Browse Names

Megumi f Japanese
From Japanese 恵 (megumi) meaning "favour, benefit" or 愛 (megumi) meaning "love, affection", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that have the same reading. It is often written using the hiragana writing system.

Mehetabel f Biblical
From the Hebrew name מְהֵיטַבְאֵל (Meheṭavʾel) meaning "God makes happy", derived from the roots יָטַב (yaṭav) meaning "to be happy" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This name is mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.

Mehr m & f Persian, Persian Mythology
Modern 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".

Mehriban f Azerbaijani
Means "kind, gracious" in Azerbaijani, from Persian مهربان (mehrabān).

Mehrnaz f Persian, Persian Mythology
From Persian مهر (mehr) meaning "sun" or "friendship" and ناز (nāz) meaning "delight, comfort". This is the name of a character in the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh.

Mei 1 f Chinese
From Chinese 美 (měi) meaning "beautiful" or 梅 (méi) meaning "Chinese plum" (species Prunus mume), as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly.

Mei 2 f Japanese
From Japanese 芽 (me) meaning "bud, sprout" combined with 依 (i) meaning "rely on", 生 (i) meaning "life" or 衣 (i) meaning "clothing, garment". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Meinir f Welsh
Means "tall and slender, beautiful maiden" in Welsh (a compound of main "slender" and hir "tall").

Meinwen f Welsh
Means "slender and beautiful maiden" from a Welsh compound of main "slender" and gwen "white, blessed".

Meital f Hebrew
Means "dew drop" in Hebrew.

Meja f Swedish (Modern)
Possibly from a Low German diminutive of names beginning with the Old German element megin meaning "power, strength". It was popularized by the Swedish singer Meja (1969-), born Anna Pernilla Torndahl.

Meklit f Amharic
Means "talent" in Amharic.

Melaina f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek μέλαινα (melaina) meaning "black, dark". This was the name of a nymph in Greek mythology.

Melanie f English, German, Dutch
From Mélanie, the French form of the Latin name Melania, derived from Greek μέλαινα (melaina) meaning "black, dark". This was the name of a Roman saint who gave all her wealth to charity in the 5th century. Her grandmother was also a saint with the same name.... [more]

Melati f Indonesian, Malay
Means "jasmine flower" in Malay and Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit मालती (mālatī).

Mele f Hawaiian, Tongan, Samoan
Means "song" in Hawaiian. This is also the Hawaiian, Tongan and Samoan form of Mary.

Melek 2 f Turkish
Means "angel" in Turkish, ultimately of Arabic origin.

Melete f Greek Mythology
Means "practice, exercise" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was one of the original three muses, the muse of meditation.

Melia f Greek Mythology
Means "ash tree" in Greek, a derivative of μέλι (meli) meaning "honey". This was the name of a nymph in Greek myth, the daughter of the Greek god Okeanos.

Melinoe f Greek Mythology
Possibly from Greek μήλινος (melinos) meaning "quince-coloured, yellow", a derivative of μῆλον (melon) meaning "fruit, apple". According to Greek mythology she was a chthonic nymph or goddess, often described as a daughter of Persephone and Zeus.

Meliora f Various (Rare)
Derived from Latin melior meaning "better".

Melissa f English, Dutch, Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
Means "bee" in Greek. In Greek mythology this was the name of a daughter of Procles, as well as an epithet of various Greek nymphs and priestesses. According to the early Christian writer Lactantius this was the name of the sister of the nymph Amalthea, with whom she cared for the young Zeus. Later it appears in Ludovico Ariosto's 1532 poem Orlando Furioso belonging to the fairy who helps Ruggiero escape from the witch Alcina. As an English given name, Melissa has been used since the 18th century.

Melite f Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek μέλι (meli) meaning "honey" (genitive μέλιτος). This is the name of several figures from Greek mythology, including a nymph who was the mother of Hyllus by Herakles.

Mélodie f French
French cognate of Melody.

Mélody f French
French variant of Melody.

Melody f English
From the English word melody, which is derived (via Old French and Late Latin) from Greek μέλος (melos) meaning "song" combined with ἀείδω (aeido) meaning "to sing".

Melokuhle f & m Xhosa, Zulu
Means "stand for goodness" in Zulu and Xhosa, from the roots mela "to stand for, to represent" and hle "beautiful, good".

Melpomene f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek μέλπω (melpo) meaning "to sing, to celebrate with song". This was the name of one of the nine Muses in Greek mythology, the muse of tragedy.

Meltem f Turkish
Means "sea wind" in Turkish.

Melusine f Mythology
Meaning unknown. In European folklore Melusine was a water fairy who turned into a serpent from the waist down every Saturday. She made her husband, Raymond of Poitou, promise that he would never see her on that day, and when he broke his word she left him forever.

Memory f English (African)
From the English word memory, ultimately from Latin memor "mindful, remembering". This name is most common in Malawi, Zimbabwe and other parts of Africa.

Memphis m & f 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".

Menna f Arabic (Egyptian)
From Arabic منّة (minna) meaning "favour, grace".

Mennatullah f Arabic (Egyptian)
Means "grace of Allah", from Arabic منّة (minna) meaning "favour, grace" combined with الله (Allah).

