Names with "-rose" in Meaning

Miloslav m Czech, Slovak
Derived from the Slavic elements milŭ "gracious, dear" and slava "glory".

Milovan m Serbian, Croatian
Derived from Slavic milovati meaning "to caress".

Miltiades m Ancient Greek
Derived 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.

Mílton m Portuguese
Portuguese form of Milton.

Milton m English, Spanish (Latin American)
From 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 Czech
Originally a diminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear".

Miluška f Czech
Variant of Miluše.

Mimoza f Albanian, Georgian
From the Albanian and Georgian word for the mimosa plant, a flowering herb. It is ultimately derived from Greek μῖμος (mimos) meaning "mimic".

Min 1 m & f Chinese, Korean
From 敏 (mǐn) meaning "quick, clever, sharp", 民 (mín) meaning "people, citizens", or other Chinese/Sino-Korean characters that are pronounced similarly.

Min 2 m & f Burmese
Means "king, ruler" in Burmese.

Mina 2 f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil
Means "fish" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the daughter of the Hindu goddess Ushas as well as the daughter of the god Kubera.

Mina 3 f Persian
Means "azure, enamel" in Persian.

Minako f Japanese
From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful", 奈 (na), a phonetic character, and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Minakshi f Hinduism, Hindi
From Sanskrit मीन (mina) meaning "fish" and अक्षि (akshi) meaning "eye". This is another name of the Hindu goddess Parvati.

Minali f Hindi
Means "fish catcher" in Sanskrit.

Minato m & f Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 港 (minato) meaning "harbour", as well as other combinations of kanji having the same pronunciation.

Mindaugas m Lithuanian
Possibly from Lithuanian mintis "thought" or minti "to remember" combined with daug "much". This was the name of a 13th-century ruler of Lithuania.

Minenhle f & m Zulu
From Zulu imini "day" and hle "beautiful".

Minerva f Roman Mythology, English, Spanish
Possibly 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 Chinese
From Chinese 明 (míng) meaning "bright, light, clear" or 铭 (míng) meaning "inscribe, engrave", as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly.

Minh m & f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 明 (minh) meaning "bright". This was an adopted name of the communist revolutionary Hồ Chí Minh (1890-1969).

Minik m & f Greenlandic
Means "seal oil" in Greenlandic. A notable bearer was the Inughuit boy Minik (1890-1918), who was among a group brought by the explorer Robert Peary from Greenland to New York in 1897.

Min-Ji f Korean
From 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 Korean
From 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, Swedish
Means "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.

Minoo f Persian
Means "heaven, paradise" in Persian.

Minoru m & f Japanese
From Japanese 実 (minoru) meaning "to bear fruit", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations with the same pronunciation.

Minos m Greek Mythology
Possibly 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 Korean
From 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 Korean
From 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.

Minttu f Finnish
Means "mint" in Finnish.

Mio f Japanese
From 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, Croatian
Derived from the element mio, a Serbo-Croatian form of the Slavic element milŭ meaning "dear", combined with dorgŭ meaning "precious".

Mira 1 f Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada
Means "sea, ocean" in Sanskrit. This was the name of a 16th-century Indian princess who devoted her life to the god Krishna.

Mira 2 f Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Polish
Short form of Miroslava and other names beginning with Mir (often the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace, world").

Mirabella f Italian (Rare)
Latinate form of Mirabelle.

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".

Miraj m Arabic
Means "place of ascent" in Arabic.

Miran m Slovene
Derived from the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace" or "world".

Miranda f English, Dutch
Derived from Latin mirandus meaning "admirable, wonderful". The name was created by Shakespeare for the heroine in his play The Tempest (1611), in which Miranda and her father Prospero are 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.

Miras m Kazakh
Means "legacy, inheritance" in Kazakh, from Arabic ميراث (mirath) via Turkish.

Miray f Turkish
Meaning uncertain, possibly from Arabic أمير (amir) meaning "commander" combined with Turkish ay meaning "moon, month".

Mirče m Macedonian
Derived from the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace, world".

Mirdza f Latvian
Derived from Latvian mirdzēt meaning "to shine, to glitter". This is the name of a tragic character in the play Vaidelote (1894) by the Latvian poet and playwright Aspazija.

Mireille f French, Dutch
From 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". It is spelled Mirèlha in classical Occitan orthography. A notable bearer is the French singer Mireille Mathieu (1946-).

Mirek m Polish, Czech, Slovak
Diminutive of Miroslav and other names beginning with the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace, world". It is sometimes used independently.

Mirembe f Ganda
Means "peace" in Luganda.

Mirica f Croatian
From the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace, world" combined with a diminutive suffix.

Mirinda f Esperanto
Means "wonderful" in Esperanto.

Mirka 1 f Czech, Slovak, Polish, Serbian
Diminutive of Miroslava and other names containing the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace" or "world".

