Kumiko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
久 (ku) meaning "long time",
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Kuno m German, GermanicShort form of names beginning with the Old German element
kunni meaning
"clan, family". It can also be a short form of
Konrad.
Kurō m JapaneseFrom Japanese
九 (ku) meaning "nine" and
郎 (rō) meaning "son". This name was traditionally given to the ninth son. Other combinations of kanji characters are also possible.
Kylo m Popular CultureMeaning unexplained. This is the name of the villain, Kylo Ren, in the
Star Wars movie sequels, starting with
The Force Awakens in 2015. Originally named Ben Solo, he is the son of Han Solo and Leia Skywalker. His name might simply be formed from the
ky of
Skywalker and the
lo of
Solo.
Kyo m & f JapaneseAlternate transcription of Japanese Kanji
協 or
京 or
郷 or
杏 (see
Kyō).
Kyō m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
協 (kyō) meaning "unite, cooperate",
京 (kyō) meaning "capital city",
郷 (kyō) meaning "village",
杏 (kyō) meaning "apricot", or other kanji with the same pronunciation.
Kyōko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
京 (kyō) meaning "capital city" or
恭 (kyō) meaning "respectful, polite" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.
László m HungarianHungarian form of
Vladislav. Saint László was an 11th-century king of Hungary, looked upon as the embodiment of Christian virtue and bravery.
Lautaro m Mapuche (Hispanicized), Spanish (Latin American)Hispanicized form of Mapuche
Lef-Traru meaning
"swift hawk", derived from
lef "swift" and
traru "hawk". This name was borne by a 16th-century Mapuche military leader who fought against the Spanish conquistadors in Chile.
Leo m German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, English, Croatian, Armenian, Late RomanDerived from Latin
leo meaning
"lion", a cognate of
Leon. It was popular among early Christians and was the name of 13 popes, including Saint Leo the Great who asserted the dominance of the Roman bishops (the popes) over all others in the 5th century. It was also borne by six Byzantine emperors and five Armenian kings. Another famous bearer was the Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910), name spelled
Лев in Russian, whose works include
War and Peace and
Anna Karenina. Leo is also a constellation and the fifth sign of the zodiac.
... [more] Leonardo m Italian, Spanish, PortugueseItalian, Spanish and Portuguese form of
Leonard. A notable bearer was Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), an Italian artist and scientist of the Renaissance. He is known as the inventor of several contraptions, including flying machines, as well as the painter of the
Mona Lisa. Another famous bearer was Leonardo Fibonacci, a 13th-century Italian mathematician. A more recent bearer is American actor Leonardo DiCaprio (1974-).
Lesego m & f TswanaMeans
"luck, blessing" in Tswana, from
sego "blessed".
Leto f Greek MythologyPossibly from Lycian
lada meaning
"wife". Other theories connect it to Greek
λήθω (letho) meaning
"hidden, forgotten". In Greek mythology she was the mother of
Apollo and
Artemis by
Zeus.
Lorenzo m Italian, SpanishItalian and Spanish form of
Laurentius (see
Laurence 1). Lorenzo de' Medici (1449-1492), known as the Magnificent, was a ruler of Florence during the Renaissance. He was also a great patron of the arts who employed Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli and other famous artists.
Loreto f & m Spanish, ItalianFrom the name of a town in Italy, originally called
Lauretum in Latin, meaning "laurel grove". Supposedly in the 13th century the house of the Virgin
Mary was miraculously carried by angels from Nazareth to the town. In Spain it is a feminine name, from the Marian title
Nuestra Señora de Loreto, while in Italy it is mostly masculine.
Ludoviko m EsperantoEsperanto form of
Ludwig. This is the Esperanto name of the philologist Ludwig Zamenhof (1859-1917), the creator of the Esperanto language.
Macario m SpanishSpanish 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.
Makoto m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
誠 (makoto) meaning "sincerity", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations.
Malo m BretonMeans
"bright pledge", derived from Old Breton
mach "pledge, hostage" and
lou "bright, brilliant". This was the name of a 6th-century Welsh saint, supposedly a companion of Saint
Brendan on his trans-Atlantic journey. He later went to Brittany, where he founded the monastic settlement of Saint-Malo.
