Ancient Origin Names

This is a list of names in which the origin is Ancient.
gender
usage
origin
Macaulay m English (British)
From a Scottish surname, an Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Amhalghaidh, itself derived from Amhalghadh, a given name of unknown meaning. A famous bearer of the surname was Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800-1861), a British Whig politician and noted historian. The given name is borne by the American former child actor Macaulay Culkin (1980-), who was named after the British politician.
Mac Beatha m Medieval Scottish
Scottish Gaelic form of Macbeth.
Macbeth m History
Anglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic given name Mac Beatha meaning "son of life", implying holiness. This was the name of an 11th-century Scottish king who came to power after defeating and killing King Duncan in battle. Years later he was himself slain in battle with Duncan's son Malcolm. Shakespeare based his play Macbeth (1606) loosely on this king's life, drawing from the tales related in Holinshed's Chronicles (1587).
Macdara m Irish, Old Irish
Means "son of oak" in Irish. This was the name of a 6th-century saint from Connemara.
Machla f & m Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Mahlah.
Machli m Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Mahli.
Machteld f Dutch
Dutch form of Matilda.
Maciej m Polish
Polish form of Matthias.
Mack 1 m English
From a surname, originally a shortened form of various Irish and Scottish surnames beginning with Mac or Mc (from Irish mac meaning "son"). It is also used as a generic slang term for a man.
Mack 2 m Medieval English
Medieval short form of Magnus, brought to Britain by Scandinavian settlers.
Mackenzie f & m English
From a Scottish surname, an Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Coinnich, itself derived from the given name Coinneach. As a feminine given name it was popularized by the American actress Mackenzie Phillips (1959-), especially after she began appearing on the television comedy One Day at a Time in 1975. In the United Kingdom it is more common as a masculine name.
Macsen m Welsh Mythology
Welsh form of Maximus. Magnus Maximus (known as Macsen Wledig in Welsh) was a 4th-century co-ruler of the Western Roman Empire. In Wales he was regarded as the founder of several royal lineages. He appears in the medieval Welsh tale The Dream of Macsen.
Madailéin f Irish
Irish form of Magdalene.
Madalena f Portuguese
Portuguese form of Magdalena.
Mădălina f Romanian
Romanian form of Magdalene.
Madalyn f English
Variant of Madeline.
Maddalen f Basque
Basque form of Magdalene.
Maddalena f Italian
Italian form of Magdalene.
Maddi f Basque
Variant of Mari 3 or Maria.
Maddie f English
Diminutive of Madeline or Madison.
Maddox m English (Modern)
From a Welsh surname meaning "son of Madoc". It was brought to public attention when the actress Angelina Jolie gave this name to her adopted son in 2002.
Maddy f English
Diminutive of Madeline or Madison.
Madelen f Norwegian, Swedish
Norwegian and Swedish variant of Madeleine.
Madelina f English (Rare)
Latinate form of Madeline.
Madeline f English
English form of Madeleine. This is the name of the heroine in a series of children's books by the Austrian-American author Ludwig Bemelmans, first published 1939.
Madelon f French (Rare), Dutch
French diminutive of Madeleine, now more common as a Dutch name.
Madelyn f English
Variant of Madeline.
Madge f English
Diminutive of Margaret.
Madhav m Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Nepali
Modern form of Madhava.
Madhava m Hinduism, Sanskrit
Means "sweet, vernal, of the springtime" in Sanskrit, a derivative of मधु (madhu) meaning "honey, sweet". This was the name of a 14th-century Indian scholar from Sangamagrama. This is also an epithet of the Hindu deity Krishna, given because he was a descendant of a Yadava king named Madhu.
Madhavi f Hinduism, Telugu, Marathi, Hindi
Feminine form of Madhava. This is another name of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi.
Madhu f & m Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu
From Sanskrit मधु (madhu) meaning "honey, sweet". This is another name of Chaitra, the first month of the Hindu year (which occurs in March and April).
