Melody f EnglishFrom the English word
melody, which is derived (via Old French and Late Latin) from Greek
μέλος (melos) meaning "song" combined with
ἀείδω (aeido) meaning "to sing".
Menesa f Turkish (Modern)From the biblical name
Manasseh. This name became popular in Turkey after it appeared on the Turkish version of the popular Iranian television series
Prophet Joseph (2008). In the series Menesa is the daughter of
Joseph and
Asenath, whereas in the biblical account Manasseh was their son.
Mentor m Greek MythologyPossibly related to Greek
μένος (menos) meaning
"mind, strength, force". In Greek legend Mentor was the son of Alkimos. When
Odysseus left to fight in the Trojan War he entrusted Mentor with the care of his palace and the guardianship of his son Telemachos. When the goddess
Athena visited Telemachos she took the guise of Mentor.
Mercia f English (Rare)Latinate form of
Mercy. This was also the name of an old Anglo-Saxon kingdom, though it has a different origin.
Merfyn m WelshFrom an Old Welsh name (recorded variously as
Mermin,
Merhin or
Merwin), of uncertain meaning. It is possibly from
mer "bone marrow" or
mor "sea" with the second element possibly
mynawg "eminent, noble",
mynnu "wish, desire" or
myn "young goat, kid". This was the name of a 9th-century king of Gwynedd, Merfyn Frych.
Merida f Popular CultureThe name of the main character in the Disney/Pixar movie
Brave (2012) about a medieval Scottish princess. The meaning of her name is unexplained, though it could be based on the Spanish city of Mérida, derived from Latin
Emerita Augusta meaning "veterans of
Augustus", so named because it was founded by the emperor Augustus as a colony for his veterans.
Merlin m Arthurian Cycle, EnglishForm of the Welsh name
Myrddin used by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his 12th-century chronicle. Writing in Latin, he likely chose the form
Merlinus over
Merdinus in order to prevent associations with French
merde "excrement".
... [more] Merlyn m & f EnglishVariant of
Merlin, sometimes used as a feminine form. It has perhaps been influenced by the Welsh word
merlyn meaning "pony".
Merope f Greek MythologyFrom Greek
μέρος (meros) meaning "share, part" and
ὄψ (ops) meaning "face, eye". This was the name of several characters in Greek mythology, including the seventh of the Pleiades and the foster mother of
Oedipus.
Meurig m WelshFrom Old Welsh
Mouric, possibly a Welsh form of the Latin name
Mauritius (see
Maurice). This was the name of a few early Welsh kings (such as the 5th-century Meurig ap Tewdrig).
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 Nostredame (1503-1566), also known as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer who made predictions about future world events. Another famous bearer is the retired French soccer player Michel Platini (1955-). This is also the German diminutive form of
Michael.
Mickey m & f EnglishDiminutive or feminine form of
Michael. This was the name that Walt Disney gave to Ub Iwerks' cartoon character Mickey Mouse (debuting 1928), who was called Mortimer Mouse while being developed. Another famous bearer was the American baseball player Mickey Mantle (1931-1995).
Miguel m Spanish, Portuguese, GalicianSpanish, Portuguese and Galician 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.
Milada f Czech, SlovakOriginally a diminutive of names containing the Slavic element
milŭ meaning
"gracious, dear". It can also be derived from Czech and Slovak
mladá meaning
"young", ultimately from Old Slavic *
moldŭ.
Milani f English (Modern)From the name of the Italian city of
Milan, as in the name of the American cosmetics company founded in 2002. It could also a variant of
Melanie.
Milena f Serbian, Macedonian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Slovene, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Russian, ItalianFeminine form of
Milan. It began to be used in Italy in honour of Milena Vukotić (1847-1923), mother of Helen of Montenegro, the wife of the Italian king Victor Emmanuel III. In Italy it can also be considered a combination of
Maria and
Elena.
Miller m & f EnglishFrom an English occupational surname for a miller, derived from Middle English
mille "mill".
Miloje m SerbianFrom the Slavic element
milŭ meaning
"gracious, dear", originally a diminutive of names beginning with that element.
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 CzechOriginally a diminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element
milŭ meaning
"gracious, dear".
Mimoza f Albanian, GeorgianFrom the Albanian and Georgian word for the mimosa plant, a flowering herb. It is ultimately derived from Greek
μῖμος (mimos) meaning "mimic".
Minnie f EnglishDiminutive of
Wilhelmina. This name was used by Walt Disney for the cartoon character Minnie Mouse, introduced 1928.
Miomir m SerbianDerived from the element
mio, a Serbian form of the Slavic element
milŭ meaning "dear", combined with
mirŭ meaning "peace" or "world".
Mircea m RomanianRomanian form of
Mirče. This name was borne by a 14th-century ruler of Wallachia, called Mircea the Great.
Miriam f Hebrew, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Italian, Portuguese, Czech, Slovak, Polish, BiblicalForm of
Mary 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.
Mirica f CroatianFrom the Slavic element
mirŭ meaning
"peace, world" combined with a diminutive suffix.
Miruna f RomanianPossibly derived from the Slavic word
mir meaning
"peace" or Romanian
mira meaning
"to wonder, to astound".