Malvolio m LiteratureMeans
"ill will" in Italian. This name was invented by Shakespeare for pompous character in his comedy
Twelfth Night (1602).
Manno m GermanicOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
man meaning
"person, man" (Proto-Germanic *
mannô).
Mao f JapaneseFrom Japanese
真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" or
舞 (mai) meaning "dance" combined with
央 (o) meaning "center",
緒 (o) meaning "thread" or
桜 (o) meaning "cherry blossom". Other kanji combinations are possible.
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.
Mariko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine",
里 (ri) meaning "village" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Many different combinations of kanji characters can form this name.
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 moustached 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.
Martirio f Spanish (Rare)Means
"martyrdom" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora del Martirio, the patron saint of the Spanish town of Ugíjar.
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.
Masako f JapaneseFrom Japanese
雅 (masa) meaning "elegant, graceful" or
正 (masa) meaning "right, proper" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Masako (1963-) is the current empress consort of Japan. 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.
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.
Masego f TswanaMeans
"blessings" in Tswana, from
sego "blessed".
Masuyo f JapaneseFrom Japanese
益 (masu) meaning "profit, benefit" and
世 (yo) meaning "world". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Mekaisto m 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.
Mercutio m LiteratureMost famously used by William Shakespeare in his tragedy
Romeo and Juliet (1596), where it belongs to a friend of
Romeo. He appears as Marcuccio (a diminutive of
Marco) in the earlier Italian novella
Giulietta e Romeo (1524) by Luigi Da Porto. Later adaptations changed the character's name to
Mercutio, probably alluding to the god
Mercury.
Michelangelo m ItalianCombination of
Michael and
Angelo, referring to the archangel Michael. The Renaissance painter and sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), from Florence, was the man who created such great works of art as the statue of
David and the mural on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. This name was also borne by the Baroque artist Michelangelo Merisi (1571-1610), better known as Caravaggio.
Michiko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful",
智 (chi) meaning "wisdom, intellect" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can also be comprised of other combinations of kanji.
Mieko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful",
恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji can also combine to form this name.
Mieszko m PolishProbably an old diminutive form of
Mieczysław. This was the name of three rulers of Poland including Mieszko I, the first Christian ruler (10th century).
Miho 2 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and
穂 (ho) meaning "grain" or
保 (ho) meaning "protect, maintain". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Milko m BulgarianOriginally a diminutive of names containing the Slavic element
milŭ meaning
"gracious, dear".
Milo m English, GermanicOld German form of
Miles, as well as the Latinized form. This form was revived as an English name in the 19th century.
Minako f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful",
奈 (na), a phonetic character, and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Minato m & f Japanese (Rare)From Japanese
港 (minato) meaning "harbour", as well as other combinations of kanji having the same pronunciation.
Min-Seo f & m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
民 (min) meaning "people, citizens" or
敏 (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" combined with
徐 (seo) meaning "slowly, calmly, composed, dignified" or
序 (seo) meaning "series, sequence". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
Mio 1 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with
桜 (o) meaning "cherry blossom" or
緒 (o) meaning "thread". Other kanji or kanji combinations can also form this name.
Mio 2 m Literature, Swedish (Modern)From the children's fantasy book
Mio, min Mio (1954) by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. Mio is the name of the main character, a young boy who finds out that he is a prince in an otherworldly land. The name was apparently created by Lindgren.
Misao m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
操 (misao) meaning "chastity, honour". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji.
Mitsuko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
光 (mitsu) meaning "light" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Miyako f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful",
夜 (ya) meaning "night" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can be formed from other combinations of kanji as well.
Miyo f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and
代 (yo) meaning "generation", or other kanji combinations having the same reading.
Miyoko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful",
代 (yo) meaning "generation" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Momoko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
百 (momo) meaning "hundred" or
桃 (momo) meaning "peach" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can be constructed from other kanji combinations as well.
Moriko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
森 (mori) meaning "forest" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Mpho m & f Tswana, SothoMeans
"gift" in Tswana and Sotho, a derivative of
fa "to offer".
Mungo m ScottishMeaning uncertain, possibly from a Brythonic phrase meaning
"my dear". This was a nickname of the 6th-century Saint
Kentigern.
