Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Manour(Settlement)English (British) The town was granted its name by a group of British explorers who stumbled upon the area during their quest for hidden treasures. As they journeyed through the lush countryside, they came upon a serene valley adorned with majestic manor houses, each more grandiose than the last.
Mantua(Settlement)English, Dutch, German, Ancient Roman, Spanish A city in Italy, the birthplace of the famous Ancient Roman poet Vergil. Etymology uncertain; possibly from the name of the Etruscan god Mantus.
Mapleton(Settlement)English The name Mapleton is derived from the old English words of maple and tūn. The word maple plainly refers to the deciduous species of tree native to the area, with tūn being a descriptive term for an enclosure, a farmstead, a village or an estate.
Mərakeş(Country & Settlement)Azerbaijani Azerbaijani form of Arabic مراكش (see Marrakesh), used to refer to both the city and the entire country of Morocco.
Marakka(Country, Political Subdivision, Settlement & Body of Water)Japanese Japanese form of Malacca.
Marawi(Settlement)Filipino, Maranao, Tagalog From Maraghui or Marahui, the name of a Maranao fort that was seiged in 1895. This is the name of the capital city of the Philippine province of Lanao del Sur.
Marawi(Settlement)Filipino, Maranao, Tagalog From the name of the 19th century Fort Maraghui, itself from Maranao rawi' meaning "bend, part, recline", referring to the Agus River. This is the name of a city in the Philippines.
Mariefred(Settlement)Swedish Swedish town named after a charterhouse called Pax Mariae "Maria's peace". A combination of the name Maria and Swedish fred "peace" (pax means "peace, harmony" in Latin).
Mariestad(Settlement)Swedish Means "Maria's town". It was founded in 1583 by Charles IX of Sweden and was named after his wife Maria of the Palatinate.... [more]
Marikina(Settlement & River)Filipino Marikina, officially the City of Marikina, is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. Located along the eastern border of Metro Manila, Marikina is the main gateway of Metro Manila to Rizal and Quezon provinces through the Marikina-Infanta highway.
Marilao(Settlement)Filipino Marilao, officially the Municipality of Marilao, is a 1st class urban municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines... [more]
Marion(Settlement)English Transferred use of the surname Marion. The city in Iowa was named after Francis Marion, a hero of the Revolutionary War.
Markham(Settlement)English Named after William Markham, the Archbishop of York (1719–1807), by John Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada.... [more]
Marquette(Settlement & Body of Water)English (American) Transferred use of the French surname Marquette. A city in Michigan and a lake in Minnesota were named for Jacques Marquette, a French Jesuit missionary.
Marseille(Settlement)French, English From the name of the ancient Greek colony and city of Μασσαλία (Massalia), of uncertain meaning. It may have been derived from Ligurian mas meaning "spring" or from Greek meaning "(city) on the far end of the sea", derived from μάσσων (masson) meaning "further" and ἅλς (hals) meaning "sea"... [more]
Mar'yinka(Settlement & Other)Ukrainian Probably derived from the given name Mar'yana. Mar'yinka is the name of multiple villages in Ukraine. Mar'yinka, Donetsk Oblast is the most notable due to the destruction that took place in the city.
Mascara(Settlement)Arabic The word mascara is the francisation of the Arabic word معسكر (mouaskar), meaning “camp”. Due to French colonization at that time, the city's name has adopted the French version as an official name.... [more]
Mashhad(Settlement)Persian, Tajik, Arabic Derived from Arabic مشهد (mashhad) meaning "place of martyrdom", named for the shrine of imam Ali al-Rida in Twelver Shia tradition. This is the name of a city in Iran.
Mashhad(Settlement)Persian Derived from Arabic مشهد (mashhad) meaning "place of martyrdom", so named for the shrine of imam Ali al-Rida in Twelver Shia tradition. This is the name of a city in Iran.
Mashpee(Settlement)English (American) A city in Massachusetts. From Wampanoag mass-nippe meaning "greater cove, great pond, land near great cove", itself from mass meaning "great, greater" and nippe meaning "water".
Massalia(Settlement)Greek, Ancient Greek Greek form of Marseille, also the name of an ancient colony and city located in what is now southern France.
Massapequa(Settlement)English (American) A hamlet in New York. The name is derived from an Algonquian language, and allegedly means "great water land".
Matara(Settlement)Sinhalese Derived from Sanskrit महा (maha) meaning "great" and तर (tara) meaning "ferry, crossing". This is the name of a city in Sri Lanka.
