Garsea m Medieval SpanishMeaning unknown, possibly related to the Basque word
hartz meaning
"bear". This was the name of several medieval kings of Navarre and Leon.
Gautama m Sanskrit, BuddhismIn the case of Siddhartha Gautama, it was a patronymic form of
Gotama.
Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the
Buddha, was the founder of Buddhism. He was a 6th-century BC nobleman who left his family in order to lead a life of meditation and poverty.
Gedaliah m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh is great" in Hebrew, from
גָּדַל (gaḏal) meaning "to grow, to become great" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of several characters in the Old Testament, including the governor of Judah appointed by Nebuchadnezzar.
Gera m Biblical, Biblical HebrewPossibly means
"a grain" in Hebrew. This is the name of several members of the tribe of Benjamin in the Old Testament.
Géza m HungarianFrom
Gyeücsa, possibly derived from a diminutive form of the Hungarian noble title
gyevü or
gyeü, itself from Turkic
jabgu. This was the name of a 10th-century leader of the Hungarians, the father of the first king
István.
Gian-nah-tah m ApacheMeans
"always ready" in Apache. This was the name of a 19th-century chief of the Mescalero Apache.
Girisha m HinduismMeans
"lord of the mountain" in Sanskrit. This is a name of the Hindu god
Shiva, given because of his abode in the Himalayan Mountains.
Gocha m GeorgianMeaning unknown, possibly from a Georgian dialectal word meaning
"old man".
Godzilla m Popular CultureFrom Japanese
ゴジラ (Gojira), a blend of
ゴリラ (gorira) meaning "gorilla" and
鯨 (kujira) meaning "whale". This is the name of a massive reptilian monster from a series of Japanese movies, starting 1954.
Gopala m HinduismMeans
"cow protector" from Sanskrit
गो (go) meaning "cow" and
पाल (pāla) meaning "guard, protector". This is another name of the Hindu god
Krishna. It was also borne by the 8th-century founder of the Pala Empire in Bengal.
Gopinatha m HinduismMeans
"leader of the gopis" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu god
Krishna, acquired because of his association with the gopis (milkmaids).
Gotama m HinduismMeans
"the best ox" from Sanskrit
गो (go) meaning "ox, cow" and
तम (tama) meaning "best". It is best known in its patronymic form
Gautama (with the initial vowel lengthened), which was borne by the
Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. In Hindu texts this is also the name of one of the Saptarshis, or seven sages. Additionally it was borne by an early Indian philosopher who wrote the Nyaya Sutras.
Gyula m HungarianFrom a Hungarian royal title, which was probably of Turkic origin. This name is also used as a Hungarian form of
Julius.
Hama m Anglo-Saxon MythologyFrom Old English
ham meaning
"home". This is the name of a Gothic warrior who appears with his companion Wudga in some Anglo-Saxon tales (briefly in
Beowulf).
Hamza m Arabic, Turkish, BosnianMeans
"lion" in Arabic, a derivative of
حمز (ḥamuza) meaning "strong, sturdy". This was the name of an uncle of the Prophet
Muhammad who was killed in battle.
Harsha m Kannada, Telugu, SanskritMeans
"happiness" in Sanskrit. Harsha (or Harṣa, also called Harshavardhana) was a 7th-century emperor of northern India. He was also noted as an author.
Haruka f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
遥 (haruka) meaning "distant, remote". It can also come from
春 (haru) meaning "spring" or
晴 (haru) meaning "clear weather" combined with
花 (ka) meaning "flower, blossom" or
香 (ka) meaning "fragrance". Additionally, other kanji combinations can form this name.
Havilah m BiblicalProbably means
"to dance, to circle, to twist" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is both a place name and a masculine personal name.
Herla m Anglo-Saxon MythologyMeaning uncertain, though connections to various Germanic words have been proposed. According to the 12th-century author Walter Map, who was likely expanding on older Germanic tales, Herla was a king of the Britons who became the leader of the Wild Hunt.
Hezekiah m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
חִזְקִיָהוּ (Ḥizqiyahu), which means
"Yahweh strengthens", from the roots
חָזַק (ḥazaq) meaning "to strength" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This name was borne by a powerful king of Judah who reigned in the 8th and 7th centuries BC. Also in the Old Testament, this is the name of an ancestor of the prophet
Zephaniah.
