Luke m English, BiblicalEnglish form of Latin
Lucas, from the Greek name
Λουκᾶς (Loukas), probably a shortened form of
Λουκανός (Loukanos) meaning
"from Lucania", Lucania being a region in southern Italy. Luke was a doctor who travelled in the company of the apostle
Paul. According to tradition, he was the author of the third gospel and Acts in the New Testament. He was probably of Greek ethnicity. He is considered a saint by many Christian denominations.
... [more] Lumír m CzechMeaning unknown, though possibly related to the Slavic element
mirŭ meaning "peace, world". In Czech legend this is the name of a bard.
Lyall m English (Rare)From a Scottish surname that was derived from the Old Norse given name
Liulfr (which was derived in part from
úlfr "wolf").
Lydos m Ancient GreekMeaning unknown. This was the name of the semi-legendary king who gave his name to the region of
Lydia in Asia Minor.
Lyle m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Norman French
l'isle meaning
"island".
Lynn f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Welsh
llyn meaning
"lake". Before the start of the 20th century it was primarily used for boys, but it has since come to be more common for girls. In some cases it may be thought of as a short form of
Linda or names that end in
lyn or
line.
Mabon m Welsh MythologyLater Welsh form of
Maponos. In the Welsh tale
Culhwch and Olwen he is a prisoner freed by
Arthur's warriors in order to help hunt the great boar Trwyth. His mother is
Modron.
Mack 1 m EnglishFrom a surname, originally a shortened form of various Irish and Scottish surnames beginning with
Mac or
Mc (from Irish
mac meaning "son"). It is also used as a generic slang term for a man.
Madai m BiblicalMeans
"Medes" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of
Japheth said to be the ancestor of the Medes, an ancient people related to the Persians.
Made m & f BalineseFrom Sanskrit
मध्य (madhya) meaning
"middle". This name is traditionally given to the family's second-born child.
Madoc m Welsh (Rare)From the Old Welsh name
Matauc, derived from
mad meaning
"good, fortunate" combined with a diminutive suffix. This is the name of a warrior mentioned in the 7th-century Welsh poem
Y Gododdin. It was also borne by several medieval rulers, including the 12th-century Madoc ap Maredudd, the last prince of Powys. Another bearer, according to later folklore, was a son of the 12th-century
Owain the Great who sailed to the Americas.
Maël m French, BretonFrench form of Breton
Mael meaning
"prince, chieftain, lord". Saint Mael was a 5th-century Breton hermit who lived in Wales.
Magdy m Arabic (Egyptian)Alternate transcription of Arabic
مجدي (see
Majdi). This corresponds more closely with the Egyptian Arabic pronunciation of the name.
Mahli m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
מַחְלִי (Maḥli), derived from
חָלָה (ḥala) meaning
"weak, sick". This is the name of two characters mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.
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.
Majd m ArabicMeans
"glory, splendour" in Arabic, a derivative of
مجد (majada) meaning "to be glorious".
Majdi m ArabicMeans
"glorious, praiseworthy" in Arabic, from the root
مجد (majada) meaning "to be glorious".
Majid m Arabic, Persian, UrduMeans
"glorious, magnificent" in Arabic, from the root
مجد (majada) meaning "to be glorious". This transcription represents two related yet distinct Arabic names:
مجيد, in which the second vowel is long, and
ماجد, in which the first vowel is long.
Major m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from the given name
Mauger, a Norman French form of the Germanic name
Malger meaning
"council spear". The name can also be given in reference to the English word
major.
Malo m BretonMeans
"bright pledge", derived from Old Breton
mach "pledge, hostage" and
lou "bright, brilliant". This was the name of a 6th-century Welsh saint, supposedly a companion of Saint
Brendan on his trans-Atlantic journey. He later went to Brittany, where he founded the monastic settlement of Saint-Malo.
Malte m Danish, Swedish, GermanDanish short form of the Old German name
Helmold. This name was used by the Austrian author Rainer Maria Rilke for the title character in his novel
The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge (1910).
Mani 2 m PersianMeaning unknown, presumably of Persian origin. Mani was a 3rd-century prophet who founded the religion of Manichaeism (which is now extinct).
Manno m GermanicOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
man meaning
"person, man" (Proto-Germanic *
mannô).
Manu 1 m Hinduism, Hindi, KannadaMeans
"thinking, wise" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief this is a title of Swayambhuva, the progenitor of the human race, as well as several of his descendants.
Marc m French, Catalan, WelshFrench, Catalan and Welsh form of
Marcus (see
Mark). This name was borne by the Russian-French artist Marc Chagall (1887-1985).
Marco m Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, DutchItalian form of
Marcus (see
Mark). During the Middle Ages this name was common in Venice, where Saint Mark was supposedly buried. A famous bearer was the Venetian explorer Marco Polo, who travelled across Asia to China in the 13th century.