Mirko m Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian, Italian
From the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace, world", originally a diminutive of names containing that element.

Mirna f Croatian, Serbian
From Serbo-Croatian miran meaning "peaceful, calm".

Miro m Croatian, Slovene
Short form of Miroslav and other names beginning with Mir (often the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace, world").

Miroslav m Czech, Slovak, Russian, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Macedonian
Derived from the Slavic elements mirŭ "peace, world" and slava "glory". This was the name of a 10th-century king of Croatia who was deposed by one of his nobles after ruling for four years.

Mirsad m Bosnian
Meaning unknown, possibly derived from Arabic meaning "watchtower" or Persian meaning "ambush".

Mirta f Spanish, Italian, Croatian
Spanish, Italian and Croatian cognate of Myrtle.

Mirte f Dutch
Variant of Myrthe.

Mirthe f Dutch
Variant of Myrthe.

Miruna f Romanian
Possibly derived from the Slavic word mir meaning "peace" or Romanian mira meaning "to wonder, to astound".

Mirza m Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Bosnian
Means "prince" from Persian میرزا (mirza), earlier امیرزاده (amirzadeh), which is ultimately from Arabic أمير (amir) meaning "commander" combined with Persian زاده (zadeh) meaning "offspring".

Misaki f Japanese
From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and 咲 (saki) meaning "blossom". This name can be formed from other combinations of kanji as well.

Misao m & f Japanese
From Japanese 操 (misao) meaning "chastity, honour". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji.

Misericordia f Spanish
Means "compassion, mercy" in Spanish, ultimately from Latin miser "poor, wretched" and cor "heart". It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, La Virgen de la Misericordia, meaning "The Virgin of Compassion".

Miski f Quechua
Means "honey" in Quechua.

Mislav m Croatian
Derived from the Slavic element myslĭ "thought" or mojĭ "my" combined with slava "glory". This was the name of a 9th-century duke of Croatia, also called Mojslav. His name was recorded in Latin as Muisclavo.

Mistawasis m Cree (Anglicized)
Means "big child" in Cree, derived from ᒥᐢᑕᐦᐃ (mistahi) "big, great" and ᐊᐋᐧᓯᐢ (awâsis) "child". This was the name of a prominent 19th-century Cree chief.

Misty f English
From 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 Korean
From 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 English
From an English surname, itself derived from the given name Michael or in some cases from Middle English michel meaning "big, large".

Mithra m Persian Mythology
From Avestan 𐬨𐬌𐬚𐬭𐬀 (mithra) meaning "oath, covenant, agreement", derived from an Indo-Iranian root *mitra meaning "that which binds". According Zoroastrian mythology Mithra was a god of light and friendship, the son of the supreme god Ahura Mazda. Worship of him eventually spread outside of Persia to the Roman Empire, where it was known as Mithraism.

Mithridates m Old Persian (Hellenized), Parthian (Hellenized)
Greek form of Old Persian 𐎷𐎡𐎰𐎼𐎭𐎠𐎫 (Mithradata) or the later Parthian 𐭌𐭄𐭓𐭃𐭕 (Mihrdat) both meaning "gift of Mithra". This was the name (in Greek) of several kings of Pontus and Parthia.

Mitra 1 m & f Hinduism, Hindi
Means "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.

Mitsuaki m Japanese
From Japanese 光 (mitsu) meaning "light" and 昭 (aki) meaning "bright, luminous". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Mitsuki f Japanese
From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and 月 (tsuki) meaning "moon". It can also come from 光 (mitsu) meaning "light" and 希 (ki) meaning "hope", as well as several other kanji combinations.

Mitsuko f Japanese
From Japanese 光 (mitsu) meaning "light" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Mittens m & f Pet
From the plural of the English word mitten. This is a common name for cats, given because of a distinctive colouration of the paws.

Mitul m Gujarati, Hindi
Derived from Sanskrit मित (mita) meaning "measured".

Miu f Japanese
From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and 羽 (u) meaning "feather". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Miyako f Japanese
From 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.

Miyo f Japanese
From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and 代 (yo) meaning "generation", or other kanji combinations having the same reading.

Miyoko f Japanese
From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful", 代 (yo) meaning "generation" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Miyu f Japanese
From 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.

Miyuki f Japanese
From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with 幸 (yuki) meaning "happiness" or 雪 (yuki) meaning "snow". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Mizuki f Japanese
From Japanese 瑞 (mizu) meaning "felicitous omen, auspicious" and 希 (ki) meaning "hope", besides other kanji combinations.

Mladen m Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Macedonian
Derived from the South Slavic word mlad meaning "young", ultimately from Old Slavic *moldŭ.

Mnason m Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek, Ancient Greek
Possibly means "reminding" in Greek. In Acts in the New Testament Paul stays in Jerusalem with a man named Mnason, a Jew who was originally from Cyprus.

