Updated May 2023
Across 6 pages
of 6
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.
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…
German, Swedish diminutive of names beginning with Mein- or Magn-
"strong"
The names from which Meja derived, including Meinhild and Magnhild, are long gone, but a Swedish singer called Meja (born Anna Pernilla Torndahl) has piqued interest in this modern derivative. Meja…
French form of Millicent, German
"strong in work"
This old-time fairy tale name is rarely heard in the modern English-speaking world, but it's so, well, mellifluous, that it would make a lovely choice for a twenty-first century girl--a romanticized…
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 .…
Roman
"messenger of the gods, quicksilver"
It's a car brand, a planet, and the messenger of the gods -- but it's questionable whether it works as a little girl's name.
Mata is a concise feminine name with diverse cultural origins. In Sanskrit, it means 'mother' and holds sacred connotations, while in Hebrew it can mean 'gift.' The name appears in various cultures…
French
"delicate, dainty"
Charming French endearment, first used as a name by Goethe, that now makes an appealing choice -- though the proper feminine form is Mignonne. Note, though, that this is not actually used as a name…
Japanese
"fortunate child"
What parent wouldn't love this meaning?
"little dog"
An unusual, energetic surname choice that would make a good Madison alternative. Madigan was a typical police detective series of the 1970s, starring Richard Widmark.
English, word name or combination of Mary and Lee, or Scottish place-name
Merilee and Merrilee were early respelled or word names, ahead of their time in some ways. Merrilee hit the Top 1000 for a couple of years in the 1940s, but last year no baby girls were given either…
Greek
"dark flower"
The th sound both softens and complicates this Melanie relative.
Diminutive of Margaret
"pearl"
Sixties-style nickname which is also the name of a small biting insect, particularly prevalent in Scotland.
English word name
"twelve o'clock at night"
A dark, mystical choice, most often used for black cats, Midnight is a relatively new addition to the baby pool. It was used as a middle name by Nicole Richie and Joel Madden for their son in 2009,…
Danish, Norwegian diminutive of Marie, Japanese
"bitter; beauty; three"
A sweet and simple nickname for Marie that could serve to freshen up the outdated full form.
Variation of Maybelline
"lovable"
Maybellene is the true one-of-a-kind baby name that Taylor and Natalie Hanson chose for their daughter in 2020. It's a variation of Maybelline, which is itself an elaboration of the name Mabel. The…