User-created list
Names from Whats My Line
Across 44 pages
of 44
Lindsay
English
"island of linden trees"
Lindsay is one of the few truly unisex names (rather than being a name that has changed genders). Over time the ey ending was usually reserved for women and the ay ending reserved for men, although…
Lloyd
Welsh
"gray"
This Welsh surname was taken up as a first in the English-speaking world in the early twentieth century, originally as a nickname for someone gray-haired. The original Welsh nickname was Llwyd,…
Lothar
German
"famous army"
Lothar is cloddish, till you add a dashing io to the end...
Lou
Diminutive of Louis or Lewis, French and German
"renowned warrior"
Lou, all by itself, is become fashionable for girls, which usually makes a name LESS fashionable for boys. But Lou, like Bill or Jim, is rarely used on its own for boys anyway. (You wouldn't name a…
Ludwig
German
"famous warrior"
As heavy as a marble bust of Beethoven.
LeClair
Malone
Irish
"a devotee of Saint John"
Classic Irish surname with a lot of character and some interesting associations: the title character of a Samuel Beckett novel and basketball great Karl Malone. Malone is a popular name for baby boys…
Manny
English, diminutive of Emmanuel
He can get it for you wholesale.
Martyn
Welsh
The Welsh form of Martin sounds the same, but has a little spelling twist.
Matt
Short form of Matthew
"gift of God"
Still one of the most appealing short forms, which goes a long way toward explaining the sustained popularity of Matthew. Matt is perennially the popular guy in high school, friendly, attractive, and…
Maurice
English and French from Latin
"dark-skinned"
In the USA, Maurice was in the Top 200 for most of the 20th century; since 1990, however, it has been on a slow and steady decline. This name has the potential for some old-school cute nicknames such…
Meade
Meade is a masculine name with English origins, derived from an Old English surname meaning 'meadow' or referring to someone who lived near a meadow. Alternatively, it may have evolved from the…
Meadowlark
Bird name
Meadowlark Lemon, known as the "Clown Prince" of the Harlem Globetrotters, played professional basketball for an astonishing 40 years. Lemon's original name was Meadow, as was his father's and his…
Mearl
Mearl is a masculine name with roots as a variant of Merle or Merrill. Originating from Old French, the name is derived from 'merle' meaning 'blackbird.' It may also have connections to the Latin…
Mel
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…
Merrill
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…
Merv
Merv is a masculine name that typically serves as a shortened form of Mervyn, which has Welsh origins meaning 'sea hill' or possibly Celtic roots meaning 'mariner.' The name gained some recognition…
Meshach
Akkadian
"who is what Aku is?"
Derived from Aku, the name of the Babylonian god of the moon. In the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament this is the Babylonian name of Mishael, one of the three men cast into a furnace but saved by…
Mickey
Diminutive of Michael, Hebrew
"who is like God?"
Pugnacious and spunky like the young Mickey Rooney and the original Mickey Mouse, but virtually never given to babies today.
Mike
English, diminutive of Michael
Unlike Jake or Sam, few parents put Mike on the birth certificate.