Mneme f Greek Mythology
Means "memory" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was one of the original three muses, the muse of memory.

Mnemosyne f Greek Mythology
Means "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 Swedish
Possibly derived from Swedish moder meaning "mother". This was the pen name of the Swedish author Moa Martinson (real name Helga Maria Martinson).

Moab m Biblical
Means "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 Tupi
From 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.

Moana f & m Maori, Hawaiian, Tahitian, Samoan, Tongan
Means "ocean, wide expanse of water, deep sea" in Maori, Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages.

Mochán m Medieval Irish
Derived from Irish moch meaning "early" combined with a diminutive suffix.

Modestus m Late Roman
Means "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".

Modu m History
Possibly a Middle Chinese form of the old Turkic honorific bagatur meaning "hero, warrior". Modu Chanyu was a 3rd-century BC ruler of the Xiongnu, a people from Mongolia.

Moe 2 f Japanese
From Japanese 萌 (moe) meaning "bud, sprout". Other kanji with the same reading can also form this name.

Moema f Portuguese (Brazilian, Rare)
Means "lies" in Tupí. This name appears in the poem Caramuru (1781) by the Brazilian poet Santa Rita Durão.

Moerani m & f Tahitian
From Tahitian moe "sleep" and raʻi "heaven, sky".

Mohana m & f Hinduism
Means "bewitching, infatuating, charming" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form मोहन (an epithet of the Hindu gods Shiva, Krishna and Kama) and the feminine form मोहना (spelled with a long final vowel).

Mohandas m Hindi
Means "servant of Mohana" from the name of the Hindu god Mohana combined with Sanskrit दास (dasa) meaning "servant". A famous bearer of this name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948), also known as Mahatma Gandhi, an Indian leader who struggled peacefully for independence from Britain.

Mohinder m & f Indian (Sikh)
Variant of Mahendra used by Sikhs.

Mohini f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi
Means "infatuating" in Sanskrit. This was the name adopted by the Hindu god Vishnu when he took the form of a woman.

Mohit m Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali
Derived from Sanskrit मोहित (mohita) meaning "infatuated, fascinated, bewildered".

Mojca f Slovene
Possibly a Slovene diminutive of Marija. Alternatively, it could be related to Slovene moj meaning "my, mine".

Mojisola f Yoruba
Means "I wake up to wealth" in Yoruba.

Mojmír m Czech, Slovak
Derived from the Slavic elements mojĭ meaning "my" and mirŭ meaning "peace" or "world". This was the name of a 9th-century ruler of Moravia.

Mokee'e f Cheyenne
Means "little woman" in Cheyenne.

Mokosh f Slavic Mythology
Derived from the Old Slavic root mok meaning "wet, moist". Mokosh was a Slavic goddess associated with weaving, women, water and fertility.

Momchil m Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian момче (momche) meaning "boy".

Momi f Hawaiian
Means "pearl" in Hawaiian.

Momoka f Japanese
From Japanese 百 (momo) meaning "hundred" or 桃 (momo) meaning "peach" combined with 花 (ka) meaning "flower" or 香 (ka) meaning "fragrance". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Momoko f Japanese
From Japanese 百 (momo) meaning "hundred" or 桃 (momo) meaning "peach" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can be constructed from other kanji combinations as well.

Mona 1 f Irish, English
Anglicized form of Muadhnait. It is also associated with Greek monos "one" and Leonardo da Vinci's painting the Mona Lisa (in which case it is a contraction of Italian ma donna meaning "my lady").

Monday m & f English (African)
From the English word for the day of the week, which was derived from Old English mona "moon" and dæg "day". This can be given to children born on Monday, especially in Nigeria.

Monet f & m Various
From a French surname that was derived from either Hamon or Edmond. This was the surname of the French impressionist painter Claude Monet (1840-1926).

Mongkut m Thai
Means "crown" in Thai.

Monica f English, Italian, Romanian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Late Roman
Meaning unknown, most likely of Berber or Phoenician origin. In the 4th century this name was borne by a North African saint, the mother of Saint Augustine of Hippo, whom she converted to Christianity. Since the Middle Ages it has been associated with Latin moneo "advisor" and Greek μονός (monos) "one, single".... [more]

Monifa f Yoruba (Rare)
Means "I am lucky" in Yoruba.

Mönkhtsetseg f Mongolian
Means "eternal flower" in Mongolian, from мөнх (mönkh) meaning "eternal" and цэцэг (tsetseg) meaning "flower".

Mönkhtuya f Mongolian
From Mongolian мөнх (mönkh) meaning "eternal" and туяа (tuyaa) meaning "ray, beam".

Monroe m & f English
From a Scottish surname meaning "from the mouth of the Roe". The Roe is a river in Northern Ireland. Two famous bearers of the surname were American president James Monroe (1758-1831) and American actress Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962).... [more]

Monta f Latvian
Modern Latvian name, possibly from Latin mons "mountain".

