Feminine Names

gender
usage
Modron f Welsh Mythology
Later Welsh form of Matrona 2. In the Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen she is the mother of Mabon, who was taken from her as a baby.
Moe 2 f Japanese
From Japanese (moe) meaning "bud, sprout". Other kanji with the same reading can also form this name.
Moema f Portuguese (Brazilian, Rare)
Means "lies" in Tupí. This name appears in the poem Caramuru (1781) by the Brazilian poet Santa Rita Durão.
Moerani m & f Tahitian
From Tahitian moe "sleep" and raʻi "heaven, sky".
Mohana m & f Hinduism
Means "bewitching, infatuating, charming" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form मोहन (an epithet of the Hindu gods Shiva and Krishna) and the feminine form मोहना (spelled with a long final vowel).
Mohinder m & f Indian (Sikh)
Variant of Mahendra used by Sikhs.
Mohini f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi
Means "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).
Moira f Irish, Scottish, English
Anglicized form of Máire. It also coincides with Greek Μοῖρα (Moira) meaning "fate, destiny", the singular of Μοῖραι, the Greek name for the Fates. They were the three female personifications of destiny in Greek mythology.
Moire f Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Maria (see Mary), typically only used to refer to the Virgin Mary. The form Màiri is used as a given name.
Móirín f Irish (Rare)
Diminutive of Mór 1.
Moirrey f Manx
Manx form of Mary.
Mojca f Slovene
Possibly a Slovene diminutive of Marija. Alternatively, it could be related to Slovene moj meaning "my, mine".
Mojdeh f Persian
Alternate transcription of Persian مژده (see Mozhdeh).
Mojgan f Persian
Alternate transcription of Persian مژگان (see Mozhgan).
Mojisola f Yoruba
Means "I wake up to wealth" in Yoruba.
Mokee'e f Cheyenne
Means "little woman" in Cheyenne.
Mokosh f Slavic Mythology
Derived from the Old Slavic root mok meaning "wet, moist". Mokosh was a Slavic goddess associated with weaving, women, water and fertility.
Molle f Medieval English
Medieval diminutive of Mary.
Mollie f English
Variant of Molly.
Molly f English
Medieval diminutive of Mary, now often used independently. It developed from Malle and Molle, other medieval diminutives. James Joyce used this name in his novel Ulysses (1922), where it belongs to Molly Bloom, the wife of the main character.
Momi f Hawaiian
Means "pearl" in Hawaiian.
Momoka f Japanese
From Japanese (momo) meaning "hundred" or (momo) meaning "peach" combined with (ka) meaning "flower" or (ka) meaning "fragrance". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Momoko f Japanese
From Japanese (momo) meaning "hundred" or (momo) meaning "peach" combined with (ko) meaning "child". This name can be constructed from other kanji combinations as well.
Mona 1 f Irish, English
Anglicized form of Muadhnait. It is also associated with Greek monos "one" and Leonardo da Vinci's painting the Mona Lisa (in which case it is a contraction of Italian ma donna meaning "my lady").
Mona 2 f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Scandinavian short form of Monica.
Mona 3 f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic منى (see Muna).
Monat f Irish (Rare)
Anglicized form of Muadhnait.
Monday m & f English (African)
From the English word for the day of the week, which was derived from Old English mona "moon" and dæg "day". This can be given to children born on Monday, especially in Nigeria.
Monet f & m Various
From a French surname that was derived from either Hamon or Edmond. This was the surname of the French impressionist painter Claude Monet (1840-1926).
Mónica f Spanish, Portuguese (European)
Spanish and European Portuguese form of Monica.
Mònica f Catalan
Catalan form of Monica.
Mônica f Portuguese (Brazilian)
Brazilian Portuguese form of Monica.
