Updated October 2026
Across 23 pages
of 23
Hungarian and Dutch diminutive of Maria
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
Robust and energetic with an even blend of spikiness and elegance, Mariska is a diminutive of Maria, notably used in Hungary and The Netherlands. Internationally, it was brought into the spotlight by…
Welsh, meaning unknown
Menna is used regularly in Wales in modern times. Its origins are uncertain: perhaps created by a poet, or possibly connected with the Menai Strait that separates the island of Anglesey from mainland…
Finnish; Maori
"sea; Mary"
Upbeat name that cheers you as soon as you hear it. One famous bearer is Maori feminist Meri Te Tai Mangakāhia. As Finnish name, it is connected to the sea.
Latin
"midday / pinnacle"
In geography, a meridian is a line drawn around the curve of the Earth between the North and South Poles. The term comes from Latin meridianus, meaning "pertaining to midday", and the association…
English
"lighthearted, happy"
She'd better be. Merry is one of the classic names for Christmas babies .
Spanish from Greek
"blessed, happy"
Unusual and rhythmic, Macaria is the feminine form of the ancient Greek Makarios or the Latinized Macarius. It could be an unexpected way to get to cool nickname Mac, without using Mackenzie,…
English, combination of Mary and Belle
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + beautiful"
Variant of Maribel or Maribelle
American elaboration of Mabel, English
"lovable"
The popular cosmetics brand Maybelline inspires at least a few baby girls' names each year. Company founder Thomas Lyle Williams created the name as a portmanteau of Mabel and Vaseline after watching…
Greek botanical name
Long in our category of so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out category, once seen as a gum-cracking 1940's telephone operator, we think it's time to reassess Myrtle, and look at is as a nature name, a…
German surname, Yiddish, meaning unknown
Maisel is a German-Jewish surname, brought into the spotlight as that of Miriam Maisel, aka The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel . The TV show, which premiered in 2017, has led to small numbers of girls given…
Spanish
"beloved star"
A beautiful combination of Maria and Stella. Marianela Núñez is an Argentine ballet dancer.
Combination of Maria + Angela
"Angel Mary"
A traditional smoosh name with a peaceful, religious feel.
English, modern invented name combining "May" and "Bree"
"Bree"
"May" is a hot sound in girl names — just look at the rise of Maeve — which makes it ripe for creative new inventions. This cheerful, breezy number has been low-key on the US charts since 2011.
Compound name, combining May, Mary, Margaret or Maya with Ella
"Maytime fairy; beloved fairy; pearl-like fairy; fairy mother"
A sunny sounding name, Mayella is a smoosh name with various meanings, depending on which etymological root you follow for May . The name is perhaps most associated with Mayella Ewell in Harper Lee's…
Modern invented name
Australian opera singer Nellie Melba—self-named for her hometown of Melbourne—inspired this now-dated name more associated today with a peach dessert and dietetic toast.
Hebrew
"queen"
An alternative form of Milka, Melcha, Malka, and Malika, this Biblical name appears in the Old Testament as the wife of Nahor and the daughter of Haran and as one of the daughters of Zelophehad.…
Slavic, Finnish, Polish, Hebrew
"gracious, dear; rival; queen"
Used in Serbia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, and Croatia, Milka derives from the popular Slavic element milŭ , and is a diminutive form of feminine names containing that element such as Milena, Milanka, and…
Native American
"dugout canoe"
Missouri, the name of a tribe, a state and a river, derives from the Illinois word mihsoori meaning "dugout canoe". It became a somewhat popular American girls' name in the mid-19th century. Missouri…
Welsh
"maiden"
Morwenna is an ancient Cornish name now being revived in Wales, deriving from a Celtic word meaning "maiden", although the Mor- syllable means that it's often associated with the sea. It's been heard…
"decrease"
Not ready to go all the way to Malachi? Then take this Biblical shortcut name, with the second syllable rhyming with eye.