Menodora f Ancient Greek
Means "gift of the moon", derived from Greek μήνη (mene) meaning "moon" and δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". This was the name of a 4th-century saint who was martyred with her sisters Metrodora and Nymphodora.

Menuha f Hebrew
Means "tranquility" in Hebrew.

Merab 1 f Biblical
Means "abundant" in Hebrew. This is the name of a daughter of Saul in the Old Testament.

Meral f Turkish
Turkish form of Maral.

Meraud f Cornish
Meaning unknown, perhaps based on Cornish mor "sea".

Mercan f Turkish
Means "coral" in Turkish, of Arabic origin.

Mercè f Catalan
Catalan form of Mercedes.

Mercedes f Spanish
Means "mercies" (that is, the plural of mercy), from the Spanish title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, meaning "Our Lady of Mercies". It is ultimately from the Latin word merces meaning "wages, reward", which in Vulgar Latin acquired the meaning "favour, pity".

Mercy f English
From the English word mercy, ultimately from Latin merces "wages, reward", a derivative of merx "goods, wares". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century.

Meredith m & f Welsh, English
From the Welsh name Maredudd or Meredydd, from Old Welsh forms such as Margetud, possibly from mawredd "greatness, magnificence" combined with iudd "lord". The Welsh forms of this name were well used through the Middle Ages. Since the mid-1920s it has been used more often for girls than for boys in English-speaking countries, though it is still a masculine name in Wales. A famous bearer of this name as surname was the English novelist and poet George Meredith (1828-1909).

Merel f Dutch
Means "blackbird" in Dutch.

Mererid f Welsh
Means "pearl, gem" in Welsh, derived from Latin margarita.

Meresankh f Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian mrs-ꜥnḫ meaning "she loves life". This name was borne by several Egyptian royals during the 4th-dynasty period.

Meri 1 f Finnish
Means "sea" in Finnish.

Merida f Popular Culture
The name of the main character in the Disney/Pixar movie Brave (2012) about a medieval Scottish princess. The meaning of her name is unexplained, though it could be based on the Spanish city of Mérida, derived from Latin Emerita Augusta meaning "veterans of Augustus", so named because it was founded by the emperor Augustus as a colony for his veterans.

Merike f Estonian
From Estonian meri "sea" with a diminutive suffix.

Merit 1 m & f English (Rare)
Either a variant of Merritt or else simply from the English word merit, ultimately from Latin meritus "deserving".

Merita 1 f Albanian
Derived from Albanian meritë meaning "merit".

Merita 2 f Esperanto
Means "meritorious, worthy" in Esperanto.

Meritites f Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian mryt-jts meaning "loved by her father". This name was borne by several Egyptian royals, including a wife and a daughter of the pharaoh Khufu.

Merjen f Turkmen
Turkmen form of Mercan.

Merle m & f English, Estonian
From the English word merle or the French surname Merle, which both mean "blackbird" (from Latin merula). It was borne by the devious character Madame Merle (in fact her surname) in Henry James' novel The Portrait of a Lady (1880).... [more]

Merope f Greek Mythology
From Greek μέρος (meros) meaning "share, part" and ὄψ (ops) meaning "face, eye". This was the name of several characters in Greek mythology, including the seventh of the Pleiades and the foster mother of Oedipus.

Merritt m & f English
From an English surname, originally from a place name, which meant "boundary gate" in Old English.

Merry 1 f English
From the English word merry, ultimately from Old English myrige. This name appears in Charles Dickens' novel Martin Chuzzlewit (1844), where it is a diminutive of Mercy.

Merryn f Cornish
Meaning unknown. This was the name of an early Cornish (male) saint.

Meshullemeth f Biblical
Means "friend, ally" in Hebrew, a feminine form of Meshullam. In the Old Testament, she is mentioned as the one of the queens of Judah, the wife of Manasseh.

Methoataske f Shawnee
Means "turtle laying its eggs" in Shawnee.

Meti f Oromo
Means "umbrella" in Oromo.

Metis f Greek Mythology
Means "wisdom, skill, cunning" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was a Titan. Because it was prophesied that her children would be wiser than Zeus, he swallowed her after he had impregnated her. However, their daughter Athena eventually burst from his head fully grown.

Metrodora f Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek μήτηρ (meter) meaning "mother" (genitive μητρός) and δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". This was the name of a 4th-century saint and martyr who was killed with her sisters Menodora and Nymphodora.

Metztli f & m Aztec and Toltec Mythology, Nahuatl
Means "moon" in Nahuatl. This was the name of the Aztec god (or goddess) of the moon.

Mía f Spanish
Spanish form of Mia, also coinciding with the Spanish word mía meaning "mine".

Mia f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, German, Italian, Slovene, Croatian, English
Diminutive of Maria. It coincides with the Italian word mia meaning "mine".... [more]

Micaiah m & f Biblical
Means "who is like Yahweh?" in Hebrew, derived from the interrogative pronoun מִי (mi) combined with ךְּ (ke) meaning "like" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This name occurs in the Old Testament in a variety of Hebrew spellings, belonging to both males and females. It is the full name of Micah, both the prophet and the man from the Book of Judges. As a feminine name it belongs to the mother of King Abijah (at 2 Chronicles 13:2), though her name is listed as Maacah in other passages.

Michal 2 f Biblical, Hebrew
Possibly means "brook" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a daughter of Saul. She was married to David, but after David fled from Saul he remarried her to someone else. Later, when David became king, he ordered her returned to him.

