Boy names that start with M
These 246 M boy names run from Maarten to Myron, each with its meaning and origin. The most popular in the US in 2025 were Mateo, Michael and Matthew.
Meir
Giving light (Hebrew). No. 948 in the US in 2025, 248 babies.
BoyHebrew
Mrityunjay
Conqueror of death (Sanskrit)
BoyIndian
Mustafa
The chosen one (Arabic). No. 761 in the US in 2025, 339 babies.
BoyArabic
Matheus
Gift of God (Hebrew). No. 2,201 in the US in 2025, 65 babies.
BoyPortuguese
Máximo
Greatest (Latin). No. 580 in the US in 2025, 506 babies.
BoySpanish
Masaru
Victory; excellence (depends on characters) (Japanese)
BoyJapanese
Messaoud
Lucky, fortunate (Arabic)
BoyHebrew
From the mouth of the Roe river (Gaelic). No. 467 in the US in 2025, 815 babies. Given to both: 81% girls.
UnisexEnglish
Mitchell
Who is like God? (Hebrew). No. 954 in the US in 2025, 245 babies.
BoyEnglishFalling
Malu
Shade, shelter, peace (Hawaiian). No. 9,251 in the US in 2025, 11 babies.
UnisexHawaiian
Masahiro
Proper and expanding (depends on kanji) (Japanese)
BoyJapanese
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Most popular boy names starting with M in 2025
Ranked by the number of US babies given each name. Each spelling is counted on its own.
| US rank | Name | Babies | 10-year trend | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #8 | Mateo | 11,045 | Rising | gift of God |
| #21 | Michael | 8,094 | Falling | who is like God? |
| #32 | Matthew | 7,003 | Falling | gift of God |
| #39 | Mason | 6,291 | Falling | stone worker |
| #44 | Miles | 6,072 | Rising | from Germanic Milo, meaning uncertain; long linked to Latin soldier |
| #49 | Maverick | 5,894 | Rising | independent |
| #90 | Micah | 3,817 | Steady | who is like Yahweh? |
| #100 | Myles | 3,511 | Rising | variant of Miles |
| #119 | Milo | 2,974 | Rising | Germanic form of Miles, possibly dear; linked to Latin soldier |
| #134 | Malachi | 2,692 | Steady | my messenger |
| #146 | Matteo | 2,455 | Steady | gift of God |
| #170 | Matias | 2,140 | Rising | gift of God |
| #180 | Max | 2,025 | Steady | the greatest |
| #189 | Maxwell | 1,924 | Falling | from a Scottish surname meaning Mack's stream |
| #207 | Messiah | 1,666 | Steady | from the English word messiah, from Hebrew anointed |
| #210 | Maddox | 1,664 | Steady | from a Welsh surname meaning son of Madoc, good, fortunate |
| #212 | Miguel | 1,661 | Steady | who is like God? |
| #213 | Malakai | 1,657 | Rising | variant of Malachi, my messenger |
| #239 | Muhammad | 1,473 | Steady | praised, praiseworthy |
| #242 | Milan | 1,418 | Rising | gracious, dear; a short form of Slavic Mil- names |
| #245 | Mark | 1,416 | Steady | of Mars |
| #258 | Marcus | 1,341 | Steady | of Mars |
| #272 | Malcolm | 1,257 | Steady | devotee of Saint Columba |
| #276 | Maximus | 1,249 | Steady | greatest |
| #280 | Maximiliano | 1,209 | Steady | greatest |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 2025. Trend compares the rank with ten years earlier.
M names by the numbers
How many US babies get a name starting with M, counted from Social Security records of names given to at least 5 babies.
Boys
- Share of boys, 2025
- 7.4%
- Place among 26 letters
- 4th
- Different M names
- 915
- In the top 1,000
- 72
Share of boys with an M name: 6.9% in 1950, 7.1% in 2000, and 7.4% in 2025.
M boy names used in many cultures
Names our database lists in the most languages and countries, easy to spell and say in several of them.
