Browse Names

Lyndsey f English (Modern)
Variant of Lindsay.

Lynet f Arthurian Cycle
Form of Lunete used in Thomas Malory's 15th-century tale Le Morte d'Arthur, where it is borne by a woman who enlists the help of Sir Gareth to rescue her sister Lyonesse. She eventually marries his brother Gaheris.

Lynna f English (Rare)
Elaborated form of Lynn.

Lynne f English
Variant of Lynn.

Lynsay f English (Rare)
Variant of Lindsay.

Lynsey f English (Modern)
Variant of Lindsay.

Lynton m English (Rare)
Variant of Linton.

Lynwood m English
Variant of Linwood.

Lyones f Arthurian Cycle
Variant of Lyonesse.

Lyonesse f Arthurian Cycle
Means "lioness" in Middle English. In Thomas Malory's 15th-century tale Le Morte d'Arthur this is the name of a woman trapped in a castle by the Red Knight. Her sister Lynet gains the help of the knight Gareth in order to save her.

Lyonors f Arthurian Cycle
Probably from Middle English lyon meaning "lion". It appears in Thomas Malory's 15th-century compilation of Arthurian legends Le Morte d'Arthur, belonging to a woman who had a child with Arthur. Alfred Tennyson used the name in his poem Gareth and Lynette (1872) for the sister of Lynette (this character is called Lyonesse in Malory's version of the story).

Lyov m Russian (Rare)
Variant of Lev 1.

Lyra f Astronomy
The name of the constellation in the northern sky containing the star Vega. It is said to be shaped after the lyre of Orpheus. This is the name of the main character in the His Dark Materials series of books by Philip Pullman (beginning 1995).

Lyric f & m English (Modern)
Means simply "lyric, songlike" from the English word, ultimately derived from Greek λυρικός (lyrikos).

Lysander m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Λύσανδρος (Lysandros), derived from Greek λύσις (lysis) meaning "a release, loosening" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός). This was the name of a notable 5th-century BC Spartan general and naval commander.

Lysandra f Ancient Greek
Feminine form of Lysandros (see Lysander).

Lysandros m Ancient Greek
Greek form of Lysander.

Lysanne f Dutch
Variant of Lisanne.

Lysette f English (Rare)
Variant of Lisette.

Lysimachos m Ancient Greek
Greek form of Lysimachus.

Lysimachus m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Λυσίμαχος (Lysimachos), derived from λύσις (lysis) meaning "a release, loosening" and μάχη (mache) meaning "battle". This was the name of one of the generals under Alexander the Great. After Alexander's death Lysimachus took control of Thrace.

Lysistrata f Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of Lysistrate.

Lysistrate f Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek λύσις (lysis) meaning "a release, loosening" and στρατός (stratos) meaning "army". This is the name of a comedy by the Greek playwright Aristophanes, also called by its Latinized form Lysistrata. In the play Lysistrate attempts to end the Peloponnesian War by persuading the women from both sides to withhold sex from men.

Lysithea f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek λύσις (lysis) meaning "a release, loosening" and θεά (thea) meaning "goddess". This was the name of a lover of Zeus in Greek mythology. A small moon of Jupiter is named after her.

Lyssa 2 f Greek Mythology
Means "rage, fury, anger" in Greek. In Greek mythology Lyssa is a goddess associated with uncontrolled rage.

Lyuben m Bulgarian
Derived from the Slavic element ľuby meaning "love".

Lyubomir m Bulgarian
Bulgarian form of Lubomír.

Lyubov f Russian, Ukrainian
Derived from the Slavic element ľuby meaning "love".

Lyudmil m Bulgarian
Bulgarian masculine form of Ludmila.

Lyudmila f Russian, Bulgarian
Russian and Bulgarian form of Ludmila. This was the name of a character in Aleksandr Pushkin's poem Ruslan and Lyudmila (1820).

Lyudmyla f Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Ludmila.

Lyusi f Armenian
Probably an Armenian form of Lucie.

Lyydia f Finnish (Rare)
Finnish variant of Lydia.

Maacah f & m Biblical
From Hebrew מָעַך (ma'akh) meaning "to press, to crush". This name is borne by both male and female characters in the Old Testament.

