Magdalena f Polish, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Lithuanian, Spanish, Catalan, Occitan, Slovene, Czech, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Croatian, Serbian, Romanian, EnglishLatinate form of
Magdalene.
Magdalene f German, English, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFrom a title meaning
"of Magdala".
Mary Magdalene, a character in the New Testament, was named thus because she was from Magdala — a village on the Sea of Galilee whose name meant "tower" in Hebrew. She was cleaned of evil spirits by
Jesus and then remained with him during his ministry, witnessing the crucifixion and the resurrection. She was a popular saint in the Middle Ages, and the name became common then. In England it is traditionally rendered
Madeline, while
Magdalene or
Magdalen is the learned form.
Mahala f EnglishVariant of
Mahalah or
Mahalath. It has occasionally been used as an English Christian name since the Protestant Reformation.
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.
Malachi m Hebrew, English, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name
מַלְאָכִי (Malʾaḵi) meaning
"my messenger" or
"my angel", derived from a possessive form of
מַלְאָךְ (malʾaḵ) meaning "messenger, angel". This is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Malachi, which some claim foretells the coming of Christ. In England the name came into use after the Protestant Reformation.
Malai f ThaiMeans
"garland of flowers" in Thai.
Malalai f PashtoMeans
"sad, grieved" in Pashto. This was the name of a Pashtun woman who encouraged the Afghan forces during the 1880 Battle of Maiwand against the British.
Malaysia f English (Modern)From the name of the country 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".
Malcolm m Scottish, EnglishAnglicized form of Scottish Gaelic
Máel Coluim, which means
"disciple of Saint Columba". This was the name of four kings of Scotland starting in the 10th century, including Malcolm III, who became king after killing
Macbeth, the usurper who had defeated his father
Duncan. The character Malcolm in Shakespeare's tragedy
Macbeth (1606) is loosely based on him. Another famous bearer was Malcolm X (1925-1965), an American civil rights leader.
Maldwyn m WelshFrom
Maldwyn, another name for the old Welsh county of Montgomeryshire. It is so called from
Trefaldwyn, the Welsh name for the county town of Montgomery, misinterpreting it as if meaning "town of Maldwyn". In fact it means "town of
Baldwin" (in Welsh both
m and
b mutate to
f).
Maleficent f Popular CultureFrom an English word meaning
"harmful, evil", derived from Latin
maleficens. This is the name of the villain in the animated Disney film
Sleeping Beauty (1959).
Målfrid f NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Málmfríðr, derived from an uncertain first element (possibly
malmr meaning "ore") combined with
fríðr meaning "beautiful, beloved". This was the name of a 12th-century princess of Kyiv who married King Sigurd I of Norway.
Malger m GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
mahal meaning "meeting, assembly, court" and
ger meaning "spear".
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.
Malkhaz m GeorgianPossibly means
"beautiful, elegant, youthful" in Georgian.
Mallory f English (Modern)From an English surname was derived from Old French
maleüré meaning
"unfortunate". It first became common in the 1980s due to the American sitcom
Family Ties (1982-1989), which featured a character by this name.
Malo m BretonMeans
"bright pledge", derived from Old Breton
mach "pledge, hostage" and
lou "bright, brilliant". This was the name of a 6th-century Welsh saint, supposedly a companion of Saint
Brendan on his trans-Atlantic journey. He later went to Brittany, where he founded the monastic settlement of Saint-Malo.
Malone m & f English (Rare)From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Maoil Eoin meaning
"descendant of a disciple of Saint John".
Malte m Danish, Swedish, GermanDanish short form of the Old German name
Helmold. This name was used by the Austrian author Rainer Maria Rilke for the title character in his novel
The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge (1910).
Malvina f Literature, English, Italian, FrenchCreated 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).
Malvolio m LiteratureMeans
"ill will" in Italian. This name was invented by Shakespeare for pompous character in his comedy
Twelfth Night (1602).
Manal f ArabicMeans
"achievement, attainment" in Arabic, from the root
نال (nāla) meaning "to get, to reach".
Marshall m EnglishFrom an English surname that originally denoted a person who was a marshal. The word
marshal originally derives from Latin
mariscalcus, itself from Germanic roots akin to Old High German
marah "horse" and
scalc "servant". A famous bearer is the American rapper Marshall Mathers (1972-), who performs under the name Eminem.
Martial m French, HistoryFrom the Roman cognomen
Martialis, which was derived from the name of the Roman god
Mars. The name was borne by Marcus Valerius Martialis, now commonly known as Martial, a Roman poet of the 1st century.
Meallán m Irish (Rare)From Old Irish
Mellán, derived from
mell meaning either "pleasant, delightful" or "lump, ball" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a few early saints.
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.
Miervaldis m LatvianMeans
"ruling with peace", from Latvian
miers "peace" and
valdīt "to rule".
Mufaddal m ArabicMeans
"preferred" in Arabic, ultimately a derivative of
فضل (faḍala) meaning "to be in excess, to excel, to be gracious".
Nala 1 m HinduismMeans
"stem" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a king of the Nishadha people in the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata.