- Maxthe greatest (Latin)
- Martindedicated to Mars (Latin)
- Milangracious, dear; a short form of Slavic Mil- names (Slavic)
- Magnusthe great (Latin)
- Marcoof Mars (Latin)
- Marcusof Mars (Latin)
- Michaelwho is like God? (Hebrew)
- Mansurvictorious (Arabic)
- ManuelGod with us (Hebrew)
- Matthiasgift of God (Hebrew)
- Muhammadpraised, praiseworthy (Arabic)
- Mackenzieson of the handsome one (Scottish Gaelic)
- Mahbubbeloved, dear (Arabic)
- Mahmoudpraised, commendable (Arabic)
- Majidglorious, noble (Arabic)
- Malachimy messenger (Hebrew)
- Malcolmdevotee of Saint Columba (Scottish Gaelic)
- Malonedevotee of Saint John (Irish Gaelic)
Where these names come from
- Hebrew: 52
- Latin: 41
- Arabic: 28
- Japanese: 19
- Irish Gaelic: 12
- Korean: 10
- Sanskrit: 7
- Greek: 6
All 246 boy names that start with M
| Name | Meaning | Origin | Gender |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maarten | dedicated to Mars | Latin | Boy |
| Maayan | spring of water | Hebrew | Unisex |
| Macario | blessed, happy | Greek | Boy |
| Macbeth | son of life | Scottish Gaelic | Boy |
| Macdara | son of oak | Irish Gaelic | Boy |
| Maciej | gift of God | Hebrew | Boy |
| Mackenzie | son of the handsome one | Scottish Gaelic | Unisex |
| Macsen | the greatest | Latin | Boy |
| Maddox | from a Welsh surname meaning son of Madoc, good, fortunate | Welsh | Boy |
| Maël | prince, chief | Breton | Boy |
| Magdy | glorious | Arabic | Boy |
| Magnar | strength and warrior | Old Norse | Boy |
| Magni | strength, might | Old Norse | Boy |
| Magnus | the great | Latin | Boy |
| Mahbub | beloved, dear | Arabic | Boy |
| Mahdi | rightly guided one | Arabic | Boy |
| Maher | skilled | Arabic | Boy |
| Mahesh | great lord | Sanskrit | Boy |
| Mahmoud | praised, commendable | Arabic | Boy |
| Mahon | bear | Irish Gaelic | Boy |
| Mahyar | friend of the moon | Persian | Boy |
| Mainchín | little monk | Irish Gaelic | Boy |
| Máirtín | of Mars | Latin | Boy |
| Maitiú | gift of God | Hebrew | Boy |
| Majid | glorious, noble | Arabic | Boy |
| Makaio | gift of God | Hebrew | Boy |
| Makana | a gift | Hawaiian | Unisex |
| Makani | wind, breeze | Hawaiian | Unisex |
| Makar | blessed, happy | Greek | Boy |
| Makary | blessed | Greek | Boy |
| Makena | happy one | Kikuyu | Unisex |
| Makoa | fearless, courageous | Hawaiian | Boy |
| Makoto | sincerity, truth (depends on characters) | Japanese | Boy |
| Makoto | sincerity, truth | Japanese | Unisex |
| Maksim | the greatest | Latin | Boy |
| Maksymilian | greatest | Latin | Boy |
| Malachi | my messenger | Hebrew | Boy |
| Malachy | disciple of Saint Seachnall | Irish Gaelic | Boy |
| Malakai | variant of Malachi, my messenger | Hebrew | Boy |
| Malcolm | devotee of Saint Columba | Scottish Gaelic | Boy |
| Malik | king, sovereign | Arabic | Boy |
| Mallory | unlucky, unfortunate | Old French | Unisex |
| Malo | bright pledge | Breton | Boy |
| Malomo | do not go again | Yoruba | Unisex |
| Malone | devotee of Saint John | Irish Gaelic | Boy |
| Malu | shade, shelter, peace | Hawaiian | Unisex |
| Mamdouh | praised, acclaimed | Arabic | Boy |
| Mamoru | to protect | Japanese | Boy |
| Mandeep | lamp of the mind | Punjabi | Unisex |
| Mandla | strength, power | Zulu | Boy |
| Manfred | man of peace | Germanic | Boy |
| Máni | the moon | Old Norse | Boy |
| Manish | lord of the mind | Sanskrit | Boy |
