Names with 2 Syllables

This is a list of names in which the number of syllables is 2.
gender
usage
syllables
Meri 1 f Finnish
Means "sea" in Finnish.
Meri 2 f Georgian, Armenian, Greek
Georgian, Armenian and Greek form of the English name Mary.
Meriem f Arabic (Maghrebi)
Alternate transcription of Arabic مريم (see Maryam) chiefly used in North Africa.
Merit 1 m & f English (Rare)
Either a variant of Merritt or else simply from the English word merit, ultimately from Latin meritus "deserving".
Merja f Finnish
Possibly from the name of an ancient Finnish tribe.
Merlin m Arthurian Cycle, English
Form of the Welsh name Myrddin used by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his 12th-century chronicle. Writing in Latin, he likely chose the form Merlinus over Merdinus in order to prevent associations with French merde "excrement".... [more]
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".
Merrick m English (Modern)
From a Welsh surname that was originally derived from the given name Meurig.
Merrill m English
From an English surname that was derived either from the given name Muriel or from place names meaning "pleasant hill".
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.
Merry 2 m Literature
The name of a hobbit in J. R. R. Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings (1954). His full given name is Meriadoc; Merry is a semi-translation into English of his true hobbit-language name Kali meaning "jolly, merry" (in full Kalimac).
Merten m German (Rare)
Medieval Low German variant of Martin.
Merton m English
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "town on a lake" in Old English.
Mervi f Finnish
From the name of a Finnish village (now a part of the municipality of Hattula).
Mervin m English
Variant of Mervyn or Marvin.
Mervyn m Welsh, English
Welsh variant of Merfyn, as well as the usual Anglicized form.
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.
Meshach m Biblical
Possibly means "who is what Aku is?" in Akkadian, Aku being the name of the Babylonian god of the moon. In the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament this is the Babylonian name of Mishael, one of the three men cast into a blazing furnace but saved from harm by God.
Meta f German, Danish, Swedish, Slovene
German, Scandinavian and Slovene short form of Margaret.
Metin m Turkish
Means "strong" in Turkish.
Mette f Danish, Norwegian
Danish diminutive of Margaret.
Meurig m Welsh
From Old Welsh Mouric, possibly a Welsh form of the Latin name Mauritius (see Maurice). This was the name of a few early Welsh kings (such as the 5th-century Meurig ap Tewdrig).
Meysam m Persian
Persian form of Maytham.
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]
Micah m Biblical, English
Contracted form of Micaiah. Micah is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament. He authored the Book of Micah, which alternates between prophesies of doom and prophesies of restoration. This is also the name of a separate person in the Book of Judges, the keeper of an idol. It was occasionally used as an English given name by the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation, but it did not become common until the end of the 20th century.
Micha 1 m Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek, German, Dutch
Form of Micah used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament (when referring to the man from the Book of Judges). It is also the German and Dutch form.
Micha 2 m German, Dutch
Short form of Michael.
Michael m English, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, Czech, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
From the Hebrew name מִיכָאֵל (Miḵaʾel) meaning "who is like God?", derived from the interrogative pronoun מִי (mi) combined with ךְּ (ke) meaning "like" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This is a rhetorical question, implying no person is like God. Michael is one of the archangels in Hebrew tradition and the only one identified as an archangel in the Bible. In the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament he is named as a protector of Israel (see Daniel 12:1). In the Book of Revelation in the New Testament he is portrayed as the leader of heaven's armies in the war against Satan, and is thus considered the patron saint of soldiers in Christianity.... [more]
Michal 1 m Czech, Slovak
Czech and Slovak form of Michael.
Michał m Polish
Polish form of Michael.
Mícheál m Irish
Irish form of Michael.
Micheal m English
Variant of Michael.
Mìcheil m Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic variant of Mìcheal.
Michel m French, German, Dutch
French form of Michael. Michel de Nostredame (1503-1566), also known as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer who made predictions about future world events. Another famous bearer is the retired French soccer player Michel Platini (1955-). This is also the German diminutive form of Michael.
