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.
MICAIAH m & f BiblicalMeans
"who is like YAHWEH?" in Hebrew. This name occurs in the Old Testament in a variety of Hebrew spellings, belonging to both males and females. It is the full name of
Micah, both the prophet and the man from the Book of Judges. As a feminine name it belongs to the mother of King
Abijah (at
2 Chronicles 13:2), though her name is listed as
Maacah in other passages.
MICHAEL m English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Czech, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFrom the Hebrew name
מִיכָאֵל (Mikha'el) meaning
"who is like God?". This is a rhetorical question, implying no person is like God. Michael is one of the archangels in Hebrew tradition and the only one identified as an archangel in the Bible. In the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament he is named as a protector of Israel. In the Book of Revelation in the New Testament he is portrayed as the leader of heaven's armies in the war against Satan, and is thus considered the patron saint of soldiers in Christianity.
... [more] MICHAL (2) f Biblical, HebrewPossibly means
"brook" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a daughter of
Saul. She was married to
David, but after David fled from Saul he remarried her to someone else. Later, when David became king, he ordered her returned to him.
MICHEL m French, German, DutchFrench form of
MICHAEL. Michel de Notredame, also known as Nostradamus, was the 16th-century French astrologer who made predictions about future world events. This is also the German diminutive form of
MICHAEL.
MICHELANGELO m ItalianCombination of
MICHAEL and
ANGELO, referring to the archangel Michael. The Renaissance painter and sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti, from Florence, was the man who created such great works of art as the statue of
David and the mural on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. This name was also borne by the Baroque artist Michelangelo Merisi, better known as Caravaggio.
MICHELLE f French, English, DutchFrench feminine form of
MICHEL. It has been common in the English-speaking world since the middle of the 20th century. A famous bearer is the former American first lady Michelle Obama (1964-).
MICHIKO f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful",
智 (chi) meaning "wisdom, intellect" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can also be comprised of other combinations of kanji.
MICKEY m & f EnglishDiminutive or feminine form of
MICHAEL. This was the name that Walt Disney gave to Ub Iwerks' cartoon character Mickey Mouse, who was originally named Mortimer Mouse. Another famous bearer was the American baseball player Mickey Mantle (1931-1995).
MICOL f ItalianItalian variant form of
MICHAL (2) (the Italian biblical form being
Mikal). This is the name of the heroine in Giorgio Bassani's novel
The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1962).
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.
MIDORI f JapaneseFrom Japanese
緑 (midori) meaning "green", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that have the same pronunciation.
MIELA f EsperantoMeans
"sweet" in Esperanto, derived from
mielo "honey", ultimately from Latin
mel.
MIELIKKI f Finnish MythologyDerived from Finnish
mieli meaning
"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 Czech, SlovakOriginally a diminutive of Slavic names containing the element
milu "gracious, dear". It has become associated with Czech/Slovak
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, Slovak, 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".
... [more] 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
μίλτος (miltos) meaning "red earth" and the patronymic suffix
ἴδης (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 derived 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 meaning
"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, Czech, Slovak, Polish, 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".