Merle m & f English, EstonianFrom 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] Merlyn m & f EnglishVariant of
Merlin, sometimes used as a feminine form. It has perhaps been influenced by the Welsh word
merlyn meaning "pony".
Merope f Greek MythologyFrom 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 EnglishFrom an English surname, originally from a place name, which meant
"boundary gate" in Old English.
Merry 1 f EnglishFrom 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 CornishMeaning unknown. This was the name of an early Cornish (male) saint.
Mervi f FinnishFrom the name of a Finnish village (now a part of the municipality of Hattula).
Meryl f EnglishVariant of
Muriel. A famous bearer is American actress Meryl Streep (1949-), whose real name is Mary Louise Streep.
Metis f Greek MythologyMeans
"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.
Mía f SpanishSpanish form of
Mia, also coinciding with the Spanish word
mía meaning
"mine".
Micaiah m & f BiblicalMeans
"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, HebrewPossibly 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.
Michelle f French, English, DutchFrench feminine form of
Michel. It has been common in the English-speaking world since the middle of the 20th century. A famous bearer is the former American first lady Michelle Obama (1964-).
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.
Mickey m & f EnglishDiminutive or feminine form of
Michael. This was the name that Walt Disney gave to Ub Iwerks' cartoon character Mickey Mouse (debuting 1928), who was called Mortimer Mouse while being developed. Another famous bearer was the American baseball player Mickey Mantle (1931-1995).
Micol f ItalianItalian variant form of
Michal 2 (the Italian biblical form being
Mikal). This is the name of the heroine in Giorgio Bassani's novel
The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1962).
Midori f JapaneseFrom Japanese
緑 (midori) meaning "green", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that have the same pronunciation.
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.
Miela f EsperantoMeans
"sweet" in Esperanto, derived from
mielo "honey", ultimately from Latin
mel.
Mielikki f Finnish MythologyDerived 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.
Mignon f LiteratureMeans
"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 KoreanFrom 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 JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and
穂 (ho) meaning "grain" or
保 (ho) meaning "protect, maintain". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Miillaaraq f GreenlandicPossibly from Greenlandic
millalaarpoq meaning
"drone, hum (of an insect)" combined with the diminutive suffix
-araq.
Mika 2 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with
香 (ka) meaning "fragrance" or
加 (ka) meaning "increase". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Miki f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and
紀 (ki) meaning "chronicle". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Miku f JapaneseFrom 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.
Milada f Czech, SlovakOriginally 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 SpanishMeans
"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 SpanishMeans
"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.
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.
Mildburg f Anglo-SaxonDerived 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-SaxonOld 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 EnglishFrom 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, ItalianFeminine 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.
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.
Millaray f MapucheMeans
"golden flower" in Mapuche, from
milla "gold" and
rayen "flower".
Miller m & f EnglishFrom the English occupational surname
Miller, originally used by those who were millers, derived from Middle English
mille "mill".
Millicent f EnglishFrom 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.
Milou f DutchShort form of
Marie-Louise. This is the name of a (male) dog in the French-language Belgian comic series
The Adventures of Tintin by Hergé, first appearing in 1929. He is named
Snowy in the English version and
Bobbie in the Dutch version.
Miluše f CzechOriginally a diminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element
milŭ meaning
"gracious, dear".
Milvi f EstonianCoined by Estonian writer Mats Tõnisson in 1914, of uncertain meaning.
Mimoza f Albanian, GeorgianFrom 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, KoreanFrom
敏 (mǐn) meaning "quick, clever, sharp",
民 (mín) meaning "people, citizens", or other Chinese/Sino-Korean characters that are pronounced similarly.
Mina 1 f English, DutchShort form of
Wilhelmina and other names ending in
mina. This was the name of a character in the novel
Dracula (1897) by Bram Stoker.
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.
Minea f FinnishCreated by the Finnish writer Mika Waltari for a character in his historical novel
The Egyptian (1945). He may have based it on the name
Minos, as the character is herself of Cretan origin.
Minenhle f & m ZuluFrom Zulu
imini "day" and
hle "beautiful".
Minerva f Roman Mythology, English, SpanishPossibly 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 ChineseFrom 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 VietnameseFrom Sino-Vietnamese
明 (minh) meaning
"bright". This was an adopted name of the communist revolutionary Hồ Chí Minh (1890-1969).
Minik m & f GreenlandicMeans
"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 KoreanFrom 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, SwedishMeans
"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.
Minnie f EnglishDiminutive of
Wilhelmina. This name was used by Walt Disney for the cartoon character Minnie Mouse, introduced 1928.