Mataram(Settlement & Country)Indonesian, Javanese Meaning uncertain, perhaps derived from Sanskrit मातरम् (mataram) meaning "mother" or "motherland". Other theories include माता (mata) meaning "mother" or मत्त (mata) meaning "joy, excitement, passion" combined with आराम (arama) meaning "pleasure, delight".... [more]
Matsue(Settlement)Japanese The kanji that make up the name are 松 (matsu), meaning "pine tree", and 江 (e), meaning "creek, inlet, bay"... [more]
Matsuyama(Settlement)Japanese Means "pine mountain" in Japanese. The kanji that make up the name are 松 (matsu), meaning "pine tree", and 山 (yama), meaning "mountain"... [more]
Mattoon(Settlement)English (American) Transferred usage of the surname Mattoon. The city in Illinois is named for William B. Mattoon, the chief construction engineer for the Terre Haute and Alton Railroad.
Maumee(Settlement & River)English (American) A river and city in Ohio, as well as a former proglacial lake that preceded Lake Erie. The name is an Anglicization of Maamii, the Ottawa name for the Miami people.
Maunabo(Settlement & River)Spanish (Latin American) A river and town in Puerto Rico. The name is derived from a Taíno name for the river, Manatuabón.
Mawlamyine(Settlement)English From Burmese မော်လမြိုင် (mawlamyaing) derived from Mon မတ်မလီု (motmalam) meaning "damaged eye", ultimately from မတ် (mot) meaning "eye" and လီု (lam) meaning "spoiled, damaged, ruined"... [more]
Mayagüez(Settlement & Body of Water)Spanish (Latin American) A municipality and bay in Puerto Rico. The name is derived from Maygüez, the Taíno name for the Yagüez River.
Maykop(Settlement)Russian From Adyghe Мыекъуапэ (Myeqwapa) meaning "cape of apples", from мые (mye) meaning "apple" and къуапэ (qwapa) meaning "cape, gorge, height". This is the name of the capital city of the Russian republic of Adygea.
Mecca(Settlement)English, Italian, Romanian From Arabic مكة (Makka) which is from بكة (bakka), an ancient name for the region. The name is of uncertain origin and meaning; it may be from Arabic بكى (baka) meaning "to cry, to mourn" or Ge'ez ምኵራብ (məkʷrab) meaning "temple, sanctuary"... [more]
Medan(Settlement)Indonesian, Malay, Batak Meaning uncertain. It may be derived from Batak Karo madan meaning "healed, blessed, recovered" or Malay medan meaning "field" (ultimately of Iranian origin). This is the name of a city in Indonesia.
Medicine Hat(Settlement)English (Canadian) A city in Alberta, Canada. The name is from the Siksiká 'saamis', the word for the eagle tail feather headdress worn by medicine men.
Meguro(Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 目 (me) meaning "eye, look, appearance" and 黒 (kuro) meaning "black", so named for a black-eyed statue that was placed on the outskirts of Edo for protection... [more]
Meknes(Settlement)English From French Meknès, itself from Arabic مكناس (Maknas) ultimately derived from Miknasa (Imeknasen), the name of a Berber tribe. This is the name of a city in Morocco.
Melilla(Settlement)Spanish, English The etymology of Melilla is uncertain. Since Melilla was an active beekeeping location in the past, the name has been related to honey; this is tentatively backed up by two ancient coins featuring a bee as well as the inscriptions RSADR and RSA... [more]
Mellieħa(Settlement & Body of Water)Maltese The name of a large village or small town located on the northern tip of Malta's main island, it comes from mellieħa meaning "salt pan," derived from the Semitic root m-l-h (compare melħ meaning "salt"), probably referring to the ancient Punic-Roman salt pans which existed at Mellieħa Bay, the site of which is now occupied by the Għadira Nature Reserve.
Melrose(Settlement)Scottish Habitational namefor a place near Galashiels in the Scottish borders, so named from British words that were ansetors of Welsh moel 'bare', 'barren' rhos 'heath'.... [more]
Mendota(Settlement)English (American) A city in Minnesota. Its name is derived from the Dakota word bdóte, which refers to the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers.
Menifee(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the given name Menifee. The city in California was named for Luther Menifee Wilson, a local miner.
Mequon(Settlement)English (American) A city in Wisconsin. From Ojibwe emikwaan or miguan meaning "ladle", or possibly Menominee mēkon meaning "feather".
Merowe(Region, Settlement & Body of Water)Arabic Of uncertain meaning, likely derived from the Nubian Medewi, via the Greek Meroë.
Merrimack(Settlement)English (American) A river and several settlements in the United States, of unknown etymology but likely from a Native American language.
Mesa(Settlement)English, Spanish From Spanish mesa, literally "table", referring to a flat-topped elevation. This is the name of a city in the US state of Arizona.
