Kazim m ArabicMeans
"one who suppresses anger" in Arabic, derived from
كظم (kaẓama) meaning "to suppress anger".
Khadija f Arabic, Urdu, BengaliMeans
"premature child" in Arabic. This was the name of the Prophet
Muhammad's first wife and the mother of all of his children, with the exception of one. She was a wealthy merchant and a widow when they married in the year 595. Muhammad received his first revelation 15 years after their marriage, and she was the first person to convert to Islam.
Khalifa m ArabicMeans
"successor, caliph" in Arabic. The title
caliph was given to the successors of the Prophet
Muhammad, originally elected by the Islamic populace.
Khaliq m ArabicMeans
"creator" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
الخليق (al-Khalīq) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Khan m Urdu, PashtoFrom a title meaning
"king, ruler". Its origin is probably Mongolian, though the word has been transmitted into many other languages.
Khayra f ArabicMeans
"good deed" in Arabic, a derivative of
خير (khayr) meaning "goodness, charity".
Khayr ad-Din m ArabicMeans
"goodness of religion", from Arabic
خير (khayr) meaning "goodness, charity" combined with
دين (dīn) meaning "religion, faith". This name was borne by a 16th-century Ottoman admiral who came to rule over the region around Algiers.
Khayri m ArabicMeans
"charitable, benificent" in Arabic, a derivative of
خير (khayr) meaning "goodness, charity".
Khayyam m ArabicMeans
"tent maker" in Arabic. This was the surname of the 12th-century Persian poet Umar Khayyam.
Khushi f HindiMeans
"happiness" in Hindi, ultimately from Persian
خوشی (khūshī).
Khwaja m UrduFrom the Persian title
خواجه (khājeh) meaning
"master, owner". It is more commonly a title than a given name.
Krishna m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, NepaliDerived from Sanskrit
कृष्ण (kṛṣṇa) meaning
"black, dark". This is the name of a Hindu deity believed to be an incarnation of the god
Vishnu. According to the
Mahabharata and the Puranas he was the youngest of King
Vasudeva's eight sons by
Devaki, six of whom were killed by King Kamsa because of a prophecy that a child of Vasudeva would kill Kamsa. However, Krishna and his brother
Balarama were saved and he eventually fulfilled the prophecy by slaying the evil king. He then helped the Pandavas defeat the Kauravas in the Mahabharata War. His philosophical conversation with the Pandava leader
Arjuna forms the text of the important Hindu scripture the
Bhagavad Gita.
... [more] Kumar m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, NepaliModern form of
Kumara.
Laboni f BengaliMeans
"saline, salted, tasteful, graceful", derived from Sanskrit
लवण (lavaṇa) meaning
"salt".
Lakshmi f & m Hinduism, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, Hindi, OdiaMeans
"sign, mark" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu goddess of prosperity, good luck, and beauty. She is the wife of
Vishnu and her symbol is the lotus flower, with which she is often depicted.
Lal m Hindi, NepaliMeans
"boy" in Hindi, derived from Sanskrit
लल (lala) meaning "playing, caressing".
Lalita f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, ThaiMeans
"playful, charming, desirable" in Sanskrit. According to the Puranas this was the name of one of the gopis, who were milkmaids devoted to the young
Krishna. Additionally, in Shaktism, this is the name of a goddess who is also called Tripura Sundari.
Lamia 1 f ArabicMeans
"shining, radiant" in Arabic, derived from the root
لمع (lamaʿa) meaning "to shine, to gleam".
Lamya f ArabicDerived from the poetic Arabic word
لمى (lamā) meaning
"dark red lips".
Latif m Arabic, UrduMeans
"gentle, kind" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
اللطيف (al-Laṭīf) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Layan f ArabicMeans
"soft, delicate" in Arabic, from the root
لان (lāna) meaning "to be soft".
Layla f Arabic, EnglishMeans
"night" in Arabic. Layla was the love interest of the poet
Qays (called Majnun) in an old Arab tale, notably retold by the 12th-century Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi in his poem
Layla and Majnun. This story was a popular romance in medieval Arabia and Persia. The name became used in the English-speaking world after the 1970 release of the song
Layla by Derek and the Dominos, the title of which was inspired by the medieval story.
