Browse Names

This is a list of names in which the first letter is M; and the ending sequence is a.
gender
usage
letter
ends with
Ma'akha f & m Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Maacah.
Maala f Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Form of Mahlah used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament.
Maaria f Finnish
Finnish form of Maria.
Maarika f Estonian, Finnish
Diminutive of Maarja (Estonian) or Maaria (Finnish).
Maarja f Estonian
Estonian form of Maria.
Maata f Maori
Maori form of Martha.
Mabella f English (Rare)
Elaborated form of Mabel.
Macarena f Spanish
From the name of a barrio (district) in Seville, which got its name from a temple that may have been named for a person named Macarius (see Macario). The Virgin of Macarena, that is Mary, is widely venerated in Seville.
Macaria f Spanish
Feminine form of Macario.
Mac Beatha m Medieval Scottish
Scottish Gaelic form of Macbeth.
Macdara m Irish, Old Irish
Means "son of oak" in Irish. This was the name of a 6th-century saint from Connemara.
Machla f & m Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Mahlah.
Madalena f Portuguese
Portuguese form of Magdalena.
Mădălina f Romanian
Romanian form of Magdalene.
Madana m Hinduism
Means "intoxicating, maddening" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu love god Kama.
Madara f Latvian
From the Latvian name for a type of flowering plant, known as cleavers or bedstraw in English.
Maddalena f Italian
Italian form of Magdalene.
Madelina f English (Rare)
Latinate form of Madeline.
Madhava m Hinduism, Sanskrit
Means "sweet, vernal, of the springtime" in Sanskrit, a derivative of मधु (madhu) meaning "honey, sweet". This was the name of a 14th-century Indian scholar from Sangamagrama. This is also an epithet of the Hindu deity Krishna, given because he was a descendant of a Yadava king named Madhu.
Madiha f Arabic
Means "praise, commendation" in Arabic, derived from مدح (madaḥa) meaning "to praise".
Mədinə f Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani form of Madina.
Madina f Tajik, Uzbek, Kazakh, Avar, Chechen
From the name of the city of Medina, derived from Arabic المدينة (al-Madīna), which means "the city". The Saudi city is considered an Islamic holy site because the Prophet Muhammad was based there for a period.
Madita f Literature, German
Created as a German equivalent of Madicken for the German translation of Astrid Lindgren's books.
Madlenka f Czech
Czech diminutive of Magdaléna.
Madona f Georgian
Georgian form of Madonna.
Madonna f English
From a title of the Virgin Mary meaning "my lady" in Italian. A famous bearer of the name is American singer Madonna Ciccone (1958-), known simply as Madonna.
Mæja f Icelandic
Icelandic diminutive of María.
Maela f Breton
Feminine form of Maël.
Maëlya f French (Modern)
Feminine form of Maël.
Maeva f Tahitian, French
Means "welcome" in Tahitian. It gained popularity in France during the 1980s.
Mafalda f Portuguese, Italian, Spanish
Originally a medieval Portuguese form of Matilda. This name was borne by the wife of Afonso, the first king of Portugal. In modern times it was the name of the titular character in a popular Argentine comic strip (published from 1964 to 1973) by Quino.
Magda 2 f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic ماجدة (see Majda 2).
Magdaleena f Finnish (Rare), Estonian (Rare)
Finnish and Estonian form of Magdalene.
Magdaléna f Slovak, Czech, Hungarian
Slovak and Czech form of Magdalene, as well as a Hungarian variant form.
Magdalina f Old Church Slavic, Bulgarian
Old Church Slavic form of Magdalene, as well as a Bulgarian variant form.
Magdolna f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Magdalene.
Magnolia f English
From the English word magnolia for the flower, which was named for the French botanist Pierre Magnol.
Maha f Arabic
Means "oryx" in Arabic. The oryx is a variety of antelope that is said to represent beauty.
Mahala f English
Variant of Mahalah or Mahalath. It has occasionally been used as an English Christian name since the Protestant Reformation.
Mahalia f English
Variant of Mahala.