| Mannix | little monk | Irish Gaelic | Boy |
| Manō | a shark | Hawaiian | Boy |
| Manoel | God is with us | Hebrew | Boy |
| Manoj | born of the mind | Sanskrit | Boy |
| Manolis | God with us | Hebrew | Boy |
| Manolo | pet form of Manuel | Spanish | Boy |
| Manpreet | love of the mind | Punjabi | Unisex |
| Mansur | victorious | Arabic | Boy |
| Manuel | God with us | Hebrew | Boy |
| Maoilios | servant of Jesus | Scottish Gaelic | Boy |
| Maor | a light, a luminary | Hebrew | Boy |
| Marcel | little Marcus, of Mars | Latin | Boy |
| Marcelo | little Marcus, of Mars | Latin | Boy |
| Marcial | of Mars | Latin | Boy |
| Marcin | dedicated to Mars | Latin | Boy |
| Marco | of Mars | Latin | Boy |
| Marcus | of Mars | Latin | Boy |
| Marek | of Mars | Latin | Boy |
| Margarito | pearl | Greek | Boy |
| Marino | of the sea | Latin | Boy |
| Marinus | of the sea | Latin | Boy |
| Mark | of Mars | Latin | Boy |
| Markus | German form of Marcus | Latin | Boy |
| Marlowe | remnants of a lake | Old English | Unisex |
| Marshall | horse servant | English | Boy |
| Martí | dedicated to Mars | Latin | Boy |
| Martim | dedicated to Mars | Latin | Boy |
| Martin | dedicated to Mars | Latin | Boy |
| Martín | dedicated to Mars | Latin | Boy |
| Martino | dedicated to Mars | Latin | Boy |
| Martiño | dedicated to Mars | Latin | Boy |
| Maru | ridge, summit, a native Korean word | Korean | Boy |
| Marwan | flint stone | Arabic | Boy |
| Masahiro | proper and expanding (depends on kanji) | Japanese | Boy |
| Masaki | proper tree (depends on kanji) | Japanese | Boy |
| Masami | elegant beauty (depends on characters) | Japanese | Unisex |
| Masamune | govern and ancestor | Japanese | Boy |
| Masao | righteous man (depends on characters) | Japanese | Boy |
| Masaru | victory; excellence (depends on characters) | Japanese | Boy |
| Masato | righteous person (depends on characters) | Japanese | Boy |
| Mason | stone worker | Old French | Boy |
| Massimiliano | greatest | Latin | Boy |
| Massimo | the greatest | Latin | Boy |
| Matan | gift | Hebrew | Boy |
| Mateo | gift of God | Hebrew | Boy |
| Mateus | gift of God | Hebrew | Boy |
| Mateusz | gift of God | Hebrew | Boy |
| Matheus | gift of God | Hebrew | Boy |
| Mathieu | gift of God | Hebrew | Boy |
| Mathis | gift of God | Hebrew | Boy |
| Mathúin | bear | Irish Gaelic | Boy |
| Matías | gift of God | Hebrew | Boy |
| Mats | gift of God | Hebrew | Boy |
| Matteo | gift of God | Hebrew | Boy |
| Matthaios | gift of God | Hebrew | Boy |
| Matthew | gift of God | Hebrew | Boy |
| Matthias | gift of God | Hebrew | Boy |
| Matthijs | gift of God | Hebrew | Boy |
| Mattia | gift of God | Hebrew | Boy |
| Mattias | gift of God | Hebrew | Boy |
| Matvei | gift of God | Hebrew | Boy |
| Maurice | dark-skinned, Moorish | Latin | Boy |
| Mauricio | Moorish, dark-skinned | Latin | Boy |
| Maurizio | Moorish, North African | Latin | Boy |
| Mauro | Moorish, North African | Latin | Boy |
| Maverick | independent | English | Boy |
| Max | the greatest | Latin | Boy |
| Maxence | greatest | Latin | Boy |
| Maxi | pet form of Maximiliano | Spanish | Boy |
| Maxime | the greatest | Latin | Boy |
| Maximilian | the greatest | Latin | Boy |
| Maximiliano | greatest | Latin | Boy |
| Máximo | greatest | Latin | Boy |
| Maximus | greatest | Latin | Boy |
