This is a list of names in which the number of syllables is 2.
Marceau m FrenchOld French variant of
Marcel. A famous bearer of the surname was the French general François Séverin Marceau (1769-1796).
Marco m Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, DutchItalian form of
Marcus (see
Mark). During the Middle Ages this name was common in Venice, where Saint Mark was supposedly buried. A famous bearer was the Venetian explorer Marco Polo, who travelled across Asia to China in the 13th century.
Marcus m Ancient Roman, Biblical Latin, English, Swedish, Norwegian, DanishRoman praenomen, or given name, that was probably derived from the name of the Roman god
Mars. This was among the most popular of the Roman praenomina. Famous bearers include Marcus Tullius Cicero (known simply as Cicero), a 1st-century BC statesman and orator, Marcus Antonius (known as Mark Antony), a 1st-century BC politician, and Marcus Aurelius, a notable 2nd-century emperor. This was also the name of a pope of the 4th century. This spelling has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world, though the traditional English form
Mark has been more common.
Marduk m Semitic MythologyProbably from Sumerian
amar-Utuk meaning
"calf of Utu", derived from
amar "calf" combined with the name of the sun god
Utu. This was the name of the chief Babylonian god, presiding over heaven, light, sky, battle, and fertility. After killing the dragon
Tiamat, who was an old enemy of the gods, he created the world and sky from the pieces of her body.
Margaret f EnglishDerived from Latin
Margarita, which was from Greek
μαργαρίτης (margarites) meaning
"pearl", a word that was probably ultimately a borrowing from an Indo-Iranian language. Saint Margaret, the patron of expectant mothers, was martyred at Antioch in the 4th century. Later legends told of her escape from a dragon, with which she was often depicted in medieval art. The saint was popular during the Middle Ages, and her name has been widely used in the Christian world.
... [more] Margaux f FrenchVariant of
Margot influenced by the name of the wine-producing French town. It was borne by Margaux Hemingway (1954-1996), granddaughter of author Ernest Hemingway, who had it changed from
Margot.
Margriet f DutchDutch form of
Margaret. This is also the Dutch word for the daisy flower (species Leucanthemum vulgare).
Mari 1 f Estonian, Finnish, Welsh, Breton, Hungarian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Georgian, ArmenianEstonian, Finnish, Welsh and Breton form of
Maria, as well as a Hungarian diminutive of
Mária. It is also a Scandinavian, Georgian and Armenian form of the French name
Marie.
Mari 2 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" combined with
理 (ri) meaning "reason, logic" or
里 (ri) meaning "village". Many other combinations of kanji characters can form this name.
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 SlavicLatin 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] Marie f & m French, Czech, German, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, AlbanianFrench and Czech form of
Maria. It has been very common in France since the 13th century. At the opening of the 20th century it was given to approximately 20 percent of French girls. This percentage has declined steadily over the course of the century, and it dropped from the top rank in 1958.
... [more] Marilyn f EnglishCombination of
Mary and the common name suffix
lyn. It was very rare before the start of the 20th century. It was popularized in part by the American stage star Marilyn Miller (1898-1936), who was born Mary Ellen Reynolds and took her stage name from a combination of her birth name and her mother's middle name
Lynn. It became popular in the United States during the 1920s, reaching a high point ranked 13th in 1936. Famous bearers include American actress Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962; real name Norma Jeane Mortenson) and American opera singer Marilyn Horne (1934-).
Mario m Italian, Spanish, German, CroatianItalian and Spanish form of
Marius. Famous bearers include American racecar driver Mario Andretti (1940-) and Canadian hockey player Mario Lemieux (1965-). It is also borne by a Nintendo video game character, a moustached Italian plumber, who debuted as the playable hero of
Donkey Kong in 1981. Spelled
マリオ (Mario) in Japanese Katakana, he was reportedly named after Mario Segale (1934-2018), an American businessman who rented a warehouse to Nintendo.
Maris 2 f English (Rare)Means
"of the sea", taken from the Latin title of the Virgin
Mary,
Stella Maris, meaning "star of the sea".
Marius m Ancient Roman, Romanian, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, French, LithuanianRoman family name that was derived either from
Mars, the name of the Roman god of War, or else from the Latin root
mas, maris meaning
"male". Gaius Marius was a famous Roman consul of the 2nd century BC. Since the start of the Christian era, it has occasionally been used as a masculine form of
Maria.
