Girl Names That Start With M
M might be the most generous letter for girls’ names. It gives us the Hebrew classic Mary and its dozens of international spin-offs, top-ten favorites like Mia and Mila, and softer vintage revivals such as Mabel and Maude. Here are 90+ girl names that start with M, grouped by style, each with its meaning and origin.
Because the letter begins with a hum, M names tend to sound warm and gentle, which is why so many parents pair them with a crisp middle name. If you love the sound, compare our girl names that start with L and N, or browse the full girl names collection for every style.
Popular girl names that start with M
These M names have ranked high in US baby-name data for years. Many are short, which fits the current taste for two-syllable names; see more in our popular girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Mia | Mine; also read as “beloved” or “bitter” | Scandinavian/Italian, from Maria |
| Madison | Son of Maud | English surname |
| Mila | Gracious, dear | Slavic |
| Madelyn | Woman from Magdala | English, from Magdalene |
| Maya | Illusion (Sanskrit); water (Hebrew) | Sanskrit/Hebrew |
| Molly | Diminutive of Mary | Irish/English |
| Morgan | Sea-born, sea circle | Welsh |
| Melody | Song, tune | Greek |
| Mackenzie | Son of Coinneach, “handsome” | Scottish |
| Madeline | Woman from Magdala | French |
| Millie | Gentle strength (from Mildred) or Camilla | English |
| Margaret | Pearl | Greek, via Latin |
| Mariana | Combination of Maria and Ana | Spanish/Portuguese |
| Mckenna | Son of Cionaodh, “born of fire” | Irish |
| Makayla | Who is like God? | Modern American, from Michaela |
Vintage and classic M names
Grandmother names are back, and M has some of the best. For more old-fashioned charm, see vintage girl names and grandma names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Mabel | Lovable | Latin, from Amabel |
| Maude | Mighty in battle | Germanic, via Matilda |
| Matilda | Mighty in battle | Germanic |
| Marjorie | Pearl | Scottish/English, from Margaret |
| Mildred | Gentle strength | Old English |
| Marion | Diminutive of Marie | French |
| Martha | Lady, mistress of the house | Aramaic |
| Muriel | Bright sea | Irish (Muirgheal) |
| Myrtle | The myrtle shrub, symbol of love | Greek |
| Minnie | Diminutive of Wilhelmina, “will-helmet” | German/English |
| Maxine | Greatest | Latin, from Maximus |
| Marguerite | Pearl; also the daisy | French |
| Meredith | Great lord or sea lord | Welsh |
| Mae | Variant of May, the spring month | English |
| Miriam | Sea of bitterness, or beloved | Hebrew |
| Myra | Possibly from myrrh or Latin “wonderful” | English literary coinage |
Nature and word names starting with M
Botanical and word names are one of the fastest-growing styles. Pair these with our nature names for girls and flower names for girls.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Marigold | The golden marigold flower | English |
| Meadow | A grassy field | English |
| Magnolia | The magnolia tree, named after botanist Pierre Magnol | Botanical/French |
| Maple | The maple tree | English |
| Marina | Of the sea | Latin |
| Mercy | Compassion, forgiveness | English virtue name |
| Moss | The soft green plant | English |
| Maris | Of the sea, from Stella Maris | Latin |
| Mistral | The cold wind of southern France | French |
| Mayflower | The hawthorn or trailing arbutus blossom | English |
| Melia | Ash tree; a Greek nymph | Greek |
| Melanie | Black, dark | Greek |
M names from around the world
M travels well across languages. Many of these appear in our French girl names, Italian girl names and Irish girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin / pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Maeve | She who intoxicates | Irish (MAYV) |
| Mairead | Pearl | Irish form of Margaret (ma-RAID) |
| Muirne | Beloved, affectionate | Irish (MEER-nya) |
| Mireille | To admire | French/Provençal (mee-RAY) |
| Manon | Diminutive of Marie | French (mah-NOHN) |
| Margaux | Pearl, from Marguerite | French (mar-GOH) |
| Marisol | Sea and sun; from María de la Soledad | Spanish |
| Mercedes | Mercies, from Our Lady of Mercy | Spanish |
| Milagros | Miracles | Spanish |
| Mirabella | Wonderful, beautiful | Italian/Latin |
| Marcella | Dedicated to Mars | Italian/Latin |
| Mariko | Truth/reason child (真理子) | Japanese |
| Mei | Beautiful, plum blossom (美, 梅) | Chinese |
| Minji | Quick, wise (varies by hanja) | Korean |