Minoru m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
実 (minoru) meaning "to bear fruit", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations with 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.
Mioara f RomanianContracted form of
Marioara. It coincides with the Romanian word
mioara, the definite form of
mioară meaning
"lamb".
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, DutchDerived 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 TurkishMeaning uncertain, possibly from Arabic
أمير (ʾamīr) meaning "commander" combined with Turkish
ay meaning "moon, month".
Mirdza f LatvianDerived 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, DutchFrom 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-).
Miriam f Hebrew, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Italian, Portuguese, Czech, Slovak, Polish, BiblicalForm of
Mary used in the Old Testament, where it belongs to the elder sister of
Moses and
Aaron. She watched over the infant Moses as the pharaoh's daughter drew him from the Nile. The name has long been popular among Jews, and it has been used as an English Christian name (alongside
Mary) since the Protestant Reformation.
Mirica f CroatianFrom the Slavic element
mirŭ meaning
"peace, world" combined with a diminutive suffix.
Miruna f RomanianPossibly derived from the Slavic word
mir meaning
"peace" or Romanian
mira meaning
"to wonder, to astound".
Misaki f JapaneseFrom 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 JapaneseFrom Japanese
操 (misao) meaning "chastity, honour". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji.
Mischa m & f Dutch, GermanDutch and German form of
Misha. It is occasionally used as a feminine name in Dutch.
Misericordia f SpanishMeans
"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".
Misty f EnglishFrom 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 KoreanFrom 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, HindiMeans
"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.
Mitra 2 f PersianModern variant of
Mithra used as a feminine name. The true Modern Persian form of
Mithra is in fact
Mehr.
Mitsuki f JapaneseFrom 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 JapaneseFrom Japanese
光 (mitsu) meaning "light" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Mittens m & f PetFrom 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 JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and
羽 (u) meaning "feather". 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.
Miyu f JapaneseFrom 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 JapaneseFrom 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 JapaneseFrom Japanese
瑞 (mizu) meaning "felicitous omen, auspicious" and
希 (ki) meaning "hope", besides other kanji combinations.
Mneme f Greek MythologyMeans
"memory" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was one of the original three muses, the muse of memory.
Mnemosyne f Greek MythologyMeans
"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 SwedishPossibly derived from Swedish
moder meaning
"mother". This was the pen name of the Swedish author Moa Martinson (real name Helga Maria Martinson).
Modesty f English (Rare)From the English word
modesty, ultimately from Latin
modestus "moderate", a derivative of
modus "measure".
Moe 2 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
萌 (moe) meaning "bud, sprout". Other kanji with the same reading can also form this name.
Mohana m & f HinduismMeans
"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).
Mohini f Hinduism, Hindi, MarathiMeans
"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).
Moira f Irish, Scottish, EnglishAnglicized form of
Máire. It also coincides with Greek
Μοῖρα (Moira) meaning "fate, destiny", the singular of
Μοῖραι, the Greek name for the Fates. They were the three female personifications of destiny in Greek mythology.
Moire f Scottish GaelicScottish Gaelic form of
Maria (see
Mary), typically only used to refer to the Virgin Mary. The form
Màiri is used as a given name.
Mojca f SlovenePossibly a Slovene diminutive of
Marija. Alternatively, it could be related to Slovene
moj meaning
"my, mine".
Mokosh f Slavic MythologyDerived from the Old Slavic root
mok meaning
"wet, moist". Mokosh was a Slavic goddess associated with weaving, women, water and fertility.
Molly f EnglishMedieval diminutive of
Mary, now often used independently. It developed from
Malle and
Molle, other medieval diminutives. James Joyce used this name in his novel
Ulysses (1922), where it belongs to Molly Bloom, the wife of the main character.
Momoka f JapaneseFrom 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 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.
Mona 1 f Irish, EnglishAnglicized 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 VariousFrom a French surname that was derived from either
Hamon or
Edmond. This was the surname of the French impressionist painter Claude Monet (1840-1926).
Monica f English, Italian, Romanian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Late RomanMeaning 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] Monika f German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Bulgarian, Lithuanian, LatvianForm of
Monica used in various languages.
Monroe m & f EnglishFrom 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 LatvianModern Latvian name, possibly from Latin
mons "mountain".
Montserrat f CatalanFrom 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 IrishMeans
"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.
Morana f Slavic Mythology, CroatianFrom Old Slavic
morŭ meaning
"death, plague". In Slavic mythology this was the name of a goddess associated with winter and death.