MIDORI f JapaneseFrom Japanese
緑 (midori) meaning "green", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that have the same pronunciation.
MIELIKKI f Finnish MythologyDerived from Finnish
mieli "mind, mood". This was the name of a Finnish goddess of forests and hunting. By some accounts she is the wife of the god Tapio.
MIERVALDIS m LatvianLatvian name derived from the Baltic elements
mier "peace" and
vald "rule".
MIESZKO m PolishDiminutive of
MIECZYSŁAW. This was the name of two rulers of Poland, including Mieszko I who converted the country to Christianity.
MIGNON f LiteratureMeans "cute, darling" in French. This is the name of a character in Ambroise Thomas's opera 'Mignon' (1866), which was based on a novel by Goethe.
MIGUEL m Spanish, PortugueseSpanish and Portuguese form of
MICHAEL. A notable bearer of this name was Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547-1616), the Spanish novelist and poet who wrote 'Don Quixote'.
MI-GYEONG f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with
京 (gyeong) meaning "capitol city" or
景 (gyeong) meaning "scenery, view". Other hanja combinations are possible.
MIHAI m RomanianRomanian form of
MICHAEL. Mihai the Brave was a prince of Wallachia who united Romania in the early 17th century.
MIHANGEL m WelshWelsh name of the archangel Michael, formed from a contraction of
MICHAEL and "angel".
MIHO (2) f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and
穂 (ho) meaning "grain". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
MIKA (2) f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with
香 (ka) meaning "fragrance" or
加 (ka) meaning "increase". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
MIKHAIL m Russian, Belarusian, BulgarianRussian and Belarusian form of
MICHAEL, and an alternate transcription of Bulgarian
Михаил (see
MIHAIL). This was the name of two Russian tsars. Other notable bearers include the poet Mikhail Lermontov (1814-1841) and the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev (1931-).
MIKI f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and
紀 (ki) meaning "chronicle". Other kanji combinations are possible.
MIKU f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with
空 (ku) meaning "sky" or
久 (ku) meaning "long time". It can also come from a nanori reading of
未来 (mirai) meaning "future". Other kanji combinations are possible as well.
MILADA f CzechOriginally a diminutive of Slavic names containing the element
milu "gracious, dear". It has become associated with Czech
mladý "young".
MILAGROS f SpanishMeans "miracles" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de los Milagros, which means "Our Lady of Miracles".
MILAN m Czech, Slovak, Russian, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Bulgarian, MacedonianFrom the Slavic element
milu meaning "gracious, dear", originally a short form of names that began with that element. A city in Italy bears this name, though it originates from a different source.
MILBURGA f HistoryDerived from the Old English elements
milde "gentle" and
burg "fortress". Saint Milburga, the sister of Saint Mildred, was a daughter of a 7th-century Mercian king. She was supposedly in possession of magical powers.
MILBURN m EnglishFrom an English surname that was from a place name meaning "mill stream" in Old English.
MILDGYÐ f Anglo-SaxonOld English name derived from the elements
milde "gentle" and
gyð "battle". This was the name of a 7th-century saint, the sister of Saint Mildred.
MILDRED f EnglishFrom the Old English name
Mildþryð meaning "gentle strength", derived from the elements
milde "gentle" and
þryð "strength". Saint Mildred was a 7th-century abbess, the daughter of the Kentish princess Saint Ermenburga. After the Norman Conquest this name became rare, but it was revived in the 19th century.
MILENA f Bulgarian, Czech, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian, Polish, Russian, ItalianFeminine form of
MILAN. It began to be used in Italy in honour of Milena Vukotić (1847-1923), mother of Helen of Montenegro, the wife of the Italian king Victor Emmanuel III. In Italy it can also be considered a combination of
MARIA and
ELENA.
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
milu meaning "gracious". From an early date it was associated with Latin
miles "soldier".
MILEY f English (Modern)In the case of actress and singer Miley Cyrus (1992-), it is a shortened form of the nickname
Smiley, given to her by her father because she often smiled. Although it was not at all common before she brought it to public attention, there are some examples of its use before her time, most likely as a diminutive of
MILES.
MILFORD m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from various place names all meaning "ford by a mill" in Old English.
MILLARD m EnglishFrom an occupational English surname meaning "guardian of the mill" in Old English.
MILLICENT f EnglishFrom the Germanic name
Amalasuintha, composed of the elements
amal "work, labour" and
swinth "strong". Amalasuintha was a 6th-century queen of the Ostrogoths. The Normans introduced this name to England in the form
Melisent or
Melisende. Melisende was a 12th-century queen of Jerusalem, the daughter of Baldwin II.