Hiawatha m History, Iroquois (Anglicized)Meaning uncertain, of Iroquois origin, possibly meaning
"he who combs". This was the name of a Mohawk or Onondaga leader who founded the Iroquois Confederacy around the 15th century. He was later the subject of a fictionalized 1855 poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Hinata f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
日向 (hinata) meaning "sunny place",
陽向 (hinata) meaning "toward the sun", or a non-standard reading of
向日葵 (himawari) meaning "sunflower". Other kanji compounds are also possible. Because of the irregular readings, this name is often written using the hiragana writing system.
Hirah m BiblicalMeans
"splendour" in Hebrew. This is the name of a companion of
Judah in the Old Testament.
Hla m & f BurmeseMeans
"pretty, favourable" in Burmese.
Hodiah f & m BiblicalMeans
"majesty of Yahweh" in Hebrew, from
הוֹד (hoḏ) meaning "majesty, splendour" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is (probably) the name of a wife of
Ezra in the Old Testament. It is also borne by a few male biblical characters.
Hokolesqua m ShawneeMeans
"cornstalk" in Shawnee. This was the name of an 18th-century Shawnee chief.
Horea m RomanianFrom Romanian
horă, a type of circle dance. This was the nickname of Vasile Ursu Nicola (1731-1785), a leader of a peasant rebellion in Romania. He was eventually captured, tortured and executed.
Horsa m Anglo-Saxon MythologyFrom Old English or Old Saxon
hors meaning
"horse". According to medieval chronicles, Horsa and his brother
Hengist were the leaders of the first Saxon settlers to arrive in Britain. Horsa was said to have died in battle with the Britons. He is first mentioned in the 8th-century writings of the English historian Bede.
Hosea m BiblicalVariant English form of
Hoshea, though the name is spelled the same in the Hebrew text. Hosea is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Hosea. Written in the northern kingdom, it draws parallels between his relationship with his unfaithful wife and the relationship between God and his people.
Hoshea m Biblical, Biblical HebrewFrom the Hebrew name
הוֹשֵׁעַ (Hosheaʿ) meaning
"salvation", from the root
יָשַׁע (yashaʿ) meaning "to save". In the Old Testament at
Numbers 13:16,
Moses gives the spy Hoshea the new name
Yehoshuaʿ (see
Joshua), which has a related origin. This name was also borne by an 8th-century BC king of Israel, who was the last ruler of that state before it was conquered by Assyria.
Hrachya m ArmenianMeans
"eyes of fire", from Old Armenian
հուր (hur) meaning "fire" and
աչք (achk) meaning "eyes, sight". This name was mentioned by the 5th-century Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi as belonging to an early Armenian king.
Hua f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
华 (huá) meaning "splendid, illustrious, Chinese" or
花 (huā) meaning "flower, blossom" (which is usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters can form this name as well.
Iah m Egyptian MythologyFrom Egyptian
jꜥḥ meaning
"moon". In Egyptian mythology this was the name of a god of the moon, later identified with
Thoth.
Indiana f & m EnglishFrom the name of the American state, which means "land of the Indians". This is the name of the hero in the
Indiana Jones series of movies, starring Harrison Ford.
Indra m Hinduism, Hindi, Nepali, IndonesianMeans
"possessing drops of rain" from Sanskrit
इन्दु (indu) meaning "a drop" and
र (ra) meaning "acquiring, possessing". Indra is the name of the ancient Hindu warrior god of the sky and rain, frequently depicted riding the elephant Airavata. He is the chief god in the
Rigveda.
Ira 1 m English, Hebrew, BiblicalMeans
"watchful" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of King
David's priest. As an English Christian given name,
Ira began to be used after the Protestant Reformation. In the 17th century the Puritans brought it to America, where remained moderately common into the 20th century.
Isa 3 m GermanicShort form of Germanic names beginning with the element
is meaning
"ice" (Proto-Germanic *
īsą).
Isaiah m English, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יְשַׁעְיָהוּ (Yeshaʿyahu) meaning
"Yahweh is salvation", from the roots
יָשַׁע (yashaʿ) meaning "to save" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. Isaiah is one of the four major prophets of the Old Testament, supposedly the author of the Book of Isaiah. He was from Jerusalem and probably lived in the 8th century BC, at a time when Assyria threatened the Kingdom of Judah. As an English Christian name,
Isaiah was first used after the Protestant Reformation.
