MOCHÁN m Ancient IrishDerived from Irish
moch meaning
"early" combined with a diminutive suffix.
MODESTUS m Late RomanMeans
"moderate, restrained" in Late Latin. This was the name of several saints.
MODU m HistoryPossibly a Middle Chinese form of the old Turkic honorific
bagatur meaning
"hero, warrior, brave". Modu Chanyu was a 3rd-century BC ruler of the Xiongnu, a people from Mongolia.
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,
Krishna and
Kama) and the feminine form
मोहना.
MOHANDAS m Indian, HindiMeans
"servant of Mohana" from the name of the Hindu god
MOHANA combined with Sanskrit
दास (dasa) meaning "servant". A famous bearer of this name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948), also known as Mahatma Gandhi, an Indian leader who struggled peacefully for independence from Britain.
MOJMÍR m Czech, SlovakDerived from the Slavic elements
moji meaning "my" and
miru meaning "peace" or "world". This was the name of a 9th-century ruler of Moravia.
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).
MONROE m Scottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish surname meaning
"from the mouth of the Roe". The Roe is a river in Ireland. Two famous bearers of the surname were American president James Monroe (1758-1831) and American actress Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962).
MONTAGUE m English (Rare)From a surname meaning
"pointed mountain" in French. In Shakespeare's tragedy
Romeo and Juliet (1596) this is the surname of Romeo and his family.
MONTANA f & m English (Modern)From the name of the American state, which is derived from Latin
montanus "mountainous".
MONTE m EnglishEither a diminutive of
MONTGOMERY or from the Spanish or Italian vocabulary word meaning "mountain".
MONTGOMERY m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"GUMARICH's mountain" in Norman French. A notable bearer of this surname was Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976), a British army commander during World War II.
MORDECAI m Biblical, HebrewMeans
"servant of MARDUK" in Persian. In the Old Testament Mordecai is the cousin and foster father of
Esther. He thwarted a plot to kill the Persian king, though he made an enemy of the king's chief advisor
Haman.
MORDRED m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian RomanceFrom Welsh
Medraut, possibly from Latin
moderatus meaning
"controlled, moderated". In Arthurian legend Mordred was the illegitimate son (in some versions nephew) of King
Arthur. Mordred first appears briefly (as
Medraut) in the 10th-century
Annales Cambriae, but he was not portrayed as a traitor until the chronicles of the 12th-century Geoffrey of Monmouth. While Arthur is away he seduces his wife
Guinevere and declares himself king. This prompts the battle of Camlann, which leads to the deaths of both Mordred and Arthur.
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-).
MORLEY m English (Rare)From a surname that was originally from an Old English place name meaning
"marsh clearing".
MORPHEUS m Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
μορφη (morphe) meaning
"shape", referring to the shapes seen in dreams. In Greek mythology Morpheus was the god of dreams.
MORTIMER m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"still water" in Old French.
MORTON m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"moor town" in Old English.
MOSES m English, Jewish, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name
מֹשֶׁה (Mosheh), which is most likely derived from Egyptian
mes meaning
"son", but could also possibly mean
"deliver" in Hebrew. The meaning suggested in the Old Testament of
"drew out" from Hebrew
משה (mashah) is probably an invented etymology (see
Exodus 2:10).
... [more] MOSTYN m WelshFrom a Welsh place name meaning
"moss town" in Old English.
MOT m Semitic MythologyMeans
"death" in Ugaritic. This was the name of the Ugaritic god of death and the lord of the netherworld. He was a son of the supreme god
El.
MU m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
慕 (mù) meaning "admire, desire",
木 (mù) meaning "tree, wood", or other characters with similar pronunciations.
MUBIRU m Eastern African, GandaMeaning unknown. This is the name of a figure in Ganda mythology associated with forests and hunting.
MUHAMMAD m Arabic, Urdu, Punjabi, Pashto, Bengali, Tajik, Uzbek, Indonesian, Malay, AvarMeans
"praised, commendable" in Arabic, derived from the root
حَمِدَ (hamida) meaning "to praise". This was the name of the prophet who founded the Islamic religion in the 7th century. According to Islamic belief, at age 40 Muhammad was visited by the angel
Gabriel, who provided him with the first verses of the Quran. Approximately 20 years later he conquered Mecca, the city of his birth, and his followers controlled most of the Arabian Peninsula at the time of his death in 632.
... [more] MUIR m ScottishFrom a surname that was originally taken from a Scottish place name meaning
"moor, fen". It also means
"sea" in Scottish Gaelic.
MUIRCHERTACH m IrishMeans
"mariner" in Gaelic. This was the name of a 6th-century Irish high king.
MUIREDACH m IrishMeans
"lord" in Irish. This was the name of several legendary and historical kings of Ireland.