Michi 1 m & f Japanese
From Japanese 道 (michi) meaning "path". Other kanji can also form this name.

Michiko f Japanese
From 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.

Midhat m & f Arabic, Bosnian, Urdu
Means "praise, eulogy" in Arabic, from the root مدح (madaḥa) meaning "to praise".

Midori f Japanese
From Japanese 緑 (midori) meaning "green", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that have the same pronunciation.

Mieko f Japanese
From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful", 恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji can also combine to form this name.

Miela f Esperanto
Means "sweet" in Esperanto, derived from mielo "honey", ultimately from Latin mel.

Mielikki f Finnish Mythology
Derived from Finnish mieli meaning "mind, mood". This was the name of a Finnish goddess of forests and hunting. By some accounts she is the wife of the god Tapio.

Miglė f Lithuanian
Derived from Lithuanian migla meaning "mist".

Mignon f Literature
Means "cute, darling" in French. This is the name of a character in Ambroise Thomas's opera Mignon (1866), which was based on Goethe's novel Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship (1796).

Mi-Gyeong f Korean
From Sino-Korean 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with 京 (gyeong) meaning "capital city" or 景 (gyeong) meaning "scenery, view". Other hanja combinations are possible.

Miho 2 f Japanese
From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and 穂 (ho) meaning "grain" or 保 (ho) meaning "protect, maintain". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

Mihra f Turkish (Modern)
From Persian مهر (mehr) meaning "friendship, love, kindness".

Miigwan f & m Ojibwe
Means "feather" in Ojibwe.

Miillaaraq f Greenlandic
Possibly from Greenlandic millalaarpoq meaning "drone, hum (of an insect)" combined with the diminutive suffix -araq.

Mika 2 f Japanese
From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with 香 (ka) meaning "fragrance" or 加 (ka) meaning "increase". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

Miki f Japanese
From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and 紀 (ki) meaning "chronicle". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Miku f Japanese
From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with 空 (ku) meaning "sky" or 久 (ku) meaning "long time". It can also come from a nanori reading of 未来 (mirai) meaning "future". Other kanji combinations are possible as well.

Míla f & m Czech
Diminutive of Miloslava, Miloslav, Bohumila and other names containing the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear".

Mila f Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovene, Ukrainian, Russian
From the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear", originally a short form of names containing that element.

Milada f Czech, Slovak
Originally a diminutive of names containing the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear". It can also be derived from Czech and Slovak mladá meaning "young", ultimately from Old Slavic *moldŭ.

Milagros f Spanish
Means "miracles" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de los Milagros, which means "Our Lady of Miracles".

Milagrosa f Spanish
Means "miraculous" in Spanish. It is taken from the phrase medalla milagrosa meaning "miraculous medal", referring to the devotional medal made by Adrien Vachette based on Saint Catherine Labouré's visions of the Virgin Mary in Paris in 1830.

Milana f Serbian, Croatian, Russian, Belarusian, Ukrainian
Feminine form of Milan.

Milani f English (Modern)
From the name of the Italian city of Milan, as in the name of the American cosmetics company founded in 2002. It could also a variant of Melanie.

Milanka f Serbian, Croatian
Feminine form of Milan.

Milcah f Biblical
From the Hebrew name מִלְכָּה (Milka), derived from מַלְכָּה (malka) meaning "queen". This name appears in the Old Testament belonging to both the wife of Nahor and the daughter of Zelophehad.

Milda f Lithuanian, Latvian, Baltic Mythology
Meaning unknown. According to the 19th-century Polish-Lithuanian historian Teodor Narbutt, this was the name of a Lithuanian goddess of love.

Mildburg f Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements milde "gentle" and burg "fortress". Saint Mildburg or Milburga, the sister of Saint Mildred, was a daughter of a 7th-century Mercian king. She was supposedly in possession of magical powers.

Mildgyð f Anglo-Saxon
Old English name derived from the elements milde "gentle" and guð "battle". This was the name of a 7th-century saint, the sister of Saint Mildred.

Mildred f English
From the Old English name Mildþryð meaning "gentle strength", derived from the elements milde "gentle" and þryþ "strength". Saint Mildred was a 7th-century abbess, the daughter of the Kentish princess Saint Ermenburga. After the Norman Conquest this name became rare, but it was revived in the 19th century.

Milena f Serbian, Macedonian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Slovene, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Russian, Italian
Feminine form of Milan. It began to be used in Italy in honour of Milena Vukotić (1847-1923), mother of Helen of Montenegro, the wife of the Italian king Victor Emmanuel III. In Italy it can also be considered a combination of Maria and Elena.

Mileva f Serbian, Macedonian
From the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear".

Miley f English (Modern)
In the case of actress and singer Miley Cyrus (1992-), it is a shortened form of the nickname Smiley, given to her by her father because she often smiled. Although it was not at all common before she brought it to public attention, there are some examples of its use before her time, most likely as a diminutive of Miles.

Milica f Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian
From the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name was borne by the wife of the 14th-century Serbian ruler Lazar.

Milka 1 f Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Bulgarian, Slovene
Originally a diminutive of names containing the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear".

Millaray f Mapuche
Means "golden flower" in Mapuche, from milla "gold" and rayen "flower".

