Marvelous M Names For Baby Girls

From Mabel to Myra, this is our master (uh, mistress?) list of melodic and meaningful M names for girls.

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• Mabel: Beloved, lovable (Latin) — a medieval form of Amabel that's having a major comeback moment.
• Maci: Modern spelling variant of Macy (see below).
• Macie: Another popular spelling variant of Macy.
• Mackenzie: Son of Coinneach, or "fair/handsome one" (Scottish Gaelic) — a Clan MacKenzie surname turned unisex first name.
• Macy: From an English/French surname meaning roughly "Massey's estate" — a surname name that got a boost from the department store.
• Madalyn: Modern spelling variant of Madeline (see below).
• Madeleine: Woman from Magdala (Hebrew/French) — refers to the biblical town on the Sea of Galilee, home of Mary Magdalene.
• Madeline: English form of Madeleine, same meaning — "woman of Magdala."
• Madilyn: Modern blended spelling of Madeline.
• Madison: Son of Maud (English surname, from "Mad" + "son") — jumped to the girls' charts after the 1984 movie *Splash*.
• Madonna: My lady (Italian, "mia donna") — a title for the Virgin Mary, later made famous by the pop icon.
• Mae: Diminutive of Mary, or a reference to the month of May (English) — short, sweet, and vintage-chic.
• Maeve: She who intoxicates (Irish) — the name of a legendary warrior-queen of Connacht.
• Maggie: Diminutive of Margaret, "pearl" (Greek).
• Magnolia: After the magnolia flower/tree, itself named for French botanist Pierre Magnol — a Southern-charm nature name.
• Mahala: A Hebrew name of debated meaning, sometimes glossed as "tenderness" — biblical in origin, with no single agreed-upon translation.
• Maia: Mother, or great one (Greek) — in mythology, Maia was a goddess linked to growth and the month of May.
• Maisie: Scottish diminutive of Margaret, "pearl" (Greek via Scots).
• Maison: House (French) — a modern word name straight from the French for "home."
• Makayla: Spelling variant of Michaela, "Who is like God?" (Hebrew).
• Makenna: Variant of McKenna, an Irish surname meaning "son of Cionaodh."
• Malani: Often used as a Hawaiian name said to mean "calm," though the traditional etymology isn't firmly documented.
• Malaya: A word/place name — from the Tagalog word for "free," and the historical name for the region now called Malaysia.
• Malaysia: Place name, taken directly from the country, whose name derives from "Malay."
• Maleah: Spelling variant of Malia (see below).
• Malia: Hawaiian form of Maria/Mary — popularized worldwide as the name of Malia Obama.
• Maliyah: Spelling variant of Malia.
• Mallory: Unfortunate, unlucky (Old French "malheure") — originally a surname/nickname, now a soft, pretty first name with a dark backstory.
• Mandy: Diminutive of Amanda, "worthy of love" (Latin).
• Maple: After the maple tree (English) — a cozy modern nature name.
• Mara: Bitter (Hebrew) — closely related to Mary.
• Marbella: A place name — the glamorous Spanish coastal city, borrowed as a first name.
• Maren: Danish/Norwegian form of Marina, "of the sea" (Latin/Scandinavian).
• Margaery: Not a traditional name — this one's a *Game of Thrones* creation (House Tyrell). It echoes Margaret but has no independent historical etymology of its own.
• Margaret: Pearl (Greek, "margarites") — one of the great classic names, with dozens of nicknames to show for it.
• Margot: French diminutive of Margaret, "pearl."
• Maria: International form of Mary — traditionally glossed as "bitter" or "beloved" (Hebrew via Latin), though scholars still debate the true root.
• Mariah: Variant of Maria, boosted into the stratosphere by Mariah Carey.
• Mariam: Aramaic/Arabic form of Mary/Miriam.
• Marianna: Combination of Maria + Anna, or a variant of Marian (Italian/Spanish).
• Maribel: Blend of Maria + Isabel, often read as "beautiful Mary" (Spanish).
• Marie: French form of Mary.
• Marietta: Italian diminutive of Maria — literally "little Mary."
• Marigold: English flower name, from "Mary's gold" — the golden bloom once dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
• Marilyn: Blend of Mary + Lynn, essentially "little Mary."
