My, meandering through the minutiae of baby name meanings can be a miserable mission — and baby names beginning with “M” can be some of the messiest. The myriad of options is monstrous, and many moms and dads make up their minds on a monotonous moniker mainly because they can’t manage another minute of rummaging for a name that’s meaningful, mellifluous, and more than manageable: magnificent.
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But don’t name your mini-me “Machiavelli” merely to maintain an aura of mystery. Our “M” names below are some of the most memorable without being misanthropic, from old masters like Michael and Maude to modern masterpieces like Meric and Markee. One major factor? No mediocre monikers admitted.
Classic ‘M’ names for girls
Marjorie (means “pearl”)
Marilyn (Monroe is a great model of originality but so is Manson, IMO)
Margaret (after Atwood? A true prescient mind, if we do say so)
Maude (Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann were ahead of the trend choosing this one for their daughter)
Margo/Margaux (“child of light” in Persion tradition)
Mary (doesn’t get much more O.G. than this)
Megan/Meghan (a classic that surged in popularity because royals)
Maeve (a mythical Celtic queen)
Mabel (this one went out of fashion for a minute but now there are three Mabels in my kid’s dance class, so…)
Miranda (a Tempest reference, perhaps?)
Melody (for musical babes everywhere)
margo— one of my favorites! all of these designs are illustrated by @morganharpernichols!!! and they’re beautiful!! #babyname #uniquebabynames #genderneutral #babynamesuggestions #baby #babynames #babyboynames #babygirlnames #middlename #babygirl #babyboy #unisexnames #genderneutral #name #rarenames #rarebabynames #poppy #morganharpernichols
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Trendy ‘M’ names for girls
Mimi (means “wished-for child” but also “rebellion” which is a pretty great balance)
Mara (Mara Rooney is one stylish namesake)
Manon (one of many chic French names we love)
Mia (Mia Hamm, Farrow, Kirshner, Wasikowska…she’s going places, that’s for sure)
Maya (’90s kids-turned-parents can use this to get your baby to watch Maya the Bee on VHS with you)
Madelyn (a trendier take on classic Madeline)
Mikayla (or Michaela, or Micayla, or Michayla…go nuts)
Mariah (enough said)
Mila (Kunis kicked this off on the popularity chart, but little Mila Stauffer took it viral)
manon! boho girl names ✨🌿 #babyname #uniquebabynames #genderneutral #babynamesuggestions #baby #babynames #babyboynames #babygirlnames #middlename #babygirl #babyboy #unisexnames #genderneutral #name #rarenames #rarebabynames
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Unisex ‘M’ names
Meric (this is a river in Europe, so they’ll definitely be deep)
Madison (a girl name favorite of the ’80s and ’90s is great for any gender today)
Maverick (just don’t name their sister Goose, okay?)
Maxwell (PSA: keep away from silver hammers)
Marley (let’s say it’s after Bob rather than after Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol ghost, eh?)
Mallory (another traditionally feminine one that actually works for anyone)
Micah (means “humble” or “gift from God”)
Maddox (Brangelina called this one)
Morgan (a Celtic name meaning “lives by the sea,” for coastal kids everywhere)
Mackenzie (not just for Outlander fans although that’s a sure bonus)
Marshall (means “caretaker of horses” for your pandemic move to farm life, perhaps?)
Meric I want to make an important comment that I see you. The 4th of July isn’t a day of freedom for some Americans. With current events and the justice-seeking movement Black Lives Matter, the 4th of July just doesn’t seem right. Even though this page is for baby name inspiration + help, I am proud of the community we have built. Black Lives Matter! 💕 #babyname #uniquebabynames #genderneutral #babynamesuggestions #baby #babynames #babyboynames #babygirlnames #middlename #babygirl #babyboy #unisexnames #genderneutral #name #rarenames #rarebabynames #americannames #independence #freedom #4thofjuly
A post shared by wildflower + honey baby names (@wildflowersandhoney_babynames) on Jul 4, 2020 at 9:06am PDT
Classic ‘M’ names for boys
Michael (a major oldie meaning “who is like God”)
Mark (another Biblical name, meaning “polite, shining”)
Mateo (snazzier than Matthew that’s for sure)
Miguel (a classic Spanish name that works for a lot of cultures)
Manuel (works in Spanish or in Hebrew)
Muhammed (it’s one of the most popular names in the world for a reason)
Malachi (means “messenger,” so he’ll be a good communicator)
Martin (named after Mars, the Roman god of war)
Marco (Polo! Sorry, we had to)
Matthias (an apostle and a Roman emperor, talk about big shoes to fill)
Malcolm vintage names! #babyname #uniquebabynames #genderneutral #babynamesuggestions #baby #wildflowerandhoney #babynames #cutenames #wordnames #themes #naturename #wanderlust #babyboynames #babygirlnames #middlename #babygirl #babyboy #unisexnames #familyname #love #genderneutral #name #rarenames #rarebabynames #antique #vintagenames #vintagebaby
A post shared by wildflower + honey baby names (@wildflowersandhoney_babynames) on May 24, 2020 at 9:20am PDT
Trendy ‘M’ names for boys
Milo (just don’t name his twin Otis, please)
Madden (from Steve to Joel, this is a last name that packs secret first-name punch)
McKinley (named after the 25th U.S. president? No, you forgot about that one? Yeah, us too)
Miles (a Teigen-Legend name choice is a great name choice)
Milan (a more glam geo-name than Milwaukee, that’s for sure)
Markee (or Marquis or Marquee, get creative!)
Major (Eva Amurri’s unique pick feels very now)
Malik (or Malek, for Rami fans)
Malcolm (X or Macbeth, take your pick)
Myles (everything’s edgier if you add a Y or Z)
Markee european names!! #babyname #uniquebabynames #genderneutral #babynamesuggestions #baby #wildflowerandhoney #babynames #cutenames #wordnames #themes #naturename #wanderlust #babyboynames #babygirlnames #middlename #babygirl #babyboy #unisexnames #familyname #love #genderneutral #name #rarenames #rarebabynames #europe #european
A post shared by wildflower + honey baby names (@wildflowersandhoney_babynames) on Apr 21, 2020 at 9:25am PDT
Check out the rest of our Alpha Babies: Baby Names from A to Z series here.
Once Baby arrives, make those early days cheerier with these adorable graphic diapers.