Madhukar m Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit मधुकर (madhukara) meaning "bee, honey-maker".
Madhur m & f Hindi
Means "sweet" in Sanskrit.
Madhuri f Marathi, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada
From Sanskrit माधुर (mādhura) meaning "sweetness", a derivative of मधु (madhu) meaning "honey, sweet".
Madi f English
Diminutive of Madeline or Madison.
Madicken f Literature, Swedish (Rare)
Used by the Swedish author Astrid Lindgren for the heroine of her series of books of the same name, first published in 1960. She is called Maggie, Meg or Mardie in English translations. In the books the name is a diminutive of Margareta, though the inspiration for the character was Lindgren's childhood friend Anne-Marie, whose nickname was Madicken.
Madis m Estonian
Short form of Mattias.
Madison f & m English
From an English surname meaning "son of Maud". It was not commonly used as a feminine name until after the movie Splash (1984), in which the main character adopted it as her name after seeing a street sign for Madison Avenue in New York City. It was ranked second for girls in the United States by 2001. This rise from obscurity to prominence in only 18 years represents an unprecedented 550,000 percent increase in usage.... [more]
Madita f Literature, German
Created as a German equivalent of Madicken for the German translation of Astrid Lindgren's books.
Madlenka f Czech
Czech diminutive of Magdaléna.
Madlyn f English
Variant of Madeline.
Madoc m Welsh (Rare)
From the Old Welsh name Matauc, derived from mad meaning "good, fortunate" combined with a diminutive suffix. This is the name of a warrior mentioned in the 7th-century Welsh poem Y Gododdin. It was also borne by several medieval rulers, including the 12th-century Madoc ap Maredudd, the last prince of Powys. Another bearer, according to later folklore, was a son of the 12th-century Owain the Great who sailed to the Americas.
Madog m Welsh (Rare)
Variant of Madoc.
Mads m Danish
Danish short form of Mathias.
Mae f English
Variant of May. A famous bearer was the American actress Mae West (1893-1980), whose birth name was Mary.
Máedóc m Old Irish
Meaning unknown. Saint Máedóc (also known as Áedán) of Ferns was a 7th-century Irish bishop.
Mæja f Icelandic
Icelandic diminutive of María.
Maël m French, Breton
French form of Breton Mael meaning "prince, chieftain, lord". Saint Mael was a 5th-century Breton hermit who lived in Wales.
Mael m Breton
Breton form of Maël.
Maela f Breton
Feminine form of Maël.
Máel Coluim m Medieval Scottish
Medieval Scottish Gaelic form of Malcolm.
Maeleth f Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Form of Mahalath used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament.
Maelgwn m Medieval Welsh
From Old Welsh Mailcun, from a Brythonic name *Maglocunos meaning "chief of hounds", derived from Celtic *maglos "chief" and * "dog, hound" (genitive *kunos). This was the name of several early Welsh rulers, notably Maelgwn Gwynedd, a 6th-century king of Gwynedd.
Maëlie f French
Feminine form of Maël.
Máel Ísu m Medieval Scottish
Medieval Scottish Gaelic form of Maoilios.
Maëlle f French, Breton
Feminine form of Maël.
Máel Máedóc m Old Irish
Means "disciple of Saint Máedóc" in Irish. Saint Máel Máedóc (also known as Malachy) was a 12th-century archbishop of Armagh.
Máel Sechnaill m Old Irish
Means "disciple of Saint Seachnall" in Irish. This was the name of two Irish high kings: Máel Sechnaill mac Máele Ruanaid who ruled all of Ireland in the 9th century; and Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill (called Malachy) who defeated the Norse of Dublin in the 10th century.
Maëlys f French
Feminine form of Maël, possibly influenced by the spelling of Mailys.
Mærwine m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements mære "famous" and wine "friend".
Maeve f Irish, English, Irish Mythology
Anglicized form of the Irish name Medb meaning "intoxicating". In Irish legend this was the name of a warrior queen of Connacht. She and her husband Ailill fought against the Ulster king Conchobar and the hero Cúchulainn, as told in the Irish epic The Cattle Raid of Cooley.