Michèle f French
French feminine form of Michel.
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.
Michiel m Dutch
Dutch form of Michael.
Miĉjo m Esperanto
Esperanto diminutive of Michael.
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).
Micky m English
Diminutive of Michael.
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).
Midas m Greek Mythology
Meaning unknown. In Greek myth Midas was a king of Phrygia in Asia Minor. He was granted a wish by the god Dionysos — that everything he touch be turned to gold.
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".
Mieke f Dutch
Dutch diminutive of Maria.
Mieszko m Polish
Probably an old diminutive form of Mieczysław. This was the name of three rulers of Poland including Mieszko I, the first Christian ruler (10th century).
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).
Miguel m Spanish, Portuguese, Galician
Spanish, Portuguese and Galician form of Michael. A notable bearer of this name was Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547-1616), the Spanish novelist and poet who wrote Don Quixote.
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.
Mihai m Romanian
Romanian form of Michael. Mihai the Brave was a prince of Wallachia who united Romania in the early 17th century.
Mihály m Hungarian
Hungarian form of Michael.
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.
Miina f Finnish
Short form of Vilhelmiina.
Mika 1 m Finnish
Finnish short form of Mikael.
Mika 2 f Japanese
From Japanese (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with (ka) meaning "fragrance" or (ka) meaning "increase". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Mikael m Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Breton
Scandinavian, Finnish and Breton form of Michael.
Mikel m Basque
Basque form of Michael.
Mikey m English
Diminutive of Michael.
Miki f Japanese
From Japanese (mi) meaning "beautiful" and (ki) meaning "chronicle". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Mikiel m Maltese
Maltese form of Michael.
Mikkel m Danish, Norwegian
Danish form of Michael. It can also derive from the Scandinavian root mikill meaning "enormous".
Mikki f English
Strictly feminine variant of Mickey.
Mikko m Finnish
Finnish form of Michael.
Miklós m Hungarian
Hungarian form of Nicholas.
Miko m Finnish
Variant of Mikko.
Miksa m Hungarian
Originally a diminutive of Miklós or Mihály. It is now used independently, or as a Hungarian form of Maximilian.
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.
Milán m Hungarian
Hungarian form of Milan.
Milan m Czech, Slovak, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian, Dutch (Modern), German (Modern), French (Modern)
From the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear", originally a short form of names that began with that element. It was originally used in Czech, Slovak, and the South Slavic languages, though it has recently become popular elsewhere in Europe.... [more]
Milburn m English
From an English surname that was from a place name meaning "mill stream" in Old English.
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.
Mile m Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian
Diminutive of Miodrag, Milan, and other names containing the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear". It is often used independently.
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.
Milford m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from various place names all meaning "ford by a mill" in Old English.
Milja f Finnish
Short form of Emilia.
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.
Milla f Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Short form of Camilla and other names that end in milla.
Millard m English
From an occupational English surname meaning "guardian of the mill" in Old English.
Miller m & f English
From an English occupational surname for a miller, derived from Middle English mille "mill".
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.
Milo m English, Germanic
Old German form of Miles, as well as the Latinized form. This form was revived as an English name in the 19th century.
Miloš m Czech, Slovak, Serbian, Slovene, Croatian, Macedonian
Originally a diminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear". This was the name of a 14th-century Serbian hero who apparently killed the Ottoman sultan Murad I at the Battle of Kosovo.
Miłosz m Polish
Polish cognate of Miloš.
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.
Milton m English, Spanish (Latin American)
From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "mill town" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was John Milton (1608-1674), the poet who wrote Paradise Lost.
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.
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 3 f Persian
Means "azure, enamel" in Persian.
Mindy f English
Diminutive of Melinda.
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.
Min-Jun m Korean
From Sino-Korean (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" or (min) meaning "gentle, affable" combined with (jun) meaning "talented, handsome". 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.
Minoo f Persian
Means "heaven, paradise" in Persian.