MUKESHA m HinduismMeans
"ruler of Muka" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu god
Shiva, given to him because he killed Muka, a demon in the form of a wild boar.
MUMTAZ m & f Arabic, UrduMeans
"distinguished" in Arabic. The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as tomb for his wife Mumtaz Mahal (1593-1631).
MUNGO m ScottishPossibly derived from Welsh
mwyn "gentle, kind". This was a nickname of the 6th-century Saint Kentigern.
MURTADA m ArabicMeans
"chosen" in Arabic. This is an epithet of
Ali, the fourth caliph.
MURUGAN m Hinduism, TamilPossibly from a Dravidian word meaning
"youth". This is the name of a Tamil war god identified with
Skanda.
MUSTAFA m Arabic, Turkish, BosnianMeans
"the chosen one" in Arabic, an epithet of
Muhammad. This was the name of four Ottoman sultans. Another famous bearer was Mustafa Kemal (1881-1938), also known as Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey.
MU'TAMID m ArabicMeans
"relying on, leaning on" in Arabic. Al-Mu'tamid was a 9th-century Abbasid caliph. This was also the name of an 11th-century Abbadid ruler of Seville, who was a patron of the arts and a poet.
MWANGI m Eastern African, KikuyuMeans
"rapid expansion" in Kikuyu. Kikuyu males were traditionally organized into age sets or generations. The
Mwangi generation started around the beginning of the 20th century and lasted for about 30 years.
MYEONG m & f KoreanFrom 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.
MYRON m English, Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
μυρον (myron) meaning
"sweet oil, perfume". Myron was the name of a 5th-century BC Greek sculptor. Saints bearing this name include a 3rd-century bishop of Crete and a 4th-century martyr from Cyzicus who was killed by a mob. These saints are more widely revered in the Eastern Church, and the name has generally been more common among Eastern Christians. As an English name, it has been used since the 19th century.
NABOPOLASSAR m Babylonian (Anglicized)From the Akkadian name
Nabu-apla-usur meaning
"Nabu protect my son", derived from the god's name
NABU combined with
aplu meaning "son, heir" and an imperative form of
naṣāru meaning "to protect". This was the name of a 7th-century BC king of the Babylonian Empire, the first of the Chaldean dynasty.
NABU m Semitic MythologyPossibly from a Semitic root meaning
"to announce". This was the name of an Assyrian and Babylonian god of wisdom, letters and writing.
NADAB m Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekMeans
"generous" in Hebrew. This is the name of a son of
Aaron in the Old Testament. He was consumed by flames and killed when he offered unauthorized fire to God. It was also the name of the second king of Israel.
NADIM m Arabic, UrduMeans
"drinking companion", derived from Arabic
ندم (nadima) meaning "to drink together".
NAGENDRA m Hinduism, Indian, Kannada, TeluguMeans
"lord of snakes" from Sanskrit
नाग (naga) meaning "snake" (also "elephant") combined with the name of the Hindu god
INDRA, used here to mean "lord". This is another name for Vasuki, the king of snakes, in Hindu mythology.
NAHOR m BiblicalMeans
"snorting" in Hebrew. Nahor is the name of both the grandfather and a brother of
Abraham in the Old Testament.
NAHUM m BiblicalMeans
"comforter" in Hebrew, from the root
נָחַם (nacham). Nahum is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament. He authored the Book of Nahum in which the downfall of Nineveh is foretold.
NA'IM m ArabicMeans
"tranquil, happy, at ease" in Arabic.
NAIRYOSANGHA m Persian MythologyDerived from Avestan
nairyo "male" and
sangha "word". Nairyosangha was a Zoroastrian Yazata (or angel) who served as a messenger for Ahura Mazda.
NAJI m ArabicMeans
"intimate friend" in Arabic. This can also be another way of transcribing the name
ناجي (see
NAAJI).
NAJIB m ArabicMeans
"noble" or
"intelligent" in Arabic.
NALA m HinduismMeans
"stem" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a king of the Nishadha people in the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata.
NĀLANI f & m HawaiianMeans
"the heavens" or
"the chiefs" from Hawaiian
nā, a definite article, and
lani "heaven, sky, chief".
NANABOZHO m New World MythologyMeans
"my rabbit" in Ojibwe. In Anishinaabe mythology Nanabozho (also called
Wenabozho) is the name of a trickster spirit.
NANDA m Hinduism, Indian, Kannada, TamilMeans
"joy" in Sanskrit. In Hindu texts this is a name of both
Vishnu and the foster-father of
Krishna, as well as various other characters. In Buddhist texts this is the name of a god and a disciple of Buddha. Nanda was also the name of a 4th-century BC king who founded a dynasty in Magadha in India.
NÁNDOR m HungarianOriginally this was a Hungarian word referring to a Bulgarian people that lived along the Danube. Since the 19th century it has been used as a Hungarian short form of
FERDINAND.
