Masaharu m JapaneseFrom Japanese
正 (masa) meaning "right, proper" or
雅 (masa) meaning "elegant, graceful" combined with
治 (haru) meaning "govern, administer" or
春 (haru) meaning "spring (the season)". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.
Masaru m JapaneseFrom Japanese
勝 (masaru) meaning "victory" or
優 (masaru) meaning "excellence". Other kanji or kanji combinations can also form this name.
Mathurin m FrenchFrench form of the Latin name
Maturinus, a derivative of
maturus meaning
"mature, ripe". This name was borne by a 3rd-century Gallo-Roman saint.
Maurice m French, EnglishFrom the Roman name
Mauritius, a derivative of
Maurus. Saint Maurice was a 3rd-century Roman soldier from Egypt. He and the other Christians in his legion were supposedly massacred on the orders of Emperor Maximian for refusing to worship Roman gods. Thus, he is the patron saint of infantry soldiers.
... [more] Maurus m Late RomanLatin name meaning
"North African, Moorish", of Greek origin. This was the name of numerous early saints, most notably a follower of Saint Benedict.
Maverick m EnglishDerived from the English word
maverick meaning
"independent". The word itself is derived from the surname of a 19th-century Texas rancher who did not brand his calves.
Mayrbek m ChechenDerived from Nakh
майра (mayra) meaning "husband, brave man" combined with the Turkic military title
beg meaning "chieftain, master".
Meginhard m GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
megin "power, strength" and
hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". This was the name of a 12th-century saint, a bishop of Livonia.
Melqart m Semitic MythologyMeans
"king of the city", from Phoenician
𐤌𐤋𐤊 (milk) meaning "king" and
𐤒𐤓𐤕 (qart) meaning "city". This was the name of a Phoenician god worshipped especially in the city of Tyre.
Menander m Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Μένανδρος (Menandros), derived from either
μένω (meno) meaning "to stay, to last" or
μένος (menos) meaning "mind, strength, force" combined with
ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive
ἀνδρός). This was the name of a 4th-century BC Greek dramatist. It was also borne by a 2nd-century BC Indo-Greek king who expanded the realm to its greatest extent.
Millard m EnglishFrom an occupational English surname meaning
"guardian of the mill" in Old English.
Moacir m TupiFrom Tupi
moasy meaning
"pain, regret". This is the name of the son of
Iracema and Martim in the novel
Iracema (1865) by José de Alencar.
Mohammad-Reza m PersianCombination of
Mohammad and
Reza. Though usually transcribed into Latin characters with a dash or a space, it is not written with a space in Persian.
Muammar m ArabicMeans
"given long life" in Arabic, from the root
عمر (ʿamara) meaning "to live long, to thrive". A famous bearer was the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi (1942-2011).
Muharrem m Turkish, AlbanianFrom the name of the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is derived from Arabic
محرّم (muḥarram) meaning
"forbidden", a derivative of
حرم (ḥaruma) meaning "to be forbidden", so named because fighting is forbidden during this time.
Munyaradzi m ShonaMeans
"comforter, consoler" in Shona, from
nyaradza "to make quiet, to console".
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.
Nagendra m Hinduism, Kannada, TeluguMeans
"lord of snakes" from Sanskrit
नाग (nāga) 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.
Nairi m ArmenianPoetic name for Armenia, derived from the Assyrian name for the region,
𒆳𒆳𒈾𒄿𒊑 (Nairi).
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.
Napier m English (Rare)From an English and Scots surname meaning
"linen keeper" in Middle English, from Old French
nappe "table cloth".
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.
Narasimha m Hinduism, TeluguMeans
"man-lion", derived from Sanskrit
नर (nara) meaning "man" combined with
सिंह (siṃha) meaning "lion". This is the name of a lion-headed avatar of the god
Vishnu who kills the evil king Hiranyakashipu.
Narayana m Hinduism, Kannada, Telugu, TamilPossibly from Sanskrit
नर (nara) meaning "man" and
अयन (ayana) meaning "path". In Hindu creation legends this is the name of an eternal god who created the universe. He is considered an incarnation of
Vishnu (or sometimes
Brahma). According to the
Mahabharata and the
Bhagavata Purana Narayana and his brother Nara were sages.
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).