Miller m & f English
From an English occupational surname for a miller, derived from Middle English mille "mill".

Millicent f English
From the Gothic name *Amalaswinþa, composed of the elements amals "unceasing, vigorous, brave" and swinþs "strong". Amalaswintha was a 6th-century queen of the Ostrogoths. The Normans introduced this name to England in the form Melisent or Melisende. Melisende was a 12th-century queen of Jerusalem, the daughter of Baldwin II.

Miluše f Czech
Originally a diminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear".

Miluška f Czech
Variant of Miluše.

Mimoza f Albanian, Georgian
From the Albanian and Georgian word for the mimosa plant, a flowering herb. It is ultimately derived from Greek μῖμος (mimos) meaning "mimic".

Min 1 m & f Chinese, Korean
From 敏 (mǐn) meaning "quick, clever, sharp", 民 (mín) meaning "people, citizens", or other Chinese/Sino-Korean characters that are pronounced similarly.

Min 2 m & f Burmese
Means "king, ruler" in Burmese.

Mina 2 f Hindi, Marathi, Tamil
From Sanskrit मीन (mīna) meaning "fish", which in Hindu astrology is the name of a sign of the zodiac.

Mina 3 f Persian
Means "azure, enamel" in Persian.

Minako f Japanese
From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful", 奈 (na), a phonetic character, and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Minakshi f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali
From Sanskrit मीन (mīna) meaning "fish" and अक्षि (akṣi) meaning "eye". This is the name of a Hindu goddess associated with the Tamil city of Madurai. She is considered an incarnation of Parvati.

Minali f Hindi
Means "fish catcher" in Sanskrit.

Minato m & f Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 港 (minato) meaning "harbour", as well as other combinations of kanji having the same pronunciation.

Minenhle f & m Zulu
From Zulu imini "day" and hle "beautiful".

Minerva f Roman Mythology, English, Spanish
Possibly derived from Latin mens meaning "intellect", but more likely of Etruscan origin. Minerva was the Roman goddess of wisdom and war, approximately equivalent to the Greek goddess Athena. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since after the Renaissance.

Ming m & f Chinese
From Chinese 明 (míng) meaning "bright, light, clear" or 铭 (míng) meaning "inscribe, engrave", as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly.

Minh m & f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 明 (minh) meaning "bright". This was an adopted name of the communist revolutionary Hồ Chí Minh (1890-1969).

Minik m & f Greenlandic
Means "seal oil" in Greenlandic. A notable bearer was the Inughuit boy Minik (1890-1918), who was among a group brought by the explorer Robert Peary from Greenland to New York in 1897.

Min-Ji f Korean
From Sino-Korean 敏 (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" combined with 智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or 知 (ji) meaning "know, perceive, comprehend". Other hanja combinations are possible.

Minna f German (Archaic), Finnish, Swedish
Means "love" in Old German, specifically medieval courtly love. It is also used as a short form of Wilhelmina. This is the name of the title character in the play Minna von Barnhelm (1767) by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing.

Minoo f Persian
Means "heaven, paradise" in Persian.

Minoru m & f Japanese
From Japanese 実 (minoru) meaning "to bear fruit", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations with the same pronunciation.

Min-Seo f & m Korean
From 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.

Minttu f Finnish
Means "mint" in Finnish.

Mio 1 f Japanese
From 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.

Mira 1 f Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada
From Sanskrit मीर (mīra) meaning "sea, ocean". This was the name of a 16th-century Indian princess who devoted her life to the god Krishna.

Mira 2 f Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Polish
Short form of Miroslava and other names beginning with Mir (often the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace, world").

Mirabella f Italian (Rare)
Latinate form of Mirabelle.

Mirabelle f French (Rare), English (Rare)
Derived from Latin mirabilis meaning "wonderful". This name was coined during the Middle Ages, though it eventually died out. It was briefly revived in the 19th century.

Miracle f English (Modern)
From the English word miracle for an extraordinary event, ultimately deriving from Latin miraculum "wonder, marvel".

Miranda f English, Dutch
Derived from Latin mirandus meaning "admirable, worthy of being admired". The name was created by Shakespeare for the heroine in his play The Tempest (1611), in which Miranda and her father Prospero are stranded on an island. It did not become a common English given name until the 20th century. This is also the name of one of the moons of Uranus, named after the Shakespearean character.

Miray f Turkish
Meaning uncertain, possibly from Arabic أمير (ʾamīr) meaning "commander" combined with Turkish ay meaning "moon, month".

Mirdza f Latvian
Derived from Latvian mirdzēt meaning "to shine, to glitter". This is the name of a tragic character in the play Vaidelote (1894) by the Latvian poet and playwright Aspazija.

Mireille f French, Dutch
From the Occitan name Mirèio, which was first used by the poet Frédéric Mistral for the main character in his poem Mirèio (1859). He probably derived it from the Occitan word mirar meaning "to admire". It is spelled Mirèlha in classical Occitan orthography. A notable bearer is the French singer Mireille Mathieu (1946-).

Mirembe f Ganda
Means "peace" in Luganda.

Mirica f Croatian
From the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace, world" combined with a diminutive suffix.

Mirinda f Esperanto
Means "wonderful" in Esperanto.

Mirka 1 f Czech, Slovak, Polish, Serbian
Diminutive of Miroslava and other names containing the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace" or "world".

