Muirgen f Irish MythologyMeans
"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.
Mukesha m HinduismMeans
"ruler of Muka" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu god
Shiva, given to him because he killed Muka, a demon in the form of a wild boar.
Mumtaz m & f Arabic, UrduMeans
"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).
Munashe m & f ShonaMeans
"with God" in Shona, derived from
ishe meaning "lord, God".
Mungo m ScottishMeaning uncertain, possibly from a Brythonic phrase meaning
"my dear". This was a nickname of the 6th-century Saint
Kentigern.
Murphy m & f EnglishFrom 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 CultureUsed 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.
Murtada m ArabicMeans
"chosen" in Arabic. This is an epithet of
Ali, the fourth caliph.
Murugan m Hinduism, TamilFrom a Tamil word meaning
"young". This was the name of a Tamil war god who is now identified with
Skanda.
Muscowequan m Ojibwe (Anglicized)From Ojibwe
Maskawigwan meaning
"hard quill", derived from
mashkawaa "hard" and
gaaway "quill". This was the name of a 19th-century Saulteaux chief.
Mwangi m KikuyuMeans
"rapid expansion" in Kikuyu. Kikuyu males were traditionally organized into age sets or generations. The
Mwangi generation started around the beginning of the 20th century and lasted for about 30 years.
Myeong-Suk f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
明 (myeong) meaning "bright, light, clear" combined with
淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming". Other hanja combinations are possible.
Myles 2 m Greek MythologyProbably from Greek
μύλη (myle) meaning
"mill". This was the name of a king of Laconia in Greek mythology.
Myrddin m Welsh Mythology, WelshOriginal Welsh form of
Merlin. It is probably ultimately from the name of the Romano-British settlement
Moridunum, derived from Celtic *
mori "sea" and *
dūnom "rampart, hill fort". Prefixed with Welsh
caer "fort", this town has been called Caerfyrddin (Carmarthen in English) from medieval times. It is thought that
Caerfyrddin may have mistakenly been interpreted as meaning "fort of Myrddin", as if
Myrddin were a personal name instead of a later development of
Moridunum.
... [more] Myron m English, Ukrainian, Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
μύρον (myron) meaning
"sweet oil, perfume". Myron was the name of a 5th-century BC Greek sculptor. Saints bearing this name include a 3rd-century bishop of Crete and a 4th-century martyr from Cyzicus who was killed by a mob. These saints are more widely revered in the Eastern Church, and the name has generally been more common among Eastern Christians. As an English name, it has been used since the 19th century.
Nadim m Arabic, UrduMeans
"drinking companion" in Arabic, derived from
ندم (nadima) meaning "to drink together".
Nagendra m Hinduism, Kannada, TeluguMeans
"lord of snakes" from Sanskrit
नाग (nāga) meaning "snake" (also "elephant") combined with the name of the Hindu god
Indra, used here to mean "lord". This is another name for Vasuki, the king of snakes, in Hindu mythology.
Nagore f BasqueFrom the name of a Basque village where there is a sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin
Mary.
Nahor m BiblicalMeans
"snorting" in Hebrew. Nahor is the name of both the grandfather and a brother of
Abraham in the Old Testament.
Nahum m BiblicalMeans
"comforter" in Hebrew, from the root
נָחַם (naḥam) meaning "to comfort, to console". Nahum is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament. He authored the Book of Nahum in which the downfall of Nineveh is foretold.
Naiche m ApacheMeans
"mischief maker" in Apache. This name was borne by a 19th-century Chiricahua Apache chief, the son of
Cochise.
Nanabozho m New World MythologyMeans
"my rabbit" in Ojibwe, derived from
waabooz "rabbit". In Anishinaabe legend Nanabozho (also called
Wenabozho) is a trickster spirit.
Nándor m HungarianOriginally this was a Hungarian word referring to a Bulgarian people that lived along the Danube. Since the 19th century it has been used as a Hungarian short form of
Ferdinand.
Nanook m Inuit (Anglicized)Variant of
Nanuq. This was the (fictional) name of the subject of Robert Flaherty's documentary film
Nanook of the North (1922).
Naomhán m IrishMeans
"little saint", derived from Irish
naomh "saint" combined with a diminutive suffix.
