HeyName name directory

The story behind the name.

Explore 2,780 first names with short explanations from our blog. Search for a favorite or browse from A to Z.

Names: 2,780 · Page 31 of 58

8 letters · From the blog

Madlaina

The Romansh variant of Magdalena. The name refers to the origin "from Magdala," a town on the Sea of Galilee. The included "i" gives the name a distinctive, local spelling.

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7 letters · From the blog

Madlena

Documented as a Sorbian form of Magdalena. The name refers to the place of origin Magdala on the Sea of Galilee.

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4 letters · From the blog

Mads

This very common Danish boy's name is the documented short form of Mathias or Matthäus. The original Hebrew meaning is "gift of God."

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4 letters · From the blog

Mady

This first name is the Luxembourgish short form of Madeleine. Its origin is established: The name refers to Mary Magdalene and means "the woman from Magdala" (a town on the Sea of Galilee). The -y ending gives the name a visually more international feel than the German form Madita.

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3 letters · From the blog

Mae

A spelling variant of May frequently chosen in the English-speaking world. It is often used as an independent first name or as a short middle name.

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4 letters · From the blog

Mael

Mael is a Breton first name. The documented Celtic word base "mael" means "prince" or "chieftain".

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4 letters · From the blog

Maël

A name of Breton origin that is strongly represented in Francophone Belgium. The Celtic root means "prince" or "chief".

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6 letters · From the blog

Maëlle

A name of Breton origin. It traces back to the Celtic word "mael", whose documented meaning is "prince", "lord", or "chieftain". The trema (the two dots over the e) indicates that the a and e are pronounced separately.

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5 letters · From the blog

Maeve

A name of Irish origin (Medb) that is widespread throughout the English-speaking world. The frequently cited translation "the intoxicating one" is a common interpretation from Irish mythology; what is verified above all is its origin in the Gaelic language sphere.

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9 letters · From the blog

Magdalena

A four-syllable name of Hebrew or Aramaic origin. It is a locational name with the documented meaning "woman from Magdala" (a town on the Sea of Galilee). Magdalena has a melodic rhythm due to the alternating consonants and vowels and is often shortened to Magda or Leni in everyday life.

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6 letters · From the blog

Magnus

A name that comes directly from Latin. Its documented meaning is simply "great" or "the great." While the name is given frequently in Scandinavia, it falls more into the category of rare and strong names in German-speaking regions.

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6 letters · From the blog

Magnús

The boy's name traces back to the Latin word magnus for "great". The name was adopted throughout Scandinavia and also in Iceland as early as the Early Middle Ages.

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4 letters · From the blog

Maha

In Arabic, this short name refers to the oryx antelope. In traditional Arabic poetry, this antelope serves as a symbol for exceptionally beautiful, large eyes.

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3 letters · From the blog

Mai

Mai has various origins: in Northern Europe, it occurs as a short form of Maria. In Japanese, the meaning depends on the characters; 舞 means "dance." The Vietnamese name form belongs to a term for the mume, a species of plum or apricot.

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4 letters · From the blog

Maia

The Greek Maia belongs to the word maia, meaning "mother" or "foster mother." For the originally independent name of the Roman goddess, a connection to the Latin maior, "greater," is assumed. The two goddesses were later equated with one another.

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4 letters · From the blog

Maik

The spelling Maik is a Germanized form of the English Mike, which in turn traces back to Michael. The Hebrew foundation means "Who is like God?".

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5 letters · From the blog

Mailo

The older etymological meaning of this name family is not definitively resolved. The name is considered a modern spelling variant of Milo, whose Germanic or Slavic roots are debated in onomastic research. A blanket meaning would be too imprecise here.

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7 letters · From the blog

Maimuna

Another name from the Arabic-speaking world. The root word means "blessed" or "favored by destiny".

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6 letters · From the blog

Maisie

Maisie is documented as a traditional Scottish diminutive of the name Mairead. Mairead, in turn, is the Gaelic form of Margaret. The etymological root traces back to the Ancient Greek "margarites," meaning "pearl."

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5 letters · From the blog

Maite

In South America, this name is often used as a contraction of the first names Maria and Teresa. Independently, Maite exists as a Basque first name for which the meaning "the lovable one" is documented.

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4 letters · From the blog

Maja

Maja is, on the one hand, a form of the mythological name Maia, and on the other hand, a short form of Maria. The older meaning of Maria is unresolved. The two name histories do not yield a single shared translation.

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4 letters · From the blog

Maka

The name traces back to the language of the Lakota and Dakota. The documented word base means "earth."