Isapo-Muxika m SiksikaFrom Siksika
Issapóómahksika meaning
"big Crow foot", from
Issapó "Crow (tribe)",
ómahk "big" and
ika "foot". This was the name of a Blackfoot chief, known as Crowfoot (1830-1890).
Isha f & m Hindi, Marathi, HinduismMeans
"master, lord, ruler" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the feminine form
ईशा and the masculine form
ईश (an epithet of the Hindu god
Shiva). It is also the name of one of the Upanishads, which are parts of Hindu scripture.
Itzamna m Mayan Mythology, MayanFrom Classic Maya
itzam, an element found in the names of some Maya gods (possibly from
itz "enchanted, nectar" and
mam "grandfather"), combined with
nah "great". Itzamna was the Maya creator god.
Jaala m BiblicalMeans
"wild goat" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a servant of
Solomon.
Jada 2 m BiblicalMeans
"he knows" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament, Jada is a son of Onam.
Janaka m Hinduism, SinhaleseMeans
"father" in Sanskrit. According to the Hindu epic the
Ramayana he was the king of Videha in northeastern India. He was the father of
Sita.
Jarah m BiblicalMeans
"honeycomb" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a descendant of
Saul.
Jaya f & m Hinduism, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, MarathiDerived from Sanskrit
जय (jaya) meaning
"victory". In Sanskrit this is a transcription of both the feminine form
जया (long final vowel) and the masculine form
जय (short final vowel), both of which are used as names or epithets for several characters in Hindu texts. As a modern personal name, this transcription is both feminine and masculine in southern India, but typically only feminine in the north.
Jayadeva m SanskritMeans
"divine victory" from Sanskrit
जय (jaya) meaning "victory" and
देव (deva) meaning "god". This was the name of a 12th-century Indian poet.
Jayendra m HindiMeans
"lord of victory" from Sanskrit
जय (jaya) meaning "victory" combined with the name of the god
Indra, used here to mean "lord".
Jehovah m TheologyForm of
Yahweh used in older translations of the Bible, produced by blending the letters of the Tetragrammaton with the vowels from
Adonai.
Jephthah m BiblicalMeans
"he opens" in Hebrew, derived from the root
פָּתַח (paṯaḥ) meaning "to open". In the Old Testament this is the name of a ruling judge. He successfully defended Israel from the Ammonites, but was then obliged to sacrifice his daughter because of a vow he had made.
Jeremiah m English, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יִרְמְיָהוּ (Yirmeyahu) meaning
"Yahweh will exalt", from the roots
רוּם (rum) meaning "to exalt" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of one of the major prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Jeremiah and the Book of Lamentations (supposedly). He lived to see the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in the 6th century BC.
... [more] Jeriah m BiblicalMeans
"taught by Yahweh" in Hebrew, from
יָרָה (yara) meaning "to teach" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. In the Old Testament, Jeriah is a descendant of Hebron.
Jia m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
佳 (jiā) meaning "good, auspicious, beautiful",
家 (jiā) meaning "home, family", or other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Joah m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh is brother" in Hebrew, from
יוֹ (yo) referring to the Hebrew God and
אָח (ʾaḥ) meaning "brother". This is the name of four people in the Old Testament.
Jonah m English, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יוֹנָה (Yona) meaning
"dove". This was the name of a prophet swallowed by a fish, as told in the Old Testament Book of Jonah. Jonah was commanded by God to preach in Nineveh, but instead fled by boat. After being caught in a storm, the other sailors threw Jonah overboard, at which point he was swallowed. He emerged from the fish alive and repentant three days later.
... [more] Jorah m Biblical, LiteratureFrom the Hebrew name
יוֹרָה (Yora), derived from the root
יָרָה (yara) meaning variously
"to teach, to throw, to rain". This name is mentioned briefly in the Book of Ezra in the Old Testament. It was used by George R. R. Martin for a character in his fantasy series
A Song of Ice and Fire (first published 1996) and the television adaptation
Game of Thrones (2011-2019). It is not known if Martin took the name from the Bible.
Jorma m FinnishFinnish (allegedly Karelian) form of
Jeremiah. This was the name of a character in Juhani Aho's novel
Panu (1897).