Monica f English, Italian, Romanian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Late Roman
Meaning unknown, most likely of Berber or Phoenician origin. In the 4th century this name was borne by a North African saint, the mother of Saint Augustine of Hippo, whom she converted to Christianity. Since the Middle Ages it has been associated with Latin moneo "advisor" and Greek μονός (monos) "one, single".... [more]
Monifa f Yoruba (Rare)
Means "I am lucky" in Yoruba.
Mónika f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Monica.
Monique f French, English, Dutch
French form of Monica.
Mönkhtsetseg f Mongolian
Means "eternal flower" in Mongolian, from мөнх (mönkh) meaning "eternal" and цэцэг (tsetseg) meaning "flower".
Mönkhtuya f Mongolian
From Mongolian мөнх (mönkh) meaning "eternal" and туяа (tuyaa) meaning "ray, beam".
Monna f English
Variant of Mona 1.
Monroe m & f English
From a Scottish surname meaning "from the mouth of the Roe". The Roe is a river in Northern Ireland. Two famous bearers of the surname were American president James Monroe (1758-1831) and American actress Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962).... [more]
Monta f Latvian
Modern Latvian name, possibly from Latin mons "mountain".
Montana f & m English (Modern)
From the name of the American state, which is derived from Latin montanus "mountainous".
Montse f Catalan
Short form of Montserrat.
Montserrat f Catalan
From the name of a mountain near Barcelona, the site of a monastery founded in the 10th century. The mountain gets its name from Latin mons serratus meaning "jagged mountain".
Moon 1 m & f Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul (see Mun).
Moon 2 f & m English (Rare)
From the English word for Earth's natural satellite, ultimately from Old English mona.
Moonika f Estonian
Estonian form of Monika.
Mór 1 f Medieval Irish
Means "great" in Irish. This was a popular medieval Irish name. It was probably given in some cases as an alternative to Máire, which was considered too sacred for general use.
Mòr f Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Mór 1. It is sometimes translated into English as Sarah or Marion.
Mor f & m Hebrew
Means "myrrh" in Hebrew.
Mòrag f Scottish Gaelic
Diminutive of Mòr.
Moran f & m Hebrew
Means "viburnum shrub" in Hebrew.
Morana f Slavic Mythology, Croatian
From Old Slavic morŭ meaning "death, plague". In Slavic mythology this was the name of a goddess associated with winter and death.
Mordad f Persian Mythology
Modern Persian form of Amordad. This is the name of the fifth month in the Iranian calendar.
Moreen f Irish, English
Anglicized form of Móirín. It is sometimes used as a variant of Maureen.
Morena f Italian, Spanish
Feminine form of Moreno.
Morgaine f Arthurian Cycle
Variant of Morgan 2, from a French form.
Morgan 1 m & f Welsh, English, French
From 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-).
Morgan 2 f Arthurian Cycle
Modern form of Morgen, which was used by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century for the Arthurian sorceress Morgan le Fay, who was unnamed in earlier stories. Geoffrey probably did not derive it from the Welsh masculine name Morgan, which would have been spelled Morcant in his time. It is likely from Old Welsh mor "sea" and the suffix gen "born of".
Morgana f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Morgan 1.
Morgane f French
French, either a form of Morgan 2 or a feminine form of Morgan 1.
Morgen f Arthurian Cycle
Earlier form of Morgan 2.
Moriah f English (Modern)
From Hebrew מֹרִיָה (Moriya) possibly meaning "seen by Yahweh". This is a place name in the Old Testament, both the land where Abraham is to sacrifice Isaac and the mountain upon which Solomon builds the temple. They may be the same place. Since the 1980s it has occasionally been used as a feminine given name in America.
Moriko f Japanese
From Japanese (mori) meaning "forest" and (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Morna f Scottish
Anglicized form of Muirne used by James Macpherson in his poem Fingal (1761), in which it is borne by the mother of the hero Fingal.
Morrígan f Irish Mythology
Means either "demon queen" or "great queen", derived from Old Irish mor "demon, evil spirit" or mór "great, big" combined with rígain "queen". In Irish mythology Morrígan (called also The Morrígan) was a goddess of war and death who often took the form of a crow.
