Margaux f FrenchVariant of
Margot influenced by the name of the wine-producing French town. It was borne by Margaux Hemingway (1954-1996), granddaughter of author Ernest Hemingway, who had it changed from
Margot.
Margherita f ItalianItalian form of
Margaret. This is also the Italian word for the daisy flower (species Bellis perennis, Leucanthemum vulgare and others).
Margriet f DutchDutch form of
Margaret. This is also the Dutch word for the daisy flower (species Leucanthemum vulgare).
Marguerite f FrenchFrench form of
Margaret. This is also the French word for the daisy flower (species Leucanthemum vulgare).
Mari 1 f Estonian, Finnish, Welsh, Breton, Hungarian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Georgian, ArmenianEstonian, Finnish, Welsh and Breton form of
Maria, as well as a Hungarian diminutive of
Mária. It is also a Scandinavian, Georgian and Armenian form of the French name
Marie.
Mari 2 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" combined with
理 (ri) meaning "reason, logic" or
里 (ri) meaning "village". Many other combinations of kanji characters can form this name.
Maria f & m Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Occitan, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Faroese, Dutch, Frisian, Greek, Polish, Romanian, English, Finnish, Estonian, Corsican, Sardinian, Basque, Armenian, Russian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Biblical Greek, Biblical Latin, Old Church SlavicLatin form of Greek
Μαρία, from Hebrew
מִרְיָם (see
Mary).
Maria is the usual form of the name in many European languages, as well as a secondary form in other languages such as English (where the common spelling is
Mary). In some countries, for example Germany, Poland and Italy,
Maria is occasionally used as a masculine middle name.
... [more] Mariami f GeorgianForm of
Mariam with the Georgian nominative suffix, used when the name is written stand-alone.
Marian 1 f EnglishVariant of
Marion 1. This name was borne in English legend by Maid Marian, Robin Hood's love. It is sometimes considered a combination of
Mary and
Ann.
... [more] Marianna f Italian, Hungarian, Slovak, Polish, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Russian, Greek, EnglishCombination of
Maria and
Anna. It can also be regarded as a variant of the Roman name
Mariana, or as a Latinized form of
Mariamne.
Marie f & m French, Czech, German, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, AlbanianFrench and Czech form of
Maria. It has been very common in France since the 13th century. At the opening of the 20th century it was given to approximately 20 percent of French girls. This percentage has declined steadily over the course of the century, and it dropped from the top rank in 1958.
... [more] Marika f Czech, Slovak, Polish, Hungarian, Greek, Finnish, Estonian, Swedish, Georgian, Italian, GermanDiminutive of
Maria and other names beginning with
Mari.
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.
Marilyn f EnglishCombination of
Mary and the common name suffix
lyn. It was very rare before the start of the 20th century. It was popularized in part by the American stage star Marilyn Miller (1898-1936), who was born Mary Ellen Reynolds and took her stage name from a combination of her birth name and her mother's middle name
Lynn. It became popular in the United States during the 1920s, reaching a high point ranked 13th in 1936. Famous bearers include American actress Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962; real name Norma Jeane Mortenson) and American opera singer Marilyn Horne (1934-).
Marina f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, English, Greek, Finnish, Estonian, Russian, Romanian, Czech, Bulgarian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Georgian, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Marinus. This name was borne by a few early saints. This is also the name by which Saint
Margaret of Antioch is known in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Maris 2 f English (Rare)Means
"of the sea", taken from the Latin title of the Virgin
Mary,
Stella Maris, meaning "star of the sea".
Maritza f Spanish (Latin American)Elaboration of
Maria used particularly in Latin America. The suffix could be inspired by the name of the Itza people of Central America (as seen in the name of the old Maya city of Chichen Itza, Mexico). It also nearly coincides with the name of the Maritsa River in southeastern Europe.
Marjolaine f FrenchMeans
"marjoram" in French, from Latin
maiorana. Marjoram is a minty herb.
Marjorie f EnglishMedieval variant of
Margery, influenced by the name of the herb
marjoram. After the Middle Ages this name was rare, but it was revived at the end of the 19th century.
Marlene f German, EnglishBlend of
Maria and
Magdalene. It refers, therefore, to Mary Magdalene, a character in the New Testament. The name was popularized by the German actress and singer Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992), whose real name was Maria Magdalene Dietrich.
Marley f & m English (Modern)From an English surname that was taken from a place name meaning either "pleasant wood", "boundary wood" or "marten wood" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the Jamaican musician Bob Marley (1945-1981).
Marlowe f & m English (Modern)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"remnants of a lake" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the English playwright Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593).
Marnie f EnglishPossibly a diminutive of
Marina. This name was brought to public attention by Alfred Hitchcock's movie
Marnie (1964), itself based on a 1961 novel by Winston Graham.
Marta f Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Polish, Czech, Slovak, German, Dutch, Romanian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Russian, Swedish, Icelandic, Latvian, Estonian, GeorgianForm of
Martha used in various languages.
Martha f English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, German, Greek, Biblical, Biblical Greek, Biblical Latin, Old Church SlavicFrom Aramaic
מַרְתָּא (marta) meaning
"the lady, the mistress", feminine form of
מַר (mar) meaning "master". In the New Testament this is the name of the sister of
Lazarus and
Mary of Bethany (who is sometimes identified with Mary Magdalene). She was a witness to
Jesus restoring her dead brother to life.
... [more] Martina f German, Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Hungarian, English, Swedish, Dutch, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Martinus (see
Martin). Saint Martina was a 3rd-century martyr who is one of the patron saints of Rome.