Joshua m English, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (Yehoshuaʿ) meaning
"Yahweh is salvation", from the roots
יְהוֹ (yeho) referring to the Hebrew God and
יָשַׁע (yashaʿ) meaning "to save". As told in the Old Testament, Joshua was a companion of
Moses. He went up Mount Sinai with Moses when he received the Ten Commandments from God, and later he was one of the twelve spies sent into Canaan. After Moses died Joshua succeeded him as leader of the Israelites and he led the conquest of Canaan. His original name was
Hoshea.
... [more] Josiah m Biblical, EnglishFrom the Hebrew name
יֹאשִׁיָהוּ (Yoshiyahu) meaning
"Yahweh supports", from
אָשְׁיָה (ʾashya) meaning "support" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. In the Old Testament this is the name of a king of Judah famous for his religious reforms. He was killed fighting the Egyptians at Megiddo in the 7th century BC. In England this name came into use after the Protestant Reformation.
Juda m ArabicMeans
"goodness, excellence" in Arabic, derived from
جاد (jāda) meaning "to be excellent, to be generous".
Judah m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יְהוּדָה (Yehuḏa), probably derived from
יָדָה (yaḏa) meaning
"praise". In the Old Testament Judah is the fourth of the twelve sons of
Jacob by
Leah, and the ancestor of the tribe of Judah. An explanation for his name is given in
Genesis 29:35. His tribe eventually formed the Kingdom of Judah in the south of Israel. King
David and
Jesus were among the descendants of him and his wife
Tamar. This name was also borne by Judah Maccabee, the Jewish priest who revolted against Seleucid rule in the 2nd century BC, as told in the deuterocanonical Books of Maccabees.
... [more] Jugurtha m Ancient Berber (Latinized), BerberLatinized form of Berber
Yugurten meaning
"he surpassed them, he overcome them". Jugurtha was a 2nd-century BC king of Numidia who fought against the Roman Republic. He was eventually captured and executed in Rome.
Kaimana m & f HawaiianFrom Hawaiian
kai "ocean, sea" and
mana "power". It is also Hawaiian meaning "diamond", derived from the English word
diamond.
Kaleva m Finnish, Finnish MythologyFrom the name of the mythological ancestor of the Finns, which is of unknown meaning. The name of the Finnish epic the
Kalevala means "the land of Kaleva".
Kalidasa m SanskritMeans
"servant of Kali" from the name of the Hindu goddess
Kali 1 combined with Sanskrit
दास (dāsa) meaning "servant". Kalidasa (or Kālidāsa) was a 4th-century Indian poet and dramatist, the author of the
Abhijnanashakuntalam and other works.
Kama m HinduismMeans
"love, desire" in Sanskrit. Kama is the Hindu god of love and pleasure, typically depicted as a young man armed with a bow and riding on the back of a giant parrot. His wife is
Rati.
Kamala f & m Hinduism, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Hindi, NepaliMeans
"lotus" or
"pale red" in Sanskrit. In Sanskrit this is a transcription of both the feminine form
कमला and the masculine form
कमल, though in modern languages it is only a feminine form. In Tantric Hinduism and Shaktism this is the name of a goddess, also identified with the goddess
Lakshmi.
Kanata m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
奏 (kana) meaning "play music, complete" and
多 (ta) meaning "many", as well as other combinations of kanji that have the same pronunciation.
Kanta f & m Hindi, BengaliFrom Sanskrit
कान्त (kānta) meaning
"desired, beautiful". The feminine form has a long final vowel, while in the masculine form it is short.
Kapila m Hinduism, SinhaleseMeans
"reddish brown" in Sanskrit, derived from
कपि (kapi) meaning "monkey". According to Hindu tradition this was the name of a sage who founded Samkhya philosophy. He is sometimes considered an incarnation of
Vishnu.
Kapua f & m HawaiianMeans
"the flower" or
"the child" from Hawaiian
ka, a definite article, and
pua "flower, offspring".
Kara 2 m Ottoman TurkishMeans
"black, dark" in Turkish. This was sometimes used as a byname by Ottoman officials, figuratively meaning "courageous".
Karna m HinduismDerived from Sanskrit
कर्ण (karṇa) meaning
"ear". According to the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata this was the name of the son of the sun god
Surya and
Kunti, who gave birth to him through her ear. He was a great warrior who became the king of Anga, eventually joining the Kauravas to fight against his half-brothers the Pandavas.