MILO m English, Ancient GermanicOld Germanic form of
MILES, as well as the Latinized form. This form of the name was used in official documents during the Middle Ages, and it has been used independently since the 19th century.
MILOJE m SerbianFrom the Slavic element
milu meaning "gracious, dear", originally a diminutive of names that began with that element.
MILOMIR m SerbianDerived from the Slavic elements
milu meaning "gracious, dear" and
miru meaning "peace" or "world".
MILOŠ m Czech, Slovak, Serbian, Slovene, Croatian, MacedonianOriginally a diminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element
milu "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.
MILOU f DutchShort form of
MARIE-LOUISE. This is the name of a (male) dog in the French-language Belgian comic series 'The Adventures of Tintin' by Hergé, first appearing in 1929. He is named
Snowy in the English version and
Bobbie in the Dutch version.
MILTIADES m Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
μιλτος (miltos) meaning "red earth" and the patronymic suffix
ιδης (ides). This was the name of the general who led the Greek forces to victory against the Persians in the Battle of Marathon.
MILTON m EnglishFrom an English surname that was from a place name meaning "mill town" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was John Milton (1608-1674), the poet who wrote 'Paradise Lost'.
MILUŠE f CzechDiminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element
milu "gracious, dear".
MILUŠKA f CzechDiminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element
milu "gracious, dear".
MIN m & f Chinese, KoreanFrom
敏 (mǐn) meaning "quick, clever, sharp",
民 (mín) meaning "people, citizens", or other Chinese/Sino-Korean characters that are pronounced similarly.
MINAKO f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful",
奈 (na), a phonetic character, and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
MINATO m & f Japanese (Rare)From Japanese
港 (minato) meaning "harbour", as well as other combinations of kanji having the same pronunciation.
MINDAUGAS m LithuanianPossibly from Lithuanian
mintis "thought" or
minti "remember" combined with
daug "much". This was the name of a 13th-century ruler of Lithuania.
MINEA f FinnishCreated by the Finnish writer Mika Waltari for a character in his historical novel 'The Egyptian' (1945). He may have based it on the name
MINOS, as the character is herself of Cretan origin.
MINERVA f Roman Mythology, EnglishPossibly derived from Latin
mens meaning "intellect", but more likely of Etruscan origin. Minerva was the Roman goddess of wisdom and war, approximately equivalent to the Greek goddess
Athena. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since after the Renaissance.
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 VietnameseFrom Sino-Vietnamese
明 (minh) meaning "bright". A famous bearer was the communist revolutionary Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969).
MIN-JI f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
敏 (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" combined with
智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or
知 (ji) meaning "know, perceive, comprehend". Other hanja combinations are possible.
MIN-JUN m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
敏 (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" or
旼 (min) meaning "gentle, affable" combined with
俊 (jun) meaning "talented, handsome". Other hanja combinations are possible.
MINNA f German (Archaic), Finnish, SwedishMeans "love" in Old German, specifically medieval courtly love. It is also used as a short form of
WILHELMINA. This is the name of the title character in the play 'Minna von Barnhelm' (1767) by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing.
MINORU m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
実 (minoru) meaning "to bear fruit", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations with the same pronunciation.
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-SEO f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
民 (min) meaning "people, citizens" or
敏 (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" combined with
徐 (seo) meaning "slowly, calmly, composed, dignified" or
序 (seo) meaning "series, sequence". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
MIN-SU m & f 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.
MIO f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with
桜 (o) meaning "cherry blossom" or
緒 (o) meaning "thread". Other kanji or kanji combinations can also form this name.
MIODRAG m Serbian, CroatianDerived from the element
mio, a Serbo-Croatian form of the Slavic element
milu meaning "dear", combined with
dragu meaning "precious".
MIOMIR m SerbianDerived from the element
mio, a Serbian form of the Slavic element
milu meaning "dear", combined with
miru meaning "peace" or "world".
MIRABELLE f French (Rare), English (Rare)Derived from Latin
mirabilis "wonderful". This name was coined during the Middle Ages, though it eventually died out. It was briefly revived in the 19th century.
MIRACLE f English (Modern)From the English word
miracle for an extraordinary event, ultimately deriving from Latin
miraculum "wonder, marvel".
MIRANDA f English, DutchDerived from Latin
mirandus meaning "admirable, wonderful". The name was created by Shakespeare for the heroine in his play 'The Tempest' (1611), about a father and daughter stranded on an island. It did not become a common English given name until the 20th century. This is also the name of one of the moons of Uranus, named after the Shakespearean character.