Maachah f & m Biblical
Form of Maacah in some versions of the Old Testament.

Ma'akhah f & m Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Maacah.

Maala f Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Form of Mahlah used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament.

Maalik m Arabic
Means "owner, possessor, master" in Arabic.

Maaria f Finnish
Finnish form of Maria.

Maarit f Finnish
Finnish form of Margaret.

Maarja f Estonian
Estonian form of Maria.

Maarten m Dutch
Dutch form of Martin.

Maaseiah m Biblical
From the Hebrew name מַעֲשֵׂיָה (Ma'aseyah) meaning "work of Yahweh". This is the name of numerous Old Testament characters (mostly minor).

Ma'aseyah m Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Maaseiah.

Maat f Egyptian Mythology
From Egyptian mꜣꜥt meaning "truth, virtue, justice". Maat (or Ma'at) was the Egyptian goddess who personified truth and balance. She was the consort of Thoth.

Maata f Maori
Maori form of Martha.

Maayan f & m Hebrew
Means "spring of water" in Hebrew.

Mabelle f English
Variant of Mabel. It also coincides with the French phrase ma belle meaning "my beautiful".

Mable f English
Variant of Mabel.

Mabon m Welsh Mythology
Later 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.

Mabyn f Cornish
Possibly from Old Cornish mab meaning "son". This was the name of a 6th-century Cornish saint, said to be one of the children of Brychan Brycheiniog. She is now regarded as a woman, but some early sources describe her as a man.

Mac m English
Variant of Mack 1.

Macarena f Spanish
From the name of a barrio (district) in Seville, which got its name from a temple that may have been named for a person named Macarius (see Macario). The Virgin of Macarena, that is Mary, is widely venerated in Seville.

Macaria f Spanish
Feminine form of Macario.

Macario m Spanish
Spanish form of the Latin name Macarius, derived from the Greek name Μακάριος (Makarios), which was in turn derived from Greek μάκαρ (makar) meaning "blessed, happy". This was the name of several early saints.

Macarius m Late Greek (Latinized)
Latin form of Macario.

Macaulay m English (British)
From a Scottish surname, an Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Amhalghaidh, itself derived from Amhalghadh, a given name of unknown meaning. A famous bearer of the surname was Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800-1861), a British Whig politician and noted historian. The given name is borne by the American former child actor Macaulay Culkin (1980-), who was named after the British politician.

Macauley m English (British)
Variant of Macaulay.

Mac Beatha m Medieval Scottish
Scottish Gaelic form of Macbeth.

Macbeth m History
Anglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic given name Mac Beatha meaning "son of life", implying holiness. This was the name of an 11th-century Scottish king who came to power after defeating and killing King Duncan in battle. Years later he was himself slain in battle with Duncan's son Malcolm. Shakespeare based his play Macbeth (1606) loosely on this king's life, drawing from the tales related in Holinshed's Chronicles (1587).

Macdara m Irish, Old Irish
Means "son of oak" in Irish. This was the name of a 6th-century saint from Connemara.

Macey f English (Modern)
Variant of Macy.

Machalat f Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Mahalath.

Machlah f & m Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Mahlah.

Machli m Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Mahli.

Machteld f Dutch
Dutch form of Matilda.

Maci f English (Modern)
Variant of Macy.

Məcid m Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani form of Majid.

Macie f English
Variant of Macy.

Maciej m Polish
Polish form of Matthias.

Mack 1 m English
From a surname, originally a shortened form of various Irish and Scottish surnames beginning with Mac or Mc (from Irish mac meaning "son"). It is also used as a generic slang term for a man.

Mackenzie f & m English
From a Scottish surname, an Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Coinnich, itself derived from the given name Coinneach. As a feminine given name it was popularized by the American actress Mackenzie Phillips (1959-), especially after she began appearing on the television comedy One Day at a Time in 1975. In the United Kingdom it is more common as a masculine name.

Macsen m Welsh Mythology
Welsh form of Maximus. Magnus Maximus (known as Macsen Wledig in Welsh) was a 4th-century co-ruler of the Western Roman Empire. In Wales he was regarded as the founder of several royal lineages. He appears in the medieval Welsh tale The Dream of Macsen.

