MAXIMILIAN m German, English, Swedish, Norwegian, DanishFrom the Roman name
Maximilianus, which was derived from
MAXIMUS. It was borne by a 3rd-century saint and martyr. In the 15th century the Holy Roman emperor Frederick III gave this name to his son and eventual heir. In this case it was a blend of the names of the Roman generals Fabius Maximus and Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus (see
EMILIANO), who Frederick admired. It was subsequently borne by a second Holy Roman emperor, two kings of Bavaria, and a short-lived Habsburg emperor of Mexico.
MAXIMÓN m MythologyThe name of a trickster folk deity, also called San Simón, worshipped by the Maya people in parts of Guatemala. He is a syncretic figure thought to have arisen during the Spanish conquest, and is typically represented by a man-sized, cigar-smoking, alcohol-drinking wooden effigy. The meaning of the name is uncertain. It could be a blend of
Mam, a title of some of the Maya gods meaning "grandfather", and
SIMÓN, referring to Saint
Peter. Alternatively it might be related to Mayan
max "tobacco".
MAXIMUS m Ancient RomanRoman family name that was derived from Latin
maximus "greatest". Saint Maximus was a monk and theologian from Constantinople in the 7th century.
MAXINE f EnglishFeminine form of
MAX. It has been commonly used only since the beginning of the 20th century.
MAXWELL m EnglishFrom a Scottish surname meaning
"Mack's stream", from the name
Mack, a short form of the Scandinavian name
MAGNUS, combined with Old English
wella "stream". A famous bearer of the surname was James Maxwell (1831-1879), a Scottish physicist who studied gases and electromagnetism.
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 (1) f Hinduism, Indian, Hindi, MarathiMeans
"illusion" in Sanskrit. In Buddhist tradition this is the name of the mother of Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha). This is also another name of the Hindu goddess
Durga.
MAYA (2) f EnglishVariant of
MAIA (1). This name can also be given in reference to the Maya peoples, a Native American culture who built a great civilization in southern Mexico and Latin America.
MAYLIS f FrenchFrom the name of a town in southern France, possibly derived from Occitan
mair "mother" and French
lys "lily". It is also sometimes considered a combination of
MARIE and
lys.
MAYRBEK m ChechenDerived from Nakh
майра (mayra) meaning "husband, brave man" combined with the Turkish military title
beg meaning "chieftain, master".
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" and
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". This name can also be constructed from other kanji combinations.
MCKINLEY f & m EnglishFrom a surname, the Gaelic form of which is
Mac Fhionnlaigh meaning
"son of FIONNLAGH". A famous bearer was the assassinated American president William McKinley (1843-1901).
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 BiblicalMeans
"love" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Medad is one of the elders who prophesizes in the camp of the Israelites after the flight from Egypt.
MEDEA f Greek Mythology (Latinized), GeorgianFrom Greek
Μήδεια (Medeia), possibly derived from
μήδομαι (medomai) meaning
"to think, to plan". In Greek mythology Medea was a sorceress from Colchis (modern Georgia) who helped
Jason gain the Golden Fleece. They were married, but eventually Jason left her for another woman. For revenge Medea slew Jason's new lover and also had her own children by Jason killed.
MEDORA f LiteratureCreated by Lord Byron for a character in his poem
The Corsair (1814). It is not known what inspired Byron to use this name. The year the poem was published, it was used as the middle name of Elizabeth Medora Leigh (1814-1849), a niece and rumoured daughter of Byron.
MEDUSA f Greek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek
Μέδουσα (Medousa), which was derived from
μέδω (medo) meaning
"to protect, to rule over". In Greek myth this was the name of one of the three Gorgons, ugly women who had snakes for hair. She was so hideous that anyone who gazed upon her was turned to stone, so the hero
Perseus had to look using the reflection in his shield in order to slay her.
MEGA f & m IndonesianMeans
"cloud" in Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit
मेघ (megha).
MEGAERA f Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Μέγαιρα (Megaira), which was derived from
μεγαίρω (megairo) meaning
"to grudge". This was the name of one of the Furies or
Ἐρινύες (Erinyes) in Greek mythology. The name is used as a word in several European languages to denote a shrewish, ill-tempered woman (for example, French
mégère and Italian
megera).
MEGAN f Welsh, EnglishWelsh diminutive of
MARGARET. In the English-speaking world outside of Wales it has only been regularly used since the middle of the 20th century.
