Gender Feminine Usage English Pronounced Pron. /ˈmɜɹ.təl/(American English) /ˈmɜː.təl/(British English) Meaning & History 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.