Naphtali m BiblicalMeans
"my struggle, my strife" in Hebrew, a derivative of
פָּתַל (paṯal) meaning "to twist, to struggle, to wrestle". In the Old Testament he is a son of
Jacob by
Rachel's servant
Bilhah, and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Napoleon m History, EnglishFrom the old Italian name
Napoleone, used most notably by the French emperor Napoléon Bonaparte (1769-1821), who was born on Corsica. The etymology is uncertain, but it is possibly derived from Old German
Nibelungen meaning
"sons of mist", a name used in Germanic legend to refer to the keepers of a hoard of treasure, often identified with the Burgundians. Alternatively, it could be connected to the name of the Italian city of Napoli (Naples).
Narek m ArmenianFrom the name of a 10th-century Armenian saint, Grigor of Narek, who came from the town of Narek (formerly in Armenia, now in eastern Turkey).
Nash m English (Modern)From an English surname that was derived from the Middle English phrase
atten ash "at the ash tree". A famous bearer of the surname was the mathematician John Nash (1928-2015).
... [more] Nasir m Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Bengali, MalayMeans
"helper" in Arabic, from the root
نصر (naṣara) meaning "to help, to aid". This transcription represents two related yet distinct Arabic names:
ناصر, in which the first vowel is long, and
نصير, in which the second vowel is long.
Nathaniel m English, BiblicalVariant of
Nathanael. It has been regularly used in the English-speaking world since the Protestant Reformation. This has been the most popular spelling, even though the spelling
Nathanael is found in most versions of the New Testament. The American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864), author of
The Scarlet Letter, was a famous bearer of this name.
Nazaret f & m Spanish, ArmenianFrom Nazareth, the town in Galilee where
Jesus lived. This name is primarily feminine in Spanish and primarily masculine in Armenian.
Nazzareno m ItalianItalian form of the Late Latin
Nazarenus, which meant
"from Nazareth, Nazarene". Nazareth was the town in Galilee where
Jesus lived. According to the New Testament, the phrase
Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum meaning "Jesus the Nazarene, king of the Jews", was inscribed on the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.
Nebuchadnezzar m Babylonian (Anglicized), BiblicalFrom
נְבוּכַדְנֶאצֲּר (Nevuḵaḏnetstsar), the Hebrew form of the Akkadian name
Nabu-kudurri-usur meaning "Nabu protect my eldest son", derived from the god's name
Nabu combined with
kudurru meaning "eldest son" and an imperative form of
naṣāru meaning "to protect". This name was borne by a 12th-century BC king of the Babylonian Empire. It was also borne by a 6th-century BC king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. He captured Jerusalem, and ultimately destroyed the city's temple and deported many of its citizens, as told in the Old Testament.
Nechtan m Irish Mythology, Old IrishIrish name of uncertain meaning, possibly from a Celtic root meaning
"damp" (cognate with
Neptune). In Irish mythology Nechtan was the husband of
Boann, the goddess of the River Boyne. He is sometimes identified with
Nuada. This name was borne by the 5th-century Saint Nectan of Hartland in Devon, who was supposedly born in Ireland. It was also the name of several kings of the Picts (described mostly from Gaelic sources, this may represent a Pictish cognate).
Nefertari f Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
nfrt-jrj meaning
"the most beautiful". This was the name of an Egyptian queen of the New Kingdom (13th century BC), the favourite wife of
Ramesses II.
Nehemiah m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh comforts" in Hebrew, derived from
נָחַם (naḥam) meaning "to comfort" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. According to the Book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament he was a leader of the Jews who was responsible for the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the return from the Babylonian captivity.
Neil m Irish, Scottish, EnglishFrom the Irish name
Niall, which is of disputed origin, possibly connected to the old Celtic root *
nītu- "fury, passion" or the (possibly related) Old Irish word
nia "hero". A derivation from Old Irish
nél "cloud" has also been suggested. This was the name of a few early Irish kings, notably Niall of the Nine Hostages, a semi-legendary high king of the 4th or 5th century.