Kartikeya m HinduismFrom Sanskrit
कृत्तिका (Kṛttikā), the Indian name for the constellation the Pleiades, ultimately from
कृत् (kṛt) meaning "to cut, to divide". This is another name for the Hindu god
Skanda, given because he was raised by the Krttikas.
Kashyapa m HinduismMeans
"turtle, tortoise" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief this is the name of one of the Saptarshis, or seven sages. He appears often in Hindu scripture, and is believed to be the author of several hymns in the
Rigveda. According to the Puranas he was the husband of the goddess
Aditi and the father by her of some of the gods.
Kayra m & f TurkishMeans
"kindness, favour" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic
خير (khayr) meaning "goodness, charity".
Kazuya m JapaneseFrom Japanese
一 (kazu) meaning "one" or
和 (kazu) meaning "harmony, peace" combined with
也 (ya) meaning "to be, also". Other combinations of kanji can form this name as well.
Keala f & m HawaiianMeans
"the path" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
ala "path".
Kealoha f & m HawaiianMeans
"the loved one" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
aloha "love".
Keita 1 m JapaneseFrom Japanese
慶 (kei) meaning "celebration" or
啓 (kei) meaning "open, begin" combined with
太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Kekoa m HawaiianMeans
"the warrior" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
koa "warrior, koa tree".
Kenaniah m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh establishes" in Hebrew, from
כָּנַן (kanan) meaning "to establish" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This was the name of two minor Old Testament characters.
Kenta m JapaneseFrom Japanese
健 (ken) meaning "healthy, strong" and
太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great", as well as other kanji combinations having the same pronunciation.
Kenyatta m & f African AmericanFrom a surname used by the first president of Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta (1897-1978). He adopted the surname in his youth, supposedly from a type of ornamental belt worn by the Maasai people.
Keola m HawaiianMeans
"the life" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
ola "life, health".
Khafra m Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
ḫꜥf-rꜥ meaning
"he appears as Ra". This was the name of the 4th-dynasty Egyptian pharaoh who built the second largest of the pyramids at Giza (26th century BC). He is also known as
Chephren, from the Greek form of his name.
Khalifa m ArabicMeans
"successor, caliph" in Arabic. The title
caliph was given to the successors of the Prophet
Muhammad, originally elected by the Islamic populace.
Khanpasha m ChechenDerived from the Turkic title
Khan meaning "ruler, leader" combined with the high Ottoman military rank
pasha.
Khwaja m UrduFrom the Persian title
خواجه (khājeh) meaning
"master, owner". It is more commonly a title than a given name.
Klah m NavajoFrom Navajo
tł'aaí meaning
"left-handed".
Koda m English (Modern)At least in part inspired by the name of a character from the animated movie
Brother Bear (2003). The moviemakers apparently took it from Lakota or Dakota
koda meaning
"friend, companion".
Kōta m JapaneseFrom Japanese
康 (kō) meaning "peace" and
太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Krishna m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, NepaliDerived from Sanskrit
कृष्ण (kṛṣṇa) meaning
"black, dark". This is the name of a Hindu deity believed to be an incarnation of the god
Vishnu. According to the
Mahabharata and the Puranas he was the youngest of King
Vasudeva's eight sons by
Devaki, six of whom were killed by King Kamsa because of a prophecy that a child of Vasudeva would kill Kamsa. However, Krishna and his brother
Balarama were saved and he eventually fulfilled the prophecy by slaying the evil king. He then helped the Pandavas defeat the Kauravas in the Mahabharata War. His philosophical conversation with the Pandava leader
Arjuna forms the text of the important Hindu scripture the
Bhagavad Gita.
... [more] Kubera m HinduismPossibly means
"deformed, monstrous" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a Hindu god of wealth. In the Vedas he is presented as the chief of the evil beings.
Kunala m SanskritMeans
"lotus" in Sanskrit. This was the name of a son of the 3rd-century BC Indian emperor
Ashoka.
Lachtna m Irish (Rare)From Old Irish
Lachtnae meaning
"milk-coloured", from
lacht "milk" (borrowed from Latin). This was the name of a great-grandfather of the Irish king
Brian Boru.
Lakshmana m HinduismMeans
"having lucky marks" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the
Ramayana he is the younger brother and trusted companion of the hero
Rama, accompanying him into exile.
Lasha m GeorgianPossibly from a Northwest Caucasian word meaning
"light". This was a name of Giorgi IV, a 13th-century king of Georgia.