Macy f English
From an English surname that was from various towns called Massy in France. The towns themselves were originally derived from a Gallo-Roman personal name that was Latinized as Maccius. The name was brought to public attention in 1989 when the character Macy Alexander was introduced to the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. It is also notable as the name of a chain of American department stores founded by Rowland Hussey Macy in 1858.

Madai m Biblical
Means "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.

Madailéin f Irish
Irish form of Magdalene.

Madalen f Basque (Rare)
Basque form of Magdalene.

Madalena f Portuguese
Portuguese form of Magdalena.

Mădălina f Romanian
Romanian form of Magdalene.

Madalitso m & f Chewa
Means "blessings" in Chewa.

Madalyn f English
Variant of Madeline.

Madara f Latvian
From the Latvian name for a type of flowering plant, known as cleavers or bedstraw in English.

Mädchen f Various (Rare)
Means "girl" in German. It is not used as a name in Germany itself.

Maddalen f Basque
Basque form of Magdalene.

Maddalena f Italian
Italian form of Magdalene.

Maddi f Basque
Variant of Mari 3 or Maria.

Maddison f English (Modern)
Variant of Madison.

Maddox m English (Modern)
From a Welsh surname meaning "son of Madoc". It was brought to public attention when the actress Angelina Jolie gave this name to her adopted son in 2002.

Made m & f Balinese
From Sanskrit मध्य (madhya) meaning "middle". This name is traditionally given to the family's second-born child.

Madelaine f English (Rare)
Variant of Madeline.

Madeleine f French, English, Swedish
French form of Magdalene.

Madelen f Norwegian, Swedish
Norwegian and Swedish variant of Madeleine.

Madelief f Dutch
Derived from Dutch madeliefje meaning "daisy".

Madelina f English (Rare)
Latinate form of Madeline.

Madeline f English
English form of Madeleine. This is the name of the heroine in a series of children's books by the Austrian-American author Ludwig Bemelmans, first published 1939.

Madelyn f English
Variant of Madeline.

Madelynn f English (Modern)
Variant of Madeline.

Madhav m Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Nepali
Modern form of Madhava.

Madhava m Sanskrit, Hinduism
Means "vernal, of the springtime" in Sanskrit. This is an epithet of several Hindu gods. It was also the name of a 14th-century Hindu scholar.

Madhavi f Hinduism, Telugu, Marathi, Hindi
Feminine form of Madhava. This is another name of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi.

Madhu f & m Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu
From Sanskrit मधु (madhu) meaning "sweet, honey". This is another name of Chaitra, the first month of the Hindu year (which occurs in March and April).

Madhukar m Hindi, Marathi
Means "bee, honey-maker" in Sanskrit.

Madhur m & f Hindi
Means "sweet" in Sanskrit.

Madhuri f Marathi, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada
Means "sweetness" in Sanskrit.

Madilyn f English (Modern)
Variant of Madeline.

Madilynn f English (Modern)
Variant of Madeline.

Mədinə f Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani form of Madina.

Madina f Tajik, Uzbek, Kazakh, Avar, Chechen
From the name of the city of Medina, Arabic المدينة (al-Madinah), which means "the city". The Saudi city is considered an Islamic holy site because the Prophet Muhammad was based there for a period.

Madison f & m English
From an English surname meaning "son of Maud". It was not commonly used as a feminine name until after the movie Splash (1984), in which the main character adopted it as her name after seeing a street sign for Madison Avenue in New York City. It was ranked second for girls in the United States by 2001. This rise from obscurity to prominence in only 18 years represents an unprecedented 550,000 percent increase in usage.... [more]

Madisyn f English (Modern)
Variant of Madison.

Madita f Literature, German
Created as a German equivalent of Madicken for the German translation of Astrid Lindgren's books.

Madlyn f English
Variant of Madeline.

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.

Madog m Welsh (Rare)
Variant of Madoc.

Madoline f English (Rare)
Variant of Madeline.

Madona f Georgian
Georgian form of Madonna.

Madonna f English
From a title of the Virgin Mary meaning "my lady" in Italian. A famous bearer of the name is American singer Madonna Ciccone (1958-), known simply as Madonna.

Madyson f English (Modern)
Variant of Madison.