Mafalda f Portuguese, Italian, Spanish
Originally a medieval Portuguese form of Matilda. This name was borne by the wife of Afonso, the first king of Portugal. In modern times it was the name of the titular character in a popular Argentine comic strip (published from 1964 to 1973) by Quino.
Magali f French, Occitan
Occitan form of Magdalene.
Magalie f French
Variant of Magali.
Magaly f Spanish (Latin American)
Variant of Magali, predominantly found in Spanish-speaking countries.
Magdaléna f Slovak, Czech, Hungarian
Slovak and Czech form of Magdalene, as well as a Hungarian variant form.
Magdalene f German, English, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
From a title meaning "of Magdala". Mary Magdalene, a character in the New Testament, was named thus because she was from Magdala — a village on the Sea of Galilee whose name meant "tower" in Hebrew. She was cleaned of evil spirits by Jesus and then remained with him during his ministry, witnessing the crucifixion and the resurrection. She was a popular saint in the Middle Ages, and the name became common then. In England it is traditionally rendered Madeline, while Magdalene or Magdalen is the learned form.
Magdalina f Old Church Slavic, Bulgarian
Old Church Slavic form of Magdalene, as well as a Bulgarian variant form.
Magdalini f Greek
Modern Greek transcription of Magdalene.
Magdi 1 f Hungarian
Diminutive of Magdolna.
Magdolna f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Magdalene.
Maggie f English
Diminutive of Margaret.
Mághnus m Irish
Irish form of Magnus.
Maglocunos m Brythonic (Hypothetical)
Possible Brythonic form of Maelgwn.
Magnar m Norwegian
From the Old Norse elements magn "power, strength" and herr "army, warrior". This name was coined in the 19th century.
Magne m Norwegian
Modern form of Magni as well as a variant of Magnus.
Magnhild f Norwegian
Derived from Old Norse magn "power, strength" and hildr "battle". This was the name of an 1877 novel by the Norwegian author Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson.
Magnhildr f Old Norse
Old Norse form of Magnhild.
Magni m Old Norse, Norse Mythology
Derived from the Old Norse element magn meaning "power, strength". In Norse mythology this name is borne by a son of Thor and the giant Járnsaxa.
Magnús m Icelandic
Icelandic form of Magnus.
Magnus m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Late Roman
Late Latin name meaning "great". It was borne by a 7th-century saint who was a missionary in Germany. It became popular in Scandinavia after the time of the 11th-century Norwegian king Magnus I, who was said to have been named after Charlemagne, or Carolus Magnus in Latin (however there was also a Norse name Magni). The name was borne by six subsequent kings of Norway as well as three kings of Sweden. It was imported to Scotland and Ireland during the Middle Ages.
Mago m Phoenician (Latinized)
From the Punic name 𐤌𐤂𐤍 (Magon) possibly meaning "shield". This name was borne by three kings of Carthage, and also by a brother of Hannibal Barca.
Magrite f Walloon, Picard
Walloon and Picard form of Margaret.
Mahadevi f Hinduism, Kannada, Marathi, Hindi
Means "great goddess", derived from Sanskrit महा (mahā) meaning "great" and देवी (devī) meaning "goddess". This is the Hindu mother goddess who manifests herself as all other goddesses.
Mahala f English
Variant of Mahalah or Mahalath. It has occasionally been used as an English Christian name since the Protestant Reformation.
Mahalah m Biblical
Variant of Mahlah used in some verses of the King James Version of the Old Testament.
Mahalath f Biblical
From the Hebrew name מָחֲלַת (Maḥalaṯ) meaning "lyre". In the Old Testament she is the daughter of Ishmael and the wife of Esau.
Mahali 1 m Biblical
Variant of Mahli used in some verses of the King James Version of the Old Testament.
Mahali 2 m Germanic
Old German form of Melle.