Montague m English (Rare)
From an aristocratic English surname meaning "sharp mountain", from Old French mont agu. In Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet (1596) this is the surname of Romeo and his family.

Montana f & m English (Modern)
From the name of the American state, which is derived from Latin montanus "mountainous".

Montgomery m English
From an English surname meaning "Gumarich's mountain" in Norman French. A notable bearer of this surname was Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976), a British army commander during World War II.

Montserrat f Catalan
From the name of a mountain near Barcelona, the site of a monastery founded in the 10th century. The mountain gets its name from Latin mons serratus meaning "jagged mountain".

Montu m Egyptian Mythology
From Egyptian mnṯw meaning "nomad". In Egyptian mythology he was the god of war, depicted as a man with the head of a falcon or a bull.

Mór 1 f Medieval Irish
Means "great" in Irish. This was a popular medieval Irish name. It was probably given in some cases as an alternative to Máire, which was considered too sacred for general use.

Mòr f Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Mór 1. It is sometimes translated into English as Sarah or Marion.

Mor f & m Hebrew
Means "myrrh" in Hebrew.

Moran f & m Hebrew
Means "viburnum shrub" in Hebrew.

Morana f Slavic Mythology, Croatian
From Old Slavic morŭ meaning "death, plague". In Slavic mythology this was the name of a goddess associated with winter and death.

Moray m Scottish
From the name of the area of Moray in Scotland or the surname derived from it (see Moray).

Mordecai m Biblical, Hebrew
Means "servant of Marduk" in Persian. In the Old Testament Mordecai is the cousin and foster father of Esther. He thwarted a plot to kill the Persian king, though he made an enemy of the king's chief advisor Haman.

Mordred m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Cycle
From Welsh Medraut, possibly from Latin moderatus meaning "controlled, moderated". In Arthurian legend Mordred was the illegitimate son (in some versions nephew) of King Arthur. Mordred first appears briefly (as Medraut) in the 10th-century Annales Cambriae, but he was not portrayed as a traitor until the chronicles of the 12th-century Geoffrey of Monmouth. While Arthur is away he seduces his wife Guinevere and declares himself king. This prompts the battle of Camlann, which leads to the deaths of both Mordred and Arthur.

Morena f Italian, Spanish
Feminine form of Moreno.

Moreno m Italian, Spanish
Derived from Italian moro or Spanish moreno meaning "dark-skinned".

Morgan 1 m & f Welsh, English, French
From the Old Welsh masculine name Morcant, which was possibly derived from Welsh mor "sea" and cant "circle". Since the 1980s in America Morgan has been more common for girls than boys, perhaps due to stories of Morgan le Fay or the fame of actress Morgan Fairchild (1950-).

Morgen f Arthurian Cycle
Earlier form of Morgan 2.

Moriah f English (Modern)
From Hebrew מֹרִיָה (Moriyah) possibly meaning "seen by Yahweh". This is a place name in the Old Testament, both the land where Abraham is to sacrifice Isaac and the mountain upon which Solomon builds the temple. They may be the same place. Since the 1980s it has occasionally been used as a feminine given name in America.

Moriko f Japanese
From Japanese 森 (mori) meaning "forest" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

Morley m English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally from an Old English place name meaning "marsh clearing".

Morpheus m Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek μορφή (morphe) meaning "shape", referring to the shapes seen in dreams. In Greek mythology Morpheus was the god of dreams.

Morrígan f Irish Mythology
Means either "demon queen" or "great queen", derived from Old Irish mor "demon, evil spirit" or mór "great, big" combined with rígain "queen". In Irish mythology Morrígan (called also The Morrígan) was a goddess of war and death who often took the form of a crow.

Morticia f Popular Culture
From the American English word mortician meaning "undertaker, funeral director", ultimately derived from Latin mortis meaning "death". This name was created for the mother on the Addams Family television series (1964-1966). She was based on an unnamed recurring character in cartoons by Charles Addams, starting 1938.

Mortimer m English
From an English surname that was derived from the name of a town in Normandy, itself meaning "dead water, still water" in Old French.

Morton m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "moor town" in Old English.

Morvarid f Persian
Means "pearl" in Persian.

Morven f Scottish
From the name of a region in western Scotland, also called Morvern or in Gaelic A' Mhorbhairne, meaning "the big gap". This is the location of Fingal's kingdom in James Macpherson's 18th-century poems.

Morwenna f Cornish, Welsh
From Old Cornish moroin meaning "maiden, girl" (related to the Welsh word morwyn). This was the name of a 6th-century Cornish saint, said to be one of the daughters of Brychan Brycheiniog.