Lina 1 f ArabicMeans
"soft, tender" in Arabic, derived from
لان (lāna) meaning "to be soft". It can also be from Arabic
لينة (līna), a type of palm tree, likely derived from the same root.
Lubna f Arabic, Urdu, BengaliMeans
"storax tree" in Arabic. According to a 7th-century Arabic tale Lubna and Qays were a couple forced to divorce by Qays's father.
Lucky m & f English, HindiFrom a nickname given to a lucky person. It is also sometimes used as a diminutive of
Luke. A famous bearer was the Italian-American gangster "Lucky" Luciano (1897-1962).
Maalik m ArabicMeans
"owner, possessor, master" in Arabic, a derivative of
ملك (malaka) meaning "to acquire, to possess".
Magdy m Arabic (Egyptian)Alternate transcription of Arabic
مجدي (see
Majdi). This corresponds more closely with the Egyptian Arabic pronunciation of the name.
Maha f ArabicMeans
"oryx" in Arabic. The oryx is a variety of antelope that is said to represent beauty.
Mahendra m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, SanskritFrom Sanskrit
महा (mahā) meaning "great" combined with the name of the Hindu god
Indra. This was the name of a son of the 3rd-century BC Indian emperor
Ashoka, also called
Mahinda. He is credited with introducing Buddhism to Sri Lanka.
Mahfuz m ArabicMeans
"safeguarded, preserved" in Arabic, a derivative of
حفظ (ḥafiẓa) meaning "to preserve, to protect".
Mai 4 f ArabicMeans
"water" in Arabic, a dialectal variant of
ماء (māʾ).
Majdi m ArabicMeans
"glorious, praiseworthy" in Arabic, from the root
مجد (majada) meaning "to be glorious".
Majid m Arabic, Persian, UrduMeans
"glorious, magnificent" in Arabic, from the root
مجد (majada) meaning "to be glorious". This transcription represents two related yet distinct Arabic names:
مجيد, in which the second vowel is long, and
ماجد, in which the first vowel is long.
Manal f ArabicMeans
"achievement, attainment" in Arabic, from the root
نال (nāla) meaning "to get, to reach".
Manu 1 m Hinduism, Hindi, KannadaMeans
"thinking, wise" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief this is a title of Swayambhuva, the progenitor of the human race, as well as several of his descendants.
Maqsud m Arabic, UrduMeans
"intention, aim" in Arabic, a derivative of
قصد (qaṣada) meaning "to intend, to aim, to seek".
Maruf m Arabic, BengaliMeans
"known, recognized, favour, kindness" in Arabic, a derivative of
عرف (ʿarafa) meaning "to know, to recognize".
Marwa f ArabicFrom the Arabic name of a fragrant plant. Al-Marwa is the name of one of the two sacred hills near Mecca.
Maryam f Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Indonesian, Bashkir, TatarArabic form of
Miryam (see
Mary) appearing in the Quran. It is also the form used in several other languages. In Iran it is also the name of a flower, the tuberose, which is named after the Virgin Mary.
Masuma f Arabic, Pashto, UrduMeans
"innocent, sinless" in Arabic, derived from the root
عصم (ʿaṣama) meaning "to protect". After her death, this name was applied to Fatima, a daughter of the 9th-century Shia imam Musa al-Kazim.
Maytham m Arabic (Rare)Possibly means
"crushing" in Arabic. This was the name of a companion of
Ali, the fourth caliph.
Miraj m ArabicMeans
"ascension" in Arabic. According to Islamic tradition, this is the name of the Prophet
Muhammad's visit to the heavens to meet with earlier prophets.
Mitra 1 m & f Hinduism, HindiMeans
"friend" in Sanskrit, a cognate of
Mithra. This is the name of a Vedic god (
मित्र) who is associated with friendship and contracts and is frequently paired with the god
Varuna. The feminine form
मित्रा (spelled with a final long vowel) is also transcribed as
Mitra.
Mohandas m HindiMeans
"servant of Mohana" from the name of the Hindu god
Mohana (an epithet of
Krishna) combined with Sanskrit
दास (dāsa) meaning "servant". A famous bearer of this name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948), also known as Mahatma Gandhi, an Indian leader who struggled peacefully for independence from Britain.
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).