MEGUMI f JapaneseFrom Japanese
恵 (megumi) meaning "favour, benefit" or
愛 (megumi) meaning "love, affection", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that have the same reading. It is often written using the hiragana writing system.
MEHETABEL f BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
מְהֵיטַבְאֵל (Meheitav'el) meaning
"God makes happy". This name is mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.
MEHMED m Ottoman Turkish, BosnianOlder form of
MEHMET, as well as the Bosnian form. This was the name of six sultans of the Ottoman Empire, including Mehmed II the conqueror of Constantinople.
MEHR m & f Persian, Persian MythologyModern Persian form of
MITHRA. As a Persian vocabulary word it means
"friendship" and
"sun". It is also the name of the seventh month of the Persian calendar. All these derive from the same source: the Indo-Iranian root *
mitra meaning "oath, covenant, agreement".
MEHRAB m Persian, LiteratureFrom
مهر (Mehr), the Persian word for
MITHRA, combined with Persian
آب (ab) meaning "water". This is the name of the king of Kabul in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh.
MEHRNAZ f PersianFrom Persian
مهر (mehr) meaning "friendship" or "sun" and
ناز (naz) meaning "delight, comfort". This is the name of a character in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh.
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.
MEI (2) f JapaneseFrom Japanese
芽 (me) meaning "bud, sprout" combined with
依 (i) meaning "rely on",
生 (i) meaning "life" or
衣 (i) meaning "clothing, garment". Other kanji combinations are possible.
MEINRAD m German, Ancient GermanicDerived from the Germanic elements
magan "mighty, strong" and
rad "counsel". Saint Meinrad was a 9th-century hermit who founded the Benedictine abbey at Einsiedeln in Switzerland.
MEINWEN f WelshMeans
"slender and white" from Welsh
main "slender" and
gwen "white, fair, blessed".
MEJA f Swedish (Modern)Possibly from a Low German diminutive of names beginning with the Germanic element
magan meaning
"strength". It was popularized by the Swedish singer Meja (1969-), born Anna Pernilla Torndahl.
MELANIE f English, German, DutchFrom
Mélanie, the French form of the Latin name
Melania, derived from Greek
μέλαινα (melaina) meaning
"black, dark". This was the name of a Roman saint who gave all her wealth to charity in the 5th century. Her grandmother was also a saint with the same name.
... [more] MELBA f EnglishFrom the surname of the Australian opera singer Nellie Melba (1861-1931). This was a stage name that she got from the name of the city Melbourne, where she was born.
MELCHIOR m Dutch, Judeo-Christian LegendPossibly from the Hebrew roots
מֶלֶכְ (melekh) meaning "king" and
אוֹר ('or) meaning "light". This was a name traditionally assigned to one of the wise men (also known as the Magi, or three kings) who were said to have visited the newborn
Jesus. According to medieval tradition he was a king of Persia.
MELE f HawaiianMeans
"song" in Hawaiian. This name is also used as a Hawaiian and Samoan form of
MARY.
MELETE f Greek MythologyMeans
"practice, exercise" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was one of the original three muses, the muse of meditation.
MELIA f Greek MythologyMeans
"ash tree" in Greek, a derivative of
μέλι (meli) meaning "honey". This was the name of a nymph in Greek myth, the daughter of the Greek god Okeanos.
MELINA f English, GreekElaboration of
Mel, either from names such as
MELISSA or from Greek
μέλι (meli) meaning "honey". A famous bearer was Greek-American actress Melina Mercouri (1920-1994), who was born Maria Amalia Mercouris.
MELINDA f English, HungarianCombination of
Mel (from names such as
MELANIE or
MELISSA) with the popular name suffix
inda. It was created in the 18th century, and may have been inspired by the similar name
Belinda. In Hungary, the name was popularized by the 1819 play
Bánk Bán by József Katona.
MÉLISANDE f FrenchFrench form of
MILLICENT used by Maurice Maeterlinck in his play
Pelléas et Mélisande (1893). The play was later adapted by Claude Debussy into an opera (1902).
MELISSA f English, Dutch, Ancient Greek, Greek MythologyMeans
"bee" in Greek. In Greek mythology this was the name of a daughter of Procles, as well as an epithet of various Greek nymphs and priestesses. According to the early Christian writer Lactantius this was the name of the sister of the nymph
Amalthea, with whom she cared for the young
Zeus. Later it appears in Ludovico Ariosto's 1516 poem
Orlando Furioso belonging to the fairy who helps
Ruggiero escape from the witch Alcina. As an English given name,
Melissa has been used since the 18th century.