Moses m English, Jewish, Biblical, Biblical Latin
From the Hebrew name מֹשֶׁה (Mosheh), which is most likely derived from Egyptian mes meaning "son", but could also possibly mean "deliver" in Hebrew. The meaning suggested in the Old Testament of "drew out" from Hebrew משה (mashah) is probably an invented etymology (see Exodus 2:10).... [more]

Mosi f & m Swahili
Means "first (child)" in Swahili.

Mostyn m Welsh
From the name of a town in northern Wales, which is probably derived from Old English elements meaning "moss town".

Mot m Semitic Mythology
Means "death" in Ugaritic. This was the name of the Ugaritic god of death and the lord of the netherworld. He was a son of the supreme god El.

Motecuhzoma m Nahuatl
Means "he becomes angry like a lord" in Nahuatl, from mo- "himself", tēcu- "lord" and zōma "become angry, frown". This name was borne by two emperors of the Aztec Empire.

Moti 1 m Oromo
Means "leader" in Oromo.

Mowgli m Literature
Created by Rudyard Kipling for a character in The Jungle Book (1894) and its sequel (1895), in which Mowgli is a feral boy who was raised by wolves in the jungle of central India. His name, given to him by his adopted wolf parents, is said to mean "frog" in the stories, though Kipling admitted the name was made up.

Mozhdeh f Persian
Means "good news" in Persian.

Mozhgan f Persian
Means "eyelashes" in Persian.

Mphatso m & f Chewa
Means "gift" in Chewa.

Mpho m & f Tswana, Sotho
Means "gift" in Tswana and Sotho, a derivative of fa "to offer".

Mridula f Hindi
From Sanskrit मृदु (mrdu) meaning "soft, delicate, gentle".

Mstislav m Czech (Rare), Russian (Rare)
Means "vengeance and glory" from the Slavic elements mĭstĭ "vengeance" and slava "glory". Mstislav the Great was a 12th-century grand prince of Kiev.

Mtendere m & f Chewa
Means "peace" in Chewa.

Mu m & f Chinese
From Chinese 慕 (mù) meaning "admire, desire", 木 (mù) meaning "tree, wood", or other characters with similar pronunciations.

Muadhnait f Irish (Rare)
Means "little noble one", derived from the Old Irish poetic word muad meaning "noble, good" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 6th-century saint, a sister of Saint Mo Laisse.

Muammar m Arabic
Means "given long life" in Arabic, from the root عمر ('amara) meaning "to live long, to thrive". A famous bearer was the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi (1942-2011).

Mubin m Arabic
Means "clear, distinct" in Arabic.

Mubiru m Ganda
Meaning unknown. This is the name of a figure in Ganda mythology associated with forests and hunting.

Mücahit m Turkish
Means "fighter" in Turkish.

Mudiwa f & m Shona
Means "beloved, darling" in Shona.

Mufaddal m Arabic
Means "preferred" in Arabic.

Müge f Turkish
Means "lily of the valley" in Turkish (species Convallaria majalis).

Muhamadkhan m Avar
Combination of Muhamad and the Turkic title khan meaning "ruler, leader".

Muhammad m Arabic, Urdu, Punjabi, Pashto, Bengali, Tajik, Uzbek, Indonesian, Malay, Avar
Means "praised, commendable" in Arabic, derived from the root حمد (hamida) meaning "to praise". This was the name of the prophet who founded the Islamic religion in the 7th century. According to Islamic belief, at age 40 Muhammad was visited by the angel Gabriel, who provided him with the first verses of the Quran. Approximately 20 years later he conquered Mecca, the city of his birth, and his followers controlled most of the Arabian Peninsula at the time of his death in 632.... [more]

Muhammad Ali m Arabic, Urdu
Combination of Muhammad and Ali 1.

Muhammed Ali m Turkish
Combination of Muhammed and Ali 1.

Muhsin m Arabic, Turkish
Means "beneficent" in Arabic.

Muir m Scottish
From a Scottish surname, derived from Scots muir meaning "moor, fen". This name could also be inspired by Scottish Gaelic muir meaning "sea".

Muirchertach m Old Irish
Means "mariner" in Irish. This was the name of a 6th-century Irish high king.

Muireadhach m Medieval Irish, Scottish Gaelic
From Old Irish Muiredach meaning "lord, master". This was the name of several legendary and historical kings of Ireland.

Muirenn f Old Irish, Irish Mythology
From Old Irish muir "sea" and finn "white, blessed". This is another name of Muirne, the mother of the legendary hero Fionn mac Cumhaill.

Muirgel f Old Irish
Means "bright sea", derived from Old Irish muir "sea" and gel "bright".

Muirgen f Irish Mythology
Means "born of the sea" in Irish. In Irish legend this was the name of a woman (originally named Lí Ban) who was transformed into a mermaid. After 300 years she was brought to shore, baptized, and transformed back into a woman.

