CANDACE f English, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom the hereditary title of the queens of Ethiopia, as mentioned in Acts in the New Testament. It is apparently derived from Cushitic
kdke meaning "queen mother". In some versions of the Bible it is spelled
Kandake, reflecting the Greek spelling
Κανδακη. It was used as a given name by the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation. It was popularized in the 20th century by a character in the movie 'Meet the Stewarts' (1942).
DAR f & m HebrewMeans "mother-of-pearl, nacre" in Hebrew.
DEMETER (1) f Greek MythologyPossibly means "earth mother", derived from Greek
δα (da) meaning "earth" and
μητηρ (meter) meaning "mother". In Greek mythology Demeter was the goddess of agriculture, the daughter of
Cronus, the sister of
Zeus, and the mother of
Persephone. She was an important figure in the Eleusinian Mysteries, which were secret rites performed at Eleusis near Athens.
EMESE f HungarianPossibly derived from Finno-Ugric
eme meaning "mother". In Hungarian legend this was the name of the grandmother of Árpád, founder of the Hungarian state.
MARI (3) f MythologyPossibly from Basque
emari "donation" or
amari "mother". This was the name of a goddess of the weather and fertility in Basque mythology.
MAYLIS f FrenchFrom the name of a town in southern France, possibly derived from Occitan
mair "mother" and French
lys "lily". It is also sometimes considered a combination of
MARIE and
lys.
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).
NNENNA f Western African, IgboMeans "father's mother" in Igbo. This name is sometimes given to a child when it is believed that she is a reincarnation of her paternal grandmother.
NNENNE f Western African, IgboMeans "mother's mother" in Igbo. This name is sometimes given to a child when it is believed that she is a reincarnation of her maternal grandmother.
SADAF f ArabicMeans "seashell, mother-of-pearl" in Arabic.