Minos m Greek Mythology
Possibly from a Cretan word or title meaning "king". This was the name of a king of Crete in Greek mythology. He was the son of Zeus and Europa. Because Minos had refused to sacrifice a certain bull to Poseidon, the god had caused his wife Pasiphaë to mate with the bull, which produced the half-bull creature called the Minotaur. Minos had Daedalus construct the Labyrinth to house the beast, but it was eventually slain by Theseus.
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.
Min-Su m Korean
From Sino-Korean (min) meaning "people, citizens" or (min) meaning "gentle, affable" combined with (su) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" or (su), which refers to a river in China. Other hanja combinations are possible.
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.
Miquel m Catalan
Catalan form of Michael.
Míra f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Mira 2.
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").
Miraj m Arabic
Means "ascension" in Arabic. According to Islamic tradition, this is the name of the Prophet Muhammad's visit to the heavens to meet with earlier prophets.
Miran m Slovene
Derived from the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace" or "world".
Miras m Kazakh
Means "legacy, inheritance" in Kazakh, from Arabic ميراث (mīrāth) via Turkish.
Mircea m Romanian
Romanian form of Mirče. This name was borne by a 14th-century ruler of Wallachia, called Mircea the Great.
Mirco m Italian
Italian variant of Mirko.
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-).
Mirek m Polish, Czech, Slovak
Diminutive of Miroslav and other names beginning with the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace, world". It is sometimes used independently.
Miren f Basque
Basque form of Maria.
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.
Mirja f Finnish
Finnish form of Miriam.
Mirjam f Dutch, German, Finnish, Estonian, Slovene
Form of Miriam in several languages.
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.
Mirko m Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian, Italian
From the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace, world", originally a diminutive of names containing that element.
Miron 1 m Romanian, Russian, Polish
Romanian, Russian and Polish form of Myron.
Mirta f Spanish, Italian, Croatian
Spanish, Italian and Croatian cognate of Myrtle.
Mirte f Dutch
Variant of Myrthe.
Mirthe f Dutch
Variant of Myrthe.
Mirza m Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Bosnian
Means "prince" from Persian میرزا (mīrzā), earlier امیرزاده (amīrzādeh), which is ultimately from Arabic أمير (ʾamīr) meaning "commander" combined with Persian زاده (zādeh) meaning "offspring".
Mirzə m Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani form of Mirza.
Míša f Czech
Diminutive of Michaela.
Mischa m & f Dutch, German
Dutch and German form of Misha. It is occasionally used as a feminine name in Dutch.
Misha m Russian
Russian diminutive of Mikhail.
Mishka m Russian
Russian diminutive of Mikhail.
Misi m Hungarian
Diminutive of Mihály.
Miska m Finnish
Diminutive of Mikael.
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.
Mitchell m English
From an English surname, itself derived from the given name Michael or in some cases from Middle English michel meaning "big, large".
Mithra m Persian Mythology
From Avestan 𐬨𐬌𐬚𐬭𐬀 (mithra) meaning "oath, covenant, agreement", derived from an Indo-Iranian root *mitra meaning "that which binds". According Zoroastrian mythology Mithra was a god of light and friendship, the son of the supreme god Ahura Mazda. Worship of him eventually spread outside of Persia to the Roman Empire, where it was known as Mithraism.
Mitra 2 f Persian
Modern variant of Mithra used as a feminine name. The true Modern Persian form of Mithra is in fact Mehr.
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.
Mitya m Russian
Diminutive of Dmitriy or Mitrofan.
Mitzi f German
German diminutive of Maria.
Miu f Japanese
From Japanese (mi) meaning "beautiful" and (u) meaning "feather". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Miyo f Japanese
From Japanese (mi) meaning "beautiful" and (yo) meaning "generation", or other kanji combinations having the same reading.
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.
Mladen m Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Macedonian
Derived from the South Slavic word mlad meaning "young", ultimately from Old Slavic *moldŭ.
Mneme f Greek Mythology
Means "memory" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was one of the original three muses, the muse of memory.
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).
Moab m Biblical
Means "of his father" in Hebrew, a derivative of אָב (ʾav) meaning "father". In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of Lot. He was the ancestor of the Moabites, a people who lived in the region called Moab to the east of Israel.