NANOOK m Native American, InuitVariant of
NANUQ. This was the (fictional) name of the subject of Robert Flaherty's documentary film
Nanook of the North (1922).
NAO f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
直 (nao) meaning "straight" 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.
NAOISE m Irish, Scottish, Irish MythologyMeaning unknown, presumably of Gaelic origin. In Irish legend he was the young man who eloped with
Deirdre, the beloved of
Conchobhar the king of Ulster. Conchobhar eventually succeeded in having Naoise murdered, which caused Deirdre to die of grief.
NAOKI m JapaneseFrom Japanese
直 (nao) meaning "straight" and
樹 (ki) meaning "tree", as well as other combinations of different kanji with the same pronunciations.
NAOMHÁN m Irish, ScottishMeans
"little saint", derived from Irish
naomh "saint" combined with a diminutive suffix.
NAOMI (2) f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
直 (nao) meaning "straight" and
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" (usually feminine) or
己 (mi) meaning "self" (usually masculine). Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
NAPHTALI m BiblicalMeans
"my struggle, my strife" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he is a son of
Jacob by
Rachel's servant
Bilhah, and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
NAPIER m English (Rare)From an English and Scots surname meaning
"linen keeper" in Middle English, from Old French
nappe "table cloth".
NAPOLEON m History, EnglishFrom the old Italian name
Napoleone, used most notably by the French emperor Napoléon Bonaparte (1769-1821), who was born on Corsica. The etymology is uncertain, but it is possibly derived from the Germanic
Nibelungen meaning
"sons of mist", a name used in Germanic mythology to refer to the keepers of a hoard of treasure (often identified with the Burgundians). Alternatively, it could be connected to the name of the Italian city of Napoli (Naples).
NAPOLEONE m ItalianOriginal Italian form of
NAPOLEON. Besides the French emperor, it was borne by the 14th-century cardinal Napoleone Orsini and the Italian writer and politician Napoleone Colajanni (1847-1921).
NARAM-SIN m AkkadianMeans
"beloved of Sin", from Akkadian
narāmu and the god's name
SIN. This was the name of a 23rd-century BC ruler of the Akkadian Empire, the grandson of
Sargon.
NARCISSE m & f FrenchFrench masculine and feminine form of
NARCISSUS. This is also the French word for the narcissus flower.
NAREK m ArmenianFrom the name of a 10th-century Armenian saint, Grigor of Narek, who came from the town of Narek (formerly in Armenia, now in eastern Turkey).
NARSES m Ancient Persian (Hellenized)Hellenized form of the Persian name
Narseh, which was derived from Avestan
NAIRYOSANGHA. This name was borne by a Byzantine general of Armenian descent who helped restore Italy to the Roman Empire during the reign of Justinian I in the 6th century.
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.
NASH m English (Modern)From a surname that was derived from the Middle English phrase
atten ash "at the ash tree". A famous bearer of the surname was the mathematician John Nash (1928-2015). The name was popularized in the 1990s by the television series
Nash Bridges.
NASIR m ArabicMeans
"helper" in Arabic. This transcription represents two different Arabic names.
NATHANIEL m English, BiblicalVariant of
NATHANAEL. It has been regularly used in the English-speaking world since the Protestant Reformation. This has been the most popular spelling, even though the spelling
Nathanael is found in most versions of the New Testament. The American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864), author of
The Scarlet Letter, was a famous bearer of this name.
NAZARET f & m Spanish, ArmenianFrom Nazareth, the town in Galilee where
Jesus lived. This name is feminine in Spanish and masculine in Armenian.
NAZARIUS m Late RomanLatin name meaning
"from Nazareth". Nazareth was the town in Galilee where
Jesus lived. This name was borne by several early saints, including a man martyred with Celsus in Milan.
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.
NEBUCHADNEZZAR m Babylonian (Anglicized), BiblicalFrom
נְבוּכַדְנֶאצֲּר (Nevukhadnetzzar), the Hebrew form of the Akkadian name
Nabu-kudurri-usur meaning "Nabu protect my eldest son", derived from the god's name
NABU combined with
kudurru meaning "eldest son" and an imperative form of
naṣāru meaning "to protect". This name was borne by a 12th-century BC king of the Babylonian Empire. It was also borne by a 6th-century BC king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. He captured Jerusalem, and ultimately destroyed the city's temple and deported many of its citizens, as told in the Old Testament.
NECHTAN m Irish Mythology, Ancient CelticCeltic name of uncertain meaning, possibly meaning
"damp" (cognate with
NEPTUNE). In Irish mythology Nechtan was the husband of Boand, the goddess of the River Boyne. This name was also borne by the 5th-century Saint Nectan of Hartland in Devon, who was supposedly born in Ireland. It was also the name of several kings of the Picts.