Maele

[sayga.livejournal.com]

When my husband and I were on our honeymoon, we met a couple from France with their almost-two-year-old daughter. Her name was Maele. They pronounced it "my-ell." Slightly more emphasis on "ell." I asked them to spell it, so I KNOW it was Maele. We're having anther daughter, probably in April, and are considering this name for her. However, I haven't been able to find anywhere that this is a REAL name. Does anyone know the origin, meaning, or other spelling variations on this one?

Also, what might be another way to spell it so it looks more like my-ELL, without looking ugly? Seeing as I can't find that Maele is a real name, I'm not opposed to changing the spelling. Great, figured that part out!

Any middle names you think would work well with Maele/Maelle, if we were to choose that name? Our other daughter is named Kira Jade, if that makes a difference. Oh, and our last name ends with "-son" so no names ending in -en, -on, -un, etc.

Edit I just found on one site that Maille means "coin" in French. Would that be pronounced the same?
Hmm. I also just checked my Madagascar journal and had written down that it means "Princess" in Celtic. So I guess it's NOT a French name...?