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6 letters · From the blog

Makaio

Makaio is commonly used for boys and is documented as the Hawaiian form of Matthew. The Hebrew basis of this name means gift of God. Here, too, a biblical name was adapted to Polynesian syllable structure.

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6 letters · From the blog

Makana

The Hawaiian word "makana" translates to "gift" or "reward." The name is traditionally gender-neutral, but is chosen more frequently for girls internationally.

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6 letters · From the blog

Makani

Makani is a Hawaiian first name. Its literal meaning is clearly documented as "wind." In Hawaii, it is given to both boys and girls. Its pronunciation in German is completely straightforward, as it corresponds exactly to its spelling.

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8 letters · From the blog

Makarios

A Greek first name. The Ancient Greek word "makarios" is confirmed to mean "blessed" or "supremely happy". An Italian and Spanish variant of this name is Macario.

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7 letters · From the blog

Makayla

Makayla is a modern, phonetic American spelling variant of the name Michaela. Its Hebrew root means "Who is like God?". The spelling was designed to reflect the English pronunciation in written form.

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6 letters · From the blog

Makena

Makena traces back to the Kikuyu language in Kenya. The name is mostly given to girls and means "the happy one" or "the joyful one."

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6 letters · From the blog

Makoto

This name is widely translated as "sincerity" or "truth," based on the kanji 誠. In Japanese, it is given to both boys and girls, making it gender-neutral.

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6 letters · From the blog

Maksym

The Ukrainian spelling of the name Maximus. The underlying Latin root "maximus" means "the greatest."

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4 letters · From the blog

Mala

Means "garland" or "wreath" in Sanskrit. The term is widely known from mala beads, which are used in Hinduism and Buddhism as a counting aid during meditation.

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7 letters · From the blog

Malaika

Documented as the Swahili word for "angel." The root of the word traces back to Arabic origins.

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7 letters · From the blog

Malcolm

Malcolm originates from the Scottish Gaelic name Máel Coluim. "Máel" means servant or disciple. The name's documented meaning is "servant of (Saint) Columba."

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5 letters · From the blog

Malea

The older etymological meaning of this name family is not definitively clear. The name is often used as a modern variant of Malia and is currently frequently encountered in the German-speaking area.

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4 letters · From the blog

Mali

This name has several possible origins that must be considered separately. It is widely translated as a Thai name meaning "flower." It can likewise be a short form of Amalia, or it may originate from Swahili, where the word means "wealth."

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5 letters · From the blog

Malia

Malia is the Hawaiian form of Maria. The original meaning of the Maria name family has not been established with certainty. Malia can therefore not be reliably translated as "the beloved" or with any other single meaning.

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7 letters · From the blog

Maliina

This name has two documented derivations. On the one hand, it is recorded as a Greenlandic adaptation of the name Maria. On the other hand, Maliina is the name of the sun goddess in Inuit mythology.

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5 letters · From the blog

Malik

Malik is an Arabic first name. The documented meaning of the name is "king" or "ruler".

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5 letters · From the blog

Malin

Malin is documented as a Swedish form of Magdalena. Magdalena refers to the place of origin Magdala on the Sea of Galilee. In German, the "i" is often pronounced short, while in Swedish it is long.

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5 letters · From the blog

Malte

A Danish short form of the name Helmold. The Germanic components mean "helmet/protection" and "to rule".

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6 letters · From the blog

Malthe

The exact origin of this name, which is very common in Denmark, is unclear. A widespread theory sees its origin in the Germanic word "mahal" (assembly place, court), while another assumes an independent Danish origin. A definitive meaning cannot be established here.

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5 letters · From the blog

Malva

Malva is the Latin and botanical scientific term for the mallow genus of plants. As a first name, it is short, rare, and blends in well phonetically with names like Alba or Alma.

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6 letters · From the blog

Manaia

Manaia is given to both boys and girls in New Zealand. The name is documented in Maori mythology and designates a guardian spirit, often depicted as a mythical hybrid of bird, human, and fish.

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6 letters · From the blog

Mandla

A documented boy's name from Zulu and Xhosa. The direct literal meaning is "power" or "strength."

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4 letters · From the blog

Mani

In Norse mythology, Máni is the personification of the moon. The name is documented for boys in the Scandinavian region.

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5 letters · From the blog

Manoa

This boy name traces back to the Hawaiian word for "vast," "expansive," or "solid." Manoa is also the name of a well-known valley on the island of Oʻahu.

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5 letters · From the blog

Mansa

This name comes from the Mandinka language in West Africa. Historically, it is documented as a title meaning "king," "emperor," or "ruler."

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From a name to a shared choice

Understanding name meanings · Compare three favorites