Muirne f Irish Mythology
From Irish muirn meaning either "affection, endearment" or "festivity, exuberance". In Irish legend this was the name of the mother of Fionn mac Cumhaill. She is also called Muirenn.

Mukami f Kikuyu
Possibly means "the one who milks the cows" in Kikuyu.

Mukesha m Hinduism
Means "ruler of Muka" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu god Shiva, given to him because he killed Muka, a demon in the form of a wild boar.

Mukhtar m Arabic, Urdu, Kazakh
Means "chosen" in Arabic.

Mukta f Hindi, Marathi
Means "liberated, set free" in Sanskrit.

Mukul m Hindi
Means "bud, blossom" in Sanskrit.

Mulan f Chinese Mythology
From Chinese 木兰 (mùlán) meaning "magnolia". This is the name of a legendary female warrior who disguises herself as a man to take her ailing father's place when he is conscripted into the army.

Mumbi f Kikuyu
Means "she who shapes" in Kikuyu. In Kikuyu mythology Mumbi was the wife of Gikuyu and the mother of his nine daughters.

Mumin m Arabic
Means "believer" in Arabic.

Mumtaz m & f Arabic, Urdu
Means "distinguished" in Arabic. The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as tomb for his wife Mumtaz Mahal (1593-1631).

Muna f Arabic
Means "wishes, desires", from the plural of Arabic منية (munyah).

Munashe m & f Shona
Means "with God" in Shona, derived from ishe meaning "lord, God".

Mundi m Old Norse
Short form of Old Norse names ending with the element mundr "protection".

Mungo m Scottish
Meaning uncertain, possibly from a Brythonic phrase meaning "my dear". This was a nickname of the 6th-century Saint Kentigern.

Munir m Arabic
Means "bright, shining" in Arabic.

Munro m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Monroe.

Munroe m & f English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Monroe.

Munya f Arabic
Means "wish, desire" in Arabic.

Munyaradzi m Shona
Means "comforter, consoler" in Shona, from nyaradza "to make quiet, to console".

Mupitsukupʉ m Comanche
Means "old owl" in Comanche, derived from mupitsi "owl" and tsukupʉ "old man". This name was borne by a 19th-century chief of the Penateka Comanche.

Murad m Arabic, Urdu, Azerbaijani, Avar
Means "wish, desire" in Arabic. This name was borne by five Ottoman sultans.

Murali m Hinduism, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi
Means "flute" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu god Krishna, given to him because he played the flute.

Murchadh m Medieval Irish, Scottish Gaelic
Means "sea battle", derived from Old Irish muir "sea" and cath "battle". This name was borne by several medieval Irish chieftains and kings. It is Anglicized as Murdo in Scotland.

Murphy m & f English
From a common Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Ó Murchadha, itself derived from the given name Murchadh. As a given name, it has been borne by female characters on the American television series Murphy Brown (1988-1998) and the movie Interstellar (2014).

Murray m Scottish, English
From a surname, which is either Scottish or Irish in origin (see Murray 1 and Murray 2).

Murtada m Arabic
Means "chosen" in Arabic. This is an epithet of Ali, the fourth caliph.

Murugan m Hinduism, Tamil
Possibly from a Dravidian word meaning "youth". This is the name of a Tamil war god identified with Skanda.

Mus'ad m Arabic
Means "lucky" in Arabic.

Muscowequan m Ojibwe (Anglicized)
From Ojibwe Maskawigwan meaning "hard quill", derived from mashkawaa "hard" and gaaway "quill". This was the name of a 19th-century Saulteaux chief.

Muslim m Arabic, Urdu, Kazakh, Indonesian, Malay
Name for a follower of Islam, ultimately from Arabic أسْلم (aslama) meaning "to surrender, to submit".

Mustafa m Arabic, Turkish, Bosnian, Urdu
Means "the chosen one" in Arabic, an epithet of Muhammad. This was the name of four Ottoman sultans. Another famous bearer was Mustafa Kemal (1881-1938), also known as Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey.

Mut f Egyptian Mythology
From Egyptian mwt meaning "mother". In Egyptian mythology she was a mother goddess, the consort of Amon and the mother of Khonsu. She was sometimes depicted wearing a headdress with vulture wings.

Mu'tamid m Arabic
Means "relying on, leaning on" in Arabic. Al-Mu'tamid was a 9th-century Abbasid caliph. This was also the name of an 11th-century Abbadid ruler of Seville, who was a patron of the arts and a poet.

Mu'tasim m Arabic
Means "taking refuge in" in Arabic.

Mutemwiya f Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian mwt-m-wjꜣ meaning "Mut is in the sacred barque", from the name of the goddess Mut combined with wjꜣ "sacred barque" (a boat used to carry the dead to the afterlife). This name was borne by a wife of the pharaoh Thutmose IV. She was the mother of Amenhotep III.

Muthoni f Kikuyu
Means "mother-in-law" in Kikuyu.

