At a Glance: Name: Mimi – Meaning: pet form (hypocorism) of Michelle, Miriam, María, or Mary; has no independent meaning of its own – Origin: French/Italian – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: MEE-mee
Mimi is a French/Italian girl's name meaning “pet form (hypocorism) of Michelle, Miriam, María, or Mary; has no independent meaning of its own”. It appears in our list of 200+ Retro Baby Girl Names Making a Chic Comeback.
Meaning & Origin of Mimi
Meaning: Pet form (hypocorism) of Michelle, Miriam, María, or Mary; has no independent meaning of its own.
Origin: French/Italian.
A common claim: Often said to mean 'sea of bitterness' via its association with Miriam. Actually: Mimi carries no meaning of its own beyond being a pet form; and even 'sea of bitterness' for Miriam itself is a popular folk etymology -- Miriam's actual origin is uncertain/disputed among scholars, possibly Egyptian.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Mimi
Phonetic: MEE-mee IPA: /ˈmiːmiː/
Popularity of Mimi
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1900–2024.
Lists That Include Mimi
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