Marlene f German, EnglishBlend of
Maria and
Magdalene. It refers, therefore, to Mary Magdalene, a character in the New Testament. The name was popularized by the German actress and singer Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992), whose real name was Maria Magdalene Dietrich.
Marley f & m English (Modern)From an English surname that was taken from a place name meaning either "pleasant wood", "boundary wood" or "marten wood" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the Jamaican musician Bob Marley (1945-1981).
Marlon m EnglishMeaning unknown. This name was popularized by the American actor Marlon Brando (1924-2004), who was named after his father.
Marlowe f & m English (Modern)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"remnants of a lake" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the English playwright Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593).
Marnie f EnglishPossibly a diminutive of
Marina. This name was brought to public attention by Alfred Hitchcock's movie
Marnie (1964), itself based on a 1961 novel by Winston Graham.
Marnix m DutchFrom a Dutch surname, derived from the name of a village in Savoy, France. It is given in honour of the Flemish and Dutch statesman Philips of Marnix (1540-1598), also a notable writer.
Marquis m African AmericanFrom a noble title that derives from the Old French word
marche meaning "march, borderland". The title originally referred to someone who ruled on the borderlands of a realm.
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.
Marta f Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Polish, Czech, Slovak, German, Dutch, Romanian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Russian, Swedish, Icelandic, Latvian, Estonian, GeorgianForm of
Martha used in various languages.
Martha f English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, German, Greek, Biblical, Biblical Greek, Biblical Latin, Old Church SlavicFrom 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] 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.
Martin m English, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Russian, Romanian, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, FinnishFrom the Roman name
Martinus, which was derived from
Martis, the genitive case of the name of the Roman god
Mars. Saint Martin of Tours was a 4th-century bishop who is the patron saint of France. According to legend, he came across a cold beggar in the middle of winter so he ripped his cloak in two and gave half of it to the beggar. He was a favourite saint during the Middle Ages, and his name has become common throughout the Christian world.
... [more] Marvel f EnglishFrom the English word meaning
"a miracle, a wonder", derived from Old French
merveille, from Latin
mirabilis meaning "wonderful".
Marvin m English, German, DutchFrom an English surname that was derived from the Welsh given name
Merfyn or the Old English name
Mærwine. As an American given name, it steadily rose in popularity through the beginnings of the 20th century and peaked in the early 1930s (closely mirroring the similar-sounding but unrelated name
Melvin). A famous bearer was the American musician Marvin Gaye (1939-1984).
Marwa f ArabicFrom the Arabic name of a fragrant plant. Al-Marwa is the name of one of the two sacred hills near Mecca.
Mary f English, BiblicalUsual English form of
Maria, the Latin form of the New Testament Greek names
Μαριάμ (Mariam) and
Μαρία (Maria) — the spellings are interchangeable — which were from Hebrew
מִרְיָם (Miryam), a name borne by the sister of
Moses in the Old Testament. The meaning is not known for certain, but there are several theories including
"sea of bitterness",
"rebelliousness", and
"wished for child". However it was most likely originally an Egyptian name, perhaps derived in part from
mry "beloved" or
mr "love".
... [more] Maryam f Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Bashkir, TatarArabic, Persian, Urdu, Bashkir and Tatar form of
Miryam (see
Mary). In Iran it is also the name of a flower, the tuberose, which is named after the Virgin Mary.
Mason m EnglishFrom an English surname (or vocabulary word) meaning
"stoneworker", derived from an Old French word of Frankish origin (akin to Old English
macian "to make"). In the United States this name began to increase in popularity in the 1980s, likely because of its fashionable sound. It jumped in popularity after 2009 when Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick gave it to their son, as featured on their reality show
Keeping Up with the Kardashians in 2010. It peaked as the second most popular name for boys in 2011.
Matěj m CzechCzech form of
Matthias, used to refer to the apostle chosen to replace Judas Iscariot.
Matthew m English, BiblicalEnglish form of
Ματθαῖος (Matthaios), which was a Greek form of the Hebrew name
מַתִּתְיָהוּ (Mattityahu) meaning
"gift of Yahweh", from the roots
מַתָּן (mattan) meaning "gift" and
יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. Matthew, also called
Levi, was one of the twelve apostles. He was a tax collector, and supposedly the author of the first gospel in the New Testament. He is considered a saint in many Christian traditions. The variant
Matthias also occurs in the New Testament belonging to a separate apostle. The name appears in the Old Testament as
Mattithiah.