Mahatma m History
From the Indian title महात्मा (Mahātmā) meaning "great soul", derived from Sanskrit महा (mahā) meaning "great" and आत्मन् (ātman) meaning "soul, spirit, life". This title was given to, among others, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, also known as Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948).
Mahavira m Sanskrit
Means "great hero" in Sanskrit, from महा (mahā) meaning "great" and वीर (vīra) meaning "hero, man". Mahavira (or Mahāvīra) was the 6th-century BC founder of Jainism.
Mahbuba f Arabic, Bengali
Feminine form of Mahbub.
Mahendra m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Sanskrit
From Sanskrit महा (mahā) meaning "great" combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra. This was the name of a son of the 3rd-century BC Indian emperor Ashoka, also called Mahinda. He is credited with introducing Buddhism to Sri Lanka.
Mahershala m Various (Rare)
From the longer name Mahershalalhashbaz, which appears in the Old Testament at Isaiah 8:1 in reference to Isaiah's symbolic son. It is written in Hebrew as מַהֵר שָׁלָל חָשׁ בַּז, and is composed of the two-word phrases מַהֵר שָׁלָל (maher shalal) and חָשׁ בַּז (ḥash baz), which both mean "hurry to the plunder". A famous bearer is the American actor Mahershala Ali (1974-), whose full name is Mahershalalhashbaz.
Mahesha m Hinduism
Means "great lord" from Sanskrit महा (mahā) meaning "great" and ईश (īśa) meaning "lord, ruler". This is another name of the Hindu god Shiva.
Mahpiya m & f Sioux
From Dakota or Lakota maȟpíya meaning "cloud, sky". This is the first part of the names of the Dakota chief Mahpiya Wicasta (1780-1863), known as Cloud Man, and the Lakota chiefs Mahpiya Luta (1822-1909), known as Red Cloud, and Mahpiya Iyapato (1838-1905), known as Touch the Clouds.
Mahsa f Persian
Means "like the moon" in Persian.
Mahulena f Czech
Possibly inspired by Magdalena. The Czech author Julius Zeyer created it for a character in his play Radúz and Mahulena (1898).
Maïa f French
French form of Maia 1.
Maia 1 f Greek Mythology, Roman Mythology, Portuguese, Georgian
From Greek μαῖα (maia) meaning "good mother, dame, foster mother", perhaps in origin a nursery form of μήτηρ (meter). In Greek and Roman mythology she was the eldest of the Pleiades, a group of stars in the constellation Taurus, who were the daughters of Atlas and Pleione. Her son by Zeus was Hermes.
Maia 2 f Roman Mythology
Probably from Latin maior meaning "greater". This was the name of a Roman goddess of spring, a companion (sometimes wife) of Vulcan. She was later conflated with the Greek goddess Maia. The month of May is named for her.
Maia 3 f Estonian, Basque
Estonian and Basque form of Maria.
Maiara f Tupi
From Tupi maya arya meaning "great-grandmother".
Maiga f Latvian
Derived from Latvian maigs meaning "gentle, soft, tender".
Maija f Finnish, Latvian
Finnish and Latvian variant of Maria or Marija. The Latvian playwright Anna Brigadere used this name for the main character in her play Maija un Paija (1922).
Maina m Kikuyu
Means "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.
Maira f Greek Mythology
From Greek μαρμαίρω (marmairo) meaning "sparkle, gleam, flash". This name was borne by several characters in Greek mythology, including one of the Nereids.
Majda 2 f Arabic
Feminine form of Majd.
Majella f Irish
From the surname of the Italian saint Gerard Majella (1726-1755; called Gerardo Maiella in Italian), a miracle worker who is regarded as the patron saint of pregnancy and childbirth. His surname is derived from the name of the Maiella massif in Abruzzo, Italy.
Majida f Arabic
Feminine form of Majid.
Majlinda f Albanian
Derived from Albanian maj "May" and lind "to give birth".
Makana m & f Hawaiian
Means "gift" in Hawaiian.
Makara m & f Khmer
Means "January" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit मकर (makara), referring to the constellation Capricornus.
Makeda f History
Possibly means "greatness" in Ethiopic. This was the name of an Ethiopian queen of the 10th-century BC. She is probably the same person as the Queen of Sheba, who visited Solomon in the Old Testament.
