Lili f German, French, HungarianGerman, French and Hungarian diminutive of
Elisabeth and other names containing
li. It is also sometimes connected to the German word
lilie meaning
"lily".
Lilou f FrenchEither a diminutive of French names containing the sound
lee or a combination of
Lili and
Louise.
Lina 2 f English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Lithuanian, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, SloveneShort form of names ending in
lina.
Linda f English, German, Dutch, Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, French, Latvian, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, GermanicOriginally a medieval short form of Germanic names containing the element
lind meaning
"soft, flexible, tender" (Proto-Germanic *
linþaz). It also coincides with the Spanish and Portuguese word
linda meaning
"beautiful". In the English-speaking world this name experienced a spike in popularity beginning in the 1930s, peaking in the late 1940s, and declining shortly after that. It was the most popular name for girls in the United States from 1947 to 1952.
Lionel m French, English, Arthurian CycleFrench diminutive of
Léon. It appears in Arthurian legend in the 13th-century
Lancelot-Grail Cycle, belonging to a knight who was the brother of Sir
Bors. A notable modern bearer is the Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi (1987-).
Lola f Spanish, English, FrenchSpanish diminutive of
Dolores. A famous bearer was Lola Montez (1821-1861; birth name Eliza Gilbert), an Irish-born dancer, actress and courtesan.
Lou f & m English, FrenchShort form of
Louise or
Louis. Famous bearers include the baseball player Lou Gehrig (1903-1941) and the musician Lou Reed (1942-2013).
Louis m French, English, DutchFrench form of
Ludovicus, the Latinized form of
Ludwig. This was the name of 18 kings of France, starting with Louis I the son of
Charlemagne. Others include Louis IX (Saint Louis) who led two crusades and Louis XIV (called the Sun King) who was the ruler of France during the height of its power, the builder of the Palace of Versailles, and the longest reigning monarch in the history of Europe. It was also borne by kings of Germany (as
Ludwig), Hungary (as
Lajos), and other places.
... [more] Loup m FrenchFrench form of the Roman name
Lupus meaning
"wolf". Lupus was the name of several early saints, including a 5th-century bishop of Troyes who apparently convinced
Attila to spare the city.
Ludivine f FrenchPossibly from a feminine form of
Leutwin. It was popularized in the 1970s by a character from the French miniseries
Les Gens de Mogador.
Ludovic m FrenchFrench form of
Ludovicus, the Latinized form of
Ludwig. This was the name of an 1833 opera by the French composer Fromental Halévy.
Maël m French, BretonFrench form of Breton
Mael meaning
"prince, chieftain, lord". Saint Mael was a 5th-century Breton hermit who lived in Wales.
Maeva f Tahitian, FrenchMeans
"welcome" in Tahitian. It gained popularity in France during the 1980s.
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).
Manuel m Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian, French, Romanian, Late Greek (Latinized)Spanish and Portuguese form of
Emmanuel. In the spelling
Μανουήλ (Manouel) it was also used in the Byzantine Empire, notably by two emperors. It is possible this form of the name was transmitted to Spain and Portugal from Byzantium, since there were connections between the royal families (king Ferdinand III of Castile married Elisabeth of Hohenstaufen, who had Byzantine roots, and had a son named Manuel). The name has been used in Iberia since at least the 13th century and was borne by two kings of Portugal.
Marc m French, Catalan, WelshFrench, Catalan and Welsh form of
Marcus (see
Mark). This name was borne by the Russian-French artist Marc Chagall (1887-1985).
Marceau m FrenchOld French variant of
Marcel. A famous bearer of the surname was the French general François Séverin Marceau (1769-1796).
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.
Marguerite f FrenchFrench form of
Margaret. This is also the French word for the daisy flower (species Leucanthemum vulgare).
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] 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.
Marjolaine f FrenchMeans
"marjoram" in French, from Latin
maiorana. Marjoram is a minty herb.
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] Mathurin m FrenchFrench form of the Latin name
Maturinus, a derivative of
maturus meaning
"mature, ripe". This name was borne by a 3rd-century Gallo-Roman saint.
Maud f English, French, Dutch, SwedishMedieval English and French form of
Matilda. Though it became rare after the 14th century, it was revived and once more grew popular in the 19th century, perhaps due to Alfred Tennyson's 1855 poem
Maud.
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] Max m German, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Dutch, Czech, Russian, French, CatalanShort form of
Maximilian or
Maxim. In English it can also be short for
Maxwell, and it coincides with the informal word
max, short for
maximum.
... [more] 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.
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.
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.
Mélisande f French (Rare)French form of
Millicent used by Maurice Maeterlinck in his play
Pelléas et Mélisande (1893). The play was later adapted by Claude Debussy into an opera (1902).
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-).
Milan m Czech, Slovak, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian, Dutch (Modern), German (Modern), French (Modern)From the Slavic element
milŭ meaning
"gracious, dear", originally a short form of names that began with that element. It was originally used in Czech, Slovak, and the South Slavic languages, though it has recently become popular elsewhere in Europe.
... [more] Mirabelle f French (Rare), English (Rare)Derived from Latin
mirabilis meaning
"wonderful". This name was coined during the Middle Ages, though it eventually died out. It was briefly revived in the 19th century.
Mireille f French, DutchFrom the Occitan name
Mirèio, which was first used by the poet Frédéric Mistral for the main character in his poem
Mirèio (1859). He probably derived it from the Occitan word
mirar meaning
"to admire". It is spelled
Mirèlha in classical Occitan orthography. A notable bearer is the French singer Mireille Mathieu (1946-).