... [more] Nelson m English, SpanishFrom an English surname meaning
"son of Neil". It was originally given in honour of the British admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805). His most famous battle was the Battle of Trafalgar, in which he destroyed a combined French and Spanish fleet, but was himself killed. Another notable bearer was the South African statesman Nelson Mandela (1918-2013). Mandela's birth name was
Rolihlahla; as a child he was given the English name
Nelson by a teacher.
Nemanja m SerbianPossibly from Slavic
ne maniti meaning
"not deceiving, not luring, not attracting". Another theory states that it means
"without possessions", derived from Serbo-Croatian
nemati meaning "have not". This was the name of a 12th-century Serbian king, and the name of the dynasty he began.
Nemesis f Greek MythologyMeans
"distribution of what is due, righteous anger" in Greek. In Greek mythology Nemesis was the personification of vengeance and justice.
Nenad m Serbian, CroatianMeans
"unexpected" in Serbian and Croatian. In the Serbian folk song
Predrag and Nenad this is the name of
Predrag's brother.
Neptune m Roman Mythology (Anglicized)From the Latin
Neptunus, which is of unknown meaning, possibly related to the Indo-European root *
nebh- "wet, damp, clouds". Neptune was the god of the sea in Roman mythology, approximately equivalent to the Greek god
Poseidon. This is also the name of the eighth planet in the solar system.
Nereus m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekDerived from Greek
νηρός (neros) meaning
"water". In Greek myth this was the name of a god of the sea, the father of the Nereids. It is mentioned briefly in the New Testament, belonging to a Christian in Rome. This was also the name of a Roman saint of the 1st century, a member of the army, who was martyred with his companion Achilleus because they refused to execute Christians.
Nergüi m & f MongolianMeans
"no name" in Mongolian. This name was traditionally given in order to mislead bad spirits.
Nero 1 m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen, which was probably of Sabine origin meaning
"strong, vigorous". It was used by a prominent branch of the gens Claudia starting from the 3rd century BC. It was borne most famously by a Roman emperor of the 1st century, remembered as a tyrant. His birth name was Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, but after he was adopted as the heir of
Claudius his name became Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus.
Nero 2 m ItalianShort form of
Raniero. It also coincides with the Italian word
nero meaning
"black".
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.
Nethaniah m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh has given" in Hebrew, derived from
נָתַן (naṯan) meaning "to give" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. In the Old Testament this is the name of the father of
Ishmael (the assassin of Gedaliah), as well as other minor characters.
Nevada f & m EnglishFrom the name of the American state, which means
"snow-capped" in Spanish.
Nevio m ItalianItalian form of the Roman family name
Naevius, which was derived from Latin
naevus "mole (on the body)". A famous bearer was the 3rd-century BC Roman poet Gnaeus Naevius.
Niccolò m ItalianItalian form of
Nicholas. Famous bearers include Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527), a Florentine political philosopher, and Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840), a Genoese composer and violinist.
Nicholas m EnglishFrom the Greek name
Νικόλαος (Nikolaos) meaning
"victory of the people", derived from Greek
νίκη (nike) meaning "victory" and
λαός (laos) meaning "people". Saint Nicholas was a 4th-century bishop from Anatolia who, according to legend, saved the daughters of a poor man from lives of prostitution. He is the patron saint of children, sailors and merchants, as well as Greece and Russia. He formed the basis for the figure known as Santa Claus (created in the 19th century from Dutch
Sinterklaas), the bringer of Christmas presents.
... [more] Nick m English, DutchShort form of
Nicholas. It is borne by the comic character Nick Bottom in Shakespeare's play
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595).
Nicolae m RomanianRomanian form of
Nicholas. A notable bearer was the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu (1918-1989).
Nicolaus m German, Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of
Nikolaos (see
Nicholas). This form is also used in Germany as a variant of
Nikolaus. A notable bearer was the German-speaking Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543). This was his Latin name; his German name was recorded in various spellings such as
Niklas Koppernigk.
Nicte f Mayan (Hispanicized)From Yucatec Maya
nikte' meaning
"flower" or specifically
"plumeria flower". It is derived from Classic Maya
nich "flower" and
te' "tree".
Nigel m EnglishFrom
Nigellus, a medieval Latinized form of
Neil. It was commonly associated with Latin
niger "black". It was revived in the 19th century, perhaps in part due to Walter Scott's novel
The Fortunes of Nigel (1822).
