Marion 2 m EnglishFrom a French surname that was derived from
Marion 1. This was the real name of American actor John Wayne (1907-1979), who was born Marion Robert Morrison.
Marius m Ancient Roman, Romanian, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, French, LithuanianRoman family name that was derived either from
Mars, the name of the Roman god of War, or else from the Latin root
mas, maris meaning
"male". Gaius Marius was a famous Roman consul of the 2nd century BC. Since the start of the Christian era, it has occasionally been used as a masculine form of
Maria.
Mark m English, Russian, Belarusian, Dutch, Danish, Armenian, BiblicalForm of Latin
Marcus used in several languages. Saint Mark was the author of the second gospel in the New Testament. Though the author's identity is not certain, some traditions hold him to be the same person as the John Mark who appears in the Book of Acts. He is the patron saint of Venice, where he is supposedly buried. Though in use during the Middle Ages,
Mark was not common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century, when it began to be used alongside the classical form
Marcus.
... [more] Marlen 1 m RussianBlend of
Marx and
Lenin. This name was created by Communist parents who were eager to reject traditional names.
Marley f & m English (Modern)From an English surname that was taken from a place name meaning either "pleasant wood", "boundary wood" or "marten wood" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the Jamaican musician Bob Marley (1945-1981).
Marlon m EnglishMeaning unknown. This name was popularized by the American actor Marlon Brando (1924-2004), who was named after his father.
Marlowe f & m English (Modern)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"remnants of a lake" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the English playwright Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593).
Marnix m DutchFrom a Dutch surname, derived from the name of a village in Savoy, France. It is given in honour of the 16th-century Flemish and Dutch statesman Philips of Marnix, also a notable writer.
Marquis m African AmericanFrom a noble title that derives from the Old French word
marche meaning "march, borderland". The title originally referred to someone who ruled on the borderlands of a realm.
Mars m Roman MythologyPossibly related to Latin
mas meaning
"male" (genitive
maris). In Roman mythology Mars was the god of war, often equated with the Greek god
Ares. This is also the name of the fourth planet in the solar system.
Marshall m EnglishFrom an English surname that originally denoted a person who was a marshal. The word
marshal originally derives from Latin
mariscalcus, itself from Germanic roots akin to Old High German
marah "horse" and
scalc "servant". A famous bearer is the American rapper Marshall Mathers (1972-), who performs under the name Eminem.
Martial m French, HistoryFrom the Roman cognomen
Martialis, which was derived from the name of the Roman god
Mars. The name was borne by Marcus Valerius Martialis, now commonly known as Martial, a Roman poet of the 1st century.
Martin m English, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Russian, Romanian, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, FinnishFrom the Roman name
Martinus, which was derived from
Martis, the genitive case of the name of the Roman god
Mars. Saint Martin of Tours was a 4th-century bishop who is the patron saint of France. According to legend, he came across a cold beggar in the middle of winter so he ripped his cloak in two and gave half of it to the beggar. He was a favourite saint during the Middle Ages, and his name has become common throughout the Christian world.
... [more] Marvin m English, GermanFrom an English surname that was derived from the Welsh given name
Merfyn or the Old English name
Mærwine. As an American given name, it steadily rose in popularity through the beginnings of the 20th century and peaked in the early 1930s (closely mirroring the similar-sounding but unrelated name
Melvin). A famous bearer was the American musician Marvin Gaye (1939-1984).
Masaharu m JapaneseFrom Japanese
正 (masa) meaning "right, proper" or
雅 (masa) meaning "elegant, graceful" combined with
治 (haru) meaning "govern, administer" or
春 (haru) meaning "spring (the season)". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.
Masahiko m JapaneseFrom Japanese
雅 (masa) meaning "elegant, graceful" or
正 (masa) meaning "right, proper" combined with
彦 (hiko) meaning "boy, prince". This name can be formed from other kanji combinations as well.
Masaki m JapaneseFrom Japanese
正 (masa) meaning "right, proper" and
樹 (ki) meaning "tree", as well as other combinations of kanji having the same reading.
Masami f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
成 (masa) meaning "become" or
正 (masa) meaning "right, proper" combined with
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji.
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.
Masaru m JapaneseFrom Japanese
勝 (masaru) meaning "victory" or
優 (masaru) meaning "excellence". Other kanji or kanji combinations can also form this name.
Masashi m JapaneseFrom Japanese
政 (masa) meaning "government" or
雅 (masa) meaning "elegant, graceful" combined with
志 (shi) meaning "will, purpose". Many other kanji combinations can form this name as well.