Nanabozho m New World MythologyMeans
"my rabbit" in Ojibwe, derived from
waabooz "rabbit". In Anishinaabe legend Nanabozho (also called
Wenabozho) is a trickster spirit.
Nanako f JapaneseFrom Japanese
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens" duplicated and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible as well.
Nao f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
直 (nao) meaning "straight, direct" or from a combination of
奈 (na), a phonetic character, and
央 (o) meaning "center". Other kanji or kanji combinations can form this name as well.
Naoko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
直 (nao) meaning "straight, direct" and
子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other kanji combinations.
Naruhito m JapaneseFrom Japanese
徳 (naru) meaning "virtue" and
仁 (hito) meaning "compassionate". Naruhito (1960-) is the current emperor of Japan. Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.
Natsuko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
夏 (natsu) meaning "summer" and
子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other kanji combinations.
Nazzareno m ItalianItalian form of the Late Latin
Nazarenus, which meant
"from Nazareth, Nazarene". Nazareth was the town in Galilee where
Jesus lived. According to the New Testament, the phrase
Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum meaning "Jesus the Nazarene, king of the Jews", was inscribed on the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.
Nemo m LiteratureMeans
"nobody" in Latin. This was the name used by author Jules Verne for the captain of the Nautilus in his novel
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870). It was later used for the title character (a fish) in the 2003 animated movie
Finding Nemo.
Neo 1 f & m TswanaMeans
"gift" in Tswana, a derivative of
naya "to give".
Nero 1 m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen, which was probably of Sabine origin meaning
"strong, vigorous". It was used by a prominent branch of the gens Claudia starting from the 3rd century BC. It was borne most famously by a Roman emperor of the 1st century, remembered as a tyrant. His birth name was Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, but after he was adopted as the heir of
Claudius his name became Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus.
Nero 2 m ItalianShort form of
Raniero. It also coincides with the Italian word
nero meaning
"black".
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.
Ngaio f MaoriMaori name that is derived from the name of a type of tree, also called the mousehole tree. This name was borne by New Zealand crime writer Dame Ngaio Marsh (1895-1982).
Niccolò m ItalianItalian form of
Nicholas. Famous bearers include Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527), a Florentine political philosopher, and Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840), a Genoese composer and violinist.
Nino 2 f GeorgianMeaning unknown, possibly from a Greek feminine form of
Ninos. Saint Nino (sometimes called Nina) was a Greek-speaking woman from Asia Minor who introduced Christianity to Georgia in the 4th century.
Nobuko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
信 (nobu) meaning "trust" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji characters can also form this name.
Noriko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
典 (nori) meaning "rule, ceremony" or
紀 (nori) meaning "chronicle" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Nosipho f Zulu, XhosaFrom the Zulu and Xhosa feminine prefix
no- combined with
isipho "gift".
Noxolo f Xhosa, NdebeleFrom the Xhosa and Ndebele feminine prefix
no- combined with
uxolo "peace".
Nuno m Portuguese, Medieval PortugueseMedieval Portuguese and Spanish name, possibly from Latin
nonus "ninth" or
nunnus "grandfather". Saint Nuno was a 14th-century Portuguese general who defeated a Castilian invasion.
Nunzio m ItalianMasculine short form of
Annunziata. It also coincides with the related Italian word
nunzio "messenger" (ultimately from Latin
nuntius).
Odilo m GermanicMasculine form of
Odilia. Saint Odilo (or Odilon) was an 11th-century abbot of Cluny in France.
Odo m GermanicVariant of
Otto. This form is typically Frankish, and used when referring to historical bearers from medieval France. It was the name of a 9th-century king of the West Franks. Another notable bearer was Saint Odo, a 10th-century abbot of Cluny.
Okonkwo m IgboMeans
"boy (born on) Nkwo" in Igbo,
Nkwo being one of the four days of the Igbo week.
Olegario m SpanishFrom
Olegarius, the Latinized form of a Germanic name, possibly
Aldegar or a metathesized form of
Odalgar. This was the name of a 12th-century saint, a bishop of Barcelona.
Olindo m Literature, ItalianUsed by the Italian poet Torquato Tasso for the lover of
Sophronia in his epic poem
Jerusalem Delivered (1580). It might be a variant of
Olinto, the Italian form of the ancient Greek city
Ὄλυνθος (Olynthos) meaning
"wild fig".