Máedóc m Old Irish
Meaning unknown. Saint Máedóc (also known as Áedán) of Ferns was a 7th-century Irish bishop.

Maegan f English (Modern)
Variant of Megan.

Maeghan f English (Rare)
Variant of Megan.

Maël m French, Breton
French form of Breton Mael meaning "prince, chieftain, lord". Saint Mael was a 5th-century Breton hermit who lived in Wales.

Mael m Breton
Breton form of Maël.

Maela f Breton
Feminine form of Maël.

Máel Coluim m Medieval Scottish
Medieval Scottish Gaelic form of Malcolm.

Maeleachlainn m Old Irish
Variant of Máel Sechlainn.

Maeleth f Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Form of Mahalath used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament.

Maelgwn m Medieval Welsh
From Old Welsh Mailcun, from a Brythonic name *Maglocunos meaning "chief of hounds", derived from Celtic *maglos "chief" and *kū "dog, hound" (genitive *kunos). This was the name of several early Welsh rulers, notably Maelgwn Gwynedd, a 6th-century king of Gwynedd.

Maëlie f French
Feminine form of Maël.

Máel Ísu m Medieval Scottish
Medieval Scottish Gaelic form of Maoilios.

Maëlle f French, Breton
Feminine form of Maël.

Máel Máedóc m Old Irish
Means "disciple of Saint Máedóc" in Irish. Saint Máel Máedóc (also known as Malachy) was a 12th-century archbishop of Armagh.

Máel Sechlainn m Old Irish
Variant of Máel Sechnaill.

Máel Sechnaill m Old Irish
Means "disciple of Saint Seachnall" in Irish. This was the name of two Irish high kings: Máel Sechnaill mac Máele Ruanaid who ruled all of Ireland in the 9th century; and Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill (called Malachy) who defeated the Norse of Dublin in the 10th century.

Maera f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Maira.

Mærwine m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements mære "famous" and wine "friend".

Maeva f Tahitian, French
Means "welcome" in Tahitian. It gained popularity in France during the 1980s.

Maeve f Irish, English, Irish Mythology
Anglicized form of the Irish name Medb meaning "intoxicating". In Irish legend this was the name of a warrior queen of Connacht. She and her husband Ailill fought against the Ulster king Conchobar and the hero Cúchulainn, as told in the Irish epic The Cattle Raid of Cooley.

Ma'evehpota'e f Cheyenne
Means "red leaf woman", from Cheyenne ma'e- "red" and vehpȯtse "leaf" combined with the feminine suffix -e'é.

Mafalda f Portuguese, Italian, Spanish
Originally a medieval Portuguese form of Matilda. This name was borne by the wife of Afonso, the first king of Portugal. In modern times it was the name of the titular character in a popular Argentine comic strip (published from 1964 to 1973) by Quino.

Magahet m Chamorro
Means "true, certain" in Chamorro.

Magali f French, Occitan
Occitan form of Magdalene.

Magalie f French
Variant of Magali.

Magaly f Spanish (Latin American)
Variant of Magali, predominantly found in Spanish-speaking countries.

Magdalen f English
Variant of Magdalene.

Magdaléna f Slovak, Czech, Hungarian
Slovak and Czech form of Magdalene, as well as a Hungarian variant form.

Magdalena f Polish, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Lithuanian, Spanish, Catalan, Occitan, Slovene, Czech, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Croatian, Serbian, Romanian, English
Latinate form of Magdalene.

Magdalene f German, English, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
From a title meaning "of Magdala". Mary Magdalene, a character in the New Testament, was named thus because she was from Magdala — a village on the Sea of Galilee whose name meant "tower" in Hebrew. She was cleaned of evil spirits by Jesus and then remained with him during his ministry, witnessing the crucifixion and the resurrection. She was a popular saint in the Middle Ages, and the name became common then. In England it is traditionally rendered Madeline, while Magdalene or Magdalen is the learned form.

Magdalina f Old Church Slavic, Bulgarian
Old Church Slavic form of Magdalene, as well as a Bulgarian variant form.

Magdalini f Greek
Modern Greek transcription of Magdalene.

Magdeleine f French
Variant of Madeleine.

Magdolna f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Magdalene.