Mischa m & f Dutch, GermanDutch and German form of
Misha. It is occasionally used as a feminine name in Dutch.
Mislav m CroatianDerived 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.
Mithra m Persian MythologyFrom 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.
Mitică m RomanianDiminutive of
Dumitru. This is the name of a character in early 20th-century stories by the Romanian author Ion Luca Caragiale.
Mohana m & f HinduismMeans
"bewitching, infatuating, charming" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form
मोहन (an epithet of the Hindu gods
Shiva and
Krishna) and the feminine form
मोहना (spelled with a long final vowel).
Mohini f Hinduism, Hindi, MarathiMeans
"perplexing, enchanting" in Sanskrit. This was the name of a beautiful female avatar of the Hindu god
Vishnu, a form he took in order to trick the asuras (demons) into relinquishing the amrita (elixir of immortality).
Mojmír m Czech, SlovakDerived from the Slavic elements
mojĭ meaning "my" and
mirŭ meaning "peace" or "world". This was the name of a 9th-century ruler of Moravia.
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.
Monica f English, Italian, Romanian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Late RomanMeaning 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] Monika f German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Bulgarian, Lithuanian, LatvianForm of
Monica used in various languages.
Monroe m & f EnglishFrom 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] Morgan 1 m & f Welsh, English, FrenchFrom 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-).
Morgan 2 f Arthurian CycleModern form of
Morgen, which was used by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century for the Arthurian sorceress Morgan le Fay, who was unnamed in earlier stories. Geoffrey probably did not derive it from the Welsh masculine name
Morgan, which would have been spelled
Morcant in his time. It is likely from Old Welsh
mor "sea" and the suffix
gen "born of".
Moriah f English (Modern)From Hebrew
מֹרִיָה (Moriya) 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.
Muirne f Irish MythologyFrom 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.
Muriel f English, French, Irish, Scottish, Medieval Breton (Anglicized)Anglicized form of Irish
Muirgel and Scottish
Muireall. A form of this name was also used in Brittany, and it was first introduced to medieval England by Breton settlers in the wake of the Norman Conquest. In the modern era it was popularized by a character from Dinah Craik's novel
John Halifax, Gentleman (1856).
Murphy m & f EnglishFrom 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).
Myrtle f EnglishSimply 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.
Naamah f BiblicalMeans
"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.
Naenia f Roman MythologyMeans
"incantation, dirge" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of funerals.
Nándor m HungarianOriginally this was a Hungarian word referring to a Bulgarian people that lived along the Danube. Since the 19th century it has been used as a Hungarian short form of
Ferdinand.
Naoise m Irish, Irish MythologyMeaning unknown, presumably of Irish origin. In Irish legend he was the young man who fled to Scotland with
Deirdre, who was due to marry
Conchobar the king of Ulster. Conchobar eventually succeeded in capturing Deirdre and killing Naoise, which caused Deirdre to die of grief.
Narine f ArmenianProbably from Persian
نار (nār) meaning
"pomegranate", considered a sacred fruit in Armenian culture. Alternately, it could be derived from Arabic
نار (nār) meaning
"fire".
Narmer m Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
nꜥr-mr meaning
"fierce catfish", derived from
nꜥr "catfish" and
mr "fierce, painful". Narmer was an Egyptian ruler who is considered the first pharaoh, uniting Upper and Lower Egypt around the 31st century BC. He is probably the same person as
Menes, with Narmer being his Horus name.
Narses m Middle Persian (Hellenized)Hellenized form of the Middle Persian name
𐭭𐭥𐭮𐭧𐭩 (Narseh), which was derived from Avestan
Nairyosangha. This name was borne by a 3rd-century ruler of the Persian Sasanian Empire. It was also borne by a Byzantine general of Armenian and Parthian descent who helped restore Italy to the Roman Empire during the reign of Justinian I in the 6th century.
Nélida f Literature, SpanishCreated by French author Marie d'Agoult for her semi-autobiographical novel
Nélida (1846), written under the name Daniel Stern. It was probably an anagram of her pen name
Daniel.
Nelson m English, SpanishFrom an English surname meaning
"son of Neil". It was originally given in honour of the British admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805). His most famous battle was the Battle of Trafalgar, in which he destroyed a combined French and Spanish fleet, but was himself killed. Another notable bearer was the South African statesman Nelson Mandela (1918-2013). Mandela's birth name was
Rolihlahla; as a child he was given the English name
Nelson by a teacher.
Nereus m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekDerived from Greek
νηρός (neros) meaning
"water". In Greek myth this was the name of a god of the sea, the father of the Nereids. It is mentioned briefly in the New Testament, belonging to a Christian in Rome. This was also the name of a Roman saint of the 1st century, a member of the army, who was martyred with his companion Achilleus because they refused to execute Christians.
Nerina f ItalianProbably from Greek
Νηρηΐδες (see
Nereida). This name was used by Torquato Tasso for a character in his play
Aminta (1573), and subsequently by Giacomo Leopardi in his poem
Le Ricordanze (1829).
