Feminine Names

gender
usage
Melisende f Medieval French
Old French form of Millicent.
Mélissa f French
French form of Melissa.
Melissa f English, Dutch, Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
Means "bee" in Greek. In Greek mythology this was the name of a daughter of Procles, as well as an epithet of various Greek nymphs and priestesses. According to the early Christian writer Lactantius this was the name of the sister of the nymph Amalthea, with whom she cared for the young Zeus. Later it appears in Ludovico Ariosto's 1532 poem Orlando Furioso belonging to the fairy who helps Ruggiero escape from the witch Alcina. As an English given name, Melissa has been used since the 18th century.
Melissza f Hungarian (Rare)
Hungarian form of Melissa.
Melita f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Melite. However, in the case of Queen Victoria's granddaughter Princess Victoria Melita (1876-1936), it was derived from Melita, the Latin name of the island country of Malta where she was born.
Melite f Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek μέλι (meli) meaning "honey" (genitive μέλιτος). This is the name of several figures from Greek mythology, including a nymph who was the mother of Hyllus by Herakles.
Melitta f Ancient Greek, German
Ancient Attic Greek variant of Melissa.
Mélodie f French
French cognate of Melody.
Mélody f French
French variant of Melody.
Melody f English
From the English word melody, which is derived (via Old French and Late Latin) from Greek μέλος (melos) meaning "song" combined with ἀείδω (aeido) meaning "to sing".
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".
Melpomene f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek μέλπω (melpo) meaning "to sing, to celebrate with song". This was the name of one of the nine Muses in Greek mythology, the muse of tragedy.
Melpomeni f Greek
Modern Greek transcription of Melpomene.
Meltem f Turkish
Means "sea wind" in Turkish.
Melusine f Mythology
Meaning unknown. In European folklore Melusine was a water fairy who turned into a serpent from the waist down every Saturday. She made her husband, Raymond of Poitou, promise that he would never see her on that day, and when he broke his word she left him forever.
Melva f English
Perhaps a feminine form of Melvin.
Memphis m & f English (Modern)
From the name of an important city of ancient Egypt, or the city in Tennessee that was named after it. It is derived from a Greek form of Egyptian mn-nfr meaning "enduring beauty".
Menna f Arabic (Egyptian)
From Arabic منّة (minna) meaning "favour, grace".
Mennatullah f Arabic (Egyptian)
Means "grace of Allah", from Arabic منّة (minna) meaning "favour, grace" combined with الله (Allah).
Menodora f Ancient Greek
Means "gift of the moon", derived from Greek μήνη (mene) meaning "moon" and δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". This was the name of a 4th-century saint who was martyred with her sisters Metrodora and Nymphodora.
Menuha f Hebrew
Means "tranquility" in Hebrew.
Merab 1 f Biblical
Means "abundant" in Hebrew. This is the name of a daughter of Saul in the Old Testament.
Meral f Turkish
Turkish form of Maral.
Meraud f Cornish
Meaning unknown, perhaps based on Cornish mor "sea".
Mercan f Turkish
Means "coral" in Turkish, of Arabic origin.
Mercè f Catalan
Catalan form of Mercedes.
Mercedes f Spanish
Means "mercies" (that is, the plural of mercy), from the Spanish title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, meaning "Our Lady of Mercies". It is ultimately from the Latin word merces meaning "wages, reward", which in Vulgar Latin acquired the meaning "favour, pity".
Mercédesz f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Mercedes.
Merche f Spanish
Diminutive of Mercedes.
Mercia f English (Rare)
Latinate form of Mercy. This was also the name of an old Anglo-Saxon kingdom, though it has a different origin.
Mercy f English
From the English word mercy, ultimately from Latin merces "wages, reward", a derivative of merx "goods, wares". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century.
Mere f Maori, Fijian
Maori and Fijian form of Mary.
Meredith m & f Welsh, English
From the Welsh name Maredudd or Meredydd, from Old Welsh forms such as Margetud, possibly from mawredd "greatness, magnificence" combined with iudd "lord". The Welsh forms of this name were well used through the Middle Ages. Since the mid-1920s it has been used more often for girls than for boys in English-speaking countries, though it is still a masculine name in Wales. A famous bearer of this name as surname was the English novelist and poet George Meredith (1828-1909).
Merel f Dutch
Means "blackbird" in Dutch.