Modeste m & f French
French masculine and feminine form of Modestus.
Moe 2 f Japanese
From Japanese (moe) meaning "bud, sprout". Other kanji with the same reading can also form this name.
Mohsen m Persian
Persian form of Muhsin.
Mohsin m Arabic, Urdu
Alternate transcription of Arabic محسن (see Muhsin), as well as the usual Urdu transcription.
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.
Moirrey f Manx
Manx form of Mary.
Moïse m French
French form of Moses.
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).
Mojmír m Czech, Slovak
Derived from the Slavic elements mojĭ meaning "my" and mirŭ meaning "peace" or "world". This was the name of a 9th-century ruler of Moravia.
Mokhtar m Arabic (Maghrebi), Persian, Malay
North African, Persian and Malay form of Mukhtar.
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.
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 3 f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic منى (see Muna).
Moncho m Spanish
Diminutive of Ramón.
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.
Mongkut m Thai
Means "crown" in Thai.
Monique f French, English, Dutch
French form of Monica.
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]
Monte m English, Armenian
Either a diminutive of Montgomery or from the Spanish or Italian vocabulary word meaning "mountain". Its use as an Armenian name is inspired by the Armenian-American revolutionary Monte Melkonian (1957-1993).
Montse f Catalan
Short form of Montserrat.
Monty m English
Variant of Monte.
Mòrag f Scottish Gaelic
Diminutive of Mòr.
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.
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".
Morgane f French
French, either a form of Morgan 2 or a feminine form of Morgan 1.
Móric m Hungarian (Archaic)
Hungarian form of Maurice.
Moritz m German
German form of Maurice.
Morley m English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally from an Old English place name meaning "marsh clearing".
Morpheus m Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek μορφή (morphe) meaning "shape", referring to the shapes seen in dreams. In Greek mythology Morpheus was the god of dreams.
Morris m English, Medieval English
Usual medieval form of Maurice.
Morten m Danish, Norwegian
Danish and Norwegian form of Martin.
Morton m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "moor town" in Old English.
Morty m English
Diminutive of Morton or Mortimer.
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.
Mosè m Italian, Biblical Italian
Italian form of Moses.
Moses m English, Jewish, Biblical, Biblical Latin
From the Hebrew name מֹשֶׁה (Moshe), which is most likely derived from Egyptian mes meaning "son". The meaning suggested in the Old Testament of "drew out" from Hebrew מָשָׁה (masha) is probably an invented etymology (see Exodus 2:10).... [more]
Moshe m Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Moses.
Moslem m Persian
Persian form of Muslim.
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.
Mourad m Arabic (Maghrebi)
Alternate transcription of Arabic مراد (see Murad) chiefly used in North Africa.
Mousa m Persian, Arabic
Persian form of Musa, as well as an alternate Arabic transcription.
Moussa m Arabic, Western African
Alternate transcription of Arabic موسى (see Musa), as well as the form commonly used in West Africa.
Mowgli m Literature
Created by Rudyard Kipling for a character in The Jungle Book (1894) and its sequel (1895), in which Mowgli is a feral boy who was raised by wolves in the jungle of central India. His name, given to him by his adopted wolf parents, is said to mean "frog" in the stories, though Kipling admitted the name was made up.
Mózes m Hungarian
Hungarian form of Moses.
Mozes m Dutch
Dutch 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.
Mstislav m Czech (Rare), Russian (Rare)
Means "vengeance and glory" from the Slavic elements mĭstĭ "vengeance" and slava "glory". Mstislav the Great was a 12th-century grand prince of Kiev.
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.
Mubin m Arabic
Means "clear, distinct" in Arabic, a derivative of بان (bāna) meaning "to be plain, to be evident".
Müge f Turkish
Means "lily of the valley" in Turkish (species Convallaria majalis).
Muhsin m Arabic, Turkish
Means "beneficent" in Arabic, a derivative of حسن (ḥasuna) meaning "to be good, to be beautiful".
