American businessman who rented a warehouse to Nintendo.
Masao m JapaneseFrom Japanese
正 (masa) meaning "right, proper" or
政 (masa) meaning "government" combined with
雄 (o) meaning "hero, manly" or
夫 (o) meaning "man, husband". This name can be formed from other kanji combinations as well.
Mason m EnglishFrom an English surname (or vocabulary word) meaning
"stoneworker", derived from an Old French word of Frankish origin (akin to Old English
macian "to make"). In the United States this name began to increase in popularity in the 1980s, likely because of its fashionable sound. It jumped in popularity after 2009 when Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick gave it to their son, as featured on their reality show
Keeping Up with the Kardashians in 2010. It peaked as the second most popular name for boys in 2011.
Matěj m CzechCzech form of
Matthias, used to refer to the apostle chosen to replace Judas Iscariot.
Meade m & f English (Rare)From an English surname that indicated one who lived on a meadow (from Middle English
mede) or one who sold or made mead (an alcoholic drink made from fermented honey; from Old English
meodu).
Medad m BiblicalMeans
"love" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Medad is one of the elders who prophesizes in the camp of the Israelites after the flight from Egypt.
Meine m Frisian, DutchOriginally a Frisian short form of names beginning with the Old German element
megin meaning
"power, strength" (Proto-Germanic *
mageną).
Mekan m TurkmenMeans
"place, town, edge" in Turkmen, ultimately from Arabic
مكان (makan) meaning "place, position".
Mekhi m African AmericanMeaning unknown, possibly an invented name. This name was popularized by the American actor Mekhi Phifer (1974-).
Melle m DutchOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
mahal meaning
"meeting, assembly, court" (Proto-Germanic *
maþlą).
Menes m Ancient Egyptian (Hellenized)Greek form of Egyptian
mnj probably meaning
"he who endures", derived from
mn "to endure". According to tradition, Menes was the Egyptian pharaoh who first united Upper and Lower Egypt around the 31th century BC. He is probably the same as the pharaoh known as
Narmer; Menes could have been his throne name.
Merle f & m English, EstonianVariant of
Merrill or
Muriel. The spelling has been influenced by the word
merle meaning "blackbird" (via French, from Latin
merula). This name is also common in Estonia, though a connection to the English-language name is uncertain.
Merry 2 m LiteratureThe name of a hobbit in J. R. R. Tolkien's novel
The Lord of the Rings (1954). His full given name is
Meriadoc;
Merry is a semi-translation into English of his true hobbit-language name
Kali meaning
"jolly, merry" (in full
Kalimac).
Meyer m HebrewAlternate transcription of Hebrew
מֵאִיר (see
Meir). It also coincides with a German surname meaning "mayor, leader".
Micah m Biblical, EnglishContracted form of
Micaiah. Micah is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament. He authored the Book of Micah, which alternates between prophesies of doom and prophesies of restoration. This is also the name of a separate person in the Book of Judges, the keeper of an idol. It was occasionally used as an English given name by the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation, but it did not become common until the end of the 20th century.
Midas m Greek MythologyMeaning unknown. In Greek myth Midas was a king of Phrygia in Asia Minor. He was granted a wish by the god
Dionysos — that everything he touch be turned to gold.
Mihai m RomanianRomanian form of
Michael. Mihai the Brave was a prince of Wallachia who united Romania in the early 17th century.
Milan m Czech, Slovak, Russian, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Bulgarian, MacedonianFrom the Slavic element
milu meaning
"gracious, dear", originally a short form of names that began with that element. A city in Italy bears this name, though it originates from a different source.
Miles m EnglishFrom the Germanic name
Milo, introduced by the Normans to England in the form
Miles. The meaning is not known for certain. It is possibly connected to the Slavic name element
milu meaning
"gracious". From an early date it was associated with Latin
miles meaning
"soldier". A notable bearer was the American musician Miles Davis (1926-1991).
... [more] Miloš m Czech, Slovak, Serbian, Slovene, Croatian, MacedonianOriginally a diminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element
milu "gracious, dear". This was the name of a 14th-century Serbian hero who apparently killed the Ottoman sultan Murad I at the Battle of Kosovo.
Minos m Greek MythologyPossibly from a Cretan word or title meaning
"king". This was the name of a king of Crete in Greek mythology. He was the son of
Zeus and
Europa. Because Minos had refused to sacrifice a certain bull to
Poseidon, the god had caused his wife Pasiphaë to mate with the bull, which produced the half-bull creature called the Minotaur. Minos had
Daedalus construct the Labyrinth to house the beast, but it was eventually slain by
Theseus.
Min-Su m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
民 (min) meaning "people, citizens" or
旼 (min) meaning "gentle, affable" combined with
秀 (su) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" or
洙 (su), which refers to a river in China. Other hanja combinations are possible.
Miron 2 m HebrewFrom the name of the highest mountain in Israel, Mount Meron. It is also the name of a village on its slopes, thought to be on the same site as the ancient Canaanite city of Merom.
Misao m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
操 (misao) meaning "chastity, honour". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji.
Mitra 1 m & f Hinduism, Indian, HindiMeans
"friend" in Sanskrit, a cognate of
Mithra. This is a transcription of both the feminine form
मित्रा and the masculine form
मित्र, which is the name of a Hindu god of friendship and contracts who appears in the
Rigveda.
