Mael (name)

The name Mael resembles a number of old Celtic names from Brittany, Wales and Ireland.

"Maël" is a Breton boys' name meaning "chief" or "prince". ^[1] The name for girls is "Maela". The Breton name is popular in French as "Maël", with French girl-forms including "Maëlys" and "Maëlle", ^[2] largely after the Breton Saint Maël. ^{[3] [4]}

The Welsh boys name Mael was borne by the legendary son of Roycol.^{[ citation needed ]}

The old Irish word "máel" (now spelt "maol"), meaning "bald" and hence "monk", was sometimes put before Gaelic names to form new names and indicate a servant or follower of a saint. ^[5] These variants include "Maolcholuim" (spelt "Malcolm" by the English), which means "monk/follower of Columba".^{[ citation needed ]}

Máel

• Máel Brigte, several people
• Máel Coluim mac Alaxandair, Pretender to the Scottish throne
• Máel Coluim of Moray, Scottish king
• Máel Dub, Reputed Irish monk of the 7th century
• Máel Dúin, several people
• Máel Gualae, Irish king
• Máel Ísu, several people
• Máel Mórda mac Murchada, King of the province of Leinster in Ireland
• Máel Muire, Earl of Atholl, Scottish noble
• Máel Pátraic, Irish abbot
• Máel Ruain (died 792), Abbot-bishop of Tallaght
• Máel Ruba (c. 642-722), Irish saint
• Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill, High King of Ireland from 980 to 1002
• Máel Sechnaill mac Máele Ruanaid, High King of Ireland
• Máel Snechtai, Ruler of Moray

Mael

• Mael Corboz (born 1994), American football player

Maël

• Maël Ambonguilat (born 1997), Gabonese Olympic swimmer
• Maël de Calan (born 1980), French politician
• Maël de Gevigney (born 1999), French professional footballer
• Maël Gouyette (born 1999), French middle-distance runner
• Maël Henry (born 2004), Canadian soccer player
• Maël Illien (born 1990), French footballer
• Maël Renouard (born 1979), French writer and translator

Further reading

• Decker, Thomas (2000). "Mael". Dictionnaire des prénoms : Tout savoir sur son prénom, et celui que l'on va donner. Paris: Éditions de la Seine. p. 274. ISBN   9782738215208.
• Deshayes, Albert (2019). Les Prénoms Bretons et Celtiques: Sens et Origines. Embanner. ISBN   9782367850207.
• Sheard, K. M. (2011). Llewellyn's Complete Book of Names. Llewellyn Worldwide. p. 373. ISBN   9780738723686.

References

1. Tanet, Chantal; Hordé, Tristan (2009). Dictionnaire des Prénoms. Paris: Larousse. p. 414. ISBN   9782035837288 – via archive.org.
2. "Les prénoms bretons dérivés de Mael". anarvorig.com. Archived from the original on 5 July 2012.
3. "Maël". Behind the Name. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
4. de Benoist, Alain, ed. (2009). Dictionnaire des prénoms (PDF) (in French). Paris: J. Picollec. p. 308. ISBN   978-2864772163.
5. Ó Corráin, Donnchadh; Maguire, Fidelma (1981). Gaelic Personal Names. Academy Press. pp. 129–131. ISBN   9780906187395.