Nerses m ArmenianArmenian form of Middle Persian
Narseh (see
Narses). Saint Nerses was a 4th-century patriarch of the Armenian Church.
Nestor m Greek Mythology, Russian, Portuguese, FrenchMeans
"returner, homecomer" in Greek, from
νέομαι (neomai) meaning "to return". In
Homer's
Iliad this was the name of the king of Pylos, famous for his great wisdom and longevity, who acted as a counselor to the Greek allies.
Nevaeh f English (Modern)The word
heaven spelled backwards. It became popular after the musician Sonny Sandoval from the rock group P.O.D. gave it to his daughter in 2000. Over the next few years it rapidly climbed the rankings in America, peaking at the 25th rank for girls in 2010.
Newton m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"new town" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the English physicist Isaac Newton (1643-1727).
Nicole f French, English, Dutch, GermanFrench feminine form of
Nicholas, commonly used in the English-speaking world since the middle of the 20th century. A famous bearer is American-Australian actress Nicole Kidman (1967-).
Nieves f SpanishMeans
"snows" in Spanish, derived from the title of the Virgin
Mary Nuestra Señora de las Nieves meaning "Our Lady of the Snows".
Nikias m Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
νίκη (nike) meaning
"victory". This was the name of an Athenian general who fought in the Peloponnesian war.
Nikita 1 m Russian, Ukrainian, BelarusianRussian form of
Niketas. This form is also used in Ukrainian and Belarusian alongside the more traditional forms
Mykyta and
Mikita. A notable bearer was the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev (1894-1971).
Nimrod m Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeaning unknown, possibly of Akkadian origin or possibly meaning
"rebel" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Nimrod is a renowned hunter, the great-grandson of
Noah. He was the founder of Babylon.
... [more] Ningal f Sumerian MythologyMeans
"great lady", from Sumerian
𒎏 (nin) meaning "lady" and
𒃲 (gal) meaning "big, great". This was the name of a goddess of reeds in Sumerian mythology. She was the daughter of
Enki and the wife of
Nanna.
Ninian m ScottishFrom the name of a 5th-century British saint, known as the Apostle to the Picts, who was apparently responsible for many miracles and cures. He first appears briefly in the 8th-century Latin writings of the historian Bede, though his name is only written in the ablative case
Nynia. This may represent a Brythonic name *
Ninniau.
Ninsun f Sumerian MythologyFrom Sumerian
nin-sumun-a(k) meaning
"lady of the wild cow", derived from
𒎏 (nin) meaning "lady" and the genitive form of
𒄢 (sumun) meaning "wild cow". In Sumerian mythology Ninsun was the divine mother of
Gilgamesh.
Nodens m Celtic MythologyPossibly from the old Celtic root *
snowdo- meaning "mist, haze". Alternatively it might be related to the Indo-European root *
neud- meaning
"to acquire, to use". This is the name of a Celtic god associated with healing, hunting and fishing. He is known from a shrine excavated at Gloucestershire, where the name is only found in the dative forms
Nodenti and
Nodonti. He probably forms the basis for the legendary figures of
Nuada (Irish) and
Nudd (Welsh).
Nonnos m Late GreekMeaning unknown, probably of Egyptian or Semitic origin. Saint Nonnos was a 4th-century Egyptian monk who became a bishop of Heliopolis in Syria. The name was also borne by a noted 5th-century Egyptian poet who wrote in Greek.
Norman m English, GermanicFrom an old Germanic byname meaning
"northman", referring to a Scandinavians. The Normans were Vikings who settled on the coast of France, in the region that became known as Normandy. In England the name
Norman or
Normant was used before the Norman Conquest, first as a nickname for Scandinavian settlers and later as a given name. After the Conquest it became more common, but died out around the 14th century. It was revived in the 19th century, perhaps in part due to a character by this name in C. M. Yonge's 1856 novel
The Daisy Chain. Famous bearers include the American painter Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) and the American author Norman Mailer (1923-2007).
Norton m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"north town" in Old English.
Nunzio m ItalianMasculine short form of
Annunziata. It also coincides with the related Italian word
nunzio "messenger" (ultimately from Latin
nuntius).
Nurcan f TurkishMeans
"bright soul" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic
نور (nūr) meaning "light" and Persian
jān meaning "soul, life".
Nurgül f TurkishMeans
"radiant rose" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic
نور (nūr) meaning "light" and Persian
گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose".
Nurten f TurkishMeans
"radiant skin" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic
نور (nūr) meaning "light" and Persian
تن (tan) meaning "body".
Nympha f Ancient Greek, Biblical Greek, BiblicalVariant of
Nymphe (as well as the usual Latinized form). This name is mentioned briefly by
Paul in his epistle to the Colossians in the New Testament, though it is uncertain whether it refers to a woman
Nympha or a man
Nymphas. The name was later borne by an obscure 4th-century saint possibly from Palermo, Sicily.
Oakley m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was from various place names meaning
"oak clearing" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the American sharpshooter Annie Oakley (1860-1926).
Oberon m LiteratureVariant of
Auberon. Oberon and
Titania are the king and queen of the fairies in Shakespeare's comedy
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595). A moon of Uranus bears this name in his honour.