• Marina: Of the sea (Latin, "marinus").
• Marissa: Variant of Marisa, generally interpreted as "of the sea," related to Marina.
• Marlee: Modern variant related to Marley/Marlowe (see below).
• Marleigh: Another modern spelling variant of Marley/Marlee.
• Marlene: German contraction of Maria + Magdalene, made iconic by actress Marlene Dietrich.
• Marley: Pleasant lake, or boundary wood (Old English "mere" + "leah") — an English surname/place name beloved thanks to Bob Marley and *Marley & Me*.
• Marlo: Variant of Marlowe, an English surname meaning "driftwood" or "remnants of a lake" — popularized by actress Marlo Thomas.
• Martha: Lady, or mistress of the house (Aramaic).
• Marvel: A wonder, something astonishing (Old French "merveille," from Latin) — a fittingly on-theme word name for this whole list.
• Mary: English form of Miriam — traditionally translated as "bitter," though "beloved" and other interpretations are also proposed (Hebrew).
• Maryam: Arabic/Persian form of Mary/Miriam.
• Matilda: Might, battle (Germanic, "maht" + "hild") — a fierce meaning for a currently very trendy name.
• Matisse: A French surname, borrowed from painter Henri Matisse — a modern namesake name with no deeper traditional etymology.
• Mauve: The pale purple color (French, ultimately from Latin "malva," mallow flower) — a modern color name.
• Mavis: Refers to the song thrush bird (Old French "mauvis").
• Maxine: Feminine form of Max/Maximilian, "greatest" (Latin, "maximus").
• Maya: Multiple roots converge here — "illusion" in Sanskrit, or linked to the Greek goddess Maia, associated with growth and the month of May.
• Mckenna: Variant of McKenna, "son of Cionaodh" (Irish surname).
• Mckenzie: Variant of Mackenzie, "son of Coinneach" — "fair one" (Scottish Gaelic).
• Mckinley: A surname name, ultimately from the Scottish/Irish "Fionnlagh," meaning "fair hero" — often chosen as a nod to President William McKinley rather than for any independent meaning.
• Meadow: A grassy field (English) — a breezy modern nature name.
• Meg: Diminutive of Margaret/Megan, "pearl" (Greek).
• Megan: Welsh diminutive of Margaret, "pearl."
• Meilani: A modern name commonly treated as a variant or blend related to Leilani, often said to mean "heavenly one," though it isn't a firmly attested traditional Hawaiian name — more of a lovely recent coinage.
• Melania: Dark, black (Greek, "melas") — root of Melanie, worn by Saint Melania and First Lady Melania Trump.
• Melanie: English form of Melania, "dark, black" (Greek).
• Melany: Spelling variant of Melanie.
• Melina: Honey (Greek, "meli") — sometimes also treated as a short form of Carmelina or Melinda.
• Melisandre: Not a traditional name — created for *Game of Thrones*. It echoes the medieval name Melisende/Millicent ("strong in work," Germanic) but has no independent etymology of its own.
• Melissa: Bee, or honey bee (Greek).
• Melody: Song, tune (Greek, "melodia").
• Memphis: A place name — the ancient Egyptian capital, from "men-nefer," meaning "enduring and beautiful"; also a major U.S. city.
• Mention: A rare, modern English word name — literally "mention," with no traditional etymology behind it.
• Mercedes: Mercies (Spanish, "Maria de las Mercedes" — "Mary of Mercies") — also the name behind the car brand, itself named for a real little girl, Mercédès Jellinek.
• Mercy: Compassion, forgiveness (from Latin "merces") — a classic virtue name.
• Meredith: Great lord/great chief (Welsh, "Maredudd") — historically a boys' name, now much more common for girls.
• Meridian: Highest point, or an imaginary line of longitude (Latin "meridies," "midday") — a striking modern geography-inspired word name.
• Merit: Related to the Scandinavian names Maret/Marit, themselves forms of Margaret ("pearl"); also used simply as the English word meaning "worth, deserving."
• Merry: Cheerful, joyful (Old English "myrige") — a genuinely happy little word name.
• Mia: Mine (Italian/Spanish), also used as a short form of Maria or Amelia.
• Miah: Phonetic spelling variant of Mia.
• Mica: After the shimmering mineral (Latin "micare," "to shine, glitter") — also sometimes used as a nickname for Michaela.