| Malia | Hawaiian form of Mary | Hawaiian (mah-LEE-ah) |
| Malak | Angel | Arabic |
| Maryam | Arabic form of Miriam | Arabic |
| Marit | Pearl, Norwegian form of Margaret | Scandinavian |
| Małgorzata | Pearl | Polish (mow-go-ZHAH-tah) |
| Mariam | Form of Mary | Armenian/Georgian |
Unique M names for girls
Want an M name you won’t hear at every playground? These are real names with long histories, just rarely used in the US. More ideas live in unique girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Marlowe | Remnants of a lake | English surname |
| Maren | Of the sea | Scandinavian, from Marina |
| Mirren | Possibly from Mirabelle or Scottish Muireann | Scottish |
| Marisa | Of the sea | Italian/Spanish |
| Melisande | Strong in work | French, from Germanic Amalasuintha |
| Magdalena | Woman from Magdala | Greek/Latin |
| Mercia | Border people; an Anglo-Saxon kingdom | Old English |
| Minerva | Roman goddess of wisdom | Latin |
| Morwenna | Maiden | Cornish |
| Maisie | Pearl, Scottish diminutive of Margaret | Scottish |
| Mathilde | Mighty in battle | French/German |
| Monroe | Mouth of the river Roe | Scottish/Irish surname |
| Mayim | Water | Hebrew |
| Marceline | Dedicated to Mars | French |
Short and sweet M names
One-syllable and three-letter M names make crisp first names and great middle names. Browse short girl names for other letters.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| May | The month of May, possibly from Maia | English |
| Meg | Pearl, diminutive of Margaret | English |
| Mina | Love (German, from Wilhelmina); also a standalone name in many languages | Various |
| Mira | Wonderful (Latin); peace (Slavic); ocean (Sanskrit) | Various |
| Mimi | Diminutive of Maria or Miriam | French/Italian |
| Macy | Weapon or estate of Maccius | English, from French place name |
| Mara | Bitter | Hebrew |
| Maia | Mother, nurse; a Greek nymph | Greek |
| Mali | Jasmine flower | Thai |
| Moll | Old diminutive of Mary | English |
Biblical and mythological M names
From the Old Testament to Greek and Norse myth, M names carry weight. For more, see biblical girl names and mythology girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Mary | Possibly “beloved” or “bitter” | Mother of Jesus (Luke 1) |
| Michal | Who is like God? | Daughter of Saul, wife of David (1 Samuel 18) |
| Milcah | Queen | Wife of Nahor (Genesis 11) |
| Merab | Increase | Daughter of Saul (1 Samuel 14) |
| Mahalah | Tenderness | Descendant of Manasseh (1 Chronicles 7) |
| Medea | Cunning, to devise | Greek myth, sorceress of Colchis |
| Metis | Wisdom, skill | Greek Titaness, mother of Athena |
| Melpomene | To celebrate with song | Greek Muse of tragedy |
| Mnemosyne | Memory | Greek Titaness, mother of the Muses |
| Morrigan | Great queen or phantom queen | Irish mythology |
| Menrva | Etruscan goddess of wisdom | Etruscan |
How to choose an M name for your daughter
- Watch the surname. M names flow best into last names that begin with a hard consonant (Maeve Carter, Mila Brooks). Two M-sounds in a row can blur together.
- Check the nicknames. Margaret alone yields Maggie, Greta, Daisy, Meg and Margot, so decide which ones you would actually enjoy hearing.
- Mind the spelling traps. Madeline, Madelyn and Madeleine are all correct; pick one and expect to spell it out now and then.
- Balance popularity. Mia and Madison are everywhere. If you want something less common, look at Maren, Marlowe or Mireille instead.
- Consider the meaning. Several M names mean “sea” (Marina, Maris, Maren, Muirgheal). If that appeals, see names that mean ocean.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular girl name that starts with M?
Mia has been the most-used M name for American girls for over a decade, consistently in the SSA top ten. Madison, Mila and Madelyn are also common.
What are some old-fashioned girl names that start with M?
Mabel, Maude, Mildred, Marjorie, Myrtle, Minnie and Martha were popular around 1900 and are enjoying a quiet revival today.
Which M girl names mean “pearl”?
Margaret and nearly all of its variants mean pearl: Margot, Marguerite, Marjorie, Maisie, Mairead, Marit and Małgorzata.
What is a unique girl name that starts with M?
Try Marlowe, Maren, Morwenna, Mireille or Melisande. They are real, historic names that rarely appear in US top-1000 data.
What is a short girl name starting with M?
May, Mae, Mia, Mira, Maia and Mara are all three or four letters and work well as first or middle names.