Girls Names K Through O

Milla

Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Hungarian

"young ceremonial attendant, gracious people"

Milla originated as a diminutive of names like Camilla and Ludmilla, but has since become well established as a name in its own right in several European countries. Milla Jovovich is a Ukrainian-born…

Millaray

Mapuche, Chilean

"golden flower"

A melodic and glowing name, derived from Mapuche, the language of the Indigenous people of central Chile, Millaray means "golden flower". It ranked in the Chilean Top 100 in the 2010s and remains a…

Millicent

German

"strong in work"

Combining the mild and the innocent, this sweet and feminine name is worthy of a comeback, in the mode of Madeline and Cecilia. Its original, also attractive form is Melisende, which came from…

Milou

Combination of Marie and Lou or Louise

Milou and her near-identical twin Malou are adorable names popular throughout Europe; they're contractions of Marie or Mary and Lou or Louise. The Malou spelling will probably be easier for English…

Mim

Diminutive of Miriam

A hum of a name occasionally heard. Madame Mim was a villain in Disney's "The Sword in the Stone."

Mimi

Diminutive of Mary, Miriam, and others

Sweet, nicknamey name belonging to the tragic heroines of both La Bohème and Rent . Mimi might feel too slight for many parents to use on the birth certificate, but as a short form, it's one of the…

Mimosa

Latin plant name

Adventurous parents are venturing deeper into the garden in search of fresh names, but remember that this also makes for an alcoholic brunch.

Min

Chinese

"quick"

Puts the -min in diminutive.

Minerva

Latin

"of the mind, intellect"

Minerva is the long-neglected name of the Roman goddess of wisdom and invention, the arts and martial strength, one of the mythology names for girls that might appeal to adventurous feminist parents.…

Minetta

Diminutive of Minna or Wilhelmina, German

"child of the red earth"

Minetta is one of those names that's a diminutive of a diminutive -- Minna, a pan-European nickname that can be short for many names beginning or ending in Mina. Minetta may be most famous as Minetta…

Minette

French

"faithful defender"

Frenchified name rarely used in France. And perhaps even more rarely used in the US -- there were NO baby girls given the name on the official records of 2021.

Minna

Diminutive of Wilhelmina, German

"resolute protection; love"

One of those pan-European nickname names much more familiar in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe than in the US, though related name Mina is making a comeback here. Light and bright, it could be an…

Minni

Minni is a feminine name that functions primarily as an alternative spelling of Minnie, which originated as a diminutive form of Wilhelmina (meaning 'determined protector') or Minerva (the Roman…

Minnie

Diminutive of Wilhelmina, German

"resolute protection"

Minnie was wildly popular at the turn of the last century — it was the fifth or sixth most popular name throughout the 1880s — but is completely obscure in the US today. Blame Mickey's girlfriend.…

Minnow

English

"small fish"

This adorable fish name debuted on the baby name charts in 2020, inspired by a young girl character in the Netflix movie Love and Monsters . Minnow resembles well-established girl names Minnie,…

Minny

Minny is a feminine name with a warm, vintage charm, typically functioning as a diminutive for names like Minerva, Wilhelmina, or Jemima. It has historical roots as a nickname, particularly popular…

Mint

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…

Minta

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,…

Minthe

Greek mythology name

"mint"

The mythological story of Minthe goes that she attempted to seduce Hades, god of the underworld. In an act of revenge, his wife Persephone transformed Minthe into the mint plant. In Ancient Greece,…

Mintie

Mintie is a feminine name with English origins, likely derived as a diminutive form of names like Araminta or simply from the herb mint (associated with freshness and sweetness). Popular during the…