Narmer m Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
nꜥr-mr meaning
"fierce catfish", derived from
nꜥr "catfish" and
mr "fierce, painful". Narmer was an Egyptian ruler who is considered the first pharaoh, uniting Upper and Lower Egypt around the 31st century BC. He is probably the same person as
Menes, with Narmer being his Horus name.
Narses m Middle Persian (Hellenized)Hellenized form of the Middle Persian name
𐭭𐭥𐭮𐭧𐭩 (Narseh), which was derived from Avestan
Nairyosangha. This name was borne by a 3rd-century ruler of the Persian Sasanian Empire. It was also borne by a Byzantine general of Armenian and Parthian 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.
Nasir m Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Bengali, MalayMeans
"helper" in Arabic, from the root
نصر (naṣara) meaning "to help, to aid". This transcription represents two related yet distinct Arabic names:
ناصر, in which the first vowel is long, and
نصير, in which the second vowel is long.
Nasr m ArabicMeans
"triumph, victory" in Arabic, from the root
نصر (naṣara) meaning "to help, to aid".
Nazaret f & m Spanish, ArmenianFrom Nazareth, the town in Galilee where
Jesus lived. This name is primarily feminine in Spanish and primarily 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 (Nevuḵaḏnetstsar), 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.
Neferkare m Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
nfr-kꜣ-rꜥ meaning
"the soul of Ra is beautiful", from
nfr "beautiful, good" combined with
kꜣ "soul" combined with the name of the god
Ra. This name was borne by several Egyptian pharaohs.
Neymar m Portuguese (Brazilian, Rare)Meaning unknown. A famous bearer is the Brazilian soccer player Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (1992-), who is usually known by just his first name. He was named after his father.
Nikandros m Ancient GreekMeans
"victory of a man" from the Greek elements
νίκη (nike) meaning "victory" and
ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive
ἀνδρός). This was the name of a 2nd-century BC Greek poet and grammarian from Colophon.
Norbaer m LimburgishLimburgish form of
Norbert. Its spelling has been influenced by the French pronunciation of Norbert.
Oddvar m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Oddvarr, derived from the elements
oddr "point of a sword" and
varr "aware, cautious".
Odoacer m Gothic (Latinized)From the Gothic name *
Audawakrs meaning
"wealthy and vigilant", derived from the elements
auds "wealth" and
wakrs "vigilant". Odoacer, sometimes called Odovacar, was a 5th-century Gothic leader who overthrew the last Western Roman emperor and became the first barbarian king of Italy.
Okafor m IgboMeans
"boy (born on) Afor" in Igbo,
Afor being one of the four days of the Igbo week.
Olegario m SpanishFrom
Olegarius, the Latinized form of a Germanic name, possibly
Aldegar or a metathesized form of
Odalgar. This was the name of a 12th-century saint, a bishop of Barcelona.
Omar 1 m Arabic, Bosnian, Kazakh, Malay, English, Spanish, ItalianAlternate transcription of Arabic
عمر (see
Umar). This is the usual English spelling of the name of the 12th-century poet Umar Khayyam. In his honour it has sometimes been used in the English-speaking world, notably for the American general Omar Bradley (1893-1981).
Oscar m English, Irish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, French, Irish MythologyPossibly means
"deer friend", derived from Old Irish
oss "deer" and
carae "friend". Alternatively, it may derive from the Old English name
Osgar or its Old Norse cognate
Ásgeirr, which may have been brought to Ireland by Viking invaders and settlers. In Irish legend Oscar was the son of the poet
Oisín and the grandson of the hero
Fionn mac Cumhaill.
... [more] Oskar m German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Finnish, Polish, Czech, Slovene, BasqueForm of
Oscar in several languages. A famous bearer was Oskar Schindler (1908-1974), who is credited for saved over 1,000 Polish Jews during World War II.
Otar m GeorgianDerived from Turkic
otar meaning
"pasture, meadow".
Otmar m German, Czech, GermanicFrom the Germanic name
Audamar, which was derived from Old Frankish
aud or Old High German
ot meaning "wealth, fortune" combined with
mari meaning "famous". This was the name of an 8th-century Swiss saint, an abbot of Saint Gall.
Palmer m & f EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"pilgrim". It is ultimately from Latin
palma "palm tree", since pilgrims to the Holy Land often brought back palm fronds as proof of their journey.