Makena f & m Kikuyu
Means "happy one" in Kikuyu.
Makvala f Georgian
Derived from Georgian მაყვალი (maqvali) meaning "blackberry".
Mala f Hindi
Means "necklace" in Sanskrit.
Malaika f Swahili
Means "angel" in Swahili, derived from Arabic ملك (malak).
Malandra f English (Rare)
Invented name using the popular name suffix andra, from names such as Sandra or Alexandra.
Malaysia f English (Modern)
From the name of the country of Malaysia in southeastern Asia, the home of the Malay people. Their ethnic name is of uncertain origin, though it is possibly from the name of a river, itself derived from Malay melaju or Javanese mlayu meaning "to run, to go fast".
Malena f Swedish, Spanish
Swedish and Spanish contracted form of Magdalena. In Spanish it can also be a contracted form of María Elena.
Małgorzata f Polish
Polish form of Margaret.
Małgosia f Polish
Diminutive of Małgorzata.
Malia f Hawaiian, English (Modern)
Hawaiian form of Maria. This name experienced a spike in popularity in 2009, due to the eldest daughter (born 1998) of the new American president Barack Obama.
Maliha f Arabic, Urdu, Bengali
Means "beautiful, elegant" in Arabic.
Malika f Arabic
Means "queen" in Arabic, the feminine form of Malik 1.
Malina 1 f Scottish
Feminine form of Malcolm.
Malina 2 f Bulgarian, Serbian, Polish
Means "raspberry" in several Slavic languages.
Malinda f English
Variant of Melinda.
Malka f Hebrew
Means "queen" in Hebrew.
Malvina f Literature, English, Italian, French
Created by the Scottish poet James MacPherson in the 18th century for a character in his Ossian poems. He probably intended it to mean "smooth brow", from Scottish Gaelic mala "brow" and mìn "smooth, fine" (lenited to mhìn and pronounced with a v sound).
Malwina f Polish
Polish form of Malvina.
Mamuka m Georgian
Means "little father" in Georgian.
Manaia f & m Maori
From the name of a stylized design common in Maori carvings. It represents a mythological creature with the head of a bird and the body of a human.
Manana f Georgian
Means both "heather" and "manna, divine food" in Georgian.
Manca f Slovene
Slovene diminutive of Marija.
Manda f Croatian, Serbian
Diminutive of Magdalena.
Mandica f Croatian
Diminutive of Manda.
Mandla m Zulu, Ndebele
Means "strength, power" in Zulu and Ndebele.
Manisha f Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
Feminine form of Manish.
Manizha f Tajik
Tajik form of Manijeh.
Manjula f Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam
From Sanskrit मञ्जुल (mañjula) meaning "pleasing, beautiful".
Manjusha f Marathi, Hindi
From Sanskrit मञ्जूषा (mañjūṣā) meaning "small box, small chest".
Manoja m Hinduism
Means "born of the mind", from Sanskrit मनस् (manas) meaning "mind, intellect, spirit" and (ja) meaning "born". This is another name of the Hindu god Kama.
Manola f Spanish
Spanish feminine diminutive of Manuel.
Manuelita f Spanish
Diminutive of Manuela.
Manya f Russian
Russian diminutive of Maria.
Manyara f Shona
Means "you have been humbled" in Shona.
Maquinna m Nuu-chah-nulth (Anglicized)
From Nuu-chah-nulth Mukwina, possibly meaning "possessor of pebbles". This was the name of a late 18th-century chief of the Mowachaht people.
Māra f Latvian, Baltic Mythology
This was the name of a Latvian mother goddess. Her name is possibly derived from Maria, identifying her with the Virgin Mary. In modern times this name is used as a variant of Marija.
Mara 1 f Biblical, Biblical Hebrew, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Means "bitter" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is a name that Naomi calls herself after the death of her husband and sons (see Ruth 1:20).
Mara 2 f Hungarian, Croatian, Serbian
Hungarian variant of Mária, and a Croatian and Serbian variant of Marija.