MELITA f VariousIn the case of Queen Victoria's granddaughter Princess Victoria Melita (1876-1936) it was derived from
Melita, the Latin name of the island country of Malta, where she was born.
MELLE m DutchOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
mathal meaning
"meeting".
MELODY f EnglishFrom the English word
melody, which is derived (via Old French and Late Latin) from Greek
μέλος (melos) meaning "song" combined with
ἀείδω (aeido) meaning "to sing".
MELPOMENE f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
μέλπω (melpo) meaning
"to sing, to celebrate with song". This was the name of one of the nine Muses in Greek mythology, the muse of tragedy.
MELQART m Semitic MythologyMeans
"king of the city", from Phoenician
mlk "king" and
qrt "city". This was the name of a Phoenician god worshipped especially in the city of Tyre.
MELUSINE f MythologyMeaning unknown. In European folklore Melusine was a water fairy who turned into a serpent from the waist down every Saturday. She made her husband, Raymond of Poitou, promise that he would never see her on that day, and when he broke his word she left him forever.
MELVILLE m EnglishFrom a Scottish surname that was originally from a Norman French place name meaning
"bad town". A famous bearer of the surname was the American author Herman Melville (1819-1891), who wrote several novels including
Moby-Dick.
MEMPHIS m English (Modern)From the name of an important city of ancient Egypt, or the city in Tennessee that was named after it. It is derived from a Greek form of Egyptian
Mn-nfr meaning "enduring beauty".
MENAHEM m Biblical, HebrewFrom the Hebrew name
מְנַחֵם (Menachem) meaning
"comforter". This was the name of a king of Israel, appearing in the Old Testament. His reign was noted for its brutality.
MENELAUS m Greek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek name
Μενέλαος (Menelaos), derived either from
μένω (meno) meaning "to stay, to wait" or
μένος (menos) meaning "mind, strength, force" combined with
λαός (laos) meaning "the people". In Greek legend he was a king of Sparta and the husband of
Helen. When his wife was taken by
Paris, the Greeks besieged the city of Troy in an effort to get her back. After the war Menelaus and Helen settled down to a happy life.
MENES m Ancient EgyptianMeaning unknown. Menes was an Egyptian king who united Upper and Lower Egypt around 3000 BC. He is also known as Narmer; Menes was probably his funeral name.
MENODORA f Ancient GreekMeans
"gift of the moon", derived from Greek
μήνη (mene) meaning "moon" and
δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". This was the name of a 4th-century saint who was martyred with her sisters Metrodora and Nymphodora.
MENTOR m Greek MythologyPossibly related to Greek
μένος (menos) meaning
"mind, strength, force". In Greek legend Mentor was the son of Alkimos. When
Odysseus left to fight in the Trojan War he entrusted Mentor with the care of his palace and the guardianship of his son Telemachos. When the goddess
Athena visited Telemachos she took the guise of Mentor.
MERAB (1) f BiblicalMeans
"abundant" in Hebrew. This is the name of a daughter of Saul in the Old Testament.
MERARI m BiblicalMeans
"bitter" in Hebrew. This is the name of the youngest son of
Levi in the Old Testament.
MERAUD f CornishMeaning unknown, perhaps based on Cornish
mor "sea".
MERCEDES f SpanishMeans
"mercies" (that is, the plural of mercy), from the Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary,
María de las Mercedes, meaning "Mary of Mercies". It is ultimately from the Latin word
merces meaning "wages, reward", which in Vulgar Latin acquired the meaning "favour, pity".
MERCIA f English (Rare)Latinate form of
MERCY. This was also the name of an old Anglo-Saxon kingdom, though it has a different origin.
MERCURY m Roman Mythology (Anglicized)From the Latin
Mercurius, probably derived from Latin
mercari "to trade" or
merces "wages". This was the name of the Roman god of trade, merchants, and travellers, later equated with the Greek god
Hermes. This is also the name of the first planet in the solar system and a metallic chemical element, both named for the god.
MERCY f EnglishFrom the English word
mercy, ultimately from Latin
merces "wages, reward", a derivative of
merx "goods, wares". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century.
MEREDITH m & f Welsh, EnglishFrom the Welsh name
Maredudd or
Meredydd, possibly meaning
"great lord" or
"sea lord". Since the mid-1920s it has been used more often for girls than for boys in English-speaking countries, though it is still a masculine name in Wales. A famous bearer of this name as surname was the English novelist and poet George Meredith (1828-1909).
