Girl · English (from Old French and Latin) · Christian

Mercy

Say it MUR-see

Meaning today: Compassion, kindness
Original meaning: "God's forgiveness; compassion shown to the helpless" Online Etymology Dictionary, s.v. mercy (n.)
Say it: MUR-see
Other spellings: Mercie

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Mercy

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Mercy meaning

Mercy is a Christian girl's name of English origin (from Old French and Latin).

God's forgiveness; compassion shown to the helpless

Also used to mean: kindness

Mercy is the English virtue word used as a name. The Online Etymology Dictionary dates it to the late twelfth century, when it meant God's forgiveness of sins, and traces it through Old French merci to Latin merces, "reward, wages". Church Latin gave that word its new sense, the heavenly reward earned by showing kindness to those who cannot repay it. Puritans adopted Mercy as a name alongside Grace and Faith, and the Spanish name Mercedes, from the Marian title Our Lady of Mercy, comes from the same root. In India it is used in Christian families in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Northeast.

Source: Online Etymology Dictionary (etymonline.com), s.v. mercy (n.) · entry mercy · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026

References: Online Etymology Dictionary, mercy · Wikipedia, Mercy Kuttan