Mahalia f English
Variant of Mahala.
Mahatma m History
From the Indian title महात्मा (Mahātmā) meaning "great soul", derived from Sanskrit महा (mahā) meaning "great" and आत्मन् (ātman) meaning "soul, spirit, life". This title was given to, among others, Mohandas Karamchand, also known as Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948).
Mahaut f Medieval French
Medieval French form of Mathilde.
Mahavir m Hindi
Modern form of Mahavira.
Mahavira m Sanskrit
Means "great hero" in Sanskrit, from महा (mahā) meaning "great" and वीर (vīra) meaning "hero, man". Mahavira (or Mahāvīra) was the 6th-century BC founder of Jainism.
Mahé m Breton, French
French form of Mazhe, the Breton form of Matthew.
Mahendra m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Sanskrit
From Sanskrit महा (mahā) meaning "great" combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra. This was the name of a son of the 3rd-century BC Indian emperor Ashoka, also called Mahinda. He is credited with introducing Buddhism to Sri Lanka.
Mahesha m Hinduism
Means "great lord" from Sanskrit महा (mahā) meaning "great" and ईश (īśa) meaning "lord, ruler". This is another name of the Hindu god Shiva.
Mahin f Persian
Means "related to the moon" in Persian.
Mahinder m & f Indian (Sikh)
Variant of Mahendra used by Sikhs.
Mahine f Persian
Alternate transcription of Persian مهین (see Mahin).
Mahlah f & m Biblical
From the Hebrew name מַחְלָה (Maḥla), derived from חָלָה (ḥala) meaning "weak, sick". This name is used in the Old Testament as both a feminine and masculine name. In some versions of the Bible the masculine name is spelled Mahalah.
Mahli m Biblical
From the Hebrew name מַחְלִי (Maḥli), derived from חָלָה (ḥala) meaning "weak, sick". This is the name of two characters mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.
Mahnaz f Persian
From Persian مه (mah) meaning "moon" and ناز (nāz) meaning "delight, comfort".
Mahon m Irish
Anglicized form of Mathúin.
Mahsa f Persian
Means "like the moon" in Persian.
Mahtab f Persian
Means "moonlight" in Persian.
Mahthilt f Germanic
Old German form of Matilda.
Mahtihildiz f Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Matilda.
Mahulena f Czech
Possibly inspired by Magdalena. The Czech author Julius Zeyer created it for a character in his play Radúz and Mahulena (1898).
Mahvash f Persian
Means "moon-like" in Persian.
Mai 3 f Estonian, Norwegian, Danish, Breton
Diminutive of Maria. This is also the Estonian and Norwegian name for the month of May.
Maïa f French
French form of Maia 1.
Maia 1 f Greek Mythology, Roman Mythology, Portuguese, Georgian
From Greek μαῖα (maia) meaning "good mother, dame, foster mother", perhaps in origin a nursery form of μήτηρ (meter). In Greek and Roman mythology she was the eldest of the Pleiades, a group of stars in the constellation Taurus, who were the daughters of Atlas and Pleione. Her son by Zeus was Hermes.
Maia 2 f Roman Mythology
Probably from Latin maior meaning "greater". This was the name of a Roman goddess of spring, a companion (sometimes wife) of Vulcan. She was later conflated with the Greek goddess Maia. The month of May is named for her.
Maia 3 f Estonian, Basque
Estonian and Basque form of Maria.
Maialen f Basque
Basque form of Magdalene.
Maie f Estonian
Variant of Maia 3.
Máighréad f Irish
Irish form of Margaret.
Maighread f Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Margaret.
Maija f Finnish, Latvian
Finnish and Latvian variant of Maria or Marija. The Latvian playwright Anna Brigadere used this name for the main character in her play Maija un Paija (1922).
Maike f Frisian, German
Frisian diminutive of Maria.
Maikel m Dutch (Modern), Spanish (Modern)
Dutch and Spanish variant of Michael (based on the English pronunciation).