... [more] Māui m & f Hawaiian, Polynesian MythologyMeaning unknown. In Hawaiian mythology Māui was a trickster who created the Hawaiian Islands by having his brothers fish them out of the sea. He was also responsible for binding the sun and slowing its movement.
Maura 2 f Irish, EnglishAnglicized form of
Máire. It has also been associated with Irish
mór meaning "great". This was the name of an obscure 5th-century Irish martyr.
Maurice m French, EnglishFrom the Roman name
Mauritius, a derivative of
Maurus. Saint Maurice was a 3rd-century Roman soldier from Egypt. He and the other Christians in his legion were supposedly massacred on the orders of Emperor Maximian for refusing to worship Roman gods. Thus, he is the patron saint of infantry soldiers.
... [more] Mavis f EnglishFrom the name of the type of bird, also called the song thrush, derived from Old French
mauvis, of uncertain origin. It was first used as a given name by the British author Marie Corelli, who used it for a character in her novel
The Sorrows of Satan (1895).
Maxence m FrenchFrench form of the Roman name
Maxentius, a derivative of Latin
maximus "greatest". This was the agnomen of an early 4th-century Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius, a rival of
Constantine. It was also borne by a 6th-century saint from Agde in France.
Maxine f EnglishFeminine form of
Max. It has been commonly used only since the beginning of the 20th century.
Maxwell m EnglishFrom a Scottish surname meaning
"Mack's stream", from the name
Mack, a short form of the Scandinavian name
Magnus, combined with Old English
wille "well, stream". A famous bearer of the surname was James Maxwell (1831-1879), a Scottish physicist who studied gases and electromagnetism.
... [more] Maya 2 f EnglishVariant 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).
Maylis f FrenchFrom the name of a town in southern France, said to derive from Occitan
mair "mother" and French
lys "lily". It is also sometimes considered a combination of
Marie and
lys.
Maytham m Arabic (Rare)Possibly means
"crushing" in Arabic. This was the name of a companion of
Ali, the fourth caliph.
Mayu f JapaneseFrom Japanese
真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" or
満 (ma) meaning "full" combined with
優 (yu) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" or
夕 (yu) meaning "evening". This name can also be constructed from other kanji combinations.
Meadow f English (Modern)From the English word
meadow, ultimately from Old English
mædwe. Previously very rare, it rose in popularity after it was used as the name of Tony Soprano's daughter on the television series
The Sopranos (1999-2007).
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.
Mega f & m IndonesianMeans
"cloud" in Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit
मेघ (megha).
Megan f Welsh, EnglishWelsh diminutive of
Margaret. In the English-speaking world outside of Wales it has only been regularly used since the middle of the 20th century.
Mégane f French (Modern)French form of
Megan. This name rapidly climbed in popularity beginning in the late 1980s, though it fell out of favour after the French car company Renault used it for one of their vehicles in 1995.
Meghan f EnglishVariant of
Megan. A notable bearer is Meghan Markle (1981-), the American-born wife of the British royal Prince Harry.
Mehmed m Ottoman Turkish, BosnianOlder form of
Mehmet, as well as the Bosnian form. This was the name of six sultans of the Ottoman Empire, including Mehmed II the conqueror of Constantinople.
Mei 2 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
芽 (me) meaning "bud, sprout" combined with
依 (i) meaning "rely on",
生 (i) meaning "life" or
衣 (i) meaning "clothing, garment". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Meine m Frisian, DutchOriginally a Frisian short form of names beginning with the Old German element
megin meaning
"power, strength" (Proto-Germanic *
mageną).
Meinrad m German, GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
megin "power, strength" and
rat "counsel, advice". Saint Meinrad was a 9th-century hermit who founded the Benedictine abbey at Einsiedeln in Switzerland.
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.
Mekhi m African AmericanMeaning unknown, possibly an invented name. This name was popularized by the American actor Mekhi Phifer (1974-).
Melba f EnglishFrom the surname of the Australian opera singer Nellie Melba (1861-1931). This was a stage name that she got from the name of the city Melbourne, where she was born.
Melle m DutchOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
mahal meaning
"meeting, assembly, court" (Proto-Germanic *
maþlą).
Melville m EnglishFrom a Scots surname that was originally from a Norman French place name
Malleville meaning
"bad town". A famous bearer of the surname was the American author Herman Melville (1819-1891), who wrote several novels including
Moby-Dick.