Mirna f Croatian, Serbian
From Serbo-Croatian miran meaning "peaceful, calm".

Mirta f Spanish, Italian, Croatian
Spanish, Italian and Croatian cognate of Myrtle.

Mirte f Dutch
Variant of Myrthe.

Mirthe f Dutch
Variant of Myrthe.

Miruna f Romanian
Possibly derived from the Slavic word mir meaning "peace" or Romanian mira meaning "to wonder, to astound".

Misaki f Japanese
From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and 咲 (saki) meaning "blossom". This name can be formed from other combinations of kanji as well.

Misao m & f Japanese
From Japanese 操 (misao) meaning "chastity, honour". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji.

Misericordia f Spanish
Means "compassion, mercy" in Spanish, ultimately from Latin miser "poor, wretched" and cor "heart". It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, La Virgen de la Misericordia, meaning "The Virgin of Compassion".

Miski f Quechua
Means "honey" in Quechua.

Misty f English
From the English word misty, ultimately derived from Old English. The jazz song Misty (1954) by Erroll Garner may have helped popularize the name.

Mi-Suk f Korean
From Sino-Korean 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and 淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming", as well as other combinations of hanja characters with the same pronunciations.

Mitra 1 m & f Hinduism, Hindi
Means "friend" in Sanskrit, a cognate of Mithra. This is the name of a Vedic god (मित्र) who is associated with friendship and contracts and is frequently paired with the god Varuna. The feminine form मित्रा (spelled with a final long vowel) is also transcribed as Mitra.

Mitsuki f Japanese
From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and 月 (tsuki) meaning "moon". It can also come from 光 (mitsu) meaning "light" and 希 (ki) meaning "hope", as well as several other kanji combinations.

Mitsuko f Japanese
From Japanese 光 (mitsu) meaning "light" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Mittens m & f Pet
From the plural of the English word mitten. This is a common name for cats, given because of a distinctive colouration of the paws.

Miu f Japanese
From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and 羽 (u) meaning "feather". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Miyako f Japanese
From 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 Japanese
From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and 代 (yo) meaning "generation", or other kanji combinations having the same reading.

Miyoko f Japanese
From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful", 代 (yo) meaning "generation" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Miyu f Japanese
From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" or 実 (mi) meaning "fruit, good result, truth" combined with 優 (yu) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" or 結 (yu) meaning "tie, bind" or 夕 (yu) meaning "evening". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Miyuki f Japanese
From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with 幸 (yuki) meaning "happiness" or 雪 (yuki) meaning "snow". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Mizuki f Japanese
From Japanese 瑞 (mizu) meaning "felicitous omen, auspicious" and 希 (ki) meaning "hope", besides other kanji combinations.

Mneme f Greek Mythology
Means "memory" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was one of the original three muses, the muse of memory.

Mnemosyne f Greek Mythology
Means "remembrance" in Greek. In Greek mythology Mnemosyne was a Titan goddess of memory. She was the mother by Zeus of the nine Muses.

Moa f Swedish
Possibly derived from Swedish moder meaning "mother". This was the pen name of the Swedish author Moa Martinson (real name Helga Maria Martinson).

Moana f & m Maori, Hawaiian, Tahitian, Samoan, Tongan
Means "ocean, wide expanse of water, deep sea" in Maori, Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages.

Modesty f English (Rare)
From the English word modesty, ultimately from Latin modestus "moderate", a derivative of modus "measure".

Moe 2 f Japanese
From Japanese 萌 (moe) meaning "bud, sprout". Other kanji with the same reading can also form this name.

Moema f Portuguese (Brazilian, Rare)
Means "lies" in Tupí. This name appears in the poem Caramuru (1781) by the Brazilian poet Santa Rita Durão.

Moerani m & f Tahitian
From Tahitian moe "sleep" and raʻi "heaven, sky".

Mohana m & f Hinduism
Means "bewitching, infatuating, charming" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form मोहन (an epithet of the Hindu gods Shiva and Krishna) and the feminine form मोहना (spelled with a long final vowel).

Mohinder m & f Indian (Sikh)
Variant of Mahendra used by Sikhs.

Mohini f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi
Means "perplexing, enchanting" in Sanskrit. This was the name of a beautiful female avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, a form he took in order to trick the asuras (demons) into relinquishing the amrita (elixir of immortality).

Mojca f Slovene
Possibly a Slovene diminutive of Marija. Alternatively, it could be related to Slovene moj meaning "my, mine".

Mojisola f Yoruba
Means "I wake up to wealth" in Yoruba.

Mokee'e f Cheyenne
Means "little woman" in Cheyenne.

Mokosh f Slavic Mythology
Derived from the Old Slavic root mok meaning "wet, moist". Mokosh was a Slavic goddess associated with weaving, women, water and fertility.

Momi f Hawaiian
Means "pearl" in Hawaiian.

Momoka f Japanese
From Japanese 百 (momo) meaning "hundred" or 桃 (momo) meaning "peach" combined with 花 (ka) meaning "flower" or 香 (ka) meaning "fragrance". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Momoko f Japanese
From 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.

Mona 1 f Irish, English
Anglicized form of Muadhnait. It is also associated with Greek monos "one" and Leonardo da Vinci's painting the Mona Lisa (in which case it is a contraction of Italian ma donna meaning "my lady").