Morta f Lithuanian
Lithuanian form of Martha.
Morticia f Popular Culture
From the American English word mortician meaning "undertaker, funeral director", ultimately derived from Latin mortis meaning "death". This name was created for the mother on the Addams Family television series (1964-1966). She was based on an unnamed recurring character in cartoons by Charles Addams, starting 1938.
Morvarid f Persian
Means "pearl" in Persian.
Morven f Scottish
From the name of a region in western Scotland, also called Morvern or in Gaelic A' Mhorbhairne, meaning "the big gap". This is the location of Fingal's kingdom in James Macpherson's 18th-century poems.
Morwenna f Cornish, Welsh
From Old Cornish moroin meaning "maiden, girl" (related to the Welsh word morwyn). This was the name of a 6th-century Cornish saint, said to be one of the daughters of Brychan Brycheiniog.
Mosi f & m Swahili
Means "first (child)" in Swahili.
Motya m & f Russian
Diminutive of Matvey or Matrona 1.
Mouna f Arabic (Maghrebi)
Alternate transcription of Arabic منى (see Muna) chiefly used in North Africa.
Moyna f Irish
Variant of Mona 1.
Moyra f Irish, Scottish
Variant of Moira.
Mozelle f English
Possibly a feminine form of Moses.
Mozhdeh f Persian
Means "good news" in Persian.
Mozhgan f Persian
Means "eyelashes" in Persian.
Mphatso m & f Chewa
Means "gift" in Chewa.
Mpho m & f Tswana, Sotho
Means "gift" in Tswana and Sotho, a derivative of fa "to offer".
Mridula f Hindi
From Sanskrit मृदु (mṛdu) meaning "soft, delicate, gentle".
Mtendere m & f Chewa
Means "peace" in Chewa.
Mu m & f Chinese
From Chinese () meaning "shepherd", () meaning "tree, wood", or other characters with similar pronunciations.
Muadhnait f Irish (Rare)
Means "little noble one", derived from the Old Irish poetic word muad meaning "noble, good" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 6th-century saint, a sister of Saint Mo Laisse.
Muadnat f Old Irish
Old Irish form of Muadhnait.
Mubina f Arabic
Feminine form of Mubin.
Mudiwa f & m Shona
Means "beloved, darling" in Shona.
Müge f Turkish
Means "lily of the valley" in Turkish (species Convallaria majalis).
Muhsina f Arabic
Feminine form of Muhsin.
Muire f Irish
Irish form of Maria (see Mary). This form is typically reserved for the Virgin Mary, with Máire used as a given name.
Muireall f Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Muirgel.
Muirenn f Old Irish, Irish Mythology
From Old Irish muir "sea" and finn "white, blessed". This is another name of Muirne, the mother of the legendary hero Fionn mac Cumhaill.
Muirgel f Old Irish
Means "bright sea", derived from Old Irish muir "sea" and gel "bright".
Muirgen f Irish Mythology
Means "born of the sea" in Irish. In Irish legend this was the name of a woman (originally named Lí Ban) who was transformed into a mermaid. After 300 years she was brought to shore, baptized, and transformed back into a woman.
Muirgheal f Irish (Rare)
Modern form of Muirgel.
Muirín f Irish (Rare)
Modern form of Muirgen.
Muirne f Irish Mythology
From Irish muirn meaning either "affection, endearment" or "festivity, exuberance". In Irish legend this was the name of the mother of Fionn mac Cumhaill. She is also called Muirenn.
Müjde f Turkish
Turkish form of Mozhdeh.
Müjgan f Turkish
Turkish form of Mozhgan.
Mukami f Kikuyu
Possibly means "the one who milks the cows" in Kikuyu.
Mukta f Hindi, Marathi
Means "liberated, set free" in Sanskrit.
Mulan f Chinese Mythology
From Chinese 木兰 (mùlán) meaning "magnolia". This is the name of a legendary female warrior who disguises herself as a man to take her ailing father's place when he is conscripted into the army.