MERIDA f Popular CultureThe name of the main character in the Disney/Pixar movie
Brave (2012) about a medieval Scottish princess. The meaning of her name is unexplained, though it could be based on the Spanish city of Mérida, derived from Latin
Emerita Augusta meaning "veterans of
AUGUSTUS", so named because it was founded by the emperor Augustus as a colony for his veterans.
MERITXELL f CatalanFrom the name of a village in Andorra where there is a sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin
Mary. The name of the village may derive from Latin
meridies meaning "midday".
MERIWETHER m English (Rare)From a surname meaning
"happy weather" in Middle English, originally belonging to a cheery person. A notable bearer of the name was Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809), who, with William Clark, explored the west of North America.
MERJA f FinnishPossibly from the name of an ancient Finnish tribe.
MERLE f & m EnglishVariant of
MERRILL or
MURIEL. The spelling has been influenced by the word
merle meaning "blackbird" (via French, from Latin
merula).
MERLIN m Arthurian Romance, EnglishForm of the Welsh name
Myrddin (meaning
"sea fortress") used by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his 12th-century Arthurian tales. Writing in Latin, he likely chose the form
Merlinus over
Merdinus in order to prevent associations with French
merde "excrement".
... [more] MERLYN m & f EnglishVariant of
MERLIN, sometimes used as a feminine form. It has perhaps been influenced by the Welsh word
merlyn meaning "pony".
MEROPE f Greek MythologyFrom Greek
μέρος (meros) meaning "share, part" and
ὄψ (ops) meaning "face, eye". This was the name of several characters in Greek mythology, including the seventh of the Pleiades and the foster mother of
Oedipus.
MERRILL m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived either from the given name
MURIEL or from place names meaning "pleasant hill".
MERRITT m EnglishFrom an English surname, originally from a place name, which meant
"boundary gate" in Old English.
MERRY (1) f EnglishFrom the English word
merry, ultimately from Old English
myrige. This name appears in Charles Dickens' novel
Martin Chuzzlewit (1844), where it is a diminutive of
MERCY.
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 was
Meriadoc, a semi-translation into English of his true hobbit name
Kalimac meaning
"jolly, merry".
MERRYN f CornishMeaning unknown. This was the name of an early Cornish (male) saint.
MERT m TurkishMeans
"manly, brave" in Turkish, from Persian
مرد (mard) meaning "man".
MERTON m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"town on a lake" in Old English.
MERVI f FinnishFrom the name of a Finnish village (now a part of the municipality of Hattula).
MERVYN m Welsh, EnglishFrom the Welsh name
Merfyn, which possibly meant
"marrow famous". This was the name of a 9th-century Welsh king, Merfyn Frych.
MERYL f EnglishVariant of
MURIEL, influenced by the spelling of the name
CHERYL. A famous bearer is American actress Meryl Streep (1949-), whose real name is Mary Louise Streep.
MESHACH m BiblicalPossibly means
"who is what Aku is?" in Akkadian,
Aku being the name of the Babylonian god of the moon. In the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament this is the Babylonian name of Mishael, one of the three men cast into a blazing furnace but saved from harm by God.
MESSIAH m Theology, English (Modern)From the English word meaning
"saviour", ultimately from Hebrew
מָשִׁיחַ (mashiyach) meaning "anointed". The word appears in the Old Testament referring to a future king of the Jewish people. In the New Testament it is translated as
Christ and is used as a title of
Jesus.
METEHAN m TurkishCombination of
METE and Turkish
han meaning "khan, ruler, leader", referring to the 3rd-century BC Xiongnu ruler Modu Chanyu.
METHODIUS m Late Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Μεθόδιος (Methodios), derived from Greek
μέθοδος (methodos) meaning
"pursuit" or
"method", ultimately from
μετά (meta) meaning "with" and
ὁδός (hodos) meaning "road". Saint Methodius was a Greek missionary to the Slavs who developed the Cyrillic alphabet (with his brother Cyril) in order to translate the Bible into Slavic.
METHUSELAH m BiblicalMeans
"man of the dart" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he is the father of
Lamech and the grandfather of
Noah. He lived to age 969, making him the longest-lived person in the Bible.
METIS f Greek MythologyMeans
"wisdom, skill, cunning" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was a Titan. Because it was prophesized that her children would be wiser than
Zeus, he swallowed her after he had impregnated her. However, their daughter
Athena eventually burst from his head fully grown.