by baby&familyDownloadHeyName name directory
Explore 226 first names starting with M, with short explanations and links to their stories on our blog.
Names: 226 · Page 1 of 5
5 letters · From the blog
This name is documented in the Noongar language, where it means "black swan." It is often spelled with a double A to indicate the long pronunciation of the vowel. The variant Mali also exists, but possesses additional Arabic and Slavic roots.
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Maat securely stands for the concepts of "truth," "justice," and "cosmic order." The goddess Maat personified this principle. The double-"a" spelling often requires a brief clarification when spelled aloud in daily life, but it ensures a clear, long "A" sound in pronunciation.
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Mab is a figure from English and Celtic folklore, known as "Queen Mab". The meaning of the name is unclear; an often-mentioned interpretation connects the name with the Welsh word "mab" for "son" or "child", which, however, is not verified with respect to a fairy queen.
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Mabel is documented as a short form of the medieval name Amabel. This in turn traces back to the Latin amabilis, meaning "lovable."
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Originates from Greek ("makarios") and is documented to mean "happy" or "blessed." The name is relatively rare in the German-speaking area, but more established in Southern European countries.
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Maci (often also spelled Macie) is an English short form that historically evolved from the French name Macé. This in turn traces back to Matthew. Maci therefore shares the Hebrew meaning "gift of God." The pronunciation in English is "May-see."
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The Italian form of Magdalena. The name indicates geographic origin and means "the woman from Magdala", a town on the Sea of Galilee.
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An English name with Welsh roots. The frequently cited translation "the fortunate one" is a widespread interpretation derived from the original name Madoc and does not represent the entire history of the name.
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This name is documented as an English surname meaning "son of Matthew" or "son of Maud." Since the 1980s, Madison has been given almost exclusively as a girl name in the US.
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This name originated through the German translation of Astrid Lindgren's children's books. In the Swedish original, the character is named Madicken, which is documented there as a diminutive of Margareta.
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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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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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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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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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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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Mael is a Breton first name. The documented Celtic word base "mael" means "prince" or "chieftain".
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A name of Breton origin that is strongly represented in Francophone Belgium. The Celtic root means "prince" or "chief".
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Another name from the Arabic-speaking world. The root word means "blessed" or "favored by destiny".
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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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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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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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The name traces back to the language of the Lakota and Dakota. The documented word base means "earth."
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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The Ukrainian spelling of the name Maximus. The underlying Latin root "maximus" means "the greatest."
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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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Documented as the Swahili word for "angel." The root of the word traces back to Arabic origins.
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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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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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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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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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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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Malik is an Arabic first name. The documented meaning of the name is "king" or "ruler".
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