Maraĵa f Esperanto
Means "made of the sea" in Esperanto, a derivative of maro "sea", ultimately from Latin mare.
Marama f & m Maori, Polynesian Mythology
Means "moon" in Maori. This is the name of a moon god (or goddess) in Maori mythology.
Marcelina f Polish, Spanish, Portuguese
Polish, Spanish and Portuguese feminine form of Marcellinus.
Márcia f Portuguese
Portuguese form of Marcia.
Marcia f English, Spanish, Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Marcius. It was borne by a few very minor saints. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 18th century.
Marciana f Ancient Roman, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazilian)
Feminine form of Marcianus. This was the name of a young woman martyred in North Africa during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian in the early 4th century.
Marcjanna f Polish
Polish form of Marciana.
Marfa f Russian
Traditional Russian form of Martha.
Marfisa f Carolingian Cycle
Meaning uncertain. The poets Boiardo and Ariosto used this name in their Orlando poems (1495 and 1532), where it belongs to a Saracen warrior queen. She is the twin sister of Ruggiero, though separated at birth.
Marga f German, Dutch
Diminutive of Margarete or Margaretha.
Marganita f Hebrew
From the name of a type of flowering plant common in Israel, called the scarlet pimpernel in English.
Margareeta f Finnish (Rare), Estonian (Rare)
Finnish and Estonian variant form of Margaret.
Margaréta f Slovak, Hungarian
Slovak and Hungarian form of Margaret.
Margareta f German, Swedish, Romanian, Slovene, Finnish, Croatian
Form of Margaret in several languages.
Margaretha f Dutch, Swedish, German
Dutch form of Margaret, as well as a Swedish and German variant form.
Margaretta f English
Latinate form of Margaret.
Margarida f Portuguese, Galician, Catalan, Occitan
Portuguese, Galician, Catalan and Occitan form of Margaret. Also in these languages, this is the common word for the daisy flower (species Bellis perennis, Leucanthemum vulgare and others).
Margarita f Spanish, Russian, Bulgarian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Greek, Albanian, Late Roman
Latinate form of Margaret. This is also the Spanish word for the daisy flower (species Bellis perennis, Leucanthemum vulgare and others).
Margherita f Italian
Italian form of Margaret. This is also the Italian word for the daisy flower (species Bellis perennis, Leucanthemum vulgare and others).
Margita f Slovak, Czech
Slovak form and Czech variant of Margaret.
Margitta f German
German variant form of Margaret.
Marharyta f Ukrainian, Belarusian
Ukrainian and Belarusian form of Margaret.
Mária f Hungarian, Slovak
Hungarian and Slovak form of Maria.
María f & m Spanish, Galician, Icelandic
Spanish, Galician and Icelandic form of Maria.... [more]
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 Slavic
Latin 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]
María Auxiliadora f Spanish
Means "Mary the helper" in Spanish, a devotional title of the Virgin Mary.
Mariabella f English (Rare)
Combination of Maria and Bella.
Maria Chiara f Italian
Combination of Maria and Chiara.
María Cristina f Spanish
Combination of María and Cristina.
María Elena f Spanish
Combination of María and Elena.
María Fernanda f Spanish
Combination of María and Fernanda.
Maria Francesca f Italian
Combination of Maria and Francesca.
Maria Grazia f Italian
Combination of Maria and Grazia.
María Josefa f Spanish
Combination of María and Josefa.
María Luisa f Spanish
Combination of María and Luisa.
Mariama f Western African
Form of Maryam common in West Africa.
María Manuela f Spanish
Combination of María and Manuela.
Mariana f Portuguese, Spanish, Romanian, Czech, Bulgarian, Ancient Roman
Roman feminine form of Marianus. After the classical era it was sometimes interpreted as a combination of Maria and Ana. In Portuguese it is further used as a form of Mariamne.
Marianela f Spanish
Combination of María and Estela.
Mariangela f Italian
Combination of Maria and Angela.
Marianita f Spanish
Spanish diminutive of Mariana.
Marianna f Italian, Hungarian, Slovak, Polish, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Russian, Greek, English
Combination of Maria and Anna. It can also be regarded as a variant of the Roman name Mariana, or as a Latinized form of Mariamne.