Mererid f Welsh
Means "pearl, gem" in Welsh, derived from Latin margarita.
Meresankh f Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian mrs-ꜥnḫ meaning "she loves life". This name was borne by several Egyptian royals during the 4th-dynasty period.
Merete f Danish, Norwegian
Medieval Danish variant of Margrethe.
Meri 1 f Finnish
Means "sea" in Finnish.
Meri 2 f Georgian, Armenian, Greek
Georgian, Armenian and Greek form of the English name Mary.
Merida f Popular Culture
The name of the main character in the Disney/Pixar movie Brave (2012) about a medieval Scottish princess. The meaning of her name is unexplained, though it could be based on the Spanish city of Mérida, derived from Latin Emerita Augusta meaning "veterans of Augustus", so named because it was founded by the emperor Augustus as a colony for his veterans.
Meriem f Arabic (Maghrebi)
Alternate transcription of Arabic مريم (see Maryam) chiefly used in North Africa.
Merike f Estonian
From Estonian meri "sea" with a diminutive suffix.
Merilyn f English
Variant of Marilyn.
Merit 1 m & f English (Rare)
Either a variant of Merritt or else simply from the English word merit, ultimately from Latin meritus "deserving".
Merit 2 f Estonian, Swedish (Rare)
Variant of Maret (Estonian) or Marit (Swedish).
Merita 1 f Albanian
Derived from Albanian meritë meaning "merit".
Merita 2 f Esperanto
Means "meritorious, worthy" in Esperanto.
Meritites f Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian mryt-jts meaning "loved by her father". This name was borne by several Egyptian royals, including a wife and a daughter of the pharaoh Khufu.
Meritxell f Catalan
From the name of a village in Andorra where there is a sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The name of the village may derive from Latin meridies meaning "midday".
Merja f Finnish
Possibly from the name of an ancient Finnish tribe.
Merjem f Bosnian
Bosnian form of Miriam (see Mary).
Merjema f Bosnian
Bosnian variant form of Miriam (see Mary).
Merjen f Turkmen
Turkmen form of Mercan.
Merle m & f English, Estonian
From the English word merle or the French surname Merle, which both mean "blackbird" (from Latin merula). It was borne by the devious character Madame Merle (in fact her surname) in Henry James' novel The Portrait of a Lady (1880).... [more]
Merletta f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Merle.
Merlyn m & f English
Variant of Merlin, sometimes used as a feminine form. It has perhaps been influenced by the Welsh word merlyn meaning "pony".
Merob f Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Form of Merab 1 used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament.
Merope f Greek Mythology
From Greek μέρος (meros) meaning "share, part" and ὄψ (ops) meaning "face, eye". This was the name of several characters in Greek mythology, including the seventh of the Pleiades and the foster mother of Oedipus.
Meropi f Greek
Modern Greek transcription of Merope.
Merritt m & f English
From an English surname, originally from a place name, which meant "boundary gate" in Old English.
Merry 1 f English
From the English word merry, ultimately from Old English myrige. This name appears in Charles Dickens' novel Martin Chuzzlewit (1844), where it is a diminutive of Mercy.
Merryn f Cornish
Meaning unknown. This was the name of an early Cornish (male) saint.
Merve f Turkish
Turkish form of Marwa.
Mervi f Finnish
From the name of a Finnish village (now a part of the municipality of Hattula).
Meryem f Turkish, Uyghur
Turkish and Uyghur form of Miriam (see Mary).
Meryl f English
Variant of Muriel. A famous bearer is American actress Meryl Streep (1949-), whose real name is Mary Louise Streep.
Meshullemet f Biblical Hebrew
Biblical Hebrew form of Meshullemeth.
Meshullemeth f Biblical
Means "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.
Messaouda f Arabic (Maghrebi)
Alternate transcription of Arabic مسعودة (see Masuda) chiefly used in North Africa.
Meta f German, Danish, Swedish, Slovene
German, Scandinavian and Slovene short form of Margaret.
Methoataske f Shawnee
Means "turtle laying its eggs" in Shawnee.
Meti f Oromo
Means "umbrella" in Oromo.
Metis f Greek Mythology
Means "wisdom, skill, cunning" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was a Titan. Because it was prophesied that her children would be wiser than Zeus, he swallowed her after he had impregnated her. However, their daughter Athena eventually burst from his head fully grown.