Nikandros m Ancient GreekMeans
"victory of a man" from the Greek elements
νίκη (nike) meaning "victory" and
ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive
ἀνδρός). This was the name of a 2nd-century BC Greek poet and grammarian from Colophon.
Nikephoros m & f Ancient Greek, Greek MythologyMeans
"carrying victory" from Greek
νίκη (nike) meaning "victory" and
φέρω (phero) meaning "to carry, to bear". This name was borne by several Byzantine emperors, including the 10th-century Nikephoros II Phokas. Besides being a masculine personal name, it was also a title borne by the goddess
Athena.
Nikias m Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
νίκη (nike) meaning
"victory". This was the name of an Athenian general who fought in the Peloponnesian war.
Nikomachos m Ancient GreekMeans
"battle of victory" from Greek
νίκη (nike) meaning "victory" and
μάχη (mache) meaning "battle". This was the name of both the father and son of the Greek philosopher Aristotle. It was also borne by a 2nd-century Greek mathematician.
Nikomedes m Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
νίκη (nike) meaning "victory" and
μήδεα (medea) meaning "plans, counsel, cunning". This was the name of a 1st-century saint, a priest beaten to death for refusing to worship the Roman gods.
Nikostratos m Ancient GreekMeans
"army of victory" from Greek
νίκη (nike) meaning "victory" and
στρατός (stratos) meaning "army". This was the name of a Roman saint martyred during the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian at the end of the 3rd century.
Nima 2 m PersianPersian name of uncertain meaning, possibly
"just, fair" or
"half moon".
Nimrod m Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeaning unknown, possibly of Akkadian origin or possibly meaning
"rebel" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Nimrod is a renowned hunter, the great-grandson of
Noah. He was the founder of Babylon.
... [more] Ninos m Ancient Assyrian (Hellenized)Probably from the name of the ancient city of
Nineveh in Assyria. According to Greek historians this was the name of the husband of
Semiramis and the founder of Nineveh. In actuality he does not correspond to any known Assyrian king, and is likely a composite character named after the city.
Nitya f & m Hinduism, HindiMeans
"always, eternal" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the feminine form
नित्या (an epithet of the Hindu goddess
Durga) and the masculine form
नित्य.
Nixon m English (Modern)From an English surname meaning
"son of Nick". It was borne by the American president Richard Nixon (1913-1994).
Njáll m Old Norse, IcelandicOld Norse form of
Niall (see
Neil). This is the name of the hero of a 13th century Icelandic saga, based on the life of a 10th-century Icelandic chieftain.
Nnamdi m IgboMeans
"my father is alive" in Igbo. This name is given to a child when it is believed that he is a reincarnation of his grandfather.
Nneka f IgboMeans
"mother is greater" in Igbo.
Nnenna f IgboMeans
"father's mother" in Igbo. This name is given in honour of the child's paternal grandmother.
Noah 2 f BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
נֹעָה (Noʿa) meaning
"motion". In the Old Testament this is the name of a daughter of
Zelophehad. In English this name is typically spelled the same as the name of the male biblical character
Noah, though in Hebrew they are written distinctly.
Noble m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"noble, high-born". The name can also be given in direct reference to the English word
noble.
Noboru m JapaneseFrom Japanese
登 (noboru) meaning "rise, ascend" or other kanji pronounced in the same way.
Nobu m JapaneseFrom Japanese
信 (nobu) meaning "trust",
延 (nobu) meaning "prolong, stretch", or other kanji and kanji combinations. It is sometimes a short form of longer names beginning with this sound.
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.
Nollaig f & m IrishMeans
"Christmas" in Irish. This name was created in the 20th century as a translation of
Noël.
Norma f English, Italian, LiteratureCreated by Felice Romani for the main character in the opera
Norma (1831). He may have based it on Latin
norma "rule". This name is also frequently used as a feminine form of
Norman.
Norman m English, GermanicFrom an old Germanic byname meaning
"northman", referring to a Scandinavians. The Normans were Vikings who settled on the coast of France, in the region that became known as Normandy. In England the name
Norman or
Normant was used before the Norman Conquest, first as a nickname for Scandinavian settlers and later as a given name. After the Conquest it became more common, but died out around the 14th century. It was revived in the 19th century, perhaps in part due to a character by this name in C. M. Yonge's 1856 novel
The Daisy Chain. Famous bearers include the American painter Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) and the American author Norman Mailer (1923-2007).