Mumba f Hinduism
From Marathi महा (mahā) meaning "great" and अंबा (ambā) meaning "mother". This is the name of a Marathi incarnation of the mother goddess Mahadevi.
Mumbi f Kikuyu
Means "she who shapes" in Kikuyu. In Kikuyu mythology Mumbi was the wife of Gikuyu and the mother of his nine daughters.
Mumina f Arabic
Feminine form of Mumin.
Mümine f Turkish
Turkish feminine form of Mumin.
Mumtaz m & f Arabic, Urdu
Means "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).
Mun m & f Korean
From Sino-Korean (mun) meaning "writing" or other hanja characters with the same pronunciation. It usually occurs in combination with another character.
Muna f Arabic
Means "wishes, desires", from the plural form of Munya.
Munashe m & f Shona
Means "with God" in Shona, derived from ishe meaning "lord, God".
Munira f Arabic
Feminine form of Munir.
Münire f Turkish
Turkish feminine form of Munir.
Munkhtsetseg f Mongolian
Alternate transcription of Mongolian Cyrillic Мөнхцэцэг (see Mönkhtsetseg).
Munroe m & f English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Monroe.
Munya f Arabic
Means "wish, desire" in Arabic, related to the root منا (manā) meaning "to tempt, to put to the test".
Murdag f Scottish Gaelic
Feminine form of Murdo.
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).
Murielle f French
French variant of Muriel.
Murna f Irish (Rare)
Anglicized form of Muirne.
Murphy m & f English
From a common Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Ó Murchadha, itself derived from the given name Murchadh. As a given name, it has been borne by female characters on the American television series Murphy Brown (1988-1998) and the movie Interstellar (2014).
Murron f Popular Culture
Used in the 1995 movie Braveheart for William Wallace's wife, who is murdered early in the film. In reality, Wallace may have been married to a woman named Marion.
Muslima f Arabic, Uzbek, Bengali
Feminine form of Muslim.
Mut f Egyptian Mythology
From Egyptian mwt meaning "mother". In Egyptian mythology she was a mother goddess, the consort of Amon and the mother of Khonsu. She was sometimes depicted wearing a headdress with vulture wings.
Mutemwiya f Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian mwt-m-wjꜣ meaning "Mut is in the sacred barque", from the name of the goddess Mut combined with wjꜣ "sacred barque" (a boat used to carry the dead to the afterlife). This name was borne by a wife of the pharaoh Thutmose IV. She was the mother of Amenhotep III.
Muthoni f Kikuyu
Means "mother-in-law" in Kikuyu.
Mutnedjmet f Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian mwt-nḏmt meaning "Mut is sweet", from the name of the goddess Mut combined with nḏm "sweet, pleasant". This name was borne by the wife of the pharaoh Horemheb.
Mwajuma f Swahili
Contracted form of Mwanajuma.
Mwanahamisi f Swahili
Means "child born on Thursday" in Swahili.
Mwanahawa f Swahili
Combination of Swahili mwana meaning "child" and the name Hawa.
Mwanaidi f Swahili
Means "child born during the festival" in Swahili.
Mwanaisha f Swahili
Combination of Swahili mwana meaning "child" and the name Aisha.
Mwanajuma f Swahili
Means "child born on Friday" in Swahili.
Mwayi f & m Chewa
Means "opportunity" in Chewa.
Mwenya f & m Chewa
From the Chewa word for a type of flowering tree (species Breonadia salicina).
My f Swedish
Swedish diminutive of Maria.
Mỹ f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese (mỹ) meaning "beautiful".
Myeong m & f Korean
From Sino-Korean (myeong) meaning "bright, light, clear" or other hanja characters with the same pronunciation. Although it does appear rarely as a single-character name, it is more often used in combination with another character.
Myeong-Suk f Korean
From Sino-Korean (myeong) meaning "bright, light, clear" combined with (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming". Other hanja combinations are possible.