Monday m & f English (African)
From the English word for the day of the week, which was derived from Old English mona "moon" and dæg "day". This can be given to children born on Monday, especially in Nigeria.

Monet f & m Various
From a French surname that was derived from either Hamon or Edmond. This was the surname of the French impressionist painter Claude Monet (1840-1926).

Monica f English, Italian, Romanian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Late Roman
Meaning unknown, most likely of Berber or Phoenician origin. In the 4th century this name was borne by a North African saint, the mother of Saint Augustine of Hippo, whom she converted to Christianity. Since the Middle Ages it has been associated with Latin moneo "advisor" and Greek μονός (monos) "one, single".... [more]

Monifa f Yoruba (Rare)
Means "I am lucky" in Yoruba.

Mönkhtsetseg f Mongolian
Means "eternal flower" in Mongolian, from мөнх (mönkh) meaning "eternal" and цэцэг (tsetseg) meaning "flower".

Mönkhtuya f Mongolian
From Mongolian мөнх (mönkh) meaning "eternal" and туяа (tuyaa) meaning "ray, beam".

Monroe m & f English
From a Scottish surname meaning "from the mouth of the Roe". The Roe is a river in Northern Ireland. Two famous bearers of the surname were American president James Monroe (1758-1831) and American actress Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962).... [more]

Monta f Latvian
Modern Latvian name, possibly from Latin mons "mountain".

Montana f & m English (Modern)
From the name of the American state, which is derived from Latin montanus "mountainous".

Montserrat f Catalan
From the name of a mountain near Barcelona, the site of a monastery founded in the 10th century. The mountain gets its name from Latin mons serratus meaning "jagged mountain".

Moon 2 f & m English (Rare)
From the English word for Earth's natural satellite, ultimately from Old English mona.

Mór 1 f Medieval Irish
Means "great" in Irish. This was a popular medieval Irish name. It was probably given in some cases as an alternative to Máire, which was considered too sacred for general use.

Mòr f Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Mór 1. It is sometimes translated into English as Sarah or Marion.

Mor f & m Hebrew
Means "myrrh" in Hebrew.

Moran f & m Hebrew
Means "viburnum shrub" in Hebrew.

Morana f Slavic Mythology, Croatian
From Old Slavic morŭ meaning "death, plague". In Slavic mythology this was the name of a goddess associated with winter and death.

Morena f Italian, Spanish
Feminine form of Moreno.

Morgan 1 m & f Welsh, English, French
From the Old Welsh masculine name Morcant, which was possibly derived from Welsh mor "sea" and cant "circle". Since the 1980s in America Morgan has been more common for girls than boys, perhaps due to stories of Morgan le Fay or the fame of actress Morgan Fairchild (1950-).

Morgen f Arthurian Cycle
Earlier form of Morgan 2.

Moriah f English (Modern)
From Hebrew מֹרִיָה (Moriya) possibly meaning "seen by Yahweh". This is a place name in the Old Testament, both the land where Abraham is to sacrifice Isaac and the mountain upon which Solomon builds the temple. They may be the same place. Since the 1980s it has occasionally been used as a feminine given name in America.

Moriko f Japanese
From Japanese 森 (mori) meaning "forest" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

Morrígan f Irish Mythology
Means either "demon queen" or "great queen", derived from Old Irish mor "demon, evil spirit" or mór "great, big" combined with rígain "queen". In Irish mythology Morrígan (called also The Morrígan) was a goddess of war and death who often took the form of a crow.

Morticia f Popular Culture
From the American English word mortician meaning "undertaker, funeral director", ultimately derived from Latin mortis meaning "death". This name was created for the mother on the Addams Family television series (1964-1966). She was based on an unnamed recurring character in cartoons by Charles Addams, starting 1938.

Morvarid f Persian
Means "pearl" in Persian.

Morven f Scottish
From the name of a region in western Scotland, also called Morvern or in Gaelic A' Mhorbhairne, meaning "the big gap". This is the location of Fingal's kingdom in James Macpherson's 18th-century poems.

Morwenna f Cornish, Welsh
From Old Cornish moroin meaning "maiden, girl" (related to the Welsh word morwyn). This was the name of a 6th-century Cornish saint, said to be one of the daughters of Brychan Brycheiniog.

Mosi f & m Swahili
Means "first (child)" in Swahili.

Mothra f Popular Culture
From Japanese モスラ (Mosura), itself derived from the English word moth. This is the name of a giant moth-like creature in Japanese movies, starting 1961.

Mozhdeh f Persian
Means "good news" in Persian.

Mozhgan f Persian
Means "eyelashes" in Persian.

Mphatso m & f Chewa
Means "gift" in Chewa.

Mpho m & f Tswana, Sotho
Means "gift" in Tswana and Sotho, a derivative of fa "to offer".

Mridula f Hindi
From Sanskrit मृदु (mṛdu) meaning "soft, delicate, gentle".

Mtendere m & f Chewa
Means "peace" in Chewa.

Mu m & f Chinese
From Chinese 牧 (mù) meaning "shepherd", 木 (mù) meaning "tree, wood", or other characters with similar pronunciations.

Muadhnait f Irish (Rare)
Means "little noble one", derived from the Old Irish poetic word muad meaning "noble, good" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 6th-century saint, a sister of Saint Mo Laisse.