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] 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] Mario m Italian, Spanish, German, CroatianItalian and Spanish form of
Marius. Famous bearers include American racecar driver Mario Andretti (1940-) and Canadian hockey player Mario Lemieux (1965-). It is also borne by a Nintendo video game character, a moustached Italian plumber, who debuted as the playable hero of
Donkey Kong in 1981. Spelled
マリオ (Mario) in Japanese Katakana, he was reportedly named after Mario Segale (1934-2018), an American businessman who rented a warehouse to Nintendo.
Mark m English, Russian, Belarusian, Dutch, Danish, Armenian, BiblicalForm of Latin
Marcus used in several languages. Saint Mark was the author of the second gospel in the New Testament. Though the author's identity is not certain, some traditions hold him to be the same person as the John Mark who appears in the Book of Acts. He is the patron saint of Venice, where he is supposedly buried. Though in use during the Middle Ages,
Mark was not common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century, when it began to be used alongside the classical form
Marcus.
... [more] Mars m Roman MythologyPossibly related to Latin
mas meaning
"male" (genitive
maris). In Roman mythology Mars was the god of war, often equated with the Greek god
Ares. This is also the name of the fourth planet in the solar system.
Maruf m Arabic, BengaliMeans
"known, recognized, favour, kindness" in Arabic, a derivative of
عرف (ʿarafa) meaning "to know, to recognize".
Masao m JapaneseFrom Japanese
正 (masa) meaning "right, proper" or
政 (masa) meaning "government" combined with
雄 (o) meaning "hero, manly" or
夫 (o) meaning "man, husband". This name can be formed from other kanji combinations as well.
Mason m EnglishFrom an English surname (or vocabulary word) meaning
"stoneworker", derived from an Old French word of Frankish origin (akin to Old English
macian "to make"). In the United States this name began to increase in popularity in the 1980s, likely because of its fashionable sound. It jumped in popularity after 2009 when Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick gave it to their son, as featured on their reality show
Keeping Up with the Kardashians in 2010. It peaked as the second most popular name for boys in 2011.
Matěj m CzechCzech form of
Matthias, used to refer to the apostle chosen to replace Judas Iscariot.
Math m Welsh MythologyPossibly from the old Celtic root *
matus meaning
"bear". According to the Fourth Branch of the
Mabinogi, Math ap Mathonwy was a king of Gwynedd and a magician. Whenever he was not at war, it was required that he rest his feet in the lap of a virgin. He was the uncle of the hero
Gwydion, with whom he shared most of his adventures.
Matt m EnglishShort form of
Matthew. Famous bearers include American actors Matt Dillon (1964-) and Matt Damon (1970-).
Māui m & f Hawaiian, Polynesian MythologyMeaning unknown. In Hawaiian mythology Māui was a trickster who created the Hawaiian Islands by having his brothers fish them out of the sea. He was also responsible for binding the sun and slowing its movement.
Meade m & f English (Rare)From an English surname that indicated one who lived on a meadow (from Middle English
mede) or one who sold or made mead (an alcoholic drink made from fermented honey; from Old English
meodu).
Medad m Biblical, Biblical HebrewPossibly means
"that which is beloved" in Hebrew, a derivative of
יָדִיד (yaḏiḏ) meaning "beloved". In the Old Testament Medad is one of the elders (along with
Eldad) who prophesies in the camp of the Israelites after the flight from Egypt.
Mehr m & f Persian, Persian MythologyModern 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".
Meine m Frisian, DutchOriginally a Frisian short form of names beginning with the Old German element
megin meaning
"power, strength" (Proto-Germanic *
mageną).
Mekan m TurkmenMeans
"place, town, edge" in Turkmen, ultimately from Arabic
مكان (makān) meaning "place, position".
Mekhi m African AmericanMeaning unknown, possibly an invented name. This name was popularized by the American actor Mekhi Phifer (1974-).
Melle m DutchOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
mahal meaning
"meeting, assembly, court" (Proto-Germanic *
maþlą).
Menes m Ancient Egyptian (Hellenized)Greek form of Egyptian
mnj probably meaning
"he who endures", derived from
mn "to endure". According to tradition, Menes was the Egyptian pharaoh who first united Upper and Lower Egypt around the 31st century BC. He is probably the same as the pharaoh known as
Narmer; Menes could have been his throne name.
Merit 1 m & f English (Rare)Either a variant of
Merritt or else simply from the English word
merit, ultimately from Latin
meritus "deserving".
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] Merry 2 m LiteratureThe name of a hobbit in J. R. R. Tolkien's novel
The Lord of the Rings (1954). His full given name is
Meriadoc;
Merry is a semi-translation into English of his true hobbit-language name
Kali meaning
"jolly, merry" (in full
Kalimac).
Mert m TurkishMeans
"manly, brave" in Turkish, from Persian
مرد (mard) meaning "man".
Meyer m HebrewAlternate transcription of Hebrew
מֵאִיר (see
Meir). It also coincides with a German surname meaning "mayor, leader".