MİRAY f TurkishMeaning unknown, possibly from an uncertain Persian element combined with Turkish
ay meaning "moon, month".
MIRCEA m RomanianRomanian form of
MIRČE. This name was borne by a 14th-century ruler of Wallachia.
MIREILLE f FrenchFrom the Occitan name
Mirèio, which was first used by the poet Frédéric Mistral for the main character in his poem 'Mirèio' (1859). He probably derived it from the Occitan word
mirar meaning "to admire".
MIRIAM f Hebrew, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Biblical, Biblical HebrewHebrew form of
MARY. It is used in the Old Testament, where it belongs to the elder sister of
Moses and
Aaron. She watched over the infant Moses as the pharaoh's daughter drew him from the Nile. The name has long been popular among Jews, and it has been used as an English Christian name (alongside
Mary) since the Protestant Reformation.
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.
MIRSAD m BosnianMeaning unknown, possibly derived from Arabic meaning "watchtower" or Persian meaning "ambush".
MIRUNA f RomanianPossibly derived from the Slavic word
mir meaning "peace" or Romanian
mira meaning "to wonder, to astound".
MISAKI f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and
咲 (saki) meaning "blossom". This name can be formed from other combinations of kanji as well.
MISTY f EnglishFrom the English word
misty, ultimately derived from Old English. The jazz song 'Misty' (1954) by Erroll Garner may have helped popularize the name.
MI-SUK f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and
淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming", as well as other combinations of hanja characters with the same pronunciations.
MITCHELL m EnglishFrom a surname, itself derived from the given name
MICHAEL or in some cases from Middle English
michel meaning "big, large".
MITHRA m Persian MythologyDerived from an Indo-Iranian root *
mitra meaning "oath, alliance, friend". In Persian mythology he was a god of light and friendship, the son of the supreme god
Ahura Mazda. Worship of him eventually spread outside of Persia, where it was known as Mithraism.
MITICĂ m RomanianDiminutive of
DUMITRU. This is the name of a character in early 20th-century stories by the Romanian author Ion Luca Caragiale.
MITRA (1) m & f Hinduism, Indian, HindiMeans "friend" in Sanskrit, a cognate of
MITHRA. This is a transcription of both the feminine form
मित्रा and the masculine form
मित्र, which is the name of a Hindu god of friendship and contracts who appears in the Rigveda.
MITSUKO f JapaneseFrom Japanese
光 (mitsu) meaning "light" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
MIU f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and
羽 (u) meaning "feather". Other kanji combinations are possible.
MIYAKO f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful",
夜 (ya) meaning "night" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can be formed from other combinations of kanji as well.
MIYU f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" or
実 (mi) meaning "fruit, good result, truth" combined with
優 (yu) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" or
結 (yu) meaning "tie, bind" or
夕 (yu) meaning "evening". Other kanji combinations are possible.
MIZUKI f JapaneseFrom Japanese
瑞 (mizu) meaning "felicitous omen, auspicious" and
希 (ki) meaning "hope", besides other kanji combinations.
MNEME f Greek MythologyMeans "memory" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was one of the original three muses, the muse of memory.
MNEMOSYNE f Greek MythologyMeans "remembrance" in Greek. In Greek mythology Mnemosyne was a Titan goddess of memory. She was the mother by
Zeus of the nine Muses.
MOA f SwedishPossibly derived from Swedish
moder meaning "mother". This was the pen name of the Swedish author Moa Martinson (real name Helga Maria Martinson).
MOAB m BiblicalMeans "of his father" in Hebrew. 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.
MOACIR m Native American, TupiPossibly means "son of pain" in Tupi. This is the name of the son of
Iracema and Martim in the novel 'Iracema' (1865) by José de Alencar.
MOANA f & m Maori, Hawaiian, TahitianMeans "ocean, wide expanse of water, deep sea" in Maori and Hawaiian (as well as in other Polynesian languages).
MODESTUS m Late RomanMeans "moderate, restrained" in Late Latin. This was the name of several saints.
MODESTY f English (Rare)From the English word
modesty, ultimately from Latin
modestus "moderate", a derivative of
modus "measure".
MOE (2) f JapaneseFrom Japanese
萌 (moe) meaning "bud, sprout". Other kanji with the same reading can also form this name.
MOEMA f Portuguese (Brazilian)Means "lies" in Tupí. This name appears in the poem 'Caramuru' (1781) by the Brazilian poet Santa Rita Durão.