Myf f Welsh
Short form of Myfanwy.
Myfanwy f Welsh
From the Welsh prefix my- meaning "my, belonging to me" (an older form of fy) combined with either manwy meaning "fine, delicate" or banwy meaning "woman" (a variant of banw). This was the name of an 1875 Welsh song composed by Joseph Parry.
Mykhaila f Ukrainian
Ukrainian feminine form of Michael.
Myla f English (Modern)
Possibly a feminine form of Miles, influenced by similar-sounding names such as Kyla.
Mylène f French
Combination of Marie and Hélène. It can also be used as a French form of Milena.
Mynte f Danish
Means "mint" in Danish.
Myra f English
Created by the 17th-century poet Fulke Greville. He possibly based it on Latin myrra meaning "myrrh" (a fragrant resin obtained from a tree). Otherwise, he may have simply rearranged the letters from the name Mary. Although unrelated etymologically, this is also the name of an ancient city of Anatolia.
Myrgjǫl f Old Norse
Old Norse form of Muirgel.
Myriam f French
French form of Miriam.
Myrna f Irish (Rare), English
Anglicized form of Muirne. The popularity of this name spiked in the United States in the 1930s due to the fame of the actress Myrna Loy (1905-1993).
Myroslava f Ukrainian
Ukrainian feminine form of Miroslav.
Myrrhine f Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek μύρρα (myrrha) meaning "myrrh". This is the name of a character in the comedy Lysistrata by the Greek playwright Aristophanes.
Myrthe f Dutch
From Dutch mirte, a cognate of Myrtle.
Myrtie f English
Diminutive of Myrtle.
Myrtle f English
Simply from the English word myrtle for the evergreen shrub, ultimately from Greek μύρτος (myrtos). It was first used as a given name in the 19th century, at the same time many other plant and flower names were coined.
Myrto f Greek, Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
From Greek μύρτος (myrtos) meaning "myrtle". This was the name of a few characters from Greek mythology, including one of the Maenads.
Myung m & f Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul (see Myeong).
Mzia f Georgian
Derived from Georgian მზე (mze) meaning "sun".
Na f Chinese
From Chinese () meaning "elegant, graceful, delicate" or other characters pronounced similarly.
Naa f Ga
From a Ga word used as a feminine royal title.
Na'ama f Biblical Hebrew
Biblical Hebrew form of Naamah.
Naama f Hebrew
Modern Hebrew form of Naamah.
Naamah f Biblical
Means "pleasant" in Hebrew. This name is borne in the Old Testament by both a daughter of Lamech and a wife of Solomon. Some later Jewish texts give Naamah as the name of Noah's wife, even though she is not named in the Old Testament.
Naasunnguaq f Greenlandic
Means "little flower" in Greenlandic, from naasoq "flower, plant" and the diminutive suffix -nnguaq.
Nabila f Arabic
Feminine form of Nabil.
Naďa f Czech
Diminutive of Naděžda.
Nada 1 f Arabic
From Arabic نَدًى (nadan) meaning "dew, moisture, generosity", a derivative of ندي (nadiya) meaning "to be moist, to be damp".
Nada 2 f Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian
Means "hope" in South Slavic.
Nadège f French
French form of Nadezhda.
Nadejda f Russian, Bulgarian
Alternate transcription of Russian/Bulgarian Надежда (see Nadezhda).
Naděžda f Czech
Czech form of Nadezhda.
Nadežda f Slovak, Serbian, Latvian
Slovak, Serbian and Latvian form of Nadezhda.
Nadezhda f Russian, Bulgarian
Means "hope" in Russian and Bulgarian.
Nádia f Portuguese
Portuguese form of Nadia 1.
Nàdia f Catalan
Catalan form of Nadia 1.
Nadia 1 f French, Italian, Spanish, English, Russian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian
Variant of Nadya 1 used in Western Europe, as well as an alternate transcription of the Slavic name. It began to be used in France in the 19th century. The name received a boost in popularity from the Romanian gymnast Nadia Comăneci (1961-).