Metrodora f Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek μήτηρ (meter) meaning "mother" (genitive μητρός) and δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". This was the name of a 4th-century saint and martyr who was killed with her sisters Menodora and Nymphodora.
Mette f Danish, Norwegian
Danish diminutive of Margaret.
Metztli f & m Aztec and Toltec Mythology, Nahuatl
Means "moon" in Nahuatl. This was the name of the Aztec god (or goddess) of the moon.
Mhairi f Scottish
Anglicized form of a Mhàiri, the vocative case of Màiri.
Mía f Spanish
Spanish form of Mia, also coinciding with the Spanish word mía meaning "mine".
Mia f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, German, Italian, Slovene, Croatian, English
Diminutive of Maria. It coincides with the Italian word mia meaning "mine".... [more]
Mica f English
Short form of Michaela.
Micaiah m & f Biblical
Means "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.
Micajah m & f Biblical
Variant of Micaiah.
Michaiah m & f Biblical
Form of Micaiah in some versions of the Old Testament.
Michal 2 f Biblical, Hebrew
Possibly 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.
Michala f Czech
Czech feminine form of Michal 1.
Michalina f Polish
Polish feminine form of Michael.
Michela f Italian
Italian feminine form of Michael.
Michèle f French
French feminine form of Michel.
Michelina f Italian
Feminine diminutive of Michele 1.
Micheline f French
French feminine diminutive of Michel.
Michelle f French, English, Dutch
French 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-).
Michi 1 m & f Japanese
From Japanese (michi) meaning "path". Other kanji can also form this name.
Michi 2 m & f German
German diminutive of Michael or Michaela.
Michiko f Japanese
From Japanese (mi) meaning "beautiful", (chi) meaning "wisdom, intellect" and (ko) meaning "child". This name can also be comprised of other combinations of kanji.
Michol f Biblical Latin
Biblical Latin form of Michal 2.
Mickey m & f English
Diminutive or feminine form of Michael. This was the name that Walt Disney gave to Ub Iwerks' cartoon character Mickey Mouse (debuting 1928), who was called Mortimer Mouse while being developed. Another famous bearer was the American baseball player Mickey Mantle (1931-1995).
Micol f Italian
Italian variant form of Michal 2 (the Italian biblical form being Mikal). This is the name of the heroine in Giorgio Bassani's novel The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1962).
Midha f Arabic (Rare)
Feminine form of Midhat.
Midhat m & f Arabic, Bosnian, Urdu
Means "praise, eulogy" in Arabic, from the root مدح (madaḥa) meaning "to praise".
Midori f Japanese
From Japanese (midori) meaning "green", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that have the same pronunciation.
Mie f Danish, Norwegian
Danish and Norwegian diminutive of Marie.
Mieczysława f Polish
Feminine form of Mieczysław.
Mieke f Dutch
Dutch diminutive of Maria.
Mieko f Japanese
From Japanese (mi) meaning "beautiful", (e) meaning "favour, benefit" and (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji can also combine to form this name.
Miela f Esperanto
Means "sweet" in Esperanto, derived from mielo "honey", ultimately from Latin mel.
Mielikki f Finnish Mythology
Derived from Finnish mieli meaning "mind, mood". This was the name of a Finnish goddess of forests and hunting. By some accounts she is the wife of the god Tapio.
Mien f Dutch
Dutch short form of Wilhelmina.
Miep f Dutch
Dutch diminutive of Maria.
Mies f & m Dutch
Dutch diminutive of Maria or Bartholomeus.
Miglė f Lithuanian
Derived from Lithuanian migla meaning "mist".
Mignon f Literature
Means "cute, darling" in French. This is the name of a character in Ambroise Thomas's opera Mignon (1866), which was based on Goethe's novel Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship (1796).
Mi-Gyeong f Korean
From Sino-Korean (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with (gyeong) meaning "capital city" or (gyeong) meaning "scenery, view". Other hanja combinations are possible.
Miho 2 f Japanese
From Japanese (mi) meaning "beautiful" and (ho) meaning "grain" or (ho) meaning "protect, maintain". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Miia f Finnish
Finnish form of Mia.
Miigwan f & m Ojibwe
Means "feather" in Ojibwe.