Maria Pia f Italian
Combination of Maria and Pia.
Mariapia f Italian
Combination of Maria and Pia.
María Rosa f Spanish
Combination of María and Rosa 1.
María Teresa f Spanish
Combination of María and Teresa.
Maria Vittoria f Italian
Combination of Maria and Vittoria.
Mariazinha f Portuguese
Portuguese diminutive of Maria.
Marica f Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Hungarian, Italian
Diminutive of Marija (Croatian, Serbian and Slovene) or Mária (Hungarian).
Maricela f Spanish
Combination of María and Celia.
Maricica f Romanian
Diminutive of Maria.
Mariela f Spanish, Bulgarian
Spanish and Bulgarian diminutive of Maria.
Mariella f Italian
Italian diminutive of Maria.
Marija f Croatian, Slovene, Serbian, Macedonian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Maltese
Form of Maria in several languages.
Marijana f Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian
Croatian, Serbian, Slovene and Macedonian form of Mariana.
Marijeta f Croatian
Croatian diminutive of Marija.
Marijona f Lithuanian
Lithuanian feminine form of Marianus.
Marika f Czech, Slovak, Polish, Hungarian, Greek, Finnish, Estonian, Swedish, Georgian, Italian, German
Diminutive of Maria and other names beginning with Mari.
Marilena f Italian, Romanian, Greek
Combination of Maria and Elena.
Marilla f English (Archaic)
Possibly a diminutive of Mary or a variant of Amaryllis. More common in the 19th century, this name was borne by the American suffragist Marilla Ricker (1840-1920). It is also the name of the adoptive mother of Anne in L. M. Montgomery's novel Anne of Green Gables (1908).
Marína f Slovak
Slovak form of Marina.
Mariña f Galician
Galician form of Marina.
Marina f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, English, Greek, Finnish, Estonian, Russian, Romanian, Czech, Bulgarian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Georgian, Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Marinus. This name was borne by a few early saints. This is also the name by which Saint Margaret of Antioch is known in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Marinda f English
Either a diminutive of Mary or a variant of Miranda.
Marinela f Romanian, Croatian
Romanian and Croatian form of Marinella.
Marinella f Italian
Diminutive of Marina.
Marinka f Croatian, Slovene
Croatian and Slovene diminutive of Marina.
Marioara f Romanian
Romanian diminutive of Maria, typically used independently.
Mariola f Polish
Polish diminutive of Maria, now used independently.
Mariona f Catalan
Catalan diminutive of Maria.
Marisa f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, English
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese combination of Maria and Luisa.
Marisela f Spanish
Elaborated form of Marisa.
Mariska f Hungarian, Dutch
Diminutive of Maria.
Marissa f English, Dutch
Variant of Marisa.
Maristela f Portuguese, Spanish (Rare)
From the title of the Virgin Mary, Stella Maris, meaning "star of the sea" in Latin. It can also be a combination of Maria and Estela.
Maristella f Italian
Italian form of Maristela.
Marita 2 f Swedish, Norwegian
Scandinavian variant form of Margaret.
Maritta f Finnish
Finnish diminutive of Maria.
Maritza f Spanish (Latin American)
Elaboration of Maria used particularly in Latin America. The suffix could be inspired by the name of the Itza people of Central America (as seen in the name of the old Maya city of Chichen Itza, Mexico). It also nearly coincides with the name of the Maritsa River in southeastern Europe.
Mariya f Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Belarusian
Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian form of Maria, as well as an alternate transcription of Belarusian Марыя (see Maryia).
Mariyana f Bulgarian
Bulgarian variant of Mariana.
Márjá f Sami
Northern Sami form of Maria.
Marja f Finnish, Sorbian, Dutch
Finnish and Sorbian form of Maria, as well as a Dutch variant. It also means "berry" in Finnish.
Marjaana f Finnish
Finnish form of Mariana.
Marjana f Slovene, Albanian, Croatian
Slovene, Albanian and Croatian form of Mariana.
Marjanca f Slovene
Diminutive of Marjana.