Mághnus m Irish
Irish form of Magnus.

Maglocunos m Brythonic (Hypothetical)
Possible Brythonic form of Maelgwn.

Magnar m Norwegian
From the Old Norse elements magn "power, strength" and herr "army, warrior". This name was coined in the 19th century.

Magne m Norwegian
Modern form of Magni as well as a variant of Magnus.

Magnhild f Norwegian
Derived from Old Norse magn "power, strength" and hildr "battle". This was the name of an 1877 novel by the Norwegian author Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson.

Magnhildr f Old Norse
Old Norse form of Magnhild.

Magni m Old Norse, Norse Mythology
Derived from the Old Norse element magn meaning "power, strength". In Norse mythology this name is borne by a son of Thor and the giant Járnsaxa.

Magnolia f English
From the English word magnolia for the flower, which was named for the French botanist Pierre Magnol.

Magnús m Icelandic
Icelandic form of Magnus.

Magnus m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Late Roman
Late Latin name meaning "great". It was borne by a 7th-century saint who was a missionary in Germany. It became popular in Scandinavia after the time of the 11th-century Norwegian king Magnus I, who was said to have been named after Charlemagne, or Carolus Magnus in Latin (however there was also a Norse name Magni). The name was borne by six subsequent kings of Norway as well as three kings of Sweden. It was imported to Scotland and Ireland during the Middle Ages.

Mago m Phoenician (Latinized)
From the Punic name 𐤌𐤂𐤍 (Magon) possibly meaning "shield". This name was borne by three kings of Carthage, and also by a brother of Hannibal Barca.

Magomed m Avar (Russified), Chechen (Russified), Ingush (Russified), Dargin (Russified)
Russian form of Muhammad, used particularly in the Caucasus.

Magomedkhan m Avar (Russified)
Russified form of Muhamadkhan.

Magomet m Avar (Russified), Chechen (Russified), Ossetian (Russified)
Russian form of Muhammad, used particularly in the Caucasus.

Magrite f Walloon, Picard
Walloon and Picard form of Margaret.

Maha f Arabic
Means "oryx" in Arabic. The oryx is a variety of antelope that is said to represent beauty.

Mahala f English
Variant of Mahalah or Mahalath. It has occasionally been used as an English Christian name since the Protestant Reformation.

Mahalah m Biblical
Variant of Mahlah used in the King James Version of the Old Testament.

Mahalath f Biblical
From the Hebrew name מָחֲלַת (Machalat) meaning "lyre". In the Old Testament she is the daughter of Ishmael and the wife of Esau.

Mahali 1 m Biblical
Variant of Mahli.

Mahali 2 m Germanic
Old German form of Melle.

Mahalia f English
Variant of Mahala.

Mahamadou m Western African
Form of Muhammad used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

Məhəmməd m Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani form of Muhammad.

Mahatma m History
From the Indian title महात्मा (Mahatma) meaning "great soul", derived from Sanskrit महा (maha) meaning "great" and आत्मन् (atman) meaning "soul, spirit, life". This title was given to, among others, Mohandas Karamchand, also known as Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948).

Mahaut f Medieval French
Medieval French form of Mathilde.

Mahavir m Hindi
Modern form of Mahavira.

Mahavira m Sanskrit
Means "great hero" from Sanskrit महा (maha) meaning "great" and वीर (vira) meaning "hero, man". This was the name of the 6th-century BC founder of Jainism.

Mahboubeh f Persian
Persian form of Mahbuba.

Mahbub m Arabic, Bengali
Means "beloved, dear" in Arabic.

Mahbuba f Arabic, Bengali
Feminine form of Mahbub.

Mahé m Breton, French
French form of Mazhe, the Breton form of Matthew.

Mahendra m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Sanskrit
From Sanskrit महा (maha) meaning "great" combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra. This was the name of a son of the 3rd-century BC Indian emperor Ashoka. He is credited with introducing Buddhism to Sri Lanka.

Mahershala m Various (Rare)
From the longer name Mahershalalhashbaz, which appears in the Old Testament at Isaiah 8:1 in reference to Isaiah's symbolic son. It is written in Hebrew as מַהֵר שָׁלָל חָשׁ בַּז, and is composed of the two-word phrases מַהֵר שָׁלָל (maher shalal) and חָשׁ בַּז (chash baz), which both mean "hurry to the plunder". A famous bearer is the American actor Mahershala Ali (1974-), whose full name is Mahershalalhashbaz.