Miillaaraq f Greenlandic
Possibly from Greenlandic millalaarpoq meaning "drone, hum (of an insect)" combined with the diminutive suffix -araq.
Miina f Finnish
Short form of Vilhelmiina.
Mija f Slovene
Short form of Marija.
Mika 2 f Japanese
From Japanese (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with (ka) meaning "fragrance" or (ka) meaning "increase". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Mikaela f Swedish, Finnish
Feminine form of Michael.
Mikhaila f English (Rare)
Variant of Michaela, possibly influenced by the spelling of Mikhail.
Mikhal f Biblical Hebrew
Biblical Hebrew form of Michal 2.
Mikhayahu m & f Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Micaiah.
Miki f Japanese
From Japanese (mi) meaning "beautiful" and (ki) meaning "chronicle". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Mikkeline f Danish
Danish feminine form of Mikkel.
Mikki f English
Strictly feminine variant of Mickey.
Miku f Japanese
From Japanese (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with (ku) meaning "sky" or (ku) meaning "long time". It can also come from a nanori reading of 未来 (mirai) meaning "future". Other kanji combinations are possible as well.
Mi-Kyung f Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 미경 (see Mi-Gyeong).
Míla f & m Czech
Diminutive of Miloslava, Miloslav, Bohumila and other names containing the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear".
Mila f Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovene, Ukrainian, Russian
From the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear", originally a short form of names containing that element.
Milada f Czech, Slovak
Originally a diminutive of names containing the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear". It can also be derived from Czech and Slovak mladá meaning "young", ultimately from Old Slavic *moldŭ.
Milagros f Spanish
Means "miracles" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de los Milagros, which means "Our Lady of Miracles".
Milagrosa f Spanish
Means "miraculous" in Spanish. It is taken from the phrase medalla milagrosa meaning "miraculous medal", referring to the devotional medal made by Adrien Vachette based on Saint Catherine Labouré's visions of the Virgin Mary in Paris in 1830.
Milani f English (Modern)
From the name of the Italian city of Milan, as in the name of the American cosmetics company founded in 2002. It could also a variant of Melanie.
Milanka f Serbian, Croatian
Feminine form of Milan.
Milcah f Biblical
From the Hebrew name מִלְכָּה (Milka), derived from מַלְכָּה (malka) meaning "queen". This name appears in the Old Testament belonging to both the wife of Nahor and the daughter of Zelophehad.
Milda f Lithuanian, Latvian, Baltic Mythology
Meaning unknown. According to the 19th-century Polish-Lithuanian historian Teodor Narbutt, this was the name of a Lithuanian goddess of love.
Mildburg f Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements milde "gentle" and burg "fortress". Saint Mildburg or Milburga, the sister of Saint Mildred, was a daughter of a 7th-century Mercian king. She was supposedly in possession of magical powers.
Mildgyð f Anglo-Saxon
Old English name derived from the elements milde "gentle" and guð "battle". This was the name of a 7th-century saint, the sister of Saint Mildred.
Mildred f English
From the Old English name Mildþryð meaning "gentle strength", derived from the elements milde "gentle" and þryþ "strength". Saint Mildred was a 7th-century abbess, the daughter of the Kentish princess Saint Ermenburga. After the Norman Conquest this name became rare, but it was revived in the 19th century.
Mildþryð f Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of Mildred.
Miléna f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Milena.
Milena f Serbian, Macedonian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Slovene, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Russian, Italian
Feminine form of Milan. It began to be used in Italy in honour of Milena Vukotić (1847-1923), mother of Helen of Montenegro, the wife of the Italian king Victor Emmanuel III. In Italy it can also be considered a combination of Maria and Elena.
Mileva f Serbian, Macedonian
From the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear".
Miley f English (Modern)
In the case of actress and singer Miley Cyrus (1992-), it is a shortened form of the nickname Smiley, given to her by her father because she often smiled. Although it was not at all common before she brought it to public attention, there are some examples of its use before her time, most likely as a diminutive of Miles.
Milica f Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian
From the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name was borne by the wife of the 14th-century Serbian ruler Lazar.
Militsa f Bulgarian
Bulgarian form of Milica.
Milja f Finnish
Short form of Emilia.
Miljana f Serbian
Feminine form of Milan.
Milka 1 f Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Bulgarian, Slovene
Originally a diminutive of names containing the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear".
Milka 2 f Finnish, Polish
Finnish and Polish diminutive of Emilia.
