Updated October 2026
Across 7 pages
of 7
English
"sea-bright; pleasant hill"
A once familiar name for boys in the US, Merrill ranked in the Top 1000 from the 1880s to the late 1960s, peaking in 1926 when it ranked at #331. Now, it is a rare choice, given to 7 girls and 6 boys…
Variation of Meyer, Meir, Mayer, or Myer
"tenant, farmer, leader; shining; doctor"
A name with multiple origins, Meyers could be considered a German name meaning "tenant, farmer, bailiff" or "leader of the household", a Hebrew name meaning "enlightening, shining", a French name…
English word name
Marvel, now a character name in The Hunger Games series, was a miracle name of yesterday, on the girls' Social Security list until 1941 and reaching a high of 487 at the turn of the last century,…
Variation of Marilou
"beloved + renowned warrior; drop of the sea + light; beloved + of Lourdes"
A playful blend of Maria or Marie with Luisa, Lucy, or Lourdes, Marilu could be interpreted as meaning "beloved warrior", "Mary of Lourdes" or "beloved light", as just a few possibilities. You could…
"woman from Magdala or high tower"
Biblical name long associated with the fallen-yet-redeemed Mary Magdalen, now rising improbably into the ranks of the fashionable among parents hungry for classic yet distinctive girls' names. The…
English, diminutive of Melvin
"council protector"
Though most Mels are playing pinochle with Murray and Morris, there was a notable Saint Mel. He is one of the earliest Irish saints, a nephew of St. Patrick. He became a priest, then built a great…
English, Irish
"intoxicating beauty; intoxicating lake"
Maeve, a contemporary Irish favorite, is blended here with that trendy -lyn suffix, in the style of Emberlyn, Gracelyn, and Raelyn. It could then be interpreted as meaning "she who intoxicates with…
"boundary valley"
A surname-style choice that could work as an alternative to Marshall, Mason, or Arden. A topographical name referring to someone who lived near the boundary of a valley, it could lead to nickname…
English, diminutive of Moses
"delivered"
If Gus and Max have made it, why not Moe? Can it be the lingering Three Stooges effect? We think that Moe, like Joe, is one of the friendliest and most open of regular guy nickname names and should…
"my angel"
A smoosh of the affectionate phrase "my angel", Myangel has been given to more than 480 babies since it first appeared in the US charts in 1997. It peaked in 2012 when 36 girls were given the name,…
"residence near a marshy place"
Streamline it to Marsh, Mason, or Carson.
The sweet and stylish Maeve, paired with that enduring -lynn suffix, in the style of Emberlynn, Jazlynn, and Kaylynn. It has a variety of meanings depending on which of Lynn you follow, but options…
"lighthearted, happy"
She'd better be. Merry is one of the classic names for Christmas babies .
Merrill, once fairly common for American boys back in the first half of the 20th-century, is now a rare choice, given to just 7 girls and 6 boys in a recent year. Alternative spelling Meryl is also…
English nature name
Soft and mellifluous nature-surname name, situated miles away from the dated Marshall.
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…
English literary name
Pretty and distinctive choice for poetry lovers.
English, combination of Merry and Lynn
All the names ending in-lyn seem sadly dated.
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…
Form of Maravilla or Marvella, Spanish, English
"marvel, wonder, miraculous"
Poetic and intriguing, Marivella possibly emerged as a variation of the Spanish Marivillas, a name inspired by one of many titles for the Virgin Mary, in this case, Nuestra Señora de las Maravillas…