Muireadhach m Medieval Irish, Scottish Gaelic
From Old Irish Muiredach meaning "lord, master". This was the name of several legendary and historical kings of Ireland.
Muirín f Irish (Rare)
Modern form of Muirgen.
Muiris m Irish
Irish form of Maurice.
Müjde f Turkish
Turkish form of Mozhdeh.
Mukhtar m Arabic, Urdu, Kazakh
Means "chosen" in Arabic, derived from اختار (ikhtāra) meaning "to choose".
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.
Mumin m Arabic
Means "believer" in Arabic, ultimately related to أمن (ʾamuna) meaning "to be faithful".
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).
Muna f Arabic
Means "wishes, desires", from the plural form of Munya.
Muneer m Arabic, Urdu
Alternate transcription of Arabic منير or Urdu منیر (see Munir).
Munir m Arabic, Urdu
Means "bright, shining" in Arabic, related to the root نوّر (nawwara) meaning "to illuminate, to light".
Munya f Arabic
Means "wish, desire" in Arabic, related to the root منا (manā) meaning "to tempt, to put to the test".
Murad m Arabic, Urdu, Bengali, Azerbaijani, Avar
Means "wish, desire" in Arabic. This name was borne by five Ottoman sultans.
Murat m Turkish, Bosnian
Turkish and Bosnian form of Murad.
Murdoch m Scottish
Anglicized form of Muireadhach.
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).
Murray m Scottish, English
From a surname, which is either Scottish or Irish in origin (see Murray 1 and Murray 2).
Musa m Arabic, Turkish, Hausa, Urdu, Bengali, Indonesian, Malay
Arabic form of Moses appearing in the Quran.
Mus'ad m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic مسعد (see Musad).
Musad m Arabic
Means "lucky" in Arabic, from the root سعد (saʿida) meaning "to be happy, to be lucky".
Muslim m Arabic, Urdu, Kazakh, Indonesian, Malay
Name for a follower of Islam, ultimately from Arabic أسْلم (ʾaslama) meaning "to surrender, to submit".
Müslüm m Turkish, Azerbaijani
Turkish and Azerbaijani form of Muslim.
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.
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.
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.
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).
Myron m English, Ukrainian, Ancient Greek
Derived 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.
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.
Naaji m Arabic
Means "saved, safe" in Arabic, a derivative of نجا (najā) meaning "to save, to entrust, to confide in".
Nabeel m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic نبيل (see Nabil).
Nabil m Arabic
Means "noble" in Arabic.
Nacho m Spanish
Diminutive of Ignacio.
Nacio m Spanish (Rare)
Short form of Ignacio.
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".
Nadeem m Arabic, Urdu
Alternate transcription of Arabic نديم or Urdu ندیم (see Nadim).
Nadège f French
French form of Nadezhda.
Nader m Arabic, Persian
Alternate transcription of Arabic نادر (see Nadir), as well as the usual Persian transcription.
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-).
Nadim m Arabic, Urdu
Means "drinking companion" in Arabic, derived from ندم (nadima) meaning "to drink together".
Nadine f French, German, English, Dutch
French diminutive of Nadia 1.
Nadir m Arabic, Turkish, Urdu
Means "rare" in Arabic.
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).
Naeem m Arabic, Urdu, Bengali
Alternate transcription of Arabic نعيم (see Naim), as well as the usual Urdu and Bengali form.
Naël m French (Modern)
Possibly a short form of Nathanaël or Gwenaël.
Naëlle f French (Modern)
Feminine form of Naël.
Nəfəs f Azerbaijani
Means "breath" in Azerbaijani, derived from Arabic نفس (nafas), ultimately related to the root نفس (nafusa) meaning "to be precious".
Nagi m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic نجيّ (see Naji).
Nagib m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic نجيب (see Najib).
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.
Nahor m Biblical
Means "snorting" in Hebrew. Nahor is the name of both the grandfather and a brother of Abraham in the Old Testament.
Nahuel m Mapuche (Hispanicized)
Variant of Nawel using Spanish spelling conventions.
Nahum m Biblical
Means "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.