Milka 3 f Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Milcah.
Milla f Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Short form of Camilla and other names that end in milla.
Millaray f Mapuche
Means "golden flower" in Mapuche, from milla "gold" and rayen "flower".
Mille f & m Norwegian, Danish, Swedish
Danish and Norwegian short form of Emilie (feminine) and Swedish short form of Emil (masculine).
Miller m & f English
From an English occupational surname for a miller, derived from Middle English mille "mill".
Millicent f English
From the Gothic name *Amalaswinþa, composed of the elements amals "unceasing, vigorous, brave" and swinþs "strong". Amalaswintha was a 6th-century queen of the Ostrogoths. The Normans introduced this name to England in the form Melisent or Melisende. Melisende was a 12th-century queen of Jerusalem, the daughter of Baldwin II.
Millie f English
Diminutive of Mildred, Millicent and other names containing the same sound.
Milly f Swedish, Norwegian, English
Diminutive of Emilie, Mildred and other names containing the same sound.
Miloslava f Czech
Feminine form of Miloslav.
Milou f Dutch
Short form of Marie-Louise. This is the name of a (male) dog in the French-language Belgian comic series The Adventures of Tintin by Hergé, first appearing in 1929. He is named Snowy in the English version and Bobbie in the Dutch version.
Miluše f Czech
Originally a diminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear".
Miluška f Czech
Variant of Miluše.
Milvi f Estonian
Coined by Estonian writer Mats Tõnisson in 1914, of uncertain meaning.
Mimi f English
Diminutive of Maria and other names beginning with M.
Mimoza f Albanian, Georgian
From the Albanian and Georgian word for the mimosa plant, a flowering herb. It is ultimately derived from Greek μῖμος (mimos) meaning "mimic".
Min 1 m & f Chinese, Korean
From (mǐn) meaning "quick, clever, sharp", (mín) meaning "people, citizens", or other Chinese/Sino-Korean characters that are pronounced similarly.
Min 2 m & f Burmese
Means "king, ruler" in Burmese.
Mina 1 f English, Dutch
Short form of Wilhelmina and other names ending in mina. This was the name of a character in the novel Dracula (1897) by Bram Stoker.
Mina 2 f Hindi, Marathi, Tamil
From Sanskrit मीन (mīna) meaning "fish", which in Hindu astrology is the name of a sign of the zodiac.
Mina 3 f Persian
Means "azure, enamel" in Persian.
Minako f Japanese
From Japanese (mi) meaning "beautiful", (na), a phonetic character, and (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Minakshi f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali
From Sanskrit मीन (mīna) meaning "fish" and अक्षि (akṣi) meaning "eye". This is the name of a Hindu goddess associated with the Tamil city of Madurai. She is considered an incarnation of Parvati.
Minali f Hindi
Means "fish catcher" in Sanskrit.
Minato m & f Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese (minato) meaning "harbour", as well as other combinations of kanji having the same pronunciation.
Mindy f English
Diminutive of Melinda.
Minea f Finnish
Created by the Finnish writer Mika Waltari for a character in his historical novel The Egyptian (1945). He may have based it on the name Minos, as the character is herself of Cretan origin.
Minenhle f & m Zulu
From Zulu imini "day" and hle "beautiful".
Minerva f Roman Mythology, English, Spanish
Possibly derived from Latin mens meaning "intellect", but more likely of Etruscan origin. Minerva was the Roman goddess of wisdom and war, approximately equivalent to the Greek goddess Athena. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since after the Renaissance.
Ming m & f Chinese
From Chinese (míng) meaning "bright, light, clear" or (míng) meaning "inscribe, engrave", as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Minh m & f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese (minh) meaning "bright". This was an adopted name of the communist revolutionary Hồ Chí Minh (1890-1969).
Minik m & f Greenlandic
Means "seal oil" in Greenlandic. A notable bearer was the Inughuit boy Minik (1890-1918), who was among a group brought by the explorer Robert Peary from Greenland to New York in 1897.
Min-Ji f Korean
From Sino-Korean (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" combined with (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or (ji) meaning "know, perceive, comprehend". Other hanja combinations are possible.
Minke m & f Frisian, Dutch
Diminutive and feminine form of Meine.