Mutnedjmet f Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian mwt-nḏmt meaning "Mut is sweet", from the name of the goddess Mut combined with nḏm "sweet, pleasant". This name was borne by the wife of the pharaoh Horemheb.

Mwanahamisi f Swahili
Means "child born on Thursday" in Swahili.

Mwanahawa f Swahili
Combination of Swahili mwana meaning "child" and the name Hawa.

Mwanaidi f Swahili
Means "child born during the festival" in Swahili.

Mwanaisha f Swahili
Combination of Swahili mwana meaning "child" and the name Aisha.

Mwanajuma f Swahili
Means "child born on Friday" in Swahili.

Mwangi m Kikuyu
Means "rapid expansion" in Kikuyu. Kikuyu males were traditionally organized into age sets or generations. The Mwangi generation started around the beginning of the 20th century and lasted for about 30 years.

Mwayi f & m Chewa
Means "opportunity" in Chewa.

Mỹ f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 美 (mỹ) meaning "beautiful".

Myeong m & f Korean
From Sino-Korean 明 (myeong) meaning "bright, light, clear" or other hanja characters with the same pronunciation. Although it does appear rarely as a single-character name, it is more often used in combination with another character.

Myeong-Suk f Korean
From Sino-Korean 明 (myeong) meaning "bright, light, clear" combined with 淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming". Other hanja combinations are possible.

Myfanwy f Welsh
From the Welsh prefix my- meaning "my, belonging to me" (an older form of fy) combined with either manwy meaning "fine, delicate" or banwy meaning "woman" (a variant of banw). This was the name of an 1875 Welsh song composed by Joseph Parry.

Mylène f French
Combination of Marie and Hélène. It can also be used as a French form of Milena.

Myles 2 m Greek Mythology
Probably from Greek μύλη (myle) meaning "mill". This was the name of a king of Laconia in Greek mythology.

Mynte f Danish
Means "mint" in Danish.

Myrddin m Welsh Mythology, Welsh
Original Welsh form of Merlin. It is probably ultimately from the name of the Romano-British settlement Moridunum, derived from Celtic *mori "sea" and *dūnom "rampart, hill fort". Prefixed with Welsh caer "fort", this town has been called Caerfyrddin (Carmarthen in English) from medieval times. It is thought that Caerfyrddin may have mistakenly been interpreted as meaning "fort of Myrddin", as if Myrddin were a personal name instead of a later development of Moridunum.... [more]

Myron m English, Ukrainian, Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek μύρον (myron) meaning "sweet oil, perfume". Myron was the name of a 5th-century BC Greek sculptor. Saints bearing this name include a 3rd-century bishop of Crete and a 4th-century martyr from Cyzicus who was killed by a mob. These saints are more widely revered in the Eastern Church, and the name has generally been more common among Eastern Christians. As an English name, it has been used since the 19th century.

Myrrhine f Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek μύρρα (myrrha) meaning "myrrh". This is the name of a character in the comedy Lysistrata by the Greek playwright Aristophanes.

Myrthe f Dutch
From Dutch mirte, a cognate of Myrtle.

Myrtle f English
Simply from the English word myrtle for the evergreen shrub, ultimately from Greek μύρτος (myrtos). It was first used as a given name in the 19th century, at the same time many other plant and flower names were coined.

Myrto f Greek, Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
From Greek μύρτος (myrtos) meaning "myrtle". This was the name of a few characters from Greek mythology, including one of the Maenads.

Mzia f Georgian
Derived from Georgian მზე (mze) meaning "sun".

Na f Chinese
From Chinese 娜 (nà) meaning "elegant, graceful, delicate" or other characters pronounced similarly.

Naaji m Arabic
Means "saved" in Arabic.

Naamah f Biblical
Means "pleasant" in Hebrew. This name is borne in the Old Testament by both a daughter of Lamech and a wife of Solomon. Some later Jewish texts give Naamah as the name of Noah's wife, even though she is not named in the Old Testament.

Naasunnguaq f Greenlandic
Means "little flower" in Greenlandic, from naasoq "flower, plant" and the diminutive suffix -nnguaq.

Nabil m Arabic
Means "noble" in Arabic.

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.

Nabu m Semitic Mythology
Possibly from a Semitic root meaning "to announce". This was the name of a Babylonian and Assyrian god of wisdom, letters and writing.

Nada 1 f Arabic
Means either "generosity" or "dew" in Arabic.

Nada 2 f Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian
Means "hope" in South Slavic.

Nadab m Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Means "generous" in Hebrew. This is the name of a son of Aaron in the Old Testament. He was consumed by flames and killed when he offered unauthorized fire to God. It was also the name of the second king of Israel.

Nadezhda f Russian, Bulgarian
Means "hope" in Russian and Bulgarian.

Nadim m Arabic, Urdu
Means "drinking companion", derived from Arabic ندم (nadima) meaning "to drink together".