Muchen m & f Chinese
From Chinese 沐 (mù) meaning "bathe, wash" combined with 宸 (chén) meaning "mansion, palace" or 辰 (chén) meaning "morning". This name can also be formed from other combinations of similar-sounding characters.

Mudiwa f & m Shona
Means "beloved, darling" in Shona.

Müge f Turkish
Means "lily of the valley" in Turkish (species Convallaria majalis).

Muirenn f Old Irish, Irish Mythology
From Old Irish muir "sea" and finn "white, blessed". This is another name of Muirne, the mother of the legendary hero Fionn mac Cumhaill.

Muirgel f Old Irish
Means "bright sea", derived from Old Irish muir "sea" and gel "bright".

Muirgen f Irish Mythology
Means "born of the sea" in Irish. In Irish legend this was the name of a woman (originally named Lí Ban) who was transformed into a mermaid. After 300 years she was brought to shore, baptized, and transformed back into a woman.

Muirne f Irish Mythology
From Irish muirn meaning either "affection, endearment" or "festivity, exuberance". In Irish legend this was the name of the mother of Fionn mac Cumhaill. She is also called Muirenn.

Mukami f Kikuyu
Possibly means "the one who milks the cows" in Kikuyu.

Mukta f Hindi, Marathi
Means "liberated, set free" in Sanskrit.

Mulan f Chinese Mythology
From Chinese 木兰 (mùlán) meaning "magnolia". This is the name of a legendary female warrior who disguises herself as a man to take her ailing father's place when he is conscripted into the army.

Mumbi f Kikuyu
Means "she who shapes" in Kikuyu. In Kikuyu mythology Mumbi was the wife of Gikuyu and the mother of his nine daughters.

Mumtaz m & f Arabic, Urdu
Means "distinguished, outstanding" in Arabic, derived from امتاز (imtāza) meaning "to be distinguished". The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as tomb for his wife Mumtaz Mahal (1593-1631).

Mun m & f Korean
From Sino-Korean 文 (mun) meaning "writing" or other hanja characters with the same pronunciation. It usually occurs in combination with another character.

Muna f Arabic
Means "wishes, desires", from the plural form of Munya.

Munashe m & f Shona
Means "with God" in Shona, derived from ishe meaning "lord, God".

Munroe m & f English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Monroe.

Munya f Arabic
Means "wish, desire" in Arabic, related to the root منا (manā) meaning "to tempt, to put to the test".

Murphy m & f English
From a common Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Ó Murchadha, itself derived from the given name Murchadh. As a given name, it has been borne by female characters on the American television series Murphy Brown (1988-1998) and the movie Interstellar (2014).

Mut f Egyptian Mythology
From Egyptian mwt meaning "mother". In Egyptian mythology she was a mother goddess, the consort of Amon and the mother of Khonsu. She was sometimes depicted wearing a headdress with vulture wings.

Mutemwiya f Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian mwt-m-wjꜣ meaning "Mut is in the sacred barque", from the name of the goddess Mut combined with wjꜣ "sacred barque" (a boat used to carry the dead to the afterlife). This name was borne by a wife of the pharaoh Thutmose IV. She was the mother of Amenhotep III.

Muthoni f Kikuyu
Means "mother-in-law" in Kikuyu.

Mutnedjmet f Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian mwt-nḏmt meaning "Mut is sweet", from the name of the goddess Mut combined with nḏm "sweet, pleasant". This name was borne by the wife of the pharaoh Horemheb.

Mwanahamisi f Swahili
Means "child born on Thursday" in Swahili.

Mwanahawa f Swahili
Combination of Swahili mwana meaning "child" and the name Hawa.

Mwanaidi f Swahili
Means "child born during the festival" in Swahili.

Mwanaisha f Swahili
Combination of Swahili mwana meaning "child" and the name Aisha.

Mwanajuma f Swahili
Means "child born on Friday" in Swahili.

Mwayi f & m Chewa
Means "opportunity" in Chewa.

Mwenya f & m Chewa
From the Chewa word for a type of flowering tree (species Breonadia salicina).

Mỹ f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 美 (mỹ) meaning "beautiful".

Myeong m & f Korean
From Sino-Korean 明 (myeong) meaning "bright, light, clear" or other hanja characters with the same pronunciation. Although it does appear rarely as a single-character name, it is more often used in combination with another character.

Myeong-Suk f Korean
From Sino-Korean 明 (myeong) meaning "bright, light, clear" combined with 淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming". Other hanja combinations are possible.

Myfanwy f Welsh
From the Welsh prefix my- meaning "my, belonging to me" (an older form of fy) combined with either manwy meaning "fine, delicate" or banwy meaning "woman" (a variant of banw). This was the name of an 1875 Welsh song composed by Joseph Parry.

Mylène f French
Combination of Marie and Hélène. It can also be used as a French form of Milena.

Mynte f Danish
Means "mint" in Danish.

Myrrhine f Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek μύρρα (myrrha) meaning "myrrh". This is the name of a character in the comedy Lysistrata by the Greek playwright Aristophanes.

Myrthe f Dutch
From Dutch mirte, a cognate of Myrtle.

Myrtle f English
Simply from the English word myrtle for the evergreen shrub, ultimately from Greek μύρτος (myrtos). It was first used as a given name in the 19th century, at the same time many other plant and flower names were coined.