Mahesh m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Nepali
Modern form of Mahesha.

Mahesha m Hinduism
Means "great lord" from Sanskrit महा (maha) meaning "great" and ईश (isha) meaning "lord, ruler". This is another name of the Hindu god Shiva.

Mahfuz m Arabic
Means "safeguarded" in Arabic.

Mahihkan m Cree
Means "wolf" in Cree.

Mahin f Persian
Means "related to the moon" in Persian.

Mahir m Arabic, Turkish, Bosnian
Means "skilled" in Arabic.

Mahlah f & m Biblical
From the Hebrew name מַחְלָה (Machlah), possibly from חָלָה (chalah) meaning "weak, sick". This name is used in the Old Testament as both a feminine and masculine name. In some versions of the Bible the masculine name is spelled Mahalah.

Mahli m Biblical
From the Hebrew name מַחְלִי (Machli), possibly meaning "weak, sick". This was the name of two characters mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.

Mahmut m Turkish
Turkish form of Mahmud.

Mahnaz f Persian
From Persian مه (mah) meaning "moon" and ناز (naz) meaning "delight, comfort".

Mahomet m Arabic (Anglicized)
Archaic transcription of Muhammad, based on the usual Latin spelling Mahometus.

Mahometus m Arabic (Latinized)
Latinized form of Muhammad.

Mahon m Irish
Anglicized form of Mathúin.

Mahpiya m & f Sioux
From Dakota or Lakota maȟpíya meaning "cloud, sky". This is the first part of the names of the Dakota chief Mahpiya Wicasta (1780-1863), known as Cloud Man, and the Lakota chiefs Mahpiya Luta (1822-1909), known as Red Cloud, and Mahpiya Iyapato (1838-1905), known as Touch the Clouds.

Mähri f Turkmen
Possibly derived from Persian مه (mah) meaning "moon" or مهر (mehr) meaning "friendship, love, kindness".

Mahsa f Persian
Means "like the moon" in Persian.

Mahtab f Persian
Means "moonlight" in Persian.

Mahthilt f Germanic
Old German form of Matilda.

Mahtihildiz f Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Matilda.

Mahulena f Czech
Possibly inspired by Magdalena. The Czech author Julius Zeyer created it for a character in his play Radúz and Mahulena (1898).

Mahvash f Persian
Means "moon-like" in Persian.

Mahzun m Turkish (Rare)
Means "sad" in Turkish.

Mai 1 f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 梅 (mai) meaning "plum, apricot" (refers specifically to the species Prunus mume).

Mai 2 f Japanese
From Japanese 舞 (mai) meaning "dance" or 麻衣 (mai) meaning "linen robe". It can also come from 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" combined with 愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection". Other kanji or kanji combinations can also form this name.

Mai 4 f Arabic
Means "water" in Arabic, a dialectal variant of ماء (ma).

Maïa f French
French form of Maia 1.

Maia 1 f Greek Mythology, Roman Mythology, Portuguese, Georgian
From Greek μαῖα (maia) meaning "good mother, dame, foster mother", perhaps in origin a nursery form of μήτηρ (meter). In Greek and Roman mythology she was the eldest of the Pleiades, a group of stars in the constellation Taurus, who were the daughters of Atlas and Pleione. Her son by Zeus was Hermes.

Maia 2 f Roman Mythology
Probably from Latin maior meaning "greater". This was the name of a Roman goddess of spring, a companion (sometimes wife) of Vulcan. She was later conflated with the Greek goddess Maia. The month of May is named for her.

Maialen f Basque
Basque form of Magdalene.

Maiara f Tupi
From Tupi maya arya meaning "great-grandmother".

Maider f Basque
From the name of the goddess Mari 3 combined with Basque eder meaning "beautiful".

Maie f Estonian
Variant of Maia 3.

Máighréad f Irish
Irish form of Margaret.

Maighread f Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Margaret.

Maikel m Dutch (Modern), Spanish (Modern)
Dutch and Spanish variant of Michael (based on the English pronunciation).