| Maxwell | from a Scottish surname meaning Mack's stream | Old English | Boy |
| Maynard | strong and hardy | Germanic | Boy |
| Mayur | peacock | Sanskrit | Boy |
| Mazen | rain clouds | Arabic | Boy |
| Mazin | rain clouds | Arabic | Boy |
| McKinley | son of Fionnlagh, white warrior | Gaelic | Unisex |
| Medhat | praise | Arabic | Boy |
| Mehdi | rightly guided one | Arabic | Boy |
| Mehmet | praised, praiseworthy | Arabic | Boy |
| Mehr | love, kindness | Persian | Unisex |
| Mehran | love, kindness | Persian | Boy |
| Mehrdad | given by Mithra | Persian | Boy |
| Meinrad | strong counsel | Germanic | Boy |
| Meir | giving light | Hebrew | Boy |
| Meirion | named for a historic county of north Wales | Welsh | Boy |
| Memo | pet form of Guillermo | Spanish | Boy |
| Menachem | comforter | Hebrew | Boy |
| Menashe | causing to forget | Hebrew | Boy |
| Mendel | comforter, pet form of Menachem | Yiddish | Boy |
| Merritt | boundary gate | Old English | Unisex |
| Mert | brave, manly | Persian | Boy |
| Messaoud | lucky, fortunate | Arabic | Boy |
| Messiah | from the English word messiah, from Hebrew anointed | Hebrew | Boy |
| Metin | firm, strong | Arabic | Boy |
| Metztli | moon | Nahuatl | Unisex |
| Micah | who is like Yahweh? | Hebrew | Boy |
| Michael | who is like God? | Hebrew | Boy |
| Michail | who is like God? | Hebrew | Boy |
| Michał | who is like God? | Hebrew | Boy |
| Michalis | who is like God? | Hebrew | Boy |
| Mícheál | who is like God? | Hebrew | Boy |
| Mìcheal | who is like God? | Hebrew | Boy |
| Michel | who is like God? | Hebrew | Boy |
| Michele | who is like God? | Hebrew | Boy |
| Michiel | who is like God? | Hebrew | Boy |
| Mickaël | who is like God? | Hebrew | Boy |
| Miguel | who is like God? | Hebrew | Boy |
| Miguel Ángel | who is like God, messenger | Hebrew and Greek | Boy |
| Mihir | the sun | Sanskrit | Boy |
| Mikael | who is like God? | Hebrew | Boy |
| Mikail | who is like God? | Hebrew | Boy |
| Mikala | who is like God? | Hebrew | Boy |
| Mikel | who is like God | Hebrew | Boy |
| Mikhail | who is like God? | Hebrew | Boy |
| Mikołaj | victory of the people | Greek | Boy |
| Milan | gracious, dear; a short form of Slavic Mil- names | Slavic | Unisex |
| Miles | from Germanic Milo, meaning uncertain; long linked to Latin soldier | Germanic | Boy |
| Milo | Germanic form of Miles, possibly dear; linked to Latin soldier | Germanic | Boy |
| Milton | mill town | Old English | Boy |
| Mimmo | belonging to the Lord | Latin | Boy |
| Min | quick, clever (depends on characters) | Chinese | Unisex |
| Min | clever, quick (depends on hanja) | Korean | Boy |
| Minato | harbor | Japanese | Boy |
| Ming | bright, clear (depends on characters) | Chinese | Boy |
| Ming | bright, clear | Chinese | Unisex |
| Mingyu | clever and literary star (depends on hanja) | Korean | Boy |
| Minho | clever and great (depends on characters) | Korean | Boy |
| Minhyeok | clever and glorious (depends on hanja) | Korean | Boy |
| Minjae | clever and talented (depends on hanja) | Korean | Boy |
| Minjun | clever and talented (depends on characters) | Korean | Boy |
| Minoru | to bear fruit (depends on characters) | Japanese | Boy |
| Minsu | clever and excellent (depends on characters) | Korean | Boy |
| Miraç | ascension | Arabic | Boy |
| Mirai | future | Japanese | Unisex |
| Mireu | dragon, an old native Korean word | Korean | Boy |