Masato m JapaneseFrom Japanese
正 (masa) meaning "right, proper",
雅 (masa) meaning "elegant, graceful" or
真 (masa) meaning "real, genuine, true" combined with
人 (to) meaning "person". Other combinations of kanji that have the same pronunciation can also form this name.
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.
Math m Welsh MythologyPossibly from the old Celtic root *
matus meaning
"bear". According to the Fourth Branch of the
Mabinogi, Math ap Mathonwy was a king of Gwynedd and a magician. Whenever he was not at war, it was required that he rest his feet in the lap of a virgin. He was the uncle of the hero
Gwydion, with whom he shared most of his adventures.
Mathgamain m Old IrishMeans
"bear" in Old Irish, a compound of
math, itself meaning "bear", and
gamuin meaning "calf". This was the name of a brother of the Irish king
Brian Boru.
Matija m & f Slovene, Croatian, SerbianSlovene, Croatian and Serbian form of
Matthias, used to refer to the apostle chosen to replace Judas Iscariot. It is occasionally used as a feminine name.
Mattaniah m BiblicalMeans
"gift of Yahweh" in Hebrew. This was the original name of Zedekiah, a king of Judah, in the Old Testament.
Matthew m English, BiblicalEnglish form of
Ματθαῖος (Matthaios), which was a Greek form of the Hebrew name
מַתִּתְיָהוּ (Mattityahu) meaning
"gift of Yahweh", from the roots
מַתָּן (mattan) meaning "gift" and
יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. Matthew, also called
Levi, was one of the twelve apostles. He was a tax collector, and supposedly the author of the first gospel in the New Testament. He is considered a saint in many Christian traditions. The variant
Matthias also occurs in the New Testament belonging to a separate apostle. The name appears in the Old Testament as
Mattithiah.
... [more] Mattithiah m BiblicalForm of
Mattityahu (see
Matthew) used in the English Old Testament, where it belongs to a few minor characters.
Māui m & f Hawaiian, Polynesian MythologyMeaning unknown. In Hawaiian mythology Māui was a trickster who created the Hawaiian Islands by having his brothers fish them out of the sea. He was also responsible for binding the sun and slowing its movement.
Maurice m French, EnglishFrom the Roman name
Mauritius, a derivative of
Maurus. Saint Maurice was a 3rd-century Roman soldier from Egypt. He and the other Christians in his legion were supposedly massacred on the orders of Emperor Maximian for refusing to worship Roman gods. Thus, he is the patron saint of infantry soldiers.
... [more] Maurus m Late RomanLatin name meaning
"North African, Moorish". This was the name of numerous early saints, most notably a follower of Saint Benedict.
Maverick m EnglishDerived from the English word
maverick meaning
"independent". The word itself is derived from the surname of a 19th-century Texas rancher who did not brand his calves.
Maxence m FrenchFrench form of the Roman name
Maxentius, a derivative of Latin
maximus "greatest". This was the agnomen of an early 4th-century Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius, a rival of
Constantine. It was also borne by a 6th-century saint from Agde in France.
Maximilian m German, English, Swedish, Norwegian (Rare), Danish (Rare)From the Roman name
Maximilianus, which was derived from
Maximus. It was borne by a 3rd-century saint and martyr. In the 15th century the Holy Roman emperor Frederick III gave this name to his son and eventual heir. In this case it was a blend of the names of the Roman generals Fabius Maximus and Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus (see
Emiliano), whom Frederick admired. It was subsequently borne by a second Holy Roman emperor, two kings of Bavaria, and a short-lived Habsburg emperor of Mexico.
Maximinus m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen that was derived from
Maximus. Saint Maximinus was a 4th-century bishop of Trier. Another saint by this name (also called Mesmin) was a 6th-century abbot from Orléans.
Maximón m MythologyThe name of a trickster folk deity, also called San Simón, worshipped by the Maya people in parts of Guatemala. He is a syncretic figure thought to have arisen during the Spanish conquest, and is typically represented by a man-sized, cigar-smoking, alcohol-drinking wooden effigy. The meaning of the name is uncertain. It could be a blend of
Mam, a title of some of the Maya gods meaning "grandfather", and
Simón, referring to Saint
Peter.
Maximus m Ancient RomanRoman family name that was derived from Latin
maximus "greatest". Saint Maximus was a monk and theologian from Constantinople in the 7th century.
Maxwell m EnglishFrom a Scottish surname meaning
"Mack's stream", from the name
Mack, a short form of the Scandinavian name
Magnus, combined with Old English
wille "well, stream". A famous bearer of the surname was James Maxwell (1831-1879), a Scottish physicist who studied gases and electromagnetism.