Nala 2 f Popular CultureThe 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 HawaiianMeans
"the heavens" or
"the chiefs" from Hawaiian
nā, a definite article, and
lani "heaven, sky, chief".
Naliaka f LuhyaMeans
"born during the weeding season", from Luhya
liliaka meaning "weeding".
Naphtali m BiblicalMeans
"my struggle, my strife" in Hebrew, a derivative of
פָּתַל (paṯal) meaning "to twist, to struggle, to wrestle". In the Old Testament he is a son of
Jacob by
Rachel's servant
Bilhah, and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Natalia f Polish, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, English, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Greek, Georgian, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Late RomanLatinate form of
Natalia (see
Natalie).
Natalie f English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, NorwegianFrom the Late Latin name
Natalia, which meant
"Christmas Day" from Latin
natale domini. This was the name of the wife of the 4th-century martyr Saint Adrian of Nicomedia. She is venerated as a saint in the Orthodox Church, and the name has traditionally been more common among Eastern Christians than those in the West. It was popularized in America by actress Natalie Wood (1938-1981), who was born to Russian immigrants.
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.
Njáll m Old Norse, IcelandicOld Norse form of
Niall (see
Neil). This is the name of the hero of a 13th century Icelandic saga, based on the life of a 10th-century Icelandic chieftain.
Noor-Ali m PersianFrom Persian
نور (nūr) meaning "light" (of Arabic origin) combined with the name
Ali 1. Though usually transcribed into Latin characters with a dash or a space, it is not written with a space in Persian.
Novalee f English (Modern)Elaboration of
Nova using the popular name suffix
lee. It was used for the central character in the novel
Where the Heart Is (1995), as well as the 2000 film adaptation.
Nuallán m Medieval IrishIrish byname derived from
nuall meaning
"famous, loud" combined with a diminutive suffix.
Nyala f Various (Rare)From the name of a type of African antelope, ultimately derived from the Bantu word
nyálà.
Ọbatala m Yoruba MythologyMeans
"king of white cloth" in Yoruba, derived from
ọba "king" and
àlà "white cloth". According to traditional Yoruba religion he is the creator of the earth and human beings. He also founded the first Yoruba city, Ife.
Odalis f & m Spanish (Latin American)Possibly an elaboration of
Odilia used in Latin America. In most countries it is a feminine name, but in the Dominican Republic it is commonly masculine.
Opal f EnglishFrom the English word
opal for the iridescent gemstone, the birthstone of October. The word ultimately derives from Sanskrit
उपल (upala) meaning "jewel".
Oral m EnglishMeaning uncertain. This name was borne by the influential American evangelist Oral Roberts (1918-2009), who was apparently named by his cousin.
Oswald m English, GermanDerived from the Old English elements
os "god" and
weald "powerful, mighty". Saint Oswald was a king of Northumbria who introduced Christianity to northeastern England in the 7th century before being killed in battle. There was also an Old Norse cognate
Ásvaldr in use in England, being borne by the 10th-century Saint Oswald of Worcester, who was of Danish ancestry. Though the name had died out by the end of the Middle Ages, it was revived in the 19th century.
Oxalá m Afro-American MythologyPortuguese form of
Oriṣanla, used in Brazil by adherents of Candomblé to refer to
Ọbatala. It also coincides with the Portuguese word
oxalá meaning "God willing, hopefully", which originates from the Arabic phrase
و شاء الله (wa shāʾa Allah).
Pallas 1 f Greek MythologyProbably derived from a Greek word meaning
"maiden, young woman". This was an epithet of the Greek goddess
Athena. According to some legends it was originally the name of a friend of the goddess. Athena accidentally killed her while sparring, so she took the name in honour of her friend.
Pallas 2 m Greek MythologyPossibly derived from Greek
πάλλω (pallo) meaning
"to brandish". In Greek mythology this was the name of a Titan and several other characters. It was also the name of a female character, though her name is probably from a different source (see
Pallas 1).
Palmer m & f EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"pilgrim". It is ultimately from Latin
palma "palm tree", since pilgrims to the Holy Land often brought back palm fronds as proof of their journey.
Palmiro m ItalianMeans
"pilgrim" in Italian. In medieval times it denoted one who had been a pilgrim to Palestine. It is ultimately from the word
palma meaning "palm tree", because of the custom of pilgrims to bring palm fronds home with them. The name is sometimes given to a child born on Palm Sunday.
Paltiel m Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans
"God is my deliverance" in Hebrew, derived from
פָּלַט (palaṭ) meaning "to deliver, to rescue, to escape" combined with
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This is the name of two Israelites in the Old Testament.
Pantaleon m Ancient GreekDerived from the Greek elements
πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" (genitive
παντός) and
λέων (leon) meaning "lion". This was the name of a 2nd-century BC king of Bactria. It was also borne by Saint Pantaleon (also called
Panteleimon), a doctor from Asia Minor who was martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian in the early 4th century. He is a patron saint of doctors and midwives.