| Miroslav | glorious in peace | Slavic | Boy |
| Mirosław | peace and glory | Slavic | Boy |
| Misael | who is what God is | Hebrew | Boy |
| Misha | short form of Mikhail, who is like God? | Hebrew | Boy |
| Mitchell | who is like God? | Hebrew | Boy |
| Mitsuhide | light and excellence | Japanese | Boy |
| Mitsuki | beautiful moon, written 美月 | Japanese | Unisex |
| Mitsuo | light and man, written 光男 | Japanese | Boy |
| Mixcóatl | cloud serpent | Nahuatl | Boy |
| Miyabi | elegance, refinement | Japanese | Unisex |
| Mizuki | auspicious hope | Japanese | Unisex |
| Moacir | pain, grief | Tupi | Boy |
| Moataz | proud, mighty | Arabic | Boy |
| Moctezuma | angry like a lord | Nahuatl | Boy |
| Modesto | modest | Latin | Boy |
| Mohamed | praised | Arabic | Boy |
| Mohan | charming, enchanting | Sanskrit | Boy |
| Mojtaba | chosen, selected | Arabic | Boy |
| Moncho | pet form of Ramón | Spanish | Boy |
| Monroe | from the mouth of the Roe river | Gaelic | Unisex |
| Montana | mountainous | Latin | Unisex |
| Moran | viburnum shrub | Hebrew | Unisex |
| Moray | from Moray | Scottish place name | Boy |
| Mordechai | servant of Marduk | Persian | Boy |
| Moritz | moorish, from mauritania | Latin | Boy |
| Morteza | chosen, approved | Arabic | Boy |
| Mortimer | still water | Old French | Boy |
| Mphatso | a gift | Chichewa | Unisex |
| Mpho | a gift | Sotho | Unisex |
| Mrityunjay | conqueror of death | Sanskrit | Boy |
| Mstislav | vengeance and glory | Slavic | Boy |
| Mudiwa | beloved, darling | Shona | Unisex |
| Mugil | cloud | Tamil | Unisex |
| Muhammad | praised, praiseworthy | Arabic | Boy |
| Muir | moor, fen | Scots | Boy |
| Muirchertach | mariner | Irish Gaelic | Boy |
| Muiris | Moorish | Latin | Boy |
| Munawar | luminous, illuminated | Arabic | Unisex |
| Munir | bright, shining | Arabic | Boy |
| Munyaradzi | comforter or consoler | Shona | Boy |
| Murad | wish or desire | Arabic | Boy |
| Murat | wish, desire | Arabic | Boy |
| Murchadh | sea warrior | Irish Gaelic | Boy |
| Murdo | sea warrior | Irish Gaelic | Boy |
| Murdoch | lord, master | Scottish Gaelic | Boy |
| Murphy | sea warrior | Irish Gaelic | Unisex |
| Murray | from Moray | Scottish place name | Boy |
| Murrough | sea warrior | Irish Gaelic | Boy |
| Murugan | young | Tamil | Boy |
| Musashi | martial storehouse; old province name | Japanese | Boy |
| Mustafa | the chosen one | Arabic | Boy |
| Myeongsu | bright and outstanding (depends on hanja) | Korean | Boy |
| Myles | variant of Miles | Germanic | Boy |
| Myron | sweet oil, perfume | Greek | Boy |
Frequently asked questions
What are the most popular boy names that start with M?
The most popular boy names starting with M in the US are Mateo (#8), Michael (#21), Matthew (#32), Mason (#39), Miles (#44), according to US Social Security Administration data for 2025.
How many boy names start with M?
In 2025, 915 different boy names starting with M were given to at least 5 US babies each, and 72 of them were in the top 1,000. This page lists 246 with their meaning and origin.
How common are boy names that start with M?
7.4% of US boys born in 2025 have a name starting with M, making it the 4th most common first letter. In 1950 it was 6.9%.
Where do boy names starting with M come from?
The most common origins on this list are Hebrew (52), Latin (41), Arabic (28).