Baby Names That Start With M, Girls and Boys

ByNamelyra Editorial Team

M produces some of the most consistently popular names across both genders: Mason and Michael for boys, Mila and Maya for girls. This page gives a quick overview. For a deeper list, see girl names starting with M and boy names starting with M.

Popular M names right now

  • Mila (Slavic roots, commonly read as meaning dear or gracious)
  • Maya (Sanskrit/Hebrew roots, with meanings varying by source, commonly read as illusion or water depending on origin)
  • Madison (English, originally a surname meaning son of Maud)
  • Mason (English, an occupational surname for a stoneworker)
  • Michael (Hebrew, meaning who is like God)
  • Miles / Myles (Latin-linked, commonly read as meaning soldier)
  • Maverick (English/American, from the term for an unbranded animal, later a general word for an independent thinker)
  • Muhammad / Mohammed (Arabic, meaning praiseworthy, one of the most used names worldwide)

Quick facts
Common origins Hebrew, Slavic, English, Arabic
Common meaning themes God’s likeness, dearness, praise
Note Muhammad/Mohammed is among the most commonly given names worldwide, though it ranks differently depending on how spelling variants are counted in any single country’s data

Frequently asked questions

What is the most popular baby name starting with M?

Mason and Michael are both consistently strong choices for boys in the US, while Mila and Maya are strong choices for girls.

Why does Muhammad rank differently across different name lists?

Country level naming data often counts each spelling variant, such as Muhammad, Mohammed, and Mohammad, separately, which can make its true combined popularity look lower on a single list than it actually is.

Related reading

Full girl list: girl names starting with M. Full boy list: boy names starting with M.