Pascal m French, German, DutchFrom the Late Latin name
Paschalis, which meant
"relating to Easter" from Latin
Pascha "Easter", which was in turn from Hebrew
פֶּסַח (pesaḥ) meaning "Passover". Passover is the ancient Hebrew holiday celebrating the liberation from Egypt. Because it coincided closely with the later Christian holiday of Easter, the same Latin word was used for both. The name Pascal can also function as a surname, as in the case of Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), the French philosopher, mathematician and inventor.
Percival m Arthurian Cycle, EnglishCreated by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes for his poem
Perceval, the Story of the Grail. Chrétien may have derived the name from Old French
perce val "pierce the valley", or he may have based it loosely on the Welsh name
Peredur. In the poem Perceval is a boy from Wales who hopes to become a knight under King
Arthur. Setting out to prove himself, he eventually comes to the castle of the Fisher King and is given a glimpse of the Grail.
Pualani f HawaiianMeans
"heavenly flower" or
"royal offspring" from Hawaiian
pua "flower, offspring" and
lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Pygmalion m Phoenician (Hellenized), Greek MythologyProbably a Greek form of the Phoenician name
𐤐𐤌𐤉𐤉𐤕𐤍 (Pumayyaton) meaning
"Pumay has given", from the name of the god
Pumay combined with
𐤉𐤕𐤍 (yaton) meaning "to give". This was the name of a 9th-century BC Phoenician king of Tyre. The name is also known from a Greek legend related by Ovid in his poem
Metamorphoses, where Pygmalion is a Cypriot sculptor who falls in love with his sculpture of a woman. The sculpture is eventually brought to life by the goddess
Aphrodite.
Queralt f CatalanFrom the name of a Spanish sanctuary (in Catalonia) that is devoted to the Virgin
Mary.
Quetzalcoatl m Aztec and Toltec MythologyMeans
"feathered snake" in Nahuatl, derived from
quetzalli "quetzal feather, precious thing" and
cōātl "snake". In Aztec and other Mesoamerican mythology he was the god of the sky, wind, and knowledge, also associated with the morning star. According to one legend he created the humans of this age using the bones of humans from the previous age and adding his own blood.
Quetzalli f NahuatlMeans
"feather (from the quetzal bird)" or
"precious thing" in Nahuatl.
Raleigh m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning either "red clearing" or "roe deer clearing" in Old English. A city in North Carolina bears this name, after the English courtier, poet and explorer Walter Raleigh (1552-1618).
Ralph m English, German, SwedishContracted form of the Old Norse name
Ráðúlfr (or its Norman form
Radulf). Scandinavian settlers introduced it to England before the Norman Conquest, though afterwards it was bolstered by Norman influence. In the Middle Ages it was variously spelled
Rauf,
Rafe or
Ralf reflecting the usual pronunciation. The
Ralph spelling became more common in the 18th century. A famous bearer of the name was Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American poet and author who wrote on transcendentalism.
Raluca f RomanianRomanian diminutive of the Greek name
Rallou, of uncertain meaning. It was popularized by the actress Rallou Karatza (1778-1870), a daughter of the prince of Wallachia Ioannis Karatzas, who was of Greek background.
Richmal f English (Rare)Meaning uncertain, possibly a combination of
Richard and
Mary. This name has been used since at least the late 18th century, mainly confined to the town of Bury in Lancashire.
Rinaldo m Italian, Carolingian CycleItalian form of
Reynold. This is the Italian name of the hero
Renaud, appearing as the cousin of
Orlando in the
Orlando poems (1483 and 1532) by Boiardo and Ariosto. A different version of this character features in the poem
Jerusalem Delivered (1580) by Torquato Tasso.
Rivaldo m Portuguese (Brazilian)Meaning uncertain, possibly a variant of
Rinaldo, possibly influenced by Portuguese
rio, Latin
rivus meaning "river". A famous bearer is the Brazilian former soccer player Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira (1972-), who is usually known by only his first name.
Roald m NorwegianModern form of the Old Norse name
Hróðvaldr or
Hróaldr, composed of the elements
hróðr "praise, fame" and
valdr "ruler". This name was borne by the Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen (1872-1928) and the British children's author Roald Dahl (1916-1990), who was born to Norwegian parents.
Romuald m French, Polish, GermanicFrom the Germanic elements
hruom meaning "fame, glory" and
walt meaning "power, authority". This was the name of an 11th-century Italian saint who founded the Camaldolese order.
Ronald m Scottish, English, Dutch, GermanScottish form of
Ragnvaldr, a name introduced to Britain by Scandinavian settlers and invaders. It became popular outside Scotland during the 20th century. A famous bearer was the American actor and president Ronald Reagan (1911-2004). It is also associated with Ronald McDonald, the clown mascot for the McDonald's chain of restaurants, first appearing in 1963.
Ronaldinho m PortugueseDiminutive of
Ronaldo. A famous bearer is the retired Brazilian soccer player Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (1980-), who is usually called simply Ronaldinho.
Ronaldo m PortuguesePortuguese form of
Ronald. A notable bearer is the retired Brazilian soccer player Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima (1976-), who is commonly known only by his first name.
Rosalba f ItalianItalian name meaning
"white rose", derived from Latin
rosa "rose" and
alba "white". A famous bearer was the Venetian painter Rosalba Carriera (1675-1757).