Maiken f Danish, Norwegian
Danish and Norwegian diminutive of Maria.
Mailcun m Old Welsh
Old Welsh form of Maelgwn.
Mailys f French
Variant of Maylis.
Maimunah f Arabic (Rare), Malay, Indonesian
Alternate transcription of Arabic ميمونة (see Maymuna), as well as the usual Malay and Indonesian form.
Mainchín m Irish
Means "little monk", derived from Old Irish manach "monk" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name was borne by two early saints.
Mainchíne m Old Irish
Old Irish form of Mainchín.
Mair f Welsh
Welsh form of Maria (see Mary).
Maira f Greek Mythology
From Greek μαρμαίρω (marmairo) meaning "sparkle, gleam, flash". This name was borne by several characters in Greek mythology, including one of the Nereids.
Máire f Irish
Irish form of Maria (see Mary). The form Muire is used to refer to the Virgin Mary.
Máiréad f Irish
Irish form of Margaret.
Mairéad f Irish
Irish form of Margaret.
Mairead f Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Margaret.
Màiri f Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Maria (see Mary). The form Moire is used to refer to the Virgin Mary.
Máirín f Irish
Irish diminutive of Mary.
Máirtín m Irish
Irish form of Martin.
Mairwen f Welsh
Combination of Mair and Welsh gwen meaning "white, blessed".
Maisie f Scottish, English
Scottish diminutive of Mairead. It was long used in the United Kingdom and Australia, becoming popular at the end of the 20th century. In the United States it was brought to public attention by the British actress Maisie Williams (1997-), who played Arya Stark on the television series Game of Thrones beginning 2011. Her birth name is Margaret.
Maite 1 f Spanish
Combination of María and Teresa.
Maitiú m Irish
Irish form of Matthew.
Maïwenn f French, Breton
Form of Maiwenn using French orthography.
Maiwenn f Breton
Combination of Mai 3 and Gwenn.
Maj 1 m Slovene
Either a masculine form of Maja 1, or else from the Slovene name for the month of May.
Maj 2 f Swedish, Danish, Norwegian
Short form of Maja 1 or Maja 2. This is also the Swedish and Danish name for the month of May.
Majda f Slovene, Croatian
Short form of Magdalena.
Majken f Danish, Swedish
Danish and Swedish diminutive of Maria.
Majlinda f Albanian
Derived from Albanian maj "May" and lind "to give birth".
Major m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from the given name Mauger, a Norman French form of the Germanic name Malger meaning "council spear". The name can also be given in reference to the English word major.
Majvor f Swedish
From Swedish maj meaning "May (month)" combined with vår meaning "spring" or the Old Norse name element vǫr meaning "vigilant, cautious". This name was first used in the early 20th century.
Makaio m Hawaiian
Hawaiian form of Matthew.
Makar m Russian
Russian form of Makarios (see Macario).
Makari m Russian (Archaic)
Alternate transcription of Russian Макарий (see Makariy).
Makarios m Late Greek
Greek form of Macario.
Makariy m Russian (Archaic)
Russian form of Makarios (see Macario).
Maksim m Russian, Belarusian, Macedonian, Ukrainian
Russian, Belarusian and Macedonian form of Maximus, as well as an alternate transcription of Ukrainian Максим (see Maksym).
Maksime m Georgian
Georgian form of Maximus.
Maksimilian m Russian (Rare)
Russian form of Maximilianus (see Maximilian).
Maksimilijan m Slovene, Croatian
Slovene and Croatian form of Maximilianus (see Maximilian).
Maksims m Latvian
Latvian form of Maximus.
Maksym m Ukrainian, Polish
Ukrainian and Polish form of Maximus.
Maksymilian m Polish
Polish form of Maximilianus (see Maximilian).
Malachi m Hebrew, English, Biblical, Biblical Latin
From the Hebrew name מַלְאָכִי (Malʾaḵi) meaning "my messenger" or "my angel", derived from a possessive form of מַלְאָךְ (malʾaḵ) meaning "messenger, angel". This is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Malachi, which some claim foretells the coming of Christ. In England the name came into use after the Protestant Reformation.