Nadia 2 f Arabic, Urdu, Bengali, Indonesian, Malay
Alternate transcription of Arabic ناديّة (see Nadiyya), as well as the usual form in several other languages.
Nadica f Croatian, Serbian
Diminutive of Nada 2.
Nadiia f Ukrainian
Alternate transcription of Ukrainian Надія (see Nadiya).
Nadine f French, German, English, Dutch
French diminutive of Nadia 1.
Nadira f Arabic
Feminine form of Nadir.
Nadire f Turkish, Albanian
Turkish and Albanian feminine form of Nadir.
Nadiya f Ukrainian
Ukrainian cognate of Nadezhda, being the Ukrainian word meaning "hope".
Nadiye f Turkish
Turkish form of Nadiyya.
Nadiyya f Arabic
Means "announcement, call" in Arabic, derived from نادى (nādā) meaning "to call, to announce, to invite".
Nadja f German, Slovene
German and Slovene form of Nadya 1.
Nadra f Arabic
Means "radiance" in Arabic.
Nadya 1 f Russian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian
Russian and Bulgarian diminutive of Nadezhda. It is also an alternate transcription of Ukrainian Надія (see Nadiya).
Nadya 2 f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic ناديّة (see Nadiyya).
Nadzeya f Belarusian
Belarusian cognate of Nadezhda, being the Belarusian word meaning "hope".
Nadzieja f Polish
Polish cognate of Nadezhda, being the Polish word meaning "hope".
Naeema f Arabic, Urdu
Alternate transcription of Arabic نعيمة (see Naima), as well as the usual Urdu form.
Naëlle f French (Modern)
Feminine form of Naël.
Naenia f Roman Mythology
Means "incantation, dirge" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of funerals.
Nəfəs f Azerbaijani
Means "breath" in Azerbaijani, derived from Arabic نفس (nafas), ultimately related to the root نفس (nafusa) meaning "to be precious".
Nafisa f Arabic
From Arabic نفيس (nafīs) meaning "precious, valuable", from the root نفس (nafusa) meaning "to be precious".
Nafiset f Circassian
Circassian form of Nafisa.
Nafula f Luhya
Feminine form of Wafula.
Nagore f Basque
From the name of a Basque village where there is a sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
Nahal f Hebrew
Means "stream" in Hebrew.
Naheed f Persian
Alternate transcription of Persian ناهید (see Nahid).
Nahia f Basque
From Basque nahi meaning "desire, wish".
Nahid f Persian Mythology, Persian, Bengali
Modern Persian form of Anahita. This is also the Persian name for the planet Venus.
Naia f Basque
Means "wave, sea foam" in Basque.
Naiara f Basque
From the Basque name of the Spanish city of Nájera, which is Arabic in origin. In the 12th century there was a reported apparition of the Virgin Mary in a nearby cave.
Naida f Dagestani
Meaning uncertain, possibly derived from Greek Ναϊάς (Naias), a type of water nymph in Greek mythology (plural Ναϊάδες). Alternatively it might be related to Persian Nahid.
Naila f Arabic, Urdu
Feminine 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.
Naile f Turkish
Turkish form of Naila.
Na'ima f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic نعيمة (see Naima).
Naïma f Arabic (Maghrebi)
Form of Naima used in North Africa and other French-influenced regions of the continent.
Naima f Arabic
Feminine form of Naim.
Naime f Turkish
Turkish feminine form of Naim.
Nainsí f Irish
Irish form of Nancy.
Naira f Aymara
From Aymara nayra meaning "eye" or "early".
Nairobi f African American (Modern)
From the name of the capital city of Kenya, derived from Maasai enkare nyrobi meaning "cold water".
Naja f Greenlandic, Danish
From Greenlandic najaa meaning "his younger sister". It was popularized in Denmark by the writer B. S. Ingemann, who used it in his novel Kunnuk and Naja, or the Greenlanders (1842).