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.
Marvel f EnglishFrom the English word meaning
"a miracle, a wonder", derived from Old French
merveille, from Latin
mirabilis meaning "wonderful".
Marwa f ArabicFrom Arabic
مرو (marw) meaning
"pebbles, flint", also the name of a type of fragrant plant (species Maerua crassifolia). Al-Marwa is the name of one of the two sacred hills near Mecca.
Maryam f Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Indonesian, Bashkir, TatarArabic form of
Miryam (see
Mary) appearing in the Quran. It is also the form used in several other languages. In Iran it is also the name of a flower, the tuberose, which is named after the Virgin Mary.
Marzieh f PersianDerived from Arabic
مرضيّ (marḍīy) meaning
"satisfactory, pleasing", a derivative of
رضي (raḍiya) meaning "to be satisfied".
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.
Masami f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
成 (masa) meaning "become" or
正 (masa) meaning "right, proper" combined with
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji.
Masuma f Arabic, Pashto, UrduMeans
"innocent, sinless" in Arabic, derived from the root
عصم (ʿaṣama) meaning "to protect". After her death, this name was applied to Fatima, a daughter of the 9th-century Shia imam Musa al-Kazim.
Masuyo f JapaneseFrom Japanese
益 (masu) meaning "profit, benefit" and
世 (yo) meaning "world". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Matija m & f Slovene, Croatian, SerbianSlovene, Croatian and Serbian form of
Matthias, used to refer to the apostle chosen to replace Judas Iscariot. It is occasionally used as a feminine name.
Matilda f English, Swedish, Finnish, Slovak, SloveneFrom the Germanic name
Mahthilt meaning
"strength in battle", from the elements
maht "might, strength" and
hilt "battle". Saint Matilda was the wife of the 10th-century German king Henry I the Fowler. The name was common in many branches of European royalty in the Middle Ages. It was brought to England by the Normans, being borne by the wife of William the Conqueror himself. Another notable royal by this name was a 12th-century daughter of Henry I of England, known as the Empress Matilda because of her first marriage to the Holy Roman emperor Henry V. She later invaded England, laying the foundations for the reign of her son Henry II.
... [more] Maud f English, French, Dutch, SwedishMedieval English and French form of
Matilda. Though it became rare after the 14th century, it was revived and once more grew popular in the 19th century, perhaps due to Alfred Tennyson's 1855 poem
Maud.
Maura 2 f Irish, EnglishAnglicized form of
Máire. It has also been associated with Irish
mór meaning "great". This was the name of an obscure 5th-century Irish martyr.
Mavis f EnglishFrom the name of the type of bird, also called the song thrush, derived from Old French
mauvis, of uncertain origin. It was first used as a given name by the British author Marie Corelli, who used it for a character in her novel
The Sorrows of Satan (1895).
Maxine f EnglishFeminine form of
Max. It has been commonly used only since the beginning of the 20th century.
May f EnglishDerived from the name of the month of May, which derives from
Maia, the name of a Roman goddess. May is also another name of the hawthorn flower. It is also used as a diminutive of
Mary,
Margaret or
Mabel.
Maya 2 f EnglishVariant of
Maia 1. This name can also be given in reference to the Maya, an indigenous people of southern Mexico and parts of Central America whose civilization flourished between the 3rd and 8th centuries. A famous bearer was the American poet and author Maya Angelou (1928-2014).
Maylis f FrenchFrom the name of a town in southern France, said to derive from Occitan
mair "mother" and French
lys "lily". It is also sometimes considered a combination of
Marie and
lys.
Mayu f JapaneseFrom Japanese
真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" or
満 (ma) meaning "full" combined with
優 (yu) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" or
夕 (yu) meaning "evening". This name can also be constructed from other kanji combinations.
Mayumi 1 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" combined with
弓 (yumi) meaning "archery bow" or
由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause" and
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". This name can also be constructed from other kanji combinations.
Mei 1 f ChineseFrom Chinese
美 (měi) meaning "beautiful" or
梅 (méi) meaning "Chinese plum" (species Prunus mume), as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly.
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.
Modesty f English (Rare)From the English word
modesty, ultimately from Latin
modestus "moderate", a derivative of
modus "measure".
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.
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.
Morgan 1 m & f Welsh, English, FrenchFrom 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-).
Morgan 2 f Arthurian CycleModern form of
Morgen, which was used by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century for the Arthurian sorceress Morgan le Fay, who was unnamed in earlier stories. Geoffrey probably did not derive it from the Welsh masculine name
Morgan, which would have been spelled
Morcant in his time. It is likely from Old Welsh
mor "sea" and the suffix
gen "born of".
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.
Morticia f Popular CultureFrom 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.
Morven f ScottishFrom 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.
Mothra f Popular CultureFrom 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.
Na f ChineseFrom Chinese
娜 (nà) meaning "elegant, graceful, delicate" or other characters pronounced similarly.
Naamah f BiblicalMeans
"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.
Nada 1 f ArabicFrom Arabic
نَدًى (nadan) meaning
"dew, moisture, generosity", a derivative of
ندي (nadiya) meaning "to be moist, to be damp".
Nadiyya f ArabicMeans
"announcement, call" in Arabic, derived from
نادى (nādā) meaning "to call, to announce, to invite".
Nəfəs f AzerbaijaniMeans
"breath" in Azerbaijani, derived from Arabic
نفس (nafas), ultimately related to the root
نفس (nafusa) meaning "to be precious".
Nagore f BasqueFrom the name of a Basque village where there is a sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin
Mary.