Muammar m ArabicMeans
"given long life" in Arabic, from the root
عمر (ʿamara) meaning "to live long, to thrive". A famous bearer was the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi (1942-2011).
Mubin m ArabicMeans
"clear, distinct" in Arabic, a derivative of
بان (bāna) meaning "to be plain, to be evident".
Mufaddal m ArabicMeans
"preferred" in Arabic, ultimately a derivative of
فضل (faḍala) meaning "to be in excess, to excel, to be gracious".
Muhammad m Arabic, Urdu, Punjabi, Pashto, Bengali, Tajik, Uzbek, Indonesian, Malay, AvarMeans
"praised, commendable" in Arabic, derived from the root
حمد (ḥamida) meaning "to praise". This was the name of the prophet who founded the Islamic religion in the 7th century. According to Islamic belief, at age 40 Muhammad was visited by the angel
Gabriel, who provided him with the first verses of the Quran. Approximately 20 years later he conquered Mecca, the city of his birth, and his followers controlled most of the Arabian Peninsula at the time of his death in 632.
... [more] Mumin m ArabicMeans
"believer" in Arabic, ultimately related to
أمن (ʾamuna) meaning "to be faithful".
Mumtaz m & f Arabic, UrduMeans
"distinguished, outstanding" in Arabic, derived from
امتاز (imtāza) meaning "to be distinguished". The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as tomb for his wife Mumtaz Mahal (1593-1631).
Munya f ArabicMeans
"wish, desire" in Arabic, related to the root
منا (manā) meaning "to tempt, to put to the test".
Murtada m ArabicMeans
"chosen" in Arabic. This is an epithet of
Ali, the fourth caliph.
Murugan m Hinduism, TamilFrom a Tamil word meaning
"young". This was the name of a Tamil war god who is now identified with
Skanda.
Musad m ArabicMeans
"lucky" in Arabic, from the root
سعد (saʿida) meaning "to be happy, to be lucky".
Mu'tamid m Arabic (Rare)Means
"relying on, leaning on" in Arabic. Al-Mu'tamid was a 9th-century Abbasid caliph. This was also the name of an 11th-century Abbadid ruler of Seville, who was a patron of the arts and a poet.
Naaji m ArabicMeans
"saved, safe" in Arabic, a derivative of
نجا (najā) meaning "to save, to entrust, to confide in".
Nada 1 f ArabicFrom Arabic
نَدًى (nadan) meaning
"dew, moisture, generosity", a derivative of
ندي (nadiya) meaning "to be moist, to be damp".
Nadim m Arabic, UrduMeans
"drinking companion" in Arabic, derived from
ندم (nadima) meaning "to drink together".
Nadiyya f ArabicMeans
"announcement, call" in Arabic, derived from
نادى (nādā) meaning "to call, to announce, to invite".
Nagendra m Hinduism, Kannada, TeluguMeans
"lord of snakes" from Sanskrit
नाग (nāga) meaning "snake" (also "elephant") combined with the name of the Hindu god
Indra, used here to mean "lord". This is another name for Vasuki, the king of snakes, in Hindu mythology.
Naila f Arabic, UrduFeminine form of
Nail. This was the name of the wife of
Uthman, the third caliph of the Muslims. She tried in vain to prevent a mob from murdering her husband, and had several fingers cut off in the process.
Naji m ArabicMeans
"intimate friend" in Arabic, a derivative of
نجا (najā) meaning "to save, to entrust, to confide in". This can also be another way of transcribing the name
ناجي (see
Naaji).
Najwa f ArabicMeans
"secret, whisper, confidential talk" in Arabic, from the root
نجا (najā) meaning "to save, to entrust, to confide in".
Narasimha m Hinduism, TeluguMeans
"man-lion", derived from Sanskrit
नर (nara) meaning "man" combined with
सिंह (siṃha) meaning "lion". This is the name of a lion-headed avatar of the god
Vishnu who kills the evil king Hiranyakashipu.
Narayana m Hinduism, Kannada, Telugu, TamilPossibly from Sanskrit
नर (nara) meaning "man" and
अयन (ayana) meaning "path". In Hindu creation legends this is the name of an eternal god who created the universe. He is considered an incarnation of
Vishnu (or sometimes
Brahma). According to the
Mahabharata and the
Bhagavata Purana Narayana and his brother Nara were sages.