Najla f Arabic
Means "wide-eyed" in Arabic.
Najma f Arabic, Urdu
Feminine form of Najm.
Najoua f Arabic (Maghrebi)
Alternate transcription of Arabic نجوى (see Najwa) chiefly used in North Africa.
Najwa f Arabic
Means "secret, whisper, confidential talk" in Arabic, from the root نجا (najā) meaning "to save, to entrust, to confide in".
Nakato f Ganda
Means "second of twins" in Luganda.
Nakeisha f African American (Modern)
Combination of the phonetic prefix na and the name Keisha.
Nakisha f African American (Modern)
Combination of the name prefix na and the name Kisha.
Nala 2 f Popular Culture
The name of a lion in the animated movie The Lion King (1994). Though many sources claim it means "gift" or "beloved" in Swahili, it does not appear to have a meaning in that language.
Nālani f & m Hawaiian
Means "the heavens" or "the chiefs" from Hawaiian , a definite article, and lani "heaven, sky, chief".
Naliaka f Luhya
Means "born during the weeding season", from Luhya liliaka meaning "weeding".
Nalini f Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi
From Sanskrit नलिनी (nalinī) meaning "lotus".
Namrata f Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Nepali
From Sanskrit नम्रता (namratā) meaning "bowing, humility".
Nan f English
Originally a diminutive of Ann. It may have originated with the affectionate phrase mine Ann, which was later reinterpreted as my Nan. It is now also used as a short form of Nancy.
Nana 1 f Greek
Diminutive of Ioanna.
Nana 2 f Japanese
From Japanese (na) meaning "vegetables, greens" and/or (na), a phonetic character. The characters can be in either order or the same character can be duplicated, as indicated by the symbol . Other kanji with the same pronunciations can also be used to form this name.
Nana 3 f Georgian
Meaning unknown. This was the name of a 4th-century queen consort of Georgia who is regarded as a saint in the Orthodox Church.
Nana 4 m & f Akan
From an Akan word used as a title of a monarch.
Nanabah f Navajo
Means "returning warrior" in Navajo, derived from nááná "again" and baa' "warrior, heroine, raid, battle".
Nanako f Japanese
From Japanese (na) meaning "vegetables, greens" duplicated and (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible as well.
Nanami f Japanese
From Japanese (nana) meaning "seven" and (mi) meaning "sea". It can also come from (na) meaning "vegetables, greens" duplicated and (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Nanaya f Sumerian Mythology, Semitic Mythology
Meaning unknown, possibly related to Inanna. This was the name of a goddess worshipped by the Sumerians and Akkadians. She was later conflated with the goddesses Anahita and Aphrodite.
Nance f English
Short form of Nancy.
Nancy f English
Previously a medieval diminutive of Annis, though since the 18th century it has been a diminutive of Ann. It is now usually regarded as an independent name. During the 20th century it became very popular in the United States. A city in the Lorraine region of France bears this name, though it derives from a different source.
Nanda m & f Hinduism, Buddhism, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Odia, Nepali, Burmese, Hindi, Marathi
Means "joy" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form नन्द and the feminine form नन्दा (spelled with a long final vowel).... [more]
Nandag f Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic diminutive of Anna.
Nandar f Burmese
Alternate transcription of Burmese နန္ဒ or နန္ဒာ (see Nanda).
Nandita f Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit नन्द (nanda) meaning "joy".
Nane f Armenian, Armenian Mythology
Meaning uncertain, possibly related to Nanaya. This was the name of an Armenian goddess associated with Anahit.
Nanette f English
Diminutive of Anne 1.
Nani f Hawaiian
Means "beauty, glory" in Hawaiian.
Nanjala f Luhya
Feminine form of Wanjala.
Nanna 1 f Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Norse Mythology
Possibly derived from Old Norse nanþ meaning "daring, brave". In Norse mythology she was a goddess who died of grief when her husband Balder was killed.
Nannie f English
Diminutive of Anne 1.