Metairie(Settlement)English (American) A census-designated place in Louisiana, from the French term métairie, referring to a type of tenant farm from the French sharecropping system.
Methuen(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the surname Methuen. The city in Massachusetts was named for Sir Paul Methuen, an English diplomat and politician.
Mexic(Country & Settlement)Occitan, Romanian Occitan and Romanian form of Mexico. The Occitan name refers to both the country and city, whereas the Romanian name is used only for the country.
Miami(Settlement)English Name of a city in Florida. The name was first mentioned by Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda, a captive of Indians in southern Florida for 17 years, when he referred to what is now Lake Okeechobee as the "Lake of Mayaimi, which is called Mayaimi because it is very large"... [more]
Miamisburg(Settlement)English (American) A city in Ohio. The name is derived from the name of the Miami people and the suffix burg meaning "fort, fortress".
Milpitas(Settlement)English Means "little cornfields" from a diminutive of Spanish milpa meaning "cornfield". This is the name of a city in California.
Milton(Settlement)English Name of a town in Ontario, Canada.
Milwaukee(Settlement)English From Algonquian millioke, meaning "good", "beautiful" and "pleasant land". This is the name of several settlements in the United States, including the largest city in the state of Wisconsin.
Minas Tirith(Settlement)Literature A city in JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series. Meaning "tower of guard, tower of watch," from the fictional Sindarin language, minas meaning "tower, fort" and tirith, meaning "watch, guard, vigilence".
Minato(Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 港 (minato) meaning "harbour". This is the name of a special ward of Tokyo as well as the name of wards in several other Japanese cities.
Mingala Taungnyunt(Settlement)Burmese From Burmese မင်္ဂလာ (mingala) meaning "auspicious; prosperous," တောင် (taung) meaning "mountain," and ညွန့် (nyun) meaning "apex; peak." It is the name of a township in Yangon, Myanmar.
Minneiska(Settlement)English (American) A city in Minnesota; the name, which is derived from the Dakota name for the nearby Whitewater River, means "white water".
Minnetonka(Settlement)English Name of a suburban city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, means "great water" from Dakota mni "river, stream" and tanka "freat".
Minot(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the surname Minot. The city in North Dakota is named for Henry Minot, an ornithologist and investor in the Great Northern Railway, around which the city was built.
Minsk(Settlement)Belarusian, English, Russian From Old East Slavic Мѣньскъ (Menisku), which was derived from a river named Men. This is the name of the capital city of Belarus.
Miramichi(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Mi'kmaq, French, English The name Miramichi is believed to have originated from the Mi'kmaq word Maissime'jg, meaning "he who gathers" or "place of gathering", referring to the area's historical importance for Indigenous peoples... [more]
Mirna(River, Settlement & Political Subdivision)Slovene Dissimilation from Slavic nyrati meaning "to rise from the earth." It is the name of a river, village, and municipality in Slovenia.
Mishawaka(Settlement)English (American) A city in Illinois. The name may be derived from Potawatomi mšwakig meaning "at the firewood-tree land" or Miami-Illinois mihswaahkwahkiki meaning "it is firewood-tree land". A local legend states that the name is derived from the name of the daughter of a Shawnee chief.
Mitaka(Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 三 (mi) meaning "three" and 鷹 (taka) meaning "hawk". This is the name of a city in the Tokyo Metropolis, Japan.
Mito(Settlement)Japanese The kanji that make up the name are 水 (mizu), meaning "water", and 戸 (to), meaning "door". This is the name of the capital city of Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.
Mitsue(Settlement)Japanese This is the name of a village located in the eastern-most part of Nara prefecture in western Japan.... [more]
Miyazaki(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 宮 (miya) meaning "temple, shrine, palace" and 崎 (saki) meaning "cape, peninsula". This is the name of a city in Japan, as well as the prefecture in which the city is located.
Mizpah(Settlement)English (American) A city in Minnesota. The name is derived from Hebrew מִצְפָּה (miṣpāh, mitspah), meaning "watchtower".
Mobile(Settlement)Indigenous American Mobile is a settlement in Alabama USA. Found in Mobile County Alabama.... [more]
Mocha(Settlement)English, Arabic (Anglicized) Variant of Mokha, from Arabic المُخا (al-Mukhā), the name of a port city on the Red Sea coast of Yemen. Long known for its coffee trade, the city gave its name to mocha coffee.
Mokena(Settlement)English (American) A city in Illinois. The name may be derived from the Anishinaabemowin word mikinaak or the Potawatomi word mkenak, both meaning "snapping turtle".
Mompracem(Political Subdivision, Region, Settlement & Island)Literature, Popular Culture Mompracem is the historical name of Kuraman, which is currently known primarily as the alter ego name of Keraman in the Sandokan series.