Mailcun m Old Welsh
Old Welsh form of Maelgwn.

Maile f Hawaiian
From the name of a type of vine that grows in Hawaii and is used in making leis.

Mailys f French
Variant of Maylis.

Maimu f Estonian
Means "little" in Estonian. This is the name of a girl in the story Maimu (1889) by the Estonian writer August Kitzberg.

Maina m Kikuyu
Means "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.

Mainchín m Irish
Means "little monk", derived from Old Irish manach "monk" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name was borne by two early saints.

Mainchíne m Old Irish
Old Irish form of Mainchín.

Mainio m Finnish (Rare)
Means "excellent" in Finnish.

Mair f Welsh
Welsh form of Maria (see Mary).

Maira f Greek Mythology
From Greek μαρμαίρω (marmairo) meaning "sparkle, gleam, flash". This name was borne by several characters in Greek mythology, including one of the Nereids.

Máire f Irish
Irish form of Maria (see Mary). The form Muire is used to refer to the Virgin Mary.

Maire f Finnish, Estonian
Derived from Finnish mairea meaning "gushing, sugary".

Máiréad f Irish
Irish form of Margaret.

Mairéad f Irish
Irish form of Margaret.

Mairead f Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Margaret.

Mairenn f Old Irish
Variant of Muirenn.

Màiri f Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Maria (see Mary). The form Moire is used to refer to the Virgin Mary.

Máirtín m Irish
Irish form of Martin.

Mairwen f Welsh
Combination of Mair and Welsh gwen meaning "white, blessed".

Maisy f English (British)
Variant of Maisie.

Maite 2 f Basque
Means "beloved" in Basque.

Maitiú m Irish
Irish form of Matthew.

Maitland m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was from a Norman French place name possibly meaning "inhospitable".

Maïwenn f French, Breton
Form of Maiwenn using French orthography.

Maj 1 m Slovene
Either a masculine form of Maja 1, or else from the Slovene name for the month of May.

Maja 1 f Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Polish, Hungarian
Form of Maia 1 in various languages.

Majdi m Arabic
Means "glorious, praiseworthy" in Arabic, from the root مجد (majada) meaning "to be glorious".

Majella f Irish
From the surname of the Italian saint Gerard Majella (1726-1755; called Gerardo Maiella in Italian), a miracle worker who is regarded as the patron saint of pregnancy and childbirth. His surname is derived from the name of the Maiella massif in Abruzzo, Italy.

Majid m Arabic, Persian, Urdu
Means "glorious, magnificent" in Arabic, from the root مجد (majada) meaning "to be glorious". This transcription represents two related yet distinct Arabic names: مجيد, in which the second vowel is long, and ماجد, in which the first vowel is long.

Majida f Arabic
Feminine form of Majid.

Majlinda f Albanian
Derived from Albanian maj "May" and lind "to give birth".

Major m English
From 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.

Majvor f Swedish
From Swedish maj meaning "May (month)" combined with vår meaning "spring" or the Old Norse name element vǫr meaning "vigilant, cautious". This name was first used in the early 20th century.

Mak m Bosnian
Means "poppy (flower)" in Bosnian. It is most often given in honour of the Bosnian poet Mehmedalija Dizdar (1917-1971), whose pseudonym was Mak.

Makaio m Hawaiian
Hawaiian form of Matthew.

Makana m & f Hawaiian
Means "gift" in Hawaiian.

Makar m Russian
Russian form of Makarios (see Macario).

Makara m & f Khmer
Means "January" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit मकर (makara), referring to the constellation Capricornus.

Makarios m Late Greek
Greek form of Macario.

Makariy m Russian (Archaic)
Russian form of Makarios (see Macario).

Makayla f English (Modern)
Variant of Michaela.

Makbule f Turkish
Means "liked" in Turkish.

Makeda f History
Possibly means "greatness" in Ethiopic. This was the name of an Ethiopian queen of the 10th-century BC. She is probably the same person as the Queen of Sheba, who visited Solomon in the Old Testament.

Makena f & m Kikuyu
Means "happy one" in Kikuyu.

Makenna f English (Modern)
Variant of McKenna.