Lebanah m BiblicalMeans
"moon" in Hebrew, a poetic word derived from
לָבָן (lavan) meaning "white". This name appears briefly in the Old Testament.
Lisakhanya f & m Xhosa, ZuluMeans
"still shining" in Xhosa and Zulu, from the roots
sa "still, continuing" and
khanya "to shine".
Ljubiša m SerbianFrom the Slavic element
ľuby meaning
"love" combined with a diminutive suffix.
Luca 1 m Italian, RomanianItalian and Romanian form of
Lucas (see
Luke). This name was borne by Luca della Robbia, a Renaissance sculptor from Florence.
Maacah f & m BiblicalDerived from Hebrew
מָעַך (maʿaḵ) meaning
"to press, to crush". This name is borne by both male and female characters in the Old Testament.
Macdara m Irish, Old IrishMeans
"son of oak" in Irish. This was the name of a 6th-century saint from Connemara.
Madana m HinduismMeans
"intoxicating, maddening" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu love god
Kama.
Madhava m Hinduism, SanskritMeans
"sweet, vernal, of the springtime" in Sanskrit, a derivative of
मधु (madhu) meaning "honey, sweet". This was the name of a 14th-century Indian scholar from Sangamagrama. This is also an epithet of the Hindu deity
Krishna, given because he was a descendant of a Yadava king named Madhu.
Mahatma m HistoryFrom the Indian title
महात्मा (Mahātmā) meaning
"great soul", derived from Sanskrit
महा (mahā) meaning "great" and
आत्मन् (ātman) meaning "soul, spirit, life". This title was given to, among others, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, also known as Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948).
Mahavira m SanskritMeans
"great hero" in Sanskrit, from
महा (mahā) meaning "great" and
वीर (vīra) meaning "hero, man". Mahavira (or Mahāvīra) was the 6th-century BC founder of Jainism.
Mahendra m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, SanskritFrom Sanskrit
महा (mahā) meaning "great" combined with the name of the Hindu god
Indra. This was the name of a son of the 3rd-century BC Indian emperor
Ashoka, also called
Mahinda. He is credited with introducing Buddhism to Sri Lanka.
Mahershala m Various (Rare)From the longer name
Mahershalalhashbaz, which appears in the Old Testament at
Isaiah 8:1 in reference to
Isaiah's symbolic son. It is written in Hebrew as
מַהֵר שָׁלָל חָשׁ בַּז, and is composed of the two-word phrases
מַהֵר שָׁלָל (maher shalal) and
חָשׁ בַּז (ḥash baz), which both mean
"hurry to the plunder". A famous bearer is the American actor Mahershala Ali (1974-), whose full name is Mahershalalhashbaz.
Mahlah f & m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
מַחְלָה (Maḥla), derived from
חָלָה (ḥala) meaning
"weak, sick". This name is used in the Old Testament as both a feminine and masculine name. In some versions of the Bible the masculine name is spelled
Mahalah.
Mahpiya m & f SiouxFrom Dakota or Lakota
maȟpíya meaning
"cloud, sky". This is the first part of the names of the Dakota chief Mahpiya Wicasta (1780-1863), known as Cloud Man, and the Lakota chiefs Mahpiya Luta (1822-1909), known as Red Cloud, and Mahpiya Iyapato (1838-1905), known as Touch the Clouds.
Maina m KikuyuMeans
"sing, dance" in Kikuyu. Kikuyu males were traditionally organized into age sets or generations, each lasting about 30 years. The
Maina generation occupied the last part of the 19th century.
Makara m & f KhmerMeans
"January" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit
मकर (makara), referring to the constellation Capricornus.
Manaia f & m MaoriFrom the name of a stylized design common in Maori carvings. It represents a mythological creature with the head of a bird and the body of a human.
Manoja m HinduismMeans
"born of the mind", from Sanskrit
मनस् (manas) meaning "mind, intellect, spirit" and
ज (ja) meaning "born". This is another name of the Hindu god
Kama.
Maquinna m Nuu-chah-nulth (Anglicized)From Nuu-chah-nulth
Mukwina, possibly meaning
"possessor of pebbles". This was the name of a late 18th-century chief of the Mowachaht people.
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] Massinissa m Ancient Berber (Latinized), BerberLatinized form of Berber
Masensen meaning
"their lord". This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Berber chieftain. He became the first king of Numidia after allying himself with the Roman Republic against Carthage.
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.