Micah m Biblical, EnglishContracted form of
Micaiah. Micah is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament. He authored the Book of Micah, which alternates between prophesies of doom and prophesies of restoration. This is also the name of a separate person in the Book of Judges, the keeper of an idol. It was occasionally used as an English given name by the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation, but it did not become common until the end of the 20th century.
Midas m Greek MythologyMeaning unknown. In Greek myth Midas was a king of Phrygia in Asia Minor. He was granted a wish by the god
Dionysos — that everything he touch be turned to gold.
Mihai m RomanianRomanian form of
Michael. Mihai the Brave was a prince of Wallachia who united Romania in the early 17th century.
Milan m Czech, Slovak, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian, Dutch (Modern), German (Modern), French (Modern)From the Slavic element
milŭ meaning
"gracious, dear", originally a short form of names that began with that element. It was originally used in Czech, Slovak, and the South Slavic languages, though it has recently become popular elsewhere in Europe.
... [more] Miles m EnglishFrom the Germanic name
Milo, introduced by the Normans to England in the form
Miles. The meaning is not known for certain. It is possibly connected to the Slavic name element
milŭ meaning
"gracious, dear". From an early date it was associated with Latin
miles meaning
"soldier".
... [more] Milko m BulgarianOriginally a diminutive of names containing the Slavic element
milŭ meaning
"gracious, dear".
Milo 1 m English, GermanicOld German form of
Miles, as well as the Latinized form. This form was revived as an English name in the 19th century. It is also possible that the otherwise unrelated classical name
Milo 2 was responsible for the revival, at least in part.
Miloš m Czech, Slovak, Serbian, Slovene, Croatian, MacedonianOriginally a diminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element
milŭ meaning
"gracious, dear". This was the name of a 14th-century Serbian hero who apparently killed the Ottoman sultan Murad I at the Battle of Kosovo.
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.
Minos m Greek MythologyPossibly from a Cretan word or title meaning
"king". This was the name of a king of Crete in Greek mythology. He was the son of
Zeus and
Europa. Because Minos had refused to sacrifice a certain bull to
Poseidon, the god had caused his wife Pasiphaë to mate with the bull, which produced the half-bull creature called the Minotaur. Minos had
Daedalus construct the Labyrinth to house the beast, but it was eventually slain by
Theseus.
Min-Su m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
民 (min) meaning "people, citizens" or
旼 (min) meaning "gentle, affable" combined with
秀 (su) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" or
洙 (su), which refers to a river in China. Other hanja combinations are possible.
Miraj m ArabicMeans
"ascension" in Arabic. According to Islamic tradition, this is the name of the Prophet
Muhammad's visit to the heavens to meet with earlier prophets.
Miras m KazakhMeans
"legacy, inheritance" in Kazakh, from Arabic
ميراث (mīrāth) via Turkish.
Miron 2 m HebrewFrom the name of the highest mountain in Israel, Mount Meron. It is also the name of a village on its slopes, thought to be on the same site as the ancient Canaanite city of Merom.
Misao m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
操 (misao) meaning "chastity, honour". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji.
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.
Moab m BiblicalMeans
"of his father" in Hebrew, a derivative of
אָב (ʾav) meaning "father". In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of
Lot. He was the ancestor of the Moabites, a people who lived in the region called Moab to the east of Israel.
Modu m HistoryPossibly a Middle Chinese form of the old Turkic honorific
bagatur meaning
"hero, warrior". Modu Chanyu was a 3rd-century BC ruler of the Xiongnu, a people from Mongolia.
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).
Monte m English, ArmenianEither a diminutive of
Montgomery or from the Spanish or Italian vocabulary word meaning "mountain". Its use as an Armenian name is inspired by the Armenian-American revolutionary Monte Melkonian (1957-1993).
Montu m Egyptian MythologyFrom Egyptian
mnṯw meaning
"nomad". In Egyptian mythology he was the god of war, depicted as a man with the head of a falcon or a bull.
Moon 2 f & m English (Rare)From the English word for Earth's natural satellite, ultimately from Old English
mona.
Moray m ScottishFrom the name of the area of Moray in Scotland or the surname derived from it (see
Moray).
Mpho m & f Tswana, SothoMeans
"gift" in Tswana and Sotho, a derivative of
fa "to offer".
Mubin m ArabicMeans
"clear, distinct" in Arabic, a derivative of
بان (bāna) meaning "to be plain, to be evident".
Muir m ScottishFrom a Scottish surname, derived from Scots
muir meaning
"moor, fen". This name could also be inspired by Scottish Gaelic
muir meaning
"sea".
Mumin m ArabicMeans
"believer" in Arabic, ultimately related to
أمن (ʾamuna) meaning "to be faithful".
Mungo m ScottishMeaning uncertain, possibly from a Brythonic phrase meaning
"my dear". This was a nickname of the 6th-century Saint
Kentigern.