Minna f German (Archaic), Finnish, Swedish
Means "love" in Old German, specifically medieval courtly love. It is also used as a short form of Wilhelmina. This is the name of the title character in the play Minna von Barnhelm (1767) by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing.
Minnie f English
Diminutive of Wilhelmina. This name was used by Walt Disney for the cartoon character Minnie Mouse, introduced 1928.
Minodora f Romanian
Romanian form of Menodora.
Minoo f Persian
Means "heaven, paradise" in Persian.
Minoru m & f Japanese
From Japanese (minoru) meaning "to bear fruit", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations with the same pronunciation.
Min-Seo f & m Korean
From Sino-Korean (min) meaning "people, citizens" or (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" combined with (seo) meaning "slowly, calmly, composed, dignified" or (seo) meaning "series, sequence". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
Minta f English
Short form of Araminta.
Minttu f Finnish
Means "mint" in Finnish.
Minty f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Araminta.
Minu f Persian
Alternate transcription of Persian مینو (see Minoo).
Mio f Japanese
From Japanese (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with (o) meaning "cherry blossom" or (o) meaning "thread". Other kanji or kanji combinations can also form this name.
Míra f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Mira 2.
Mira 1 f Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada
From Sanskrit मीर (mīra) meaning "sea, ocean". This was the name of a 16th-century Indian princess who devoted her life to the god Krishna.
Mira 2 f Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Polish
Short form of Miroslava and other names beginning with Mir (often the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace, world").
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.
Miracle f English (Modern)
From the English word miracle for an extraordinary event, ultimately deriving from Latin miraculum "wonder, marvel".
Miranda f English, Dutch
Derived from Latin mirandus meaning "admirable, worthy of being admired". The name was created by Shakespeare for the heroine in his play The Tempest (1611), in which Miranda and her father Prospero are stranded on an island. It did not become a common English given name until the 20th century. This is also the name of one of the moons of Uranus, named after the Shakespearean character.
Miray f Turkish
Meaning uncertain, possibly from Arabic أمير (ʾamīr) meaning "commander" combined with Turkish ay meaning "moon, month".
Mirdza f Latvian
Derived from Latvian mirdzēt meaning "to shine, to glitter". This is the name of a tragic character in the play Vaidelote (1894) by the Latvian poet and playwright Aspazija.
Mireia f Catalan, Spanish
Catalan form of Mirèio (see Mireille).
Mireille f French, Dutch
From 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-).
Mirèio f Occitan
Occitan (Mistralian) form of Mireille.
Mirela f Romanian, Croatian, Albanian
Romanian, Croatian and Albanian form of Mireille.
Mirele f Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish diminutive of Miriam.
Mirèlha f Occitan
Variant of Mirèio using classical Occitan spelling conventions.
Mirella f Italian
Italian form of Mireille.
Mirembe f Ganda
Means "peace" in Luganda.
Miren f Basque
Basque form of Maria.
Mireya f Spanish
Variant of Mireia.
Miri f Hebrew
Hebrew diminutive of Miriam.
Míriam f Spanish
Spanish form of Miriam.
Miriam f Hebrew, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Italian, Portuguese, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Biblical
Form 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.
Miriama f Slovak
Slovak variant of Miriam.
Miriana f Italian
Italian variant of Miriam.
Mirica f Croatian
From the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace, world" combined with a diminutive suffix.
Mirinda f Esperanto
Means "wonderful" in Esperanto.
Mirit f Hebrew
Meaning unknown, possibly a derivative of Miriam.
Mirja f Finnish
Finnish form of Miriam.
Mirjam f Dutch, German, Finnish, Estonian, Slovene
Form of Miriam in several languages.
Mirjami f Finnish
Finnish form of Miriam.
Mirka 1 f Czech, Slovak, Polish, Serbian
Diminutive of Miroslava and other names containing the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace" or "world".
Mirka 2 f Finnish
Diminutive of Mirjami.
Mirna f Croatian, Serbian
From Serbo-Croatian miran meaning "peaceful, calm".
Mirosława f Polish
Feminine form of Mirosław.
Mirsada f Bosnian
Feminine form of Mirsad.
Mirta f Spanish, Italian, Croatian
Spanish, Italian and Croatian cognate of Myrtle.
Mirte f Dutch
Variant of Myrthe.
Mirthe f Dutch
Variant of Myrthe.