Monet f & m VariousFrom a French surname that was derived from either
Hamon or
Edmond. This was the surname of the French impressionist painter Claude Monet (1840-1926).
Monte m English, ArmenianEither a diminutive of
Montgomery or from the Spanish or Italian vocabulary word meaning "mountain". Its use as an Armenian name is inspired by the Armenian-American revolutionary Monte Melkonian (1957-1993).
Montu m Egyptian MythologyFrom Egyptian
mnṯw meaning
"nomad". In Egyptian mythology he was the god of war, depicted as a man with the head of a falcon or a bull.
Moray m ScottishFrom the name of the area of Moray in Scotland or the surname derived from it (see
Moray).
Moses m English, Jewish, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name
מֹשֶׁה (Mosheh), which is most likely derived from Egyptian
mes meaning
"son", but could also possibly mean
"deliver" in Hebrew. The meaning suggested in the Old Testament of
"drew out" from Hebrew
משה (mashah) is probably an invented etymology (see
Exodus 2:10).
... [more] Mungo m ScottishMeaning uncertain, possibly from a Brythonic phrase meaning
"my dear". This was a nickname of the 6th-century Saint
Kentigern.
Myles 2 m Greek MythologyProbably from Greek
μύλη (myle) meaning
"mill". This was the name of a king of Laconia in Greek mythology.
Myron m English, Ukrainian, Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
μύρον (myron) meaning
"sweet oil, perfume". Myron was the name of a 5th-century BC Greek sculptor. Saints bearing this name include a 3rd-century bishop of Crete and a 4th-century martyr from Cyzicus who was killed by a mob. These saints are more widely revered in the Eastern Church, and the name has generally been more common among Eastern Christians. As an English name, it has been used since the 19th century.
Nadab m Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekMeans
"generous" in Hebrew. This is the name of a son of
Aaron in the Old Testament. He was consumed by flames and killed when he offered unauthorized fire to God. It was also the name of the second king of Israel.
Nadim m Arabic, UrduMeans
"drinking companion", derived from Arabic
ندم (nadima) meaning "to drink together".
Nahor m BiblicalMeans
"snorting" in Hebrew. Nahor is the name of both the grandfather and a brother of
Abraham in the Old Testament.
Nahum m BiblicalMeans
"comforter" in Hebrew, from the root
נָחַם (nacham). Nahum is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament. He authored the Book of Nahum in which the downfall of Nineveh is foretold.
Nanda m & f Hinduism, Indian, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Odia, Nepali, Burmese, Hindi, MarathiMeans
"joy" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form
नन्द and the feminine form
नन्दा (spelled with a long final vowel). In Hindu texts this is a name of
Vishnu and the foster-father of
Krishna, as well as various other characters. In Buddhist texts this is the name of both a half-brother and half-sister of Buddha. Nanda was also a 4th-century BC king who founded a dynasty in Magadha in India.
... [more] Naoki m JapaneseFrom Japanese
直 (nao) meaning "straight, direct" and
樹 (ki) meaning "tree", as well as other combinations of different kanji with the same pronunciations.
Naomi 2 f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
直 (nao) meaning "straight, direct" and
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" (usually feminine) or
己 (mi) meaning "self" (usually masculine). Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Narek m ArmenianFrom the name of a 10th-century Armenian saint, Grigor of Narek, who came from the town of Narek (formerly in Armenia, now in eastern Turkey).
Nasir m ArabicMeans
"helper" in Arabic. This transcription represents two different Arabic names.
Neely m & f English (Rare)From a Scottish surname, an Anglicized and reduced form of Gaelic
Mac an Fhilidh (or
McNeilly) meaning
"son of the poet".
Nenad m Serbian, CroatianMeans
"unexpected" in Serbian and Croatian. In the Serbian folk song
Predrag and Nenad this is the name of
Predrag's brother.
Nephi m MormonMeaning unknown. This name is used in the Book of Mormon as the name of a prophet, the son of
Lehi and
Sariah. He was supposedly the founder of the Nephite people in the Americas.
Nerva m Ancient Roman, HistoryRoman cognomen derived from Latin
nervus "strength". This is the name by which the 1st-century Roman emperor Marcus Cocceius Nerva is commonly known.
Nevio m ItalianItalian form of the Roman family name
Naevius, which was derived from Latin
naevus "mole (on the body)". A famous bearer was the 3rd-century BC Roman poet Gnaeus Naevius.
Niels 1 m DanishDanish form of
Nicholas. A famous bearer was Niels Bohr (1885-1962), a Danish physicist who investigated the structure of atoms.
Nigel m EnglishFrom
Nigellus, a medieval Latinized form of
Neil. It was commonly associated with Latin
niger "black". It was revived in the 19th century, perhaps in part due to Walter Scott's novel
The Fortunes of Nigel (1822).
Nihat m TurkishPossibly from Persian
نهاد (nehad) meaning
"nature, disposition".
Nīkau m MaoriFrom the name of a type of palm tree found in New Zealand (species Rhopalostylis sapida).
Niles m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the given name
Neil.
Ninos m Ancient Assyrian (Hellenized)Probably from the name of the ancient city of
Nineveh in Assyria. According to Greek historians this was the name of the husband of
Semiramis and the founder of Nineveh. In actuality he does not correspond to any known Assyrian king, and is likely a composite character named after the city.