Marjatta f Finnish
Diminutive of Marja.
Marjeta f Slovene
Slovene form of Margaret.
Marjetka f Slovene
Diminutive of Marjeta.
Marjukka f Finnish
Diminutive of Marja.
Markéta f Czech
Czech form of Margaret.
Marketta f Finnish
Finnish form of Margaret.
Marla f English
Variant of Marlene using the suffix la.
Marlena f Polish, English
Latinate form of Marlene.
Marna f Danish
Danish short form of Marina.
Marquita f African American
Feminine variant of Marquis.
Marsha f English
Variant of Marcia.
Márta f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Martha.
Märta f Swedish
Swedish short form of Margareta.
Märtha f Swedish
Variant of Märta.
Martha f English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, German, Greek, Biblical, Biblical Greek, Biblical Latin, Old Church Slavic
From Aramaic מַרְתָּא (marta) meaning "the lady, the mistress", feminine form of מַר (mar) meaning "master". In the New Testament this is the name of the sister of Lazarus and Mary of Bethany (who is sometimes identified with Mary Magdalene). She was a witness to Jesus restoring her dead brother to life.... [more]
Martina f German, Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Hungarian, English, Swedish, Dutch, Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Martinus (see Martin). Saint Martina was a 3rd-century martyr who is one of the patron saints of Rome.
Martinha f Portuguese
Portuguese form of Martina.
Martita f Spanish
Spanish diminutive of Marta.
Martta f Finnish
Finnish form of Martha.
Martyna f Polish
Polish feminine form of Martinus (see Martin).
Maruša f Slovene
Diminutive of Marija.
Marusya f Russian, Ukrainian
Russian and Ukrainian diminutive of Mariya.
Maruxa f Galician
Galician diminutive of Maria.
Marva f English
Feminine form of Marvin.
Marwa f Arabic
From Arabic مرو (marw) meaning "pebbles, flint", also the name of a type of fragrant plant (species Maerua crassifolia). Al-Marwa is the name of one of the two sacred hills near Mecca.
Marya f Russian
Russian variant form of Mariya.
Maryana f Ukrainian, Russian
Ukrainian form of Marianna, and a Russian variant.
Maryia f Belarusian
Belarusian form of Maria.
Maryla f Polish
Polish diminutive of Maria.
Maryna f Ukrainian, Belarusian, Polish
Ukrainian, Belarusian and Polish form of Marina.
Marysia f Polish
Polish diminutive of Maria.
Marzanna 1 f Polish
Probably a Polish variant of Marianna.
Marzena f Polish
Probably originally a Polish diminutive of Maria or Małgorzata.
Marzia f Italian
Italian form of Marcia.
Máša f Czech
Czech form of Masha.
Maša f Slovene, Croatian
Slovene and Croatian form of Masha.
Masamba m Yao
Means "leaves, vegetables" in Yao.
Masha f Russian
Russian diminutive of Mariya.
Massinissa m Ancient Berber (Latinized), Berber
Latinized form of Berber Masensen meaning "their lord". This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Berber chieftain. He became the first king of Numidia after allying himself with the Roman Republic against Carthage.
Masuda f Arabic, Bengali
Feminine form of Masud.
Məsumə f Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani form of Masuma.
Masuma f Arabic, Pashto, Urdu
Means "innocent, sinless" in Arabic, derived from the root عصم (ʿaṣama) meaning "to protect". After her death, this name was applied to Fatima, a daughter of the 9th-century Shia imam Musa al-Kazim.
Matea f Croatian
Croatian feminine form of Mateo.
Mateja 1 f Slovene, Croatian
Feminine form of Matej.
Mateja 2 m Serbian
Serbian variant of Matija.
Mathea f Norwegian
Norwegian feminine form of Mathias.
Matia m Basque
Basque form of Matthew.
Matija m & f Slovene, Croatian, Serbian
Slovene, Croatian and Serbian form of Matthias, used to refer to the apostle chosen to replace Judas Iscariot. It is occasionally used as a feminine name.