Nadir m Arabic, Turkish
Means "rare" in Arabic.

Nadiya f Ukrainian
Ukrainian cognate of Nadezhda, being the Ukrainian word meaning "hope".

Nadiyya f Arabic
Means "moist, tender, delicate" in Arabic.

Nadra f Arabic
Means "radiance" in Arabic.

Nadzeya f Belarusian
Belarusian cognate of Nadezhda, being the Belarusian word meaning "hope".

Nadzieja f Polish
Polish cognate of Nadezhda, being the Polish word meaning "hope".

Naenia f Roman Mythology
Means "incantation, dirge" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of funerals.

Nəfəs f Azerbaijani
Means "breath" in Azerbaijani, derived from Arabic نفس (nafas).

Nafisa f Arabic
From Arabic نفيس (nafis) meaning "precious, valuable".

Nagendra m Hinduism, Kannada, Telugu
Means "lord of snakes" from Sanskrit नाग (naga) 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.

Nahal f Hebrew
Means "stream" in Hebrew.

Nahia f Basque
From Basque nahi meaning "desire, wish".

Nahor m Biblical
Means "snorting" in Hebrew. Nahor is the name of both the grandfather and a brother of Abraham in the Old Testament.

Nahum m Biblical
Means "comforter" in Hebrew, from the root נָחַם (nacham). Nahum is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament. He authored the Book of Nahum in which the downfall of Nineveh is foretold.

Naia f Basque
Means "wave, sea foam" in Basque.

Naiche m Apache
Means "mischief maker" in Apache. This name was borne by a 19th-century Chiricahua Apache chief, the son of Cochise.

Naida f Dagestani
Meaning uncertain, possibly derived from Greek Ναϊάς (Naias), a type of water nymph in Greek mythology (plural Ναϊάδες). Alternatively it might be related to Persian Nahid.

Nail m Arabic, Turkish, Tatar
Means "attainer" in Arabic.

Na'im m Arabic
Means "tranquil, happy, at ease" in Arabic.

Naira f Aymara
From Aymara nayra meaning "eye" or "early".

Nairobi f African American (Modern)
From the name of the capital city of Kenya, derived from Maasai enkare nyrobi meaning "cold water".

Naja f Greenlandic, Danish
From Greenlandic najaa meaning "his younger sister". It was popularized in Denmark by the writer B. S. Ingemann, who used it in his novel Kunnuk and Naja, or the Greenlanders (1842).

Najden m Macedonian
Macedonian form of Nayden.

Naji m Arabic
Means "intimate friend" in Arabic. This can also be another way of transcribing the name ناجي (see Naaji).

Najib m Arabic
Means "noble, distinguished" in Arabic.

Najibullah m Arabic, Pashto
Means "distinguished of Allah", derived from Arabic نجيب (najib) meaning "noble, distinguished" combined with الله (Allah).

Najla f Arabic
Means "wide-eyed" in Arabic.

Najm m Arabic
Means "star" in Arabic.

Najwa f Arabic
Means "secret, whisper" in Arabic.

Nakato f Ganda
Means "second of twins" in Luganda.

Nakeisha f African American (Modern)
Combination of the phonetic prefix na and the name Keisha.

Nakisha f African American (Modern)
Combination of the name prefix na and the name Kisha.

Nala 1 m Hinduism
Means "stem" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a king of the Nishadha people in the Hindu epic the Mahabharata.

Nala 2 f Popular Culture
The name of a lion in the animated movie The Lion King (1994). Though many sources claim it means "gift" or "beloved" in Swahili, it does not appear to have a meaning in that language.

Nālani f & m Hawaiian
Means "the heavens" or "the chiefs" from Hawaiian nā, a definite article, and lani "heaven, sky, chief".

Naliaka f Luhya
Means "born during the weeding season", from Luhya liliaka meaning "weeding".

Nalini f Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi
Means "lotus" in Sanskrit.

Nam m Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 南 (nam) meaning "south".

Namrata f Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Nepali
Means "bowing, humility" in Sanskrit.

Nana 2 f Japanese
From Japanese 菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens" and/or 奈 (na), a phonetic character. The characters can be in either order or the same character can be duplicated, as indicated by the symbol 々. Other kanji with the same pronunciations can also be used to form this name.

Nana 3 f Georgian
Meaning unknown. This was the name of a 4th-century queen consort of Georgia who is regarded as a saint in the Orthodox Church.

Nanabah f Navajo
Means "returning warrior" in Navajo, derived from nááná "again" and baa' "warrior, heroine, raid, battle".

Nanabozho m New World Mythology
Means "my rabbit" in Ojibwe, derived from waabooz "rabbit". In Anishinaabe legend Nanabozho (also called Wenabozho) is a trickster spirit.

Nanako f Japanese
From Japanese 菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens" duplicated and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible as well.