Names Categorized "black history"

Lucy is a classic English feminine name derived from the Latin masculine given name Lucius, meaning "light" or "born at dawn or daylight." It is the English form of Lucia, in use since the Middle Ages. The name has been...

Lula is a feminine diminutive of Louise and other names that begin with Lu, such as Lucy or Lucille. It originated in English-speaking countries as an affectionate short form, often used as an independent given name.Etym...

Luther is an English masculine given name derived from a German surname, which itself originates from the Old German personal name Leuthar, composed of elements meaning army or people and army. The name is famously assoc...

Luvenia is a feminine given name used primarily in the United States, possibly originating as a form of Lavinia. It has been documented in American records since as early as the 19th century, though it remains relatively...

Lyda is a feminine given name of English usage, likely a variant of Lydia. It may have emerged as a shortened form or an altered spelling, influenced by similar names like Liddy.Etymology and OriginsThe name Lyda traces...

Mabel is an English female name derived from the Latin amabilis, meaning "lovable" or "dear". It is the medieval feminine form of Amabilis, a name borne by early Christian saints. Alongside the variant Amabel, Mabel was...

Maggie is a feminine given name that originated as a diminutive of Margaret, and less commonly of Magdalena, Magnolia, or Marigold. As an English name, Maggie has been in consistent use since the Middle Ages, often used...

Etymology and Botanical OriginMagnolia is a feminine given name derived from the English word for the flowering plant of the same name. The name pays homage to French botanist Pierre Magnol (1638–1715), who was honored b...

EtymologyMahalia is a variant of the name Mahala, which in turn traces back to the Hebrew name Mahlah, derived from the root ḥala meaning "weak" or "sick." Despite this seemingly negative etymology, the name appears in t...

Mahershala is an American given name, famously shortened from the longer biblical name Mahershalalhashbaz. This full name appears in the Old Testament at Isaiah 8:1 as the symbolic name of a son of the prophet Isaiah. Wr...

Malcolm is a masculine given name of Scottish origin. It is the Anglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic Máel Coluim, which means "disciple of Saint Columba". The Gaelic element máel means "shavenhead," a term that histori...

Mamie is a feminine given name of English origin, commonly used as a diminutive of Mary or Margaret. It emerged in the 19th century as a casual, affectionate nickname, often used by family and close friends. Etymology an...

Marcella is a feminine given name of Roman origin. It is the feminine form of Marcellus, a Roman family name that itself is a diminutive of Marcus. The root Mars, the Roman god of war, gives the name a strong, martial as...

Marcia is a feminine given name of Roman origin, representing the female form of the ancient Roman family name Marcius. The name is derived from Latin, meaning "dedicated to Mars" (the Roman god of war), as it ultimately...

Margaret is a classic feminine given name derived from Latin Margarita, which was from Greek μαργαρίτης (margarites) meaning "pearl". The Greek word was probably ultimately borrowed from an Indo-Iranian language, reflect...

María Fernanda is a Spanish feminine compound given name, combining María and Fernanda. The name Maria originates from the Hebrew name Miriam, meaning “sea of bitterness,” “rebelliousness,” or “wished-for child,” and has...

Mariah is a variant of Maria, typically pronounced in a way that reflects an older English pronunciation of Maria. The name was popularized in the early 1990s by the American singer Mariah Carey (born 1970), whose fame b...

Marian is an English variant of Marion 1. The name is closely linked to the figure of Maid Marian, the legendary love interest of Robin Hood in English folklore. While historically a French diminutive of Marie (the Frenc...

Marion 1 is given name primarily used for girls, derived from a medieval French diminutive of Marie. It functions as a feminine name in English, French, German, and Dutch contexts, though historically it also saw occasio...

Marquita is a feminine given name primarily used in African American communities. It is a variant of Marquis, a name derived from the noble title that originated from the Old French word marche meaning "march, borderland...