Matilda f English, Swedish, Finnish, Slovak, Slovene
From the Germanic name Mahthilt meaning "strength in battle", from the elements maht "might, strength" and hilt "battle". Saint Matilda was the wife of the 10th-century German king Henry I the Fowler. The name was common in many branches of European royalty in the Middle Ages. It was brought to England by the Normans, being borne by the wife of William the Conqueror himself. Another notable royal by this name was a 12th-century daughter of Henry I of England, known as the Empress Matilda because of her first marriage to the Holy Roman emperor Henry V. She later invaded England, laying the foundations for the reign of her son Henry II.... [more]
Matleena f Finnish
Finnish form of Magdalene.
Matrona 1 f Russian (Rare), Late Roman
Means "lady" in Late Latin, a derivative of Latin mater "mother". This was the name of three early saints.
Matrona 2 f Celtic Mythology
Means "great mother", from Celtic *mātīr meaning "mother" and the divine or augmentative suffix -on. This was the name of a Gaulish and Brythonic mother goddess, the namesake of the River Marne.
Matryona f Russian (Rare)
Russian variant of Matrona 1.
Mattea f Italian
Italian feminine form of Matthew.
Matthia m Old Church Slavic
Old Church Slavic form of Matthias.
Mattia m Italian
Italian form of Matthias.
Matylda f Czech, Polish
Czech and Polish form of Matilda.
Maura 2 f Irish, English
Anglicized form of Máire. It has also been associated with Irish mór meaning "great". This was the name of an obscure 5th-century Irish martyr.
Maurícia f Portuguese
Feminine form of Maurício.
Maurizia f Italian
Feminine form of Maurizio.
Mavzuna f Tajik
Derived from Arabic موْزون (mawzūn) meaning "balanced, poised", a derivative of وزن (wazana) meaning "to weigh, to balance".
Máxima f Spanish
Spanish feminine form of Maximus.
Maxima f Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Maximus.
Maya 1 f Hinduism, Buddhism, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
Means "illusion, magic" 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 English
Variant of Maia 1. This name can also be given in reference to the Maya, an indigenous people of southern Mexico and parts of Central America whose civilization flourished between the 3rd and 8th centuries. A famous bearer was the American poet and author Maya Angelou (1928-2014).
Maya 3 f Hebrew
Derived from Hebrew מַיִם (mayim) meaning "water".
Maymuna f Arabic (Rare)
Means "auspicious, blessed, favourable" in Arabic, from the root يمن (yamana) meaning "to be lucky, to go to the right".
Mckayla f English (Modern)
Variant of Michaela, often spelled as McKayla with the third letter capitalized, as if it were an Irish or Scottish surname beginning with Mc.
McKenna f English (Modern)
From an Irish and Scottish surname, an Anglicized form of Mac Cionaodha, itself derived from the given name Cionaodh. As a given name, it was very rare before 1980. It rapidly increased in popularity during the 1990s, likely because it was viewed as an even more feminine alternative to Mackenzie.
Medea f Greek Mythology (Latinized), Georgian
From Greek Μήδεια (Medeia), derived from μήδεα (medea) meaning "plans, counsel, cunning". 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.
Medeia f Greek Mythology
Greek form of Medea.
Medina f Kazakh, Bosnian
Kazakh and Bosnian form of Madina.
Medora f Literature
Created 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.
Meena f Hindi, Marathi, Tamil
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi मीना or Tamil மீனா (see Mina 2).
Meera f Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi मीरा, Malayalam മീര, Tamil மீரா or Kannada ಮೀರಾ (see Mira 1).
Mega f & m Indonesian
Means "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).
Meghanada m Hinduism
Means "cloud roar, thunder" from Sanskrit मेघ (megha) meaning "cloud" and नाद (nāda) meaning "sound, roar". This is the name of a powerful son of the demon king Ravana in the Hindu epic the Ramayana, where he is also called Indrajit.
Meira f Hebrew
Feminine form of Meir.
Meiriona f Welsh
Feminine form of Meirion.
Meja f Swedish (Modern)
Possibly from a Low German diminutive of names beginning with the Old German element megin meaning "power, strength". It was popularized by the Swedish singer Meja (1969-), born Anna Pernilla Torndahl.