Norton m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"north town" in Old English.
Nosipho f Zulu, XhosaFrom the Zulu and Xhosa feminine prefix
no- combined with
isipho "gift".
Nosizwe f XhosaFrom the Xhosa feminine prefix
no- combined with
isizwe "nation".
Novak m SerbianFrom Serbian
нов (nov) meaning
"new". A notable bearer is the Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic (1987-).
Nox f Roman MythologyMeans
"night" in Latin. Nox is the Roman goddess of the night, the equivalent of the Greek goddess
Nyx.
Nuada m Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
Nuadu, probably from
Nodens. In Irish mythology he was the first king of the Tuatha Dé Danann. After he lost an arm in battle it was replaced with one made from silver, and he received the byname
Airgetlám meaning "silver hand". He was later killed fighting the monstrous Fomorians led by
Balor. This name was also borne by a few semi-legendary Irish kings.
Nudd m Welsh MythologyWelsh cognate of
Nuada. This is the name of a figure in Welsh legend, appearing in early poetry and in
Culhwch and Olwen as the father of
Gwyn.
Nuno m Portuguese, Medieval PortugueseMedieval Portuguese and Spanish name, possibly from Latin
nonus "ninth" or
nunnus "grandfather". Saint Nuno was a 14th-century Portuguese general who defeated a Castilian invasion.
Nunzio m ItalianMasculine short form of
Annunziata. It also coincides with the related Italian word
nunzio "messenger" (ultimately from Latin
nuntius).
Nurasyl m Kazakh (Rare)From Kazakh
нұр (nur) meaning "light" and
асыл (asyl) meaning "precious, noble" (both words ultimately of Arabic origin).
Nurit f HebrewMeans
"buttercup (flower)" in Hebrew (genus Ranunculus).
Nurzhan m KazakhFrom Kazakh
нұр (nur) meaning "light" (of Arabic origin) and
жан (zhan) meaning "soul" (of Persian origin).
Nynniaw m Old WelshProbably a Welsh form of *
Ninniau (see
Ninian). This form is used for
Nennius in
Brut y Brenhinedd, the Middle Welsh translation of the 12th-century Latin chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth. The name also appears in the Welsh tale
Culhwch and Olwen belonging to a man who is transformed into an ox.
Nyx f Greek MythologyMeans
"night" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of the night, the daughter of Khaos and the wife of Erebos.
Obadiah m BiblicalMeans
"servant of Yahweh" in Hebrew, derived from
עָבַד (ʿavaḏ) meaning "to serve, to worship" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the twelve minor prophets, the author of the Book of Obadiah, which predicts the downfall of the nation of Edom. This is also the name of several other biblical characters.
Obdulia f SpanishMeaning unknown. This was the name of a saint from Toledo, Spain. The details of her life are unknown.
Oberon m LiteratureVariant of
Auberon. Oberon and
Titania are the king and queen of the fairies in Shakespeare's comedy
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595). A moon of Uranus bears this name in his honour.
Obi m & f IgboMeans
"heart" in Igbo.
Obrad m SerbianPossibly derived from Serbian
obradovati meaning
"to make happy".
Octavian m History, RomanianFrom the Roman name
Octavianus, which was derived from the name
Octavius. After Gaius Octavius (later the Roman emperor
Augustus) was adopted by Julius Caesar he took the name Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus.
Octavius m Ancient RomanRoman family name derived from Latin
octavus meaning
"eighth". This was the original family name of the emperor Augustus (born Gaius Octavius). It was also rarely used as a Roman praenomen, or given name.
October f English (Rare)From the name of the tenth month. It is derived from Latin
octo meaning "eight", because it was originally the eighth month of the Roman year.
Oda f German, Norwegian, GermanicFeminine form of
Otto. This was the name of a semi-legendary 8th-century saint who lived as a hermit in Brabant in the Netherlands.
Odalis f & m Spanish (Latin American)Possibly an elaboration of
Odilia used in Latin America. In most countries it is a feminine name, but in the Dominican Republic it is commonly masculine.