indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Meaning & History
Meaning uncertain; sometimes misinterpreted as a variant of Mahlah ("weakness, sickness" from Hebrew Machlah). In the Old Testament this was the name of the son of Naomi and first husband of Ruth (Ruth 1:2,5; 4:9-10). Became popular among 18th-century English Quakers and Pennsylvania Dutch and their lineage.