Maacah מַעֲכָה f & m BiblicalDerived from Hebrew
מָעַך (maʿaḵ) meaning
"to press, to crush". This name is borne by both male and female characters in the Old Testament.
Maaseiah מַעֲשֵׂיָה m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
מַעֲשֵׂיָה (Maʿaseya) meaning
"work of Yahweh", from the roots
מַעֲשֶׂה (maʿase) meaning "deed, work" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of numerous Old Testament characters (mostly minor).
Madai מָדַי m BiblicalMeans
"Medes" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of
Japheth said to be the ancestor of the Medes, an ancient people related to the Persians.
Magdalene Μαγδαληνή 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.
Mahalah מַחְלָה m BiblicalVariant of
Mahlah used in some verses of the King James Version of the Old Testament.
Mahali 1 מַחְלִי m BiblicalVariant of
Mahli used in some verses of the King James Version of the Old Testament.
Mahlah מַחְלָה f & m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
מַחְלָה (Maḥla), derived from
חָלָה (ḥala) meaning
"weak, sick". This name is used in the Old Testament as both a feminine and masculine name. In some versions of the Bible the masculine name is spelled
Mahalah.
Mahli מַחְלִי m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
מַחְלִי (Maḥli), derived from
חָלָה (ḥala) meaning
"weak, sick". This is the name of two characters mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.
Malachi מַלְאָכִי 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.
Manasseh מְנַשֶּׁה m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
מְנַשֶּׁה (Menashshe) meaning
"causing to forget", a derivative of
נָשָׁה (nasha) meaning "to forget". In the Old Testament this is the name of the oldest son of
Joseph and
Asenath and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. It was also borne by a 7th-century BC king of Judah, condemned in the Bible for allowing the worship of other gods.
Mark m English, Russian, Belarusian, Dutch, Danish, Armenian, BiblicalForm of Latin
Marcus used in several languages. Saint Mark was the author of the second gospel in the New Testament. Though the author's identity is not certain, some traditions hold him to be the same person as the John Mark who appears in the Book of Acts. He is the patron saint of Venice, where he is supposedly buried. Though in use during the Middle Ages,
Mark was not common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century, when it began to be used alongside the classical form
Marcus.
... [more] Martha Μάρθα 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] 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] Mattathias Ματταθίας m Biblical Greek, BiblicalForm of
Mattithiah used in the Greek Bible. It is used in some English translations of the New Testament. This spelling also appears in most English translations of the Books of Maccabees.
Matthew m English, BiblicalEnglish form of
Ματθαῖος (Matthaios), which is the New Testament Greek form of
Mattithiah. Matthew, probably 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.
... [more] Mattithiah מַתִּתְיָהוּ m BiblicalMeans
"gift of Yahweh" in Hebrew, derived from the roots
מַתָּת (mattaṯ) meaning "gift" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. It is borne by a few minor characters in the Old Testament. This was also the name of a 2nd-century BC Jewish priest who began a revolt against the Seleucid Empire, as told in the deuterocanonical Books of Maccabees. After his death his sons, the Maccabees, completed the revolt.
... [more] Medad מֵידָד m Biblical, Biblical HebrewPossibly means
"that which is beloved" in Hebrew, a derivative of
יָדִיד (yaḏiḏ) meaning "beloved". In the Old Testament Medad is one of the elders (along with
Eldad) who prophesies in the camp of the Israelites after the flight from Egypt.
Mehetabel מְהֵיטַבְאֵל f BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
מְהֵיטַבְאֵל (Meheṭavʾel) meaning
"God makes happy", derived from the roots
יָטַב (yaṭav) meaning "to be happy" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This name is mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.
Menahem מְנַחֵם m Biblical, HebrewFrom the Hebrew name
מְנַחֵם (Menaḥem) meaning
"comforter", a derivative of
נָחַם (naḥam) meaning "to comfort". This was the name of a king of Israel, appearing in the Old Testament. His reign was noted for its brutality.
Merab 1 מֵרַב f BiblicalMeans
"abundant" in Hebrew. This is the name of a daughter of
Saul in the Old Testament.
Meshach מֵישַׁך 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.
Meshullemeth מְשֻׁלֶּמֶת f BiblicalMeans
"friend, ally" in Hebrew, a feminine form of
Meshullam. In the Old Testament, she is mentioned as the one of the queens of Judah, the wife of
Manasseh.
Methuselah מְתוּשֶׁלַח m BiblicalMeans
"man of the dart" in Hebrew, from
מַת (maṯ) meaning "man" and
שֶׁלַח (shelaḥ) meaning "dart, weapon". In the Old Testament he is the father of
Lamech and the grandfather of
Noah. He lived to age 969, making him the longest-lived person in the Bible.
Micah מִיכָה 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.
Micaiah מִיכָיָהוּ, מִיכָיָה m & f BiblicalMeans
"who is like Yahweh?" in Hebrew, derived from the interrogative pronoun
מִי (mi) combined with
ךְּ (ke) meaning "like" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This name occurs in the Old Testament in a variety of Hebrew spellings, belonging to both males and females. It is the full name of
Micah, both the prophet and the man from the Book of Judges. As a feminine name it belongs to the mother of King
Abijah (at
2 Chronicles 13:2), though her name is listed as
Maacah in other passages.
Michael מִיכָאֵל, Μιχαήλ m English, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, Czech, Hebrew, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFrom the Hebrew name
מִיכָאֵל (Miḵaʾel) meaning
"who is like God?", derived from the interrogative pronoun
מִי (mi) combined with
ךְּ (ke) meaning "like" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "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] Michal 2 מִיכַל 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.
Miriam מִרְיָם 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.
Moab מוֹאָב m BiblicalMeans
"of his father" in Hebrew, a derivative of
אָב (ʾav) meaning "father". In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of
Lot. He was the ancestor of the Moabites, a people who lived in the region called Moab to the east of Israel.
Mordecai מָרְדֳּכַי m Biblical, HebrewMeans
"servant of Marduk" in Persian. In the Old Testament Mordecai is the cousin and foster father of
Esther. He thwarted a plot to kill the Persian king, though he made an enemy of the king's chief advisor
Haman.