Nanny f English
Diminutive of Anne 1.
Nanuli f Georgian
Diminutive of Nana 3.
Nao f & m Japanese
From Japanese (nao) meaning "straight, direct" or from a combination of (na), a phonetic character, and (o) meaning "center". Other kanji or kanji combinations can form this name as well.
Naoko f Japanese
From Japanese (nao) meaning "straight, direct" and (ko) meaning "child", as well as other kanji combinations.
Naomh f Irish
Means "holy" in Irish. This name was created in the 20th century.
Na'omi f Biblical Hebrew
Biblical Hebrew form of Naomi 1.
Naomi 1 f English, Hebrew, Biblical
From the Hebrew name נָעֳמִי (Naʿomi) meaning "my pleasantness", a derivative of נָעַם (naʿam) meaning "to be pleasant". In the Old Testament this is the name of the mother-in-law of Ruth. After the death of her husband and sons, she returned to Bethlehem with Ruth. There she declared that her name should be Mara because of her misfortune (see Ruth 1:20).... [more]
Naomi 2 f & m Japanese
From Japanese (nao) meaning "straight, direct" and (mi) meaning "beautiful" (usually feminine) or (mi) meaning "self" (usually masculine). Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Naomie f French (Modern)
Variant of Noémie, influenced by the English spelling Naomi.
Narangerel f Mongolian
Means "sun light" in Mongolian, from наран (naran) meaning "sun" and гэрэл (gerel) meaning "light".
Narantsetseg f Mongolian
Means "sun flower" in Mongolian, from наран (naran) meaning "sun" and цэцэг (tsetseg) meaning "flower".
Narcissa f Late Roman
Feminine form of Narcissus.
Narcisse m & f French
French masculine and feminine form of Narcissus. This is also the French word for the narcissus flower.
Nare f Armenian
Diminutive of Narine.
Narelle f English (Australian)
Meaning unknown. It was borne by the wife of Umbarra, who was a 19th-century leader of the Yuin, an Australian Aboriginal people.
Narges f Persian
Means "daffodil, narcissus" in Persian, ultimately derived from Greek (see Narcissus).
Nargis f Bengali, Urdu, Tajik
Bengali, Urdu and Tajik form of Narges.
Nərgiz f Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani form of Narges.
Nargiza f Uzbek, Kyrgyz
Uzbek and Kyrgyz form of Narges.
Nari f Korean
Means "lily" in Korean.
Narin f Turkish
Means "slender, delicate, fragile" in Turkish.
Narinder m & f Indian (Sikh)
Variant of Narendra used by Sikhs.
Narine f Armenian
Probably from Persian نار (nār) meaning "pomegranate", considered a sacred fruit in Armenian culture. Alternately, it could be derived from Arabic نار (nār) meaning "fire".
Narkas f Bashkir
Bashkir form of Narges.
Nərmin f Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani form of Nermin.
Nərminə f Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani form of Nermin.
Naroa f Basque
Derived from Basque naro meaning "abundant, fertile".
Naseem m & f Arabic, Urdu
Alternate transcription of Arabic نسيم or Urdu نسیم (see Nasim).
Nashwa f Arabic
Means "ecstasy, elation" in Arabic.
Nəsibə f Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani form of Nasiba.
Nasiba f Uzbek, Tajik
Means "fate, luck" in Uzbek and Tajik, from Arabic نصيب (naṣīb).
Nasim m & f Arabic, Urdu
Means "breeze" in Arabic.
Nasima f Arabic, Bengali
Strictly feminine form of Nasim.
Nasimiyu f Luhya
Feminine form of Simiyu.
Nasira f Arabic
Feminine form of Nasir.
Nasreen f Bengali, Urdu
Alternate transcription of Bengali নাসরীন (see Nasrin), as well as the usual Urdu transcription.
Nasrin f Persian, Bengali
Means "wild rose" in Persian.
Nassim m & f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic نسيم (see Nasim).