Malachy m Irish
Anglicized form of Máel Sechnaill or Máel Máedóc, influenced by the spelling of Malachi. Saint Malachy (in Irish, Máel Máedóc) was a 12th-century archbishop of Armagh renowned for his miracles.
Malakai m Fijian, Tongan, English (Modern)
Fijian and Tongan form of Malachi, as well as a modern English variant.
Mal'akhi m Biblical Hebrew
Biblical Hebrew form of Malachi.
Malani f English (Modern)
Possibly a variant of Melanie using the Hawaiian name element lani meaning "heaven, sky" (found in names such as Leilani and Kalani).
Malati f Hindi
Means "jasmine" in Sanskrit.
Malcolm m Scottish, English
Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Máel Coluim, which means "disciple of Saint Columba". This was the name of four kings of Scotland starting in the 10th century, including Malcolm III, who became king after killing Macbeth, the usurper who had defeated his father Duncan. The character Malcolm in Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth (1606) is loosely based on him. Another famous bearer was Malcolm X (1925-1965), an American civil rights leader.
Malcom m English
Variant of Malcolm.
Maldwyn m Welsh
From Maldwyn, another name for the old Welsh county of Montgomeryshire. It is so called from Trefaldwyn, the Welsh name for the county town of Montgomery, misinterpreting it as if meaning "town of Maldwyn". In fact it means "town of Baldwin" (in Welsh both m and b mutate to f).
Maleko m Hawaiian
Hawaiian form of Mark.
Malen f Basque
Basque contracted form of Madalen.
Malena f Swedish, Spanish
Swedish and Spanish contracted form of Magdalena. In Spanish it can also be a contracted form of María Elena.
Malene f Danish, Norwegian
Danish and Norwegian short form of Magdalena.
Målfrid f Norwegian
From the Old Norse name Málmfríðr, derived from an uncertain first element (possibly malmr meaning "ore") combined with fríðr meaning "beautiful, beloved". This was the name of a 12th-century princess of Kyiv who married King Sigurd I of Norway.
Malger m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements mahal meaning "meeting, assembly, court" and ger meaning "spear".
Małgorzata f Polish
Polish form of Margaret.
Małgosia f Polish
Diminutive of Małgorzata.
Malia f Hawaiian, English (Modern)
Hawaiian form of Maria. This name experienced a spike in popularity in 2009, due to the eldest daughter (born 1998) of the new American president Barack Obama.
Malik 1 m Arabic
Means "king" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition الملك (al-Malik) is one of the 99 names of Allah. This can also be another way of transcribing the name مالك (see Maalik).
Malika f Arabic
Means "queen" in Arabic, the feminine form of Malik 1.
Malin f Swedish, Norwegian
Swedish and Norwegian short form of Magdalene.
Malina 1 f Scottish
Feminine form of Malcolm.
Malina 2 f Bulgarian, Serbian, Polish
Means "raspberry" in several Slavic languages.
Malinda f English
Variant of Melinda.
Malka f Hebrew
Means "queen" in Hebrew.
Mallaidh f Irish (Rare)
Irish form of Molly.
Malle f Estonian, Medieval English
Estonian diminutive of Maria or Maarja, now used independently. This was also a medieval English diminutive of Mary.
Mallt f Welsh
Welsh form of Matilda.
Málmfríðr f Old Norse
Old Norse form of Målfrid.
Malone m & f English (Rare)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Maoil Eoin meaning "descendant of a disciple of Saint John".
Malou f Danish
Short form of Marie-Louise.
Malte m Danish, Swedish, German
Danish short form of the Old German name Helmold. This name was used by the Austrian author Rainer Maria Rilke for the title character in his novel The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge (1910).
Malthe m Danish
Variant of Malte.
Mamie f English
Diminutive of Mary or Margaret.