EtymologyMarsha is a variant spelling of Marcia, the feminine form of the Roman family name Marcius, which ultimately derives from the Roman praenomen Marcus. Marcus, in turn, is believed to be derived from the name of t...

Martin is a masculine given name used across many languages and cultures. It originates from the Roman name Martinus, which is derived from Martis, the genitive case of the name of the Roman god Mars. Mars was the protec...

Mary is a feminine given name, the English form of the Latin Maria, which itself comes from the New Testament Greek names Μαριάμ (Mariam) and Μαρία (Maria). These Greek forms are derived from the Hebrew name מִרְיָם (Mir...

Mattie is a common diminutive in English, serving as a pet form of several names, most notably Matilda, Martha, and Matthew. It has been used as an independent given name for centuries, popular particularly in the United...

Mavis is a feminine given name taken directly from the name of the song thrush bird, also known as the mavis (from Old French mauvis, of uncertain origin). The name was first popularized in modern times by British author...

Maya is a feminine name used in English with two distinct origins. It can be considered a variant of Maia, a name from Greek mythology meaning "good mother" or "dame." In Greek myth, Maia was the eldest of the Pleiades a...

Mayme is a female given name of English origin, considered a variant of Mamie. Mamie itself is a diminutive of Mary or Margaret, making Mayme a derivative of these classic names through a diminutive chain. The name Mayme...

Mazie is a variant spelling of Maisie, a Scottish and Irish feminine given name. Like Maisie, Mazie originated as a diminutive of Mairead (the Scottish Gaelic form of Margaret), using the -ie suffix common in Scottish an...

Meghan is a variant spelling of Megan, which itself originated as a Welsh diminutive of Margaret. The name Margaret derives via Latin Margarita from Greek μαργαρίτης (margarítēs), meaning "pearl", a word likely borrowed...

Melba is a female given name that originated in the late 19th century as a tribute to the Australian opera singer Nellie Melba (1861–1931). It is derived from her stage name, which she adopted in honor of her birthplace,...

Melva is a feminine given name that likely originated as a feminine form of Melvin. The name Melvin itself is derived from a Scots surname that was a variant of Melville, which has locational origins from a place name in...

Etymology and OriginMichael is a masculine given name derived from the Hebrew rhetorical question מִיכָאֵל (Miḵaʾel), meaning "who is like God?" The name combines the interrogative pronoun מִי (mi) meaning "who?", the pa...

Michelle is a feminine given name, the French feminine form of Michel, which itself derives from the Hebrew name Michael, meaning "who is like God?" — a rhetorical question implying that no one is comparable to God. The...

Mickey is a unisex given name in English, primarily used as a diminutive or feminine form of Michael. The name gained worldwide recognition through the iconic cartoon character Mickey Mouse, created by Walt Disney and Ub...

Miles is an English masculine given name introduced to England by the Normans in the form Miles, derived from the Germanic name Milo. Its exact meaning is uncertain, though it is possibly related to the Slavic element mi...

Milly is a feminine given name used primarily in English, Norwegian, and Swedish contexts. It functions as a diminutive of longer names such as Emilie, Mildred, and other names containing a similar 'mil-' or 'mill-' soun...

Minnie is a feminine given name that originated as a diminutive of several longer names, most notably Wilhelmina. It has been used in English-speaking countries since at least the 19th century. The name gained enormous p...

Minta is a feminine given name that originated as a short form of Araminta. The earliest recorded usage of the name Araminta appears in late 17th century English comedies: it was first used by playwright William Congreve...

Misty is a modern feminine given name of English origin, derived directly from the English word misty, which refers to a condition of fog or haze. The name is ultimately rooted in Old English, where mist denoted a thin f...

Moses is a masculine given name derived from the Hebrew name Moshe, which itself most likely comes from an Egyptian root mes meaning "son". The biblical folk etymology in the Book of Exodus (2:10) connects the name to th...