Miruna f Romanian
Possibly derived from the Slavic word mir meaning "peace" or Romanian mira meaning "to wonder, to astound".
Miryam f Hebrew, Spanish, Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Miriam, as well as a Spanish variant.
Míša f Czech
Diminutive of Michaela.
Miša m & f Serbian, Slovene
Serbian diminutive of Mihailo, Miroslav and other names beginning with a similar sound. In Slovenia it is typically feminine.
Misaki f Japanese
From Japanese (mi) meaning "beautiful" and (saki) meaning "blossom". This name can be formed from other combinations of kanji as well.
Misao m & f Japanese
From Japanese (misao) meaning "chastity, honour". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji.
Mischa m & f Dutch, German
Dutch and German form of Misha. It is occasionally used as a feminine name in Dutch.
Misericordia f Spanish
Means "compassion, mercy" in Spanish, ultimately from Latin miser "poor, wretched" and cor "heart". It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, La Virgen de la Misericordia, meaning "The Virgin of Compassion".
Miski f Quechua
Means "honey" in Quechua.
Missie f English
Diminutive of Melissa.
Missy f English
Diminutive of Melissa. This is also a slang term meaning "young woman".
Misti f English
Variant of Misty.
Misty f English
From the English word misty, ultimately derived from Old English. The jazz song Misty (1954) by Erroll Garner may have helped popularize the name.
Mi-Suk f Korean
From Sino-Korean (mi) meaning "beautiful" and (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming", as well as other combinations of hanja characters with the same pronunciations.
Mitra 1 m & f Hinduism, Hindi
Means "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.
Mitra 2 f Persian
Modern variant of Mithra used as a feminine name. The true Modern Persian form of Mithra is in fact Mehr.
Mitrodora f Macedonian
Macedonian form of Metrodora.
Mitsuki f Japanese
From Japanese (mi) meaning "beautiful" and (tsuki) meaning "moon". It can also come from (mitsu) meaning "light" and (ki) meaning "hope", as well as several other kanji combinations.
Mitsuko f Japanese
From Japanese (mitsu) meaning "light" and (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Mittens m & f Pet
From the plural of the English word mitten. This is a common name for cats, given because of a distinctive colouration of the paws.
Mitzi f German
German diminutive of Maria.
Miu f Japanese
From Japanese (mi) meaning "beautiful" and (u) meaning "feather". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Miya f Russian
Russian form of Mia.
Miyako f Japanese
From Japanese (mi) meaning "beautiful", (ya) meaning "night" and (ko) meaning "child". This name can be formed from other combinations of kanji as well.
Miyo f Japanese
From Japanese (mi) meaning "beautiful" and (yo) meaning "generation", or other kanji combinations having the same reading.
Miyoko f Japanese
From Japanese (mi) meaning "beautiful", (yo) meaning "generation" and (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Miyu f Japanese
From Japanese (mi) meaning "beautiful" or (mi) meaning "fruit, good result, truth" combined with (yu) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" or (yu) meaning "tie, bind" or (yu) meaning "evening". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Miyuki f Japanese
From Japanese (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with (yuki) meaning "happiness" or (yuki) meaning "snow". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Mizuki f Japanese
From Japanese (mizu) meaning "felicitous omen, auspicious" and (ki) meaning "hope", besides other kanji combinations.
Mladenka f Croatian, Serbian
Feminine form of Mladen.
Mneme f Greek Mythology
Means "memory" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was one of the original three muses, the muse of memory.
Mnemosyne f Greek Mythology
Means "remembrance" in Greek. In Greek mythology Mnemosyne was a Titan goddess of memory. She was the mother by Zeus of the nine Muses.
Mo f & m English
Short form of Maureen, Maurice, Morris and other names beginning with a similar sound.
Moa f Swedish
Possibly derived from Swedish moder meaning "mother". This was the pen name of the Swedish author Moa Martinson (real name Helga Maria Martinson).
Moana f & m Maori, Hawaiian, Tahitian, Samoan, Tongan
Means "ocean, wide expanse of water, deep sea" in Maori, Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages.
Modesta f Spanish, Late Roman
Feminine form of Modestus.
Modeste m & f French
French masculine and feminine form of Modestus.
Modestine f French
French diminutive of Modestus.
Modesty f English (Rare)
From the English word modesty, ultimately from Latin modestus "moderate", a derivative of modus "measure".