Melvin m English, SwedishFrom a Scots surname that was a variant of
Melville. This name has been used in America since the 19th century. It became popular in the early 20th century and reached a peak in the late 1920s, but has steadily declined since then (closely mirroring the similar-sounding but unrelated names
Marvin and
Alvin).
Memphis m & f English (Modern)From the name of an important city of ancient Egypt, or the city in Tennessee that was named after it. It is derived from a Greek form of Egyptian
mn-nfr meaning "enduring beauty".
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.
Mercy f EnglishFrom the English word
mercy, ultimately from Latin
merces "wages, reward", a derivative of
merx "goods, wares". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century.
Merit 1 m & f English (Rare)Either a variant of
Merritt or else simply from the English word
merit, ultimately from Latin
meritus "deserving".
Merja f FinnishPossibly from the name of an ancient Finnish tribe.
Merlin m Arthurian Romance, 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".
Merrill m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived either from the given name
Muriel or from place names meaning "pleasant hill".
Merritt m & f EnglishFrom an English surname, originally from a place name, which meant
"boundary gate" in Old English.
Merry 1 f EnglishFrom the English word
merry, ultimately from Old English
myrige. This name appears in Charles Dickens' novel
Martin Chuzzlewit (1844), where it is a diminutive of
Mercy.
Merry 2 m LiteratureThe name of a hobbit in J. R. R. Tolkien's novel
The Lord of the Rings (1954). His full given name is
Meriadoc;
Merry is a semi-translation into English of his true hobbit-language name
Kali meaning
"jolly, merry" (in full
Kalimac).
Merton m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"town on a lake" in Old English.
Mervi f FinnishFrom the name of a Finnish village (now a part of the municipality of Hattula).
Meryl f EnglishVariant of
Muriel. A famous bearer is American actress Meryl Streep (1949-), whose real name is Mary Louise Streep.
Meshach m BiblicalPossibly means
"who is what Aku is?" in Akkadian,
Aku being the name of the Babylonian god of the moon. In the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament this is the Babylonian name of Mishael, one of the three men cast into a blazing furnace but saved from harm by God.
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).
Mía f SpanishSpanish form of
Mia, also coinciding with the Spanish word
mía meaning
"mine".
Micah m Biblical, EnglishContracted form of
Micaiah. Micah is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament. He authored the Book of Micah, which alternates between prophesies of doom and prophesies of restoration. This is also the name of a separate person in the Book of Judges, the keeper of an idol. It was occasionally used as an English given name by the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation, but it did not become common until the end of the 20th century.
Michael m English, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, Czech, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFrom the Hebrew name
מִיכָאֵל (Mikha'el) meaning
"who is like God?". This is a rhetorical question, implying no person is like God. Michael is one of the archangels in Hebrew tradition and the only one identified as an archangel in the Bible. In the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament he is named as a protector of Israel (see
Daniel 12:1). In the Book of Revelation in the New Testament he is portrayed as the leader of heaven's armies in the war against Satan, and is thus considered the patron saint of soldiers in Christianity.
... [more] 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.
Michelle f French, English, DutchFrench feminine form of
Michel. It has been common in the English-speaking world since the middle of the 20th century. A famous bearer is the former American first lady Michelle Obama (1964-).
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).
Micol f ItalianItalian variant form of
Michal 2 (the Italian biblical form being
Mikal). This is the name of the heroine in Giorgio Bassani's novel
The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1962).
Midas m Greek MythologyMeaning unknown. In Greek myth Midas was a king of Phrygia in Asia Minor. He was granted a wish by the god
Dionysos — that everything he touch be turned to gold.
Mieszko m PolishProbably an old diminutive form of
Mieczysław. This was the name of three rulers of Poland including Mieszko I, the first Christian ruler (10th century).
Mignon f LiteratureMeans
"cute, darling" in French. This is the name of a character in Ambroise Thomas's opera
Mignon (1866), which was based on Goethe's novel
Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship (1796).
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.
Mi-Gyeong f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with
京 (gyeong) meaning "capital city" or
景 (gyeong) meaning "scenery, view". Other hanja combinations are possible.
Mihai m RomanianRomanian form of
Michael. Mihai the Brave was a prince of Wallachia who united Romania in the early 17th century.
Miho 2 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and
穂 (ho) meaning "grain" or
保 (ho) meaning "protect, maintain". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Mika 2 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with
香 (ka) meaning "fragrance" or
加 (ka) meaning "increase". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Miki f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and
紀 (ki) meaning "chronicle". Other kanji combinations are possible.