Spanish Names that Start With M
By Nameberry
Updated Tue Oct 01 2024
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- Mateo
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
Mateo is a Latinate name that like Mia and Luca, is becoming popular far beyond its native Spanish community. With its fresh feel and charm, it made a surprise entrance to the boys' Top 10 in 2023.
- Maya
Origin:
Sanskrit, English, Hebrew, EstonianMeaning:
"illusion, magic; mother; water; beloved, bitter, drop of the sea"Description:
Maya, which has an almost mystical image, has been steadily climbing in popularity in the US and the English-speaking world, along with a range of other countries, including France, Germany, Israel, and Brazil. It's ranked in the US Top 100 since the turn of this century, but has never risen to the top of the list, which you may consider a good thing.
- Matias
Origin:
Spanish variation of MatthiasDescription:
The single T version of Matias is, like Mateo, the Spanish variation of the Hebrew Biblical Matthias or Matthew, while the double T version as in Mattias and Matteo is usually Italian.
- Marisol
Origin:
Spanish, contracted form of Maria de la SoledadMeaning:
"Mary of Solitude"Description:
Marisol is a favorite Spanish name for girls, and an excellent candidate to cross the culture line, a la Soledad and Paz.
- Marco
Origin:
Italian and Spanish form of MarkMeaning:
"warlike"Description:
Simple and universal, Marco is a Latin classic that would make a much livelier namesake for an Uncle Mark. It was used for her son by actress Jill Hennessy and goes well with surnames of any nationality.
- Marcello
Origin:
Italian and SpanishMeaning:
"young warrior"Description:
Based on the ancient name Marcellus, drawn from Mars the god of war, Marcello -- it's pronounced mar-chell-o -- is one of the most lush and attractive Latin names.
- Martina
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"warlike"Description:
A feminine form of Martin, this strong and zestful sounding name is popular in Argentina, Chile, Spain, and Italy, where it ranks in the Top 30. Also familiar in Czechia, the UK, Slovakia, and Switzerland, it has never made it big in the US, and fell out of the charts back in the 2000s.
Ultimately associated with Mars, the Roman god of war and with the 3rd century patron saint of Rome, it has also been borne by two notable tennis players, Martina Navratilova and Martina Hingis.
- Mercedes
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"gracious gifts, benefits"Description:
Mercedes is one of the few names attached to luxury living that we can wholeheartedly recommend, it being a legitimate Spanish appellation stemming from one of the epithets given to the Virgin Mary--Santa Maria de las Mercedes, or Our Lady of the Mercies. The car, by the way was named after the eleven-year-old daughter of the Daimler company's French distributor in 1901.
- Mariana
Origin:
Latin, Portuguese, Spanish, RomanianMeaning:
"related to the god Mars"Description:
Mariana is that unusual name that is more than the sum of its parts. While Mary or Maria and Ana or Anna are both perfectly nice classic names, Mariana achieves a lyrical elegance that transcends them.
- Mario
Origin:
Italian variation of Marius, form of mythological name MarsMeaning:
"warlike"Description:
Many may associate Mario with the popular platform game - unsurprising when it's the 5th best-selling video game worldwide, and was voted the 2nd best game ever by IGN in 2024. The titular plumber was apparently named after American businessman, Mario Segale, who rented a warehouse to Nintendo, and this in itself reflects that Mario is much more established than just a name for a video game character.
- Matheo
Origin:
Scandinavian variation of Mateo, SpanishMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
With Mateo making its first ever appearance in the US Top 10 in 2023, its Scandinavian variant Matheo borrowed some of its spotlight and appeared in the Top 1000 for the first time.
- Maritza
Origin:
Spanish diminutive of MariaMeaning:
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"Description:
Used especially in Latin America, this would make a funky spin on Maria.
- Miguel
Origin:
Spanish and Portuguese variation of Michael, HebrewMeaning:
"Who is like God"Description:
Mike Tyson put a twist on his own name by naming a son Miguel. It's the first name of Cervantes, the great Spanish novelist and poet who wrote Don Quixote.
- Margarita
Origin:
Spanish, Russian, GreekMeaning:
"pearl, daisy"Description:
Margarita is an international form of Margaret that shares its meaning of "pearl", but also directly translates to "daisy" in Spanish and Greek. Despite being widely associated with the alcoholic beverage in English, it has a long history of use in Spanish, Greek and several Slavic languages — most notably being the name of the heroine of Mikhail Bulgakov's 1966 novel Master and Margarita.
- Melia
Origin:
Greek mythology name, diminutive of Amelia, or HawaiianMeaning:
"ash tree; honey; work; plumeria"Description:
This is a rich, melodic shortening of the popular girls' name Amelia that can stand on its own. There are several figures in Greek myth named Melia, most notably a daughter of Oceanus. The Meliae are nymphs associated with trees.
- Marcelo
Origin:
Spanish variation of MarcellusMeaning:
"little warrior"Description:
Both the Spanish Marcelo and Italian Marcello would work well for children of any backgrounds. The name has been in the US Top 1000 consistently since the mid-90s and has been steadily climbing upwards. Deriving from the Roman family name, Marcellus, itself a diminutive of Marcus, Marcelo currently ranks above Marcello and Marcel in the states.
- Marko
Origin:
Variation of Marco, Spanish form of MarkMeaning:
"warlike"Description:
Marko is one of the many names derived from Mars, the god of war. Marco is the more usual Spanish form but Marko is a variation used in Spain along with Russia, Ukraine, and several Slavic countries.
- Marisa
Origin:
Italian and Spanish combination of Maria and LouisaMeaning:
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + famous battle"Description:
A name made famous by Marisas Berenson and Tomei, never became as saturated as its cousin Melissa, so still a feasible choice. Marisa is one of those Spanish and Italian names for girls that sounds at once unusual and familiar, which makes it truly an international choice.
- Marianna
Origin:
Italian, Polish, EnglishMeaning:
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + grace"Description:
While Marianna looks like a spelling variation of Mariana, the two names have different etymologies. While the one-N spelling derives from the Roman name Marianus, Marianna is a combination of two classics, Maria and Anna, used in many European languages.
- Min
Description:
Min is a concise, impactful masculine name with diverse cultural origins. In Chinese, Min (闵) means 'quick' or can represent 'sensitivity and compassion,' depending on the character used. In Korean, Min can mean 'cleverness' or 'quickness of mind.' The name also appears in Ancient Egyptian mythology as the god of fertility and reproduction. Its brevity makes it a striking modern choice in Western contexts, where single-syllable names have gained popularity. Min functions well internationally due to its ease of pronunciation across languages. Though traditionally more common in East Asian countries, Min has potential appeal to parents seeking minimalist, gender-neutral naming options with cross-cultural significance. Its simplicity belies its rich cultural heritage.