Names Categorized "women's history"

Mary Ann is a compound feminine given name combining Mary and Ann, which are both deeply rooted in English naming traditions. As a double name, it represents a long-standing custom in English-speaking countries where two...

Etymology and OriginsMatilde is the Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian form of Matilda, a name of Germanic origin. It derives from the Old High German name Mahthilt, composed of the elements maht (meaning "might, strength"...

Maurene is a variant of Maureen, an Anglicized form of the Irish name Máirín, itself a diminutive of Mary. This feminine name, used primarily in English-speaking cultures, reflects the broader tradition of adapting Irish...

Maya is a feminine name of Sanskrit origin, meaning "illusion, magic". In Buddhist tradition, Maya is the name of the mother of Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha), who is said to have dreamed of a white elephant before his...

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...

Meresankh is a feminine given name of Ancient Egyptian origin, typically glossed as meaning "she loves life" from Egyptian mrs-ꜥnḫ. Like many pharaonic onomastic elements, it reflects an ideological or aspirational quali...

Meriel is a feminine given name, primarily used in English-speaking countries. It is a variant of Muriel, which itself is an anglicized form of the Irish Muirgel and Scottish Muireall. The name was also adopted in mediev...

Merilyn is a feminine given name in English, distinct from the more famous Marilyn yet very similar in spelling. It has remained rare and unobtrusive while variants like Marilyn and Maralyn have seen notable use.The name...

Meritites is an ancient Egyptian feminine name meaning "loved by her father," derived from the Egyptian phrase mryt-jts. The name was borne by several royal women of the Old and New Kingdoms, most notably during the 4th...

Etymology and Meaning Metrodora is an Ancient Greek feminine name composed of the elements μήτηρ (meter), meaning "mother", and δῶρον (doron), meaning "gift". The name thus signifies "gift of the mother" or "mother's gif...

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...

Minerva is a feminine name of uncertain etymology, possibly derived from Latin mens meaning "intellect," but more likely of Etruscan origin. It is best known as the name of the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, vict...

Mollie is a variant spelling of Molly, an English feminine diminutive that traditionally served as a nickname for Mary. Like many English hypocorisms from the Middle Ages, it involves the substitution of 'l' for 'r', so...

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...

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...

Narelle is a feminine given name of Australian origin. Its meaning is unknown, but it has cultural significance through its connections to the Yuin, an Aboriginal Australian people. The name was borne by the wife of Umba...

OverviewNatividad is a Spanish female given name meaning "nativity." It commemorates the birth of either Jesus or the Virgin Mary, both of whom are central to Christian theology. The name is derived from the Spanish word...

Nefertari (ancient Egyptian nfrt jrj) is a feminine name meaning "the most beautiful" in the Egyptian language. It was famously borne by the Great Royal Wife of Ramesses II (also known as Ramesses the Great), one of the...

Nefertiti is an ancient Egyptian female name meaning "the beautiful one has come" (nfrt-jjtj in Egyptian). Nefertiti was a powerful queen of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt, living c. 1370–c. 1330 BC. She was the great royal w...

Neferusobek is the Ancient Egyptian name of the first confirmed queen regnant, or female pharaoh, of Egypt, ruling in the 19th century BC as the last sovereign of the Twelfth Dynasty during the Middle Kingdom. Her name d...

Neva is a feminine given name in English usage, with two distinct origins. It is primarily a short form of Geneva, itself a shortened form of Genevieve, which derives from the medieval name Genovefa and ultimately from t...

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...

EtymologyNicola 2 is the feminine form of Nicholas, which itself derives from the Greek name Nikolaos (Νικόλαος), composed of the elements nike meaning "victory" and laos meaning "people". The name thus carries the meani...

Nicole is a feminine given name that originated as the French feminine form of Nicholas. It has become widely used in English-speaking and other European countries since the middle of the 20th century. A famous contempor...

Noelle is the English feminine form of Noëlle, the French feminine version of Noël. The name ultimately derives from the Latin natalis, meaning "birthday," and specifically came to refer to Christmas, the birthday of Jes...

Novella is an Italian feminine given name derived from the Latin novellus, a diminutive of novus, meaning "new, young, novel." The name thus carries connotations of freshness, youth, and originality.Historically, the nam...

Oakley is a unisex first name derived from an English surname, which itself originated from various place names meaning "oak clearing" in Old English. The name combines the elements āc (oak) and lēah (clearing, meadow),...

Obdulia is a Spanish female given name of uncertain etymology. Its origin is debated, though some scholars propose a possible Arabic root due to the historical Moorish influence in the Iberian Peninsula, but no definitiv...

Ofelia is the Spanish and Italian form of Ophelia. The name Ophelia is derived from the Ancient Greek ōphéleia (ὠφέλεια), meaning "help" or "advantage." Although it existed in antiquity, the name was revived or possibly...

Olivette is a feminine given name and a direct feminine form of Oliver. The name is most notably recognized as the title character in the French opéra comique Les noces d'Olivette (The Wedding of Olivette) by Edmond Audr...

Olympe is the French form of Olympias. In turn, Olympias derives from the ancient Greek personal name Olympos, which itself comes from the place name Olympus, the mountain home of the Greek gods in mythology. The name th...

Opaline is an elaborated form of Opal, also used as an English and French word meaning "resembling an opal."Etymology and Linguistic BackgroundThe name Opaline derives from the gemstone Opal, which ultimately comes from...

Etymology Oprah is a given name that originated as a childhood mispronunciation of the biblical name Orpah. The television personality Oprah Winfrey was born Orpah Gail Winfrey, but her parents and siblings found it easi...

Russell is an English given name that originated as a transferred use of the surname Russell. The surname itself derives from a Norman French diminutive of Old French rous, meaning "red" — thus signifying "little red one...

Shirley is a female given name of English origin. It was originally a surname referring to someone from one of the many place names called Shirley in England, such as Shirley in Derbyshire, Hampshire, Surrey, and elsewhe...