Myrto f Greek, Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
From Greek μύρτος (myrtos) meaning "myrtle". This was the name of a few characters from Greek mythology, including one of the Maenads.

Mzia f Georgian
Derived from Georgian მზე (mze) meaning "sun".

Na f Chinese
From Chinese 娜 (nà) meaning "elegant, graceful, delicate" or other characters pronounced similarly.

Naamah f Biblical
Means "pleasant" in Hebrew. This name is borne in the Old Testament by both a daughter of Lamech and a wife of Solomon. Some later Jewish texts give Naamah as the name of Noah's wife, even though she is not named in the Old Testament.

Naasunnguaq f Greenlandic
Means "little flower" in Greenlandic, from naasoq "flower, plant" and the diminutive suffix -nnguaq.

Nada 1 f Arabic
From Arabic نَدًى (nadan) meaning "dew, moisture, generosity", a derivative of ندي (nadiya) meaning "to be moist, to be damp".

Nada 2 f Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian
Means "hope" in South Slavic.

Nadezhda f Russian, Bulgarian
Means "hope" in Russian and Bulgarian.

Nadiya f Ukrainian
Ukrainian cognate of Nadezhda, being the Ukrainian word meaning "hope".

Nadiyya f Arabic
Means "announcement, call" in Arabic, derived from نادى (nādā) meaning "to call, to announce, to invite".

Nadra f Arabic
Means "radiance" in Arabic.

Nadzeya f Belarusian
Belarusian cognate of Nadezhda, being the Belarusian word meaning "hope".

Nadzieja f Polish
Polish cognate of Nadezhda, being the Polish word meaning "hope".

Naenia f Roman Mythology
Means "incantation, dirge" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of funerals.

Nəfəs f Azerbaijani
Means "breath" in Azerbaijani, derived from Arabic نفس (nafas), ultimately related to the root نفس (nafusa) meaning "to be precious".

Nafisa f Arabic
From Arabic نفيس (nafīs) meaning "precious, valuable", from the root نفس (nafusa) meaning "to be precious".

Nahal f Hebrew
Means "stream" in Hebrew.

Nahia f Basque
From Basque nahi meaning "desire, wish".

Nahla f Arabic
Means "a drink of water" in Arabic.

Naia f Basque
Means "wave, sea foam" in Basque.

Naida f Dagestani
Meaning uncertain, possibly derived from Greek Ναϊάς (Naias), a type of water nymph in Greek mythology (plural Ναϊάδες). Alternatively it might be related to Persian Nahid.

Naira f Aymara
From Aymara nayra meaning "eye" or "early".

Nairobi f African American (Modern)
From the name of the capital city of Kenya, derived from Maasai enkare nyrobi meaning "cold water".

Naja f Greenlandic, Danish
From Greenlandic najaa meaning "his younger sister". It was popularized in Denmark by the writer B. S. Ingemann, who used it in his novel Kunnuk and Naja, or the Greenlanders (1842).

Najla f Arabic
Means "wide-eyed" in Arabic.

Najwa f Arabic
Means "secret, whisper, confidential talk" in Arabic, from the root نجا (najā) meaning "to save, to entrust, to confide in".

Nakato f Ganda
Means "second of twins" in Luganda.

Nakeisha f African American (Modern)
Combination of the phonetic prefix na and the name Keisha.

Nakisha f African American (Modern)
Combination of the name prefix na and the name Kisha.

Nala 2 f Popular Culture
The name of a lion in the animated movie The Lion King (1994). Though many sources claim it means "gift" or "beloved" in Swahili, it does not appear to have a meaning in that language.

Nālani f & m Hawaiian
Means "the heavens" or "the chiefs" from Hawaiian nā, a definite article, and lani "heaven, sky, chief".

Naliaka f Luhya
Means "born during the weeding season", from Luhya liliaka meaning "weeding".

Nalini f Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi
From Sanskrit नलिनी (nalinī) meaning "lotus".

Namrata f Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Nepali
From Sanskrit नम्रता (namratā) meaning "bowing, humility".

Nana 2 f Japanese
From Japanese 菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens" and/or 奈 (na), a phonetic character. The characters can be in either order or the same character can be duplicated, as indicated by the symbol 々. Other kanji with the same pronunciations can also be used to form this name.

Nana 3 f Georgian
Meaning unknown. This was the name of a 4th-century queen consort of Georgia who is regarded as a saint in the Orthodox Church.

Nanabah f Navajo
Means "returning warrior" in Navajo, derived from nááná "again" and baa' "warrior, heroine, raid, battle".

Nanako f Japanese
From Japanese 菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens" duplicated and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible as well.

Nanami f Japanese
From Japanese 七 (nana) meaning "seven" and 海 (mi) meaning "sea". It can also come from 菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens" duplicated and 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

Nanaya f Sumerian Mythology, Semitic Mythology
Meaning unknown, possibly related to Inanna. This was the name of a goddess worshipped by the Sumerians and Akkadians. She was later conflated with the goddesses Anahita and Aphrodite.

Nanda m & f Hinduism, Buddhism, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Odia, Nepali, Burmese, Hindi, Marathi
Means "joy" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form नन्द and the feminine form नन्दा (spelled with a long final vowel).... [more]