Manaem m Biblical Greek
Form of Menahem used in the Greek Old Testament.
Managold m Germanic
Old German name derived from the elements manag "many" and walt "power, authority".
Manahem m Biblical Latin
Form of Menahem used in the Latin Old Testament.
Manannán m Irish Mythology
Probably from the name of the Isle of Man, itself possibly from the Celtic root *moniyo- meaning "mountain". In Irish mythology Manannán mac Lir was a god of the sea and one of the Tuatha Dé Danann.
Manas m Bengali, Assamese, Hindi
Means "mind, intellect, spirit" in Sanskrit.
Manasseh m Biblical
From the Hebrew name םְנַשֶּׁה (Menashshe) meaning "causing to forget", a derivative of נָשָׁה (nasha) meaning "to forget". In the Old Testament this is the name of the oldest son of Joseph and Asenath and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. It was also borne by a 7th-century BC king of Judah, condemned in the Bible for allowing the worship of other gods.
Manasses m Biblical Greek, Biblical Latin, Biblical
Form of Manasseh used in the Greek and Latin Bibles. It is also the form used in some English translations of the New Testament.
Manawydan m Welsh Mythology
Welsh cognate of Manannán. According to the Mabinogi he was a son of Llŷr, and the brother of Brân and Branwen. He participated in his brother's invasion of Ireland, and was one of only seven warriors to return. Afterwards he became a companion of Pryderi and married his widowed mother Rhiannon.
Manca f Slovene
Slovene diminutive of Marija.
Manda f Croatian, Serbian
Diminutive of Magdalena.
Mandeep m & f Indian (Sikh)
From Sanskrit मनस् (manas) meaning "mind, intellect, spirit" and दीप (dīpa) meaning "lamp, light".
Mandi f English
Diminutive of Amanda.
Mandica f Croatian
Diminutive of Manda.
Mandy f English
Diminutive of Amanda.
Manel 1 m Catalan
Catalan form of Manuel.
Manel 2 m Portuguese
Portuguese diminutive of Manuel.
Manfred m German, Dutch, Polish, Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements man "man" and fridu "peace". It was borne by a 13th-century king of Sicily. Another notable bearer was Manfred von Richthofen (1892-1918), the World War I pilot known as the Red Baron. This is also the name of the main character in Lord Byron's drama Manfred (1817).
Manfredi m Italian
Southern Italian form of Manfred.
Manfredo m Italian
Italian form of Manfred.
Manfried m German (Rare)
German variant of Manfred.
Mani 2 m Persian
Meaning unknown, presumably of Persian origin. Mani was a 3rd-century prophet who founded the religion of Manichaeism (which is now extinct).
Manijeh f Persian
Meaning uncertain, possibly of Parthian origin. This is the name of a princess in Bijan and Manijeh, a story that forms part of the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh.
Maninder m & f Indian (Sikh)
From Sanskrit मनस् (manas) meaning "mind, intellect, spirit" combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra.
Manish m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Malayalam, Punjabi, Tamil, Nepali
From Sanskrit मनीषा (manīṣā) meaning "thought, wisdom".
Manisha f Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
Feminine form of Manish.
Manius m Ancient Roman
Roman praenomen, or given name, which was possibly derived from Latin manus "good".
Manizha f Tajik
Tajik form of Manijeh.
Manjeet m & f Indian (Sikh)
From Sanskrit मनस् (manas) meaning "mind, intellect, spirit" and जिति (jiti) meaning "victory, conquering".
Manju f Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu
From Sanskrit मञ्जु (mañju) meaning "lovely, beautiful".
Manjula f Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam
From Sanskrit मञ्जुल (mañjula) meaning "pleasing, beautiful".
Manjusha f Marathi, Hindi
From Sanskrit मञ्जूषा (mañjūṣā) meaning "small box, small chest".
Manjushri m Buddhism
Means "beautiful radiance", derived from Sanskrit मञ्जु (mañju) meaning "lovely, beautiful" and श्री (śrī) meaning "radiance, splendour, beauty". According to Buddhist tradition this is the name of a bodhisattva.
