Browse Names

Madalitso m & f Chewa
Means "blessings" in Chewa.

Mahamadou m Western African
Form of Muhammad used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

Maina m Kikuyu
Means "sing, dance" in Kikuyu. Kikuyu males were traditionally organized into age sets or generations, each lasting about 30 years. The Maina generation occupied the last part of the 19th century.

Makena f & m Kikuyu
Means "happy one" in Kikuyu.

Malaika f Swahili
Means "angel" in Swahili, derived from Arabic ملك (malak).

Mamadou m Western African
Form of Muhammad used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

Mamadu m Western African
Form of Muhammad used in West Africa (Guinea-Bissau).

Mamman m Hausa
Contracted form of Muhammadu.

Mandla m Zulu, Ndebele
Means "strength, power" in Zulu and Ndebele.

Mandlenkosi m Zulu, Ndebele
From Zulu and Ndebele amandla "strength, power" and inkosi "king, chief".

Manyara f Shona
Means "you have been humbled" in Shona.

Mariama f Western African
Form of Maryam common in West Africa.

Mariamu f Swahili
Swahili form of Miriam.

Marietjie f Afrikaans
Afrikaans diminutive of Maria.

Marijani m Swahili
Means "coral" in Swahili, originally a borrowing from Arabic مرْجان (marjān).

Maryamu f Hausa
Hausa form of Maryam.

Maryan f Somali
Somali form of Maryam.

Masamba m Yao
Means "leaves, vegetables" in Yao.

Masego f Tswana
Means "blessings" in Tswana, from sego "blessed".

Masozi m & f Tumbuka
Means "tears" in Tumbuka.

Massinissa m Ancient Berber (Latinized), Berber
Latinized form of Berber Masensen meaning "their lord". This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Berber chieftain. He became the first king of Numidia after allying himself with the Roman Republic against Carthage.

Mavuto m Chewa
Means "troubles, problems" in Chewa.

Mawuli m Ewe
Means "God lives" in Ewe.

Mawunyo m & f Ewe
Means "God is good" in Ewe.

Maxamed m Somali
Somali form of Muhammad.

Mayamiko m & f Chewa
Means "praise, gratitude" in Chewa.

Mayeso m & f Chewa
Means "test (from God)" in Chewa.

Mbalenhle f Zulu
From Zulu imbali "flower" and hle "beautiful".

Mbali f Zulu
Means "flower" in Zulu.

Meklit f Amharic
Means "talent" in Amharic.

Melisizwe m Xhosa
Means "leader of the nation" in Xhosa.

Melokuhle f & m Xhosa, Zulu
Means "stand for goodness" in Zulu and Xhosa, from the roots mela "to stand for, to represent" and hle "beautiful, good".

Meti f Oromo
Means "umbrella" in Oromo.

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

Mirembe f Ganda
Means "peace" in Luganda.

Modou m Western African
Short form of Mamadou.

Mohamed m Arabic, Dhivehi, Swahili
Alternate transcription of Arabic محمّد (see Muhammad) chiefly used in Egypt and Algeria. This is also the usual Dhivehi and Swahili form.

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

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

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

Moti 1 m Oromo
Means "leader" in Oromo.

Moussa m Arabic, Western African
Alternate transcription of Arabic موسى (see Musa), as well as the form commonly used in West Africa.

Moustapha m Western African
Form of Mustafa used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

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".

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

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

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

Muhammadu m Hausa, Fula
Hausa and Fula form of Muhammad.

Muḥand m Berber
Tamazight form of Muhammad.

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

Mukhtaar m Somali
Somali form of Mukhtar.

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.

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

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

Musa m Arabic, Turkish, Hausa, Urdu, Bengali, Indonesian, Malay
Arabic form of Moses appearing in the Quran.

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

Mwajuma f Swahili
Contracted form of Mwanajuma.

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.

Mwenya f & m Chewa
From the Chewa word for a type of flowering tree (species Breonadia salicina).