• Michaela: Feminine form of Michael, "Who is like God?" (Hebrew).
• Michelle: French feminine form of Michael, "Who is like God?"
• Michonne: Not a traditional name — created for *The Walking Dead*; stylistically French-sounding, but with no established independent etymology.
• Mikaela: Spelling variant of Michaela.
• Mikayla: Another spelling variant of Michaela.
• Mila: Short form of Slavic names like Milena or Ludmila, from the root "milŭ," meaning "gracious, dear" — a huge hit thanks to actress Mila Kunis.
• Milan-unisex: Primarily the Italian city name (from Latin "Mediolanum"); also linked to the Slavic "milŭ" root shared with Mila, meaning "dear, gracious."
• Milana: Feminine form related to Milan/Mila, from the Slavic "dear, gracious" root.
• Milani: Variant of Milana/Mila sharing that same "gracious, dear" Slavic root, with an Italian flourish.
• Milena: Slavic name meaning "gracious, dear."
• Miley: A modern nickname-turned-name — from "Smiley," the childhood nickname of singer/actress Miley Cyrus (born Destiny Hope Cyrus).
• Millie: Diminutive of Mildred, "gentle strength" (Old English), or of Amelia/Millicent.
• Mimi: A pet form of names like Michelle, Miriam, or Emily — French in flavor, sweet in every language.
• Mina: Short form of names like Wilhelmina or Amina.
• Mindy: Diminutive of Melinda, "sweet, gentle."
• Minerva: The Roman goddess of wisdom and warfare — the name's exact roots are likely pre-Roman/Etruscan, possibly linked to "mind" or "intellect."
• Minnie: Diminutive of Wilhelmina or Mary; also evokes "mini," small.
• Mira: Peace (Slavic), or "wonderful, admirable" (Latin "mirus") — also a short form of Miranda or Amira.
• Miracle: A wondrous, extraordinary event (Latin "miraculum") — about as heartfelt as word names get.
• Miranda: Admirable, wonderful (Latin, "mirandus") — coined by Shakespeare for *The Tempest*.
• Mireille: To admire (French/Occitan/Provençal, "mirar") — a Provençal name popularized by the poem *Mirèio*.
• Miriam: A Hebrew name of debated meaning, traditionally glossed as "bitter" or "beloved" — the biblical root behind Mary/Maria.
• Missandei: Not a traditional name — invented by George R.R. Martin for a *Game of Thrones* character; it has no etymology outside the books/show.
• Molly: Diminutive of Mary, "bitter/beloved" (Hebrew via English).
• Monet: A French surname, borrowed from painter Claude Monet — a modern namesake name with no independent meaning of its own.
• Monica: Possibly of Latin, Berber, or Phoenician origin, sometimes glossed as "advisor" — the exact roots are genuinely debated. Famous as the name of Saint Monica, mother of Saint Augustine.
• Monroe: Mouth of the Roe River (Scottish/Irish Gaelic surname) — a surname name forever tied to Marilyn Monroe and President James Monroe.
• Morgan: Sea circle, or sea-born/sea defender (Welsh, "mor" + "cant" or similar roots) — originally a boys' name, also tied to the legendary sorceress Morgan le Fay.
• Morrigan: In Irish mythology, the Morrígan was a goddess of war and fate; the name likely means "great queen" or "phantom queen" (Old Irish "mor," great + "rígain," queen).
• Moss: A medieval English form of Moses, "drawn out of the water" (Hebrew) — with a happy bonus resemblance to the plant.
• Muriel: Bright sea, or sea-bright (Celtic, "muir," sea) — some also trace a Hebrew source meaning "myrrh."
• Mya: Modern spelling variant of Maya/Mia.
• Myla: A modern coined name, likely a feminine take on Miles or Kyla — no firmly attested traditional meaning, but a soft, on-trend sound.
• Myra: Believed to have been invented by 17th-century poet Fulke Greville, possibly as an anagram of "Mary" — also the name of an ancient city in what's now Turkey.
• Myrcella: Not a traditional name — another *Game of Thrones* invention, styled after Myrtle but without its own independent etymology.
• Myrtle: After the myrtle shrub (Greek "myrtos"), a plant associated in Greek mythology with Aphrodite.