Palmiro m ItalianMeans
"pilgrim" in Italian. In medieval times it denoted one who had been a pilgrim to Palestine. It is ultimately from the word
palma meaning "palm tree", because of the custom of pilgrims to bring palm fronds home with them. The name is sometimes given to a child born on Palm Sunday.
Pancras m English (Archaic)Medieval English form of
Pancratius. The relics of the 4th-century saint Pancratius were sent to England by Pope Gregory the Great, leading to the saint's veneration there.
Pancratius m Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Παγκράτιος (Pankratios), derived from the Greek word
παγκρατής (pankrates) meaning
"all-powerful", from the roots
πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" and
κράτος (kratos) meaning "power". Early Byzantine Christians used this as a title of Christ. It was borne by two saints, a 1st-century Sicilian martyr and a semi-legendary 4th-century Roman martyr.
Pantheras m Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
πάνθηρ (panther) meaning
"panther", a word ultimately of Sanskrit origin, though folk etymology connects it to Greek
πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" and
θηράω (therao) meaning "to hunt". According to some legends a Roman soldier named Panthera was the father of
Jesus.
Parashara m HinduismMeans
"destroyer" in Sanskrit, from
पराशॄ (parāśṝ) meaning "to destroy, to kill". In Hindu belief this is the name of a sage who is credited with the authorship of a few hymns in the
Rigveda, as well as other works. According to the
Mahabharata he was the father of
Vyasa by the fisherwoman
Satyavati.
Paris 1 m Greek MythologyMeaning unknown, possibly of Luwian or Hittite origin. In Greek mythology he was the Trojan prince who kidnapped
Helen and began the Trojan War. Though presented as a somewhat of a coward in the
Iliad, he did manage to slay the great hero
Achilles. He was himself eventually slain in battle by Philoctetes.
Parker m & f EnglishFrom an English occupational surname that meant
"keeper of the park".
Parris m & f English (Rare)From an English surname that originally denoted a person who came from the French city of Paris (see
Paris 2).
Partholón m Irish MythologyProbably from the Biblical Latin name
Bartholomeus (see
Bartholomew). According to the 11th-century Irish history the
Book of Invasions, he was the leader of the first group of settlers to arrive on Ireland after the biblical flood, though they soon all died of disease. Earlier, he briefly appears in the form
Partholomus in the 9th-century
History of the Britons, written in Latin.
Parvin f & m Persian, Urdu, HindiMeans
"the Pleiades" in Persian. The Pleiades are a group of stars in the constellation Taurus. This name is typically feminine in Iran, but unisex in India.
Patrick m Irish, English, French, German, Danish, Norwegian, SwedishFrom the Latin name
Patricius, which meant
"nobleman". This name was adopted in the 5th-century by Saint Patrick, whose birth name was Sucat. He was a Romanized Briton who was captured and enslaved in his youth by Irish raiders. After six years of servitude he escaped home, but he eventually became a bishop and went back to Ireland as a missionary. He is traditionally credited with Christianizing the island, and is regarded as Ireland's patron saint. He is called
Pádraig in Irish.
... [more] Patrocinio f & m SpanishMeans
"patronage, sponsorship" in Spanish, taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
La Virgen del Patrocinio, meaning "The Virgin of Patronage".
Përparim m AlbanianDerived from Albanian
përparim meaning
"progress, advancement".
Petrarch m HistoryAnglicized form of the surname of Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374), an Italian Renaissance poet and scholar. His surname was a patronym, originally
Petracco, from a diminutive of the name of his father
Pietro.
Phaedrus m Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Φαῖδρος (Phaidros), which meant
"bright". This was the name of a 5th-century BC Greek philosopher, and also of a 1st-century Roman fabulist who was originally a slave from Thrace.
Pharamond m HistoryVariant of
Faramund. This form was used by Shakespeare in his historical play
Henry V (1599), referring to the Frankish king.
Pitambara m HinduismDerived from Sanskrit
पीत (pīta) meaning "yellow" and
अम्बर (ambara) meaning "garment". This is another name of the Hindu gods
Vishnu or
Krishna, given to them because yellow clothing is traditionally worn at religious events.
Pomare m & f TahitianMeans
"night cough", from Tahitian
pō "night" and
mare "cough". This name was borne by four kings and a queen of Tahiti. The first king adopted the name after his child died of a cough in the night.