Morgan 1 m & f Welsh, English, FrenchFrom the Old Welsh masculine name
Morcant, which was possibly derived from Welsh
mor "sea" and
cant "circle". Since the 1980s in America
Morgan has been more common for girls than boys, perhaps due to stories of
Morgan le Fay or the fame of actress Morgan Fairchild (1950-).
Muriel f English, French, Irish, Scottish, Medieval Breton (Anglicized)Anglicized form of Irish
Muirgel and Scottish
Muireall. A form of this name was also used in Brittany, and it was first introduced to medieval England by Breton settlers in the wake of the Norman Conquest. In the modern era it was popularized by a character from Dinah Craik's novel
John Halifax, Gentleman (1856).
Narcisse m & f FrenchFrench masculine and feminine form of
Narcissus. This is also the French word for the narcissus flower.
Nestor m Greek Mythology, Russian, Portuguese, FrenchMeans
"returner, homecomer" in Greek, from
νέομαι (neomai) meaning "to return". In
Homer's
Iliad this was the name of the king of Pylos, famous for his great wisdom and longevity, who acted as a counselor to the Greek allies.
Nicole f French, English, Dutch, GermanFrench feminine form of
Nicholas, commonly used in the English-speaking world since the middle of the 20th century. A famous bearer is American-Australian actress Nicole Kidman (1967-).
Nina 1 f Russian, Italian, English, German, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Lithuanian, Dutch, Polish, Slovene, Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, BelarusianShort form of names that end in
nina, such as
Antonina or
Giannina. It was imported to Western Europe from Russia and Italy in the 19th century. This name also nearly coincides with the Spanish word
niña meaning
"little girl" (the word is pronounced differently than the name).
... [more] Noah 1 m English, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch (Modern), French (Modern), BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
נֹחַ (Noaḥ) meaning
"rest, repose", derived from the root
נוּחַ (nuaḥ). According to the Old Testament, Noah was the builder of the Ark that allowed him, his family, and animals of each species to survive the Great Flood. After the flood he received the sign of the rainbow as a covenant from God. He was the father of
Shem,
Ham and
Japheth.
... [more] Noam m & f Hebrew, FrenchMeans
"pleasantness" in Hebrew. A famous bearer is Noam Chomsky (1928-), an American linguist and philosopher.
Noël m FrenchMeans
"Christmas" in French. In the Middle Ages it was used for children born on the holiday. A famous bearer was the English playwright and composer Noël Coward (1899-1973).
Nolan m English, French (Modern)From an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of
Ó Nualláin, itself derived from the given name
Nuallán. The baseball player Nolan Ryan (1947-) is a famous bearer. This name has climbed steadily in popularity since the 1970s.
Odette f FrenchFrench diminutive of
Oda or
Odilia. This is the name of a princess who has been transformed into a swan in the ballet
Swan Lake (1877) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Olive f English, FrenchFrom the English and French word for the type of tree, ultimately derived from Latin
oliva.
Olivia f English, Italian, Spanish, French, German, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, DutchThis name was used in this spelling by William Shakespeare for a character in his comedy
Twelfth Night (1602). This was a rare name in Shakespeare's time that may have been based on
Oliva or
Oliver, or directly on the Latin word
oliva meaning
"olive". In the play Olivia is a noblewoman wooed by Duke
Orsino. Instead she falls in love with his messenger Cesario, who is actually
Viola in disguise.
... [more] Ombeline f FrenchFeminine form of
Humbelin, a medieval diminutive of
Humbert. The Blessed Humbeline (known as Hombeline or Ombeline in French) was a 12th-century nun, the sister of Saint
Bernard of Clairvaux.
Oscar m English, Irish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, French, Irish MythologyPossibly means
"deer friend", derived from Old Irish
oss "deer" and
carae "friend". Alternatively, it may derive from the Old English name
Osgar or its Old Norse cognate
Ásgeirr, which may have been brought to Ireland by Viking invaders and settlers. In Irish legend Oscar was the son of the poet
Oisín and the grandson of the hero
Fionn mac Cumhaill.
... [more] 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.
Patrick m Irish, English, French, German, Danish, Norwegian, SwedishFrom the Latin name
Patricius, which meant
"nobleman". This name was adopted in the 5th-century by Saint Patrick, whose birth name was Sucat. He was a Romanized Briton who was captured and enslaved in his youth by Irish raiders. After six years of servitude he escaped home, but he eventually became a bishop and went back to Ireland as a missionary. He is traditionally credited with Christianizing the island, and is regarded as Ireland's patron saint. He is called
Pádraig in Irish.
... [more] Paul m English, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Romanian, BiblicalFrom the Roman family name
Paulus, which meant
"small" or
"humble" in Latin. Paul was an important leader of the early Christian church. According to Acts in the New Testament, he was a Jewish Roman citizen who converted to Christianity after the resurrected
Jesus appeared to him. After this he travelled the eastern Mediterranean as a missionary. His original Hebrew name was
Saul. Many of the epistles in the New Testament were authored by him.
... [more] Philibert m French, GermanicEarly variant of
Filibert altered by association with Greek
φίλος (philos) meaning "friend, lover". A famous bearer was Philibert de l'Orme (1510-1570), a French Renaissance architect.
Pierre m French, SwedishFrench form of
Peter. This name has been consistently popular in France since the 13th century, but fell out of the top 100 names in 2017. It was borne by the philosopher and theologian Pierre Abélard (1079-1142), the scholar Pierre-Simon Laplace (1749-1827), the impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), and Pierre Curie (1859-1906), a physicist who discovered radioactivity with his wife Marie.