Makenzie f English (Modern)
Variant of Mackenzie.

Makhamat m Ossetian
Ossetian form of Muhammad.

Makhmud m Kazakh, Chechen
Kazakh and Chechen form of Mahmud.

Makoto m & f Japanese
From Japanese 誠 (makoto) meaning "sincerity", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations.

Makram m Arabic
Means "noble trait" in Arabic, from the root كرم (karuma) meaning "to be generous".

Maksat m Turkmen, Kyrgyz, Kazakh
Means "goal, purpose, intention" in Turkmen, Kyrgyz and Kazakh, all derived from Arabic مقصد (maqsid).

Maksime m Georgian
Georgian form of Maximus.

Maksimilian m Russian (Rare)
Russian form of Maximilianus (see Maximilian).

Maksimilijan m Slovene, Croatian
Slovene and Croatian form of Maximilianus (see Maximilian).

Maksims m Latvian
Latvian form of Maximus.

Maksym m Ukrainian, Polish
Ukrainian and Polish form of Maximus.

Maksymilian m Polish
Polish form of Maximilianus (see Maximilian).

Makvala f Georgian
Derived from Georgian მაყვალი (maqvali) meaning "blackberry".

Mala f Hindi
Means "necklace" in Sanskrit.

Malachi m Hebrew, English, Biblical, Biblical Latin
From the Hebrew name מַלְאָכִי (Mal'akhi) meaning "my messenger" or "my angel". This is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Malachi, which some claim foretells the coming of Christ. In England the name came into use after the Protestant Reformation.

Malai f Thai
Means "garland of flowers" in Thai.

Malaika f Swahili
Means "angel" in Swahili, derived from Arabic ملك (malak).

Mələk f Azerbaijani
Means "angel" in Azerbaijani, ultimately of Arabic origin.

Malak f & m Arabic
Means "angel" in Arabic.

Malakai m Fijian, Tongan, English (Modern)
Fijian and Tongan form of Malachi, as well as a modern English variant.

Mal'akhi m Biblical Hebrew
Biblical Hebrew form of Malachi.

Malalai f Pashto
Means "sad, grieved" in Pashto. This was the name of a Pashtun woman who encouraged the Afghan forces during the 1880 Battle of Maiwand against the British.

Malandra f English (Rare)
Invented name using the popular name suffix andra, from names such as Sandra or Alexandra.

Malani f English (Modern)
Possibly a variant of Melanie using the Hawaiian name element lani meaning "heaven, sky" (found in names such as Leilani and Kalani).

Malati f Hindi
Means "jasmine" in Sanskrit.

Malaysia f English (Modern)
From the name of the country in southeastern Asia, the home of the Malay people. Their ethnic name is of uncertain origin, though it is possibly from the name of a river, itself derived from Malay melaju or Javanese mlayu meaning "to run, to go fast".

Malcolm m Scottish, English
Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Máel Coluim, which means "disciple of Saint Columba". This was the name of four kings of Scotland starting in the 10th century, including Malcolm III, who became king after killing Macbeth, the usurper who had defeated his father Duncan. The character Malcolm in Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth (1606) is loosely based on him. Another famous bearer was Malcolm X (1925-1965), an American civil rights leader.

Malcom m English
Variant of Malcolm.

Maldwyn m Welsh
From Maldwyn, another name for the old Welsh county of Montgomeryshire. It is so called from Trefaldwyn, the Welsh name for the county town of Montgomery, misinterpreting it as if meaning "town of Maldwyn". In fact it means "town of Baldwin" (in Welsh both m and b mutate to f).

Maleah f English (Modern)
Variant of Malia.

Maleficent f Popular Culture
From an English word meaning "harmful, evil", derived from Latin maleficens. This is the name of the villain in the animated Disney film Sleeping Beauty (1959).

Maleko m Hawaiian
Hawaiian form of Mark.

Målfrid f Norwegian
From the Old Norse name Málmfríðr, derived from an uncertain first element (possibly malmr meaning "ore") combined with fríðr meaning "beautiful, beloved". This was the name of a 12th-century princess of Kyiv who married King Sigurd I of Norway.

Malger m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements mahal meaning "meeting, assembly, court" and ger meaning "spear".