Prabhakara m SanskritMeans
"light maker", derived from Sanskrit
प्रभा (prabhā) meaning "light" and
कर (kara) meaning "maker". In Hindu scripture this term is used to refer to the sun and the moon. A notable bearer of this name was a 6th-century scholar from Kerala.
Pythagoras m Ancient GreekDerived from
Pythios, a name of
Apollo, combined with Greek
ἀγορά (agora) meaning "assembly, marketplace". This was the name of a 6th-century BC Greek philosopher and mathematician from Samos. He was the founder of a school of philosophy whose members believed that numbers described the universe.
Qadir m Arabic, UrduMeans
"capable, powerful, mighty" in Arabic, from the root
قدر (qadara) meaning "to have power, to be able". This transcription represents two related yet distinct Arabic names:
قادر, in which the first vowel is long, and
قدير, in which the second vowel is long. In Islamic tradition
القادر (al-Qādir) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Quaoar m New World MythologyEnglish rendering of a Takic name (alternatively
Kwawar or
Kwauwar), of unknown meaning. In the mythology of the Mission Indians of southern California, Quaoar was a creator god also known as Chinigchinix. A dwarf planet in the outer solar system was named for him in 2002.
Raeburn m English (Rare)From a Scottish surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"stream where deer drink" (from Scots
rae "roe deer" and
burn "stream"). A famous bearer of the surname was Scottish portrait painter Henry Raeburn (1756-1823).
Rafferty m EnglishFrom an Irish surname, itself derived from the given name
Rabhartach meaning "flood tide".
Raginbert m GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
regin "advice, counsel, decision" and
beraht "bright". This was the name of an 8th-century Lombard king.
Ragnarr m Old NorseFrom the Old Norse elements
regin "advice, counsel" and
herr "army, warrior". It is a cognate of
Rayner. This name was borne by the legendary Viking hero Ragnar Lodbrok.
Raharjo m JavaneseFrom Javanese
raharja meaning
"prosperous, plentiful, abundant".
Rajaram m Hindi, MarathiMeans
"king Rama", from Sanskrit
राज (rāja) meaning "king" combined with the name
Rama 1. This name was borne by a 17th-century ruler of the Maratha Empire.
Rajendra m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Telugu, NepaliMeans
"lord of kings", derived from Sanskrit
राज (rāja) meaning "king" combined with the name of the Hindu god
Indra, used here to mean "lord". This was the name of two 11th-century rulers of the Chola Empire in southern India.
Ramakrishna m Telugu, KannadaCombination of the names of the Hindu deities
Rama 1 and
Krishna. This name was borne by the Hindu religious teacher Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (1836-1886).
Rambert m GermanicVariant of
Hrambert or
Raginbert. These names have become confused with one another and merged together. Saint Rambert, also called Ragnebert, was martyred near Lyon in the 7th century.
Rameshvara m HinduismMeans
"lord Rama", derived from the name of the Hindu deity
Rama 1 combined with Sanskrit
ईश्वर (īśvara) meaning "lord, god". This is the name of an island (also called
Rameswaram) between India and Sri Lanka, identified as the place where Rama prayed to
Shiva when he returned from Lanka. It is now an important pilgrimage site.
Ramiro m Spanish, PortugueseSpanish and Portuguese form of
Ramirus, earlier
Ranimirus, a Latinized form of a Visigothic name derived from the Gothic element
rana "wedge" or perhaps
ragin "law, decree, assessment, responsibility" combined with
mers "famous". Saint Ramirus was a 6th-century prior of the Saint Claudius Monastery in León. He and several others were executed by the Arian Visigoths, who opposed orthodox Christianity. This name was subsequently borne by kings of León, Asturias and Aragon.
Ramprasad m Bengali, Hindi, MarathiMeans
"clearness of Rama" from the name of the Hindu deity
Rama 1 combined with Sanskrit
प्रसाद (prasāda) meaning "clearness, brightness". This name was borne by the Bengali poet Ramprasad Sen (c. 1723-1781).
Rareș m RomanianMeaning uncertain, possibly from Romanian
rar meaning
"sparse, rare". This name was borne by Petru Rareș, a 16th-century ruler of Moldavia, whose second name was adopted from a nickname of his mother's husband.