Manlio m Italian
Italian form of Manlius.
Manlius m Ancient Roman
Roman family name that was possibly derived from Latin mane "morning". Marcus Manlius Capitolinus was a Roman consul who saved Rome from the Gauls in the 4th century BC.
Mannes m Dutch
Dutch diminutive of Herman.
Mannix m Irish
Anglicized form of Mainchín.
Manno m Germanic
Originally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element man meaning "person, man" (Proto-Germanic *mannô).
Manny m English
Short form of Emmanuel.
Manoel m Galician, Portuguese (Brazilian)
Galician form and Portuguese variant of Manuel.
Manoja m Hinduism
Means "born of the mind", from Sanskrit मनस् (manas) meaning "mind, intellect, spirit" and (ja) meaning "born". This is another name of the Hindu god Kama.
Manola f Spanish
Spanish feminine diminutive of Manuel.
Manolo m Spanish
Spanish diminutive of Manuel.
Manon f French, Dutch
French diminutive of Marie.
Manouel m Late Greek
Medieval Greek form of Manuel.
Manpreet f & m Indian (Sikh)
From Sanskrit मनस् (manas) meaning "mind, intellect, spirit" and प्रीति (prīti) meaning "pleasure, joy, love".
Måns m Swedish
Swedish variant of Magnus.
Manu 2 m & f French, Spanish, German, Finnish
Short form of Manuel or Emmanuel (and also of Manuela in Germany).
Manu 3 m Finnish
Variant of Mauno.
Manuel m Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian, French, Romanian, Late Greek (Latinized)
Spanish and Portuguese form of Emmanuel. In the spelling Μανουήλ (Manouel) it was also used in the Byzantine Empire, notably by two emperors. It is possible this form of the name was transmitted to Spain and Portugal from Byzantium, since there were connections between the royal families (king Ferdinand III of Castile married Elisabeth of Hohenstaufen, who had Byzantine roots, and had a son named Manuel). The name has been used in Iberia since at least the 13th century and was borne by two kings of Portugal.
Manuele m Italian
Italian variant of Manuel.
Manuelita f Spanish
Diminutive of Manuela.
Manus m Irish
Irish form of Magnus.
Manvel m Armenian
Armenian form of Emmanuel.
Manya f Russian
Russian diminutive of Maria.
Maoilios m Scottish Gaelic
Means "servant of Jesus" in Scottish Gaelic.
Maol Chaluim m Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Malcolm.
Maor m Hebrew
Means "a light" in Hebrew.
Maponos m Celtic Mythology
Means "great son", from the Celtic root *makwos meaning "son" (Gaulish and Brythonic mapos) combined with the divine or augmentative suffix -on. This was the name of a god of youth worshipped in Gaul and Britain. He was commonly equated with the Greco-Roman god Apollo.
Mar f Spanish, Catalan
Means "sea" in Spanish and Catalan. It is from a devotional title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora del Mar "Our Lady of the Sea", the patron saint of the Spanish province of Almería.
Māra f Latvian, Baltic Mythology
This was the name of a Latvian mother goddess. Her name is possibly derived from Maria, identifying her with the Virgin Mary. In modern times this name is used as a variant of Marija.
Mara 1 f Biblical, Biblical Hebrew, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Means "bitter" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is a name that Naomi calls herself after the death of her husband and sons (see Ruth 1:20).
Mara 2 f Hungarian, Croatian, Serbian
Hungarian variant of Mária, and a Croatian and Serbian variant of Marija.
Maraĵa f Esperanto
Means "made of the sea" in Esperanto, a derivative of maro "sea", ultimately from Latin mare.
Maral f Mongolian, Azerbaijani, Armenian, Turkmen
Means "deer" in Mongolian, Azerbaijani, Armenian and Turkmen, referring to the Caspian Red Deer.
Maralyn f English
Variant of Marilyn.