Muhammad (Arabic: مُحَمَّد) is a masculine name of immense significance in the Islamic world, derived from the Arabic root ḥamida, meaning "to praise." The name thus carries the meaning "praised, commendable." It is most...

Muriel is a feminine given name of Goidelic origin, primarily used in English, French, Irish, and Scottish contexts. It is an Anglicized form of the Irish Muirgel and Scottish Muireall, both deriving from elements meanin...

Mya is a primarily feminine given name that emerged in the 20th century as a phonetic respelling of Maya or Mia, drawing from those names’ varied meanings and origins across languages. It is especially common in English-...

Myra is a given name created by the 17th-century English poet Fulke Greville. He possibly based it on the Latin myrra, meaning "myrrh," a fragrant resin obtained from a tree. Alternatively, Greville may have simply rearr...

Nannie is an English diminutive of Anne, a name that has been used as a pet form since the 18th century. Like other variants such as Nancy, Nan, and Nanny, Nannie arose as a familiar, affectionate shortening of Anne, oft...

Etymology and Biblical OriginNaomi is a Hebrew name originating from the word נָעַם (naʿam), meaning "to be pleasant." The feminine form נָעֳמִי (Naʿomi) translates as "my pleasantness." In the Old Testament, Naomi is th...

Nat is a unisex given name, primarily used as a short form of names such as Nathan, Nathaniel, Natalie, and other names beginning with Nat. Though commonly considered a diminutive, Nat has also been used as an independen...

Nathan is a masculine given name with deep biblical roots, derived from the Hebrew verb נָתָן (natan), meaning "he gave." In the original Hebrew, the name is Natan, and it appears in the Old Testament as the name of a pr...

Etymology and OriginsNella is a feminine given name of Italian origin, functioning primarily as a short form of Antonella. Antonella itself is a diminutive of Antonia, the feminine form of the Roman family name Antonius,...

Nellie is a feminine given name primarily used in English and Swedish, most commonly understood as a diminutive of Nell and other names containing the element nel, such as Eleanor, Ellen, or Helen. The suffix -ie or -y a...

Nelson is a masculine given name with English, Portuguese, and Spanish usage. It originated as an English surname meaning "son of Neil", and later came to be used as a first name. The name Neil itself is derived from the...

Nettie is a feminine given name that originated as a diminutive of names ending in nette, such as Annette or Jeanette. Its popularity peaked in the United States during the 1910s and 1920s, but has since steadily decline...

Nichelle is a given name that blends elements of the existing names Nicole and Michelle. Its roots thus trace back through Nicole to the Greek name Nicholas, meaning "victory of the people" (from Greek elements nike "vic...

Nina is a feminine given name used widely across Europe and beyond, found in Belarusian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Serbi...

Nola is a feminine given name of uncertain origin. It may have originated as a feminine form of the medieval diminutive Noll (itself a nickname for Oliver), possibly influenced by the similar-looking name Lola. The name...

Norma is a female first name of literary origin, most famously associated with the title character of Vincenzo Bellini's 1831 opera Norma. The librettist Felice Romani created the name for the opera’s protagonist, a Gaul...

Nubia is a Spanish female given name derived from the name of the ancient region of Nubia in Africa, situated along the Nile River in what is now southern Egypt and northern Sudan. The name of the region itself likely co...

Octavia is the feminine form of the Roman family name Octavius. Derived from the Latin word octavus, meaning 'eighth,' Octavia originated as a name for girls born eighth—or in some cases, as a feminine counterpart to the...

Odessa is a feminine given name of contemporary origin, derived from the Ukrainian port city of Odesa on the Black Sea. The city's ancient Greek predecessor, Ὀδησσός (Odessos), has a name of uncertain meaning. Odessa als...

Olive is a feminine given name taken directly from the English and French word for the olive tree, which is ultimately derived from Latin oliva. The tree has deep roots in the Mediterranean, particularly its oil, which h...