Updated November 2026
Across 6 pages
of 6
Word name
A name that's appeared out of thin air, in the same vein as such mystical favorites as Destiny and Nevaeh.
French
"blackbird"
A sleek, smooth, understated name off the grid in the US but among the Top 100 girl names in Germany. In the US, it is a unisex name, while in Germany and the Netherlands, it is predominantly…
English word name or diminutive of Araminta, English from Greek and Latin
"mint; defender; yielding to prayer"
You may be tempted to scoff at Mint as another wacky celebrity baby name — it was used by Dutch model Romee Strijd for her daughter in 2020 — but it's a far more legitimate choice than many would…
English, diminutive of Araminta, invented hybrid name
Minta is an eighteenth century short form of a literary beauty still used in England today, but yet to be discovered by American baby namers. It has a fresh and dainty feel. Virtually unheard today,…
English diminutive of Aminta and Araminta, Greek
"defender"
Minty isn't a fresh word name — it's an old-fashioned nickname for Araminta, the romantic smoosh name coined by playwright William Congreve in 1693.
French, dance term
Minuet is delicate, dancey, and lacy, with a Masterpiece Theatre feel. Is Minuet a real name? Not really, though similar-sounding French names such as Minette and Manette are.
French, musical intrument
Mandolin may seem like an outlandish choice for a name, but since BANJO has been used as a baby name, all the instruments in the band seem to be auditioning for a place on birth certificates. This…
English word name
Mittens is a common name for cats with mitten-like fur patterns on their paws. The word actually has feline origins — it shares a root with mite , an Old French pet name for a cat. It became linked…
English, color and coffee name
Save this for your next run to Starbucks.
Mochi is an adorable feminine name with Japanese origins, derived from the sweet rice cake dessert popular in Japanese cuisine. As a given name, Mochi evokes qualities of sweetness, softness, and…
Japanese
"peach child"
Momoko is a Japanese name meaning "peach child." It's also the name of a character in the popular Sailor Moon manga series.
"causing harm"
Disney turned Maleficent into a name in 1959, when it was used for the "Mistress of All Evil" in the film Sleeping Beauty . Prior to that, maleficent was a word meaning "causing harm," the antonym of…
"true, reality, hope"
Popular name in Japan in its own right, but also as a nickname for Miyako or Makiko. It appears in the visual novel Danganrompa , borne by the character Maki Harukawa. Succinct and simple, it can…
Irish
"descendant of Muiris"
When British rocker Steven Patrick Morrissey decided to use his last name alone, it became a viable option for baby namers, a lot cooler than Morris or Maurice, with the nice three-syllable lilt of…
English place name and surname
"peat bog, mouse clearing"
Mosley, former best known as the surname of author Walter, has been put in play as a first name for girls by football great Peyton Manning, who used the name for his twin daughter, sister of…
Muffin originated as an English word for a small, dome-shaped baked good before transitioning into use as a pet name or term of endearment, particularly in British and American culture. As a female…
Nature name
As a name, it's linked to Sir Mulberry Hawk, a character in Charles Dicken's Nicholas Nickleby.
Latin
"song for unaccompanied voices"
Madrigal might be a pretty and highly distinctive choice for a child of a musical family--or for the parent looking for a less conventional path to the nickname Maddie than Madeline or Madison .…
Greek mythology name
Remember, the Muse is passive: someone else's inspiration.
Flower name, from Greek
"mouse's ear; forget-me-not"
The name of a genus of flowering plants commonly known as "forget-me-not", deriving from a Greek word meaning "mouse's ear", because of the shape of the plant's leaves. The Spanish form Miosoti is…