... [more] Mayrbek m ChechenDerived from Nakh
майра (mayra) meaning "husband, brave man" combined with the Turkic military title
beg meaning "chieftain, master".
Maytham m Arabic (Rare)Possibly means
"crushing" in Arabic. This was the name of a companion of
Ali, the fourth caliph.
McKinley f & m EnglishFrom a Scottish surname, an Anglicized form of
Mac Fhionnlaigh, from the given name
Fionnlagh. A famous bearer of the surname was the American president William McKinley (1843-1901).
... [more] 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).
Meallán m Irish (Rare)From Old Irish
Mellán, derived from
mell meaning either "pleasant, delightful" or "lump, ball" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a few early saints.
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.
Mega f & m IndonesianMeans
"cloud" in Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit
मेघ (megha).
Meginhard m GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
megin "power, strength" and
hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". This was the name of a 12th-century saint, a bishop of Livonia.
Mehmed m Ottoman Turkish, BosnianOlder form of
Mehmet, as well as the Bosnian form. This was the name of six sultans of the Ottoman Empire, including Mehmed II the conqueror of Constantinople.
Mehr m & f Persian, Persian MythologyModern Persian form of
Mithra. As a Persian vocabulary word it means
"friendship, love, kindness". It is also the name of the seventh month of the Persian calendar. All of these derive from the same source: the Indo-Iranian root *
mitra meaning "oath, covenant, agreement".
Mehrab m Persian, Persian MythologyFrom Persian
مهر (mehr) meaning "sun" or "friendship" and
آب (ab) meaning "water". This is the name of the king of Kabul in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh.
Mehrdad m PersianFrom Persian
مهر (mehr) meaning "sun" or "friendship" and
داد (dad) meaning "given". Since
مهر is also the Modern Persian form of
Mithra, this name can also function as a modern form of
Mithridates.
Meine m Frisian, DutchOriginally a Frisian short form of names beginning with the Old German element
megin meaning
"power, strength" (Proto-Germanic *
mageną).
Meinrad m German, GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
megin "power, strength" and
rat "counsel, advice". Saint Meinrad was a 9th-century hermit who founded the Benedictine abbey at Einsiedeln in Switzerland.
Meirion m WelshFrom the name of the Welsh county of Meirionnydd, formerly a part of the kingdom of Gwynedd. It is probably derived from the Roman name
Marianus.
Mekaisto m Indigenous American, SiksikaFrom Siksika
Mí'kiai'stoowa meaning
"red crow", from
mi'ki "red" and
mai'stóó "crow". Red Crow (1830-1900) was a chief of the Kainai Blackfoot.
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).
Melqart m Semitic MythologyMeans
"king of the city", from Phoenician
𐤌𐤋𐤊 (milk) meaning "king" and
𐤒𐤓𐤕 (qart) meaning "city". This was the name of a Phoenician god worshipped especially in the city of Tyre.
Melville m EnglishFrom a Scots surname that was originally from a Norman French place name
Malleville meaning
"bad town". A famous bearer of the surname was the American author Herman Melville (1819-1891), who wrote several novels including
Moby-Dick.
Melvin m English, SwedishFrom a Scots surname that was a variant of
Melville. This name has been used in America since the 19th century. It became popular in the early 20th century and reached a peak in the late 1920s, but has steadily declined since then (closely mirroring the similar-sounding but unrelated names
Marvin and
Alvin).
Memphis m English (Modern)From the name of an important city of ancient Egypt, or the city in Tennessee that was named after it. It is derived from a Greek form of Egyptian
mn-nfr meaning "enduring beauty".
Menahem m Biblical, HebrewFrom the Hebrew name
מְנַחֵם (Menachem) meaning
"comforter". This was the name of a king of Israel, appearing in the Old Testament. His reign was noted for its brutality.
Menander m Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Μένανδρος (Menandros), derived from either
μένω (meno) meaning "to stay, to last" or
μένος (menos) meaning "mind, strength, force" combined with
ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive
ἀνδρός). This was the name of a 4th-century BC Greek dramatist. It was also borne by a 2nd-century BC Indo-Greek king who expanded the realm to its greatest extent.
Menelaus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek name
Μενέλαος (Menelaos), derived either from
μένω (meno) meaning "to stay, to last" or
μένος (menos) meaning "mind, strength, force" combined with
λαός (laos) meaning "people". In Greek legend he was a king of Sparta and the husband of
Helen. When his wife was taken by
Paris, the Greeks led by his brother
Agamemnon besieged the city of Troy in an effort to get her back. After the war Menelaus and Helen settled down to a happy life.
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.