By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 607 pages
of 607
Munsee Lenape, Native American
"place for gathering the [wood to make] bows"
Manhattan is the smallest yet one of the most populous New York City boroughs. The area was historically inhabited by Munsee Lenape and Wappinger tribes of Native Americans, and the name Manhattan is…
Medieval variation of Margaret, Greek
"pearl"
An old royal name in England and Scotland that's also spelled Marjorie. Popular in the Middle Ages and Tudor period, it was revived at the end of the 19th century, peaked in 1921 and dropped off the…
Marlana is a feminine given name that evolved as a variant of Marlene or Marlana. It has Germanic roots, deriving from elements meaning 'famous' and 'love' or 'grace.' This melodic name gained modest…
Marnita is a feminine name that likely originated as a diminutive form of Marina or possibly as a variant of Marna, which has Hebrew origins meaning 'rejoice.' The suffix '-ita' suggests Spanish or…
Aztec
"round, encircling"
The Aztec goddess of fertility and the maguey plant — also known as agave — which has historically been made into paper.
Native American, Wappo, Yuki
"coast"
Coastal California was originally home to the Wappo and Yuki tribes, among whom the word meiomi meant "coast". Today, Meiomi is the name of a mid-price wine brand that's inspiring the parents of baby…
Melinna is a feminine name with possible Greek origins, potentially derived from the Greek word 'meli' meaning 'honey' or as a variant of Melina. The doubled 'n' gives the name a distinctive spelling…
Michella is a feminine name that serves as a variation of Michelle, which itself is the French feminine form of Michael, meaning 'who is like God?' in Hebrew. The addition of the 'a' ending gives…
Mikaila is a feminine name that represents a modern variation of Michaela, ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Michael meaning "who is like God?" This contemporary spelling adds a unique twist…
Arabic, Urdu
"fountain, spring, freshwater"
A popular name in Pakistan and a familiar choice in the UK, Minahil derives from the Arabic and Urdu words for "spring" or "fountain", associating it with water and life sources. Also spelled as…
Catalan form of Mireille
"to admire"
Popular name in Spain drawn from the Provencal Mireio, coined by the poet Frederic Mistral. Very pretty and, though difficult to spell and pronounce, simpler than the French version.
Place-name
The name Morocco is as rhythmic and alluring as the land itself, site of Casablanca and Marrakech. It could work for either gender — Mike Tyson chose it for his son.
French, Hebrew, Latin, "drawn from water; little meuse"
"drawn from water; little meuse"
Mozelle is a feminine name of French origin, functioning as a diminutive form of Moses, which means "drawn from the water" in Hebrew. There is also the possibility that it is derived from Latin, to…
Mykenzie is a modern feminine name that represents a creative spelling variation of Mackenzie or McKenzie. Originally a Scottish surname meaning "son of Kenneth" (from the Gaelic "Coinneach" meaning…
Variant of Marcella
One of the many faux-Medieval names invented by George R.R. Martin for his A Song of Ice and Fire series of books, the source of HBO's Game of Thrones . Princess Myrcella Baratheon is the daughter of…
Slavic
"hope"
Nadezhda is more familiar in the English-speaking world by its short forms, Nadia or Nadya. Well-used through the Slavic countries and Russia, Nadezhda was the name of Lenin's wife. Viewers of The…
Japanese
"seven seas"
A great name for travel-lovers, with a fun alternative sound to Naomi.
Natanya is a feminine name with Hebrew origins, derived from 'natan' meaning 'gift' or 'he gave.' It's closely related to the Israeli city Netanya, which carries the same meaning. The name has…
Modern
Variation of Nevaeh that has the cool sound without the significance of the spelling.
Nicholette is a feminine name derived from Nicholas, which comes from the Greek 'Nikolaos' meaning 'victory of the people.' This delicate feminine variant adds the diminutive French suffix '-ette,'…
