Updated October 2026
Across 8 pages
of 8
Literary name
The name of the young hero of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book , who was raised by wolves (really) and becomes a genius hunter and trapper, was chosen as a middle name for their son Bronx (really,…
English, word name
A mystical word name, most often reserved for black cats, Midnight conjures up darkness and the liminal space between the end of one day and the beginning of the next. It has seen some use as a baby…
Literature, French
"pointy hill"
The family name of Shakespeare's Romeo, Montague has a touch of old-fashioned grandeur about it. With clunky-cute nickname Monty and similar sounds to Montgomery, it has been used as a given name…
Word name
Moroccan is a name newly minted by Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon for their newborn twin son. Meaning a person who lives in Morocco, Moroccan was used by the couple as a nod to the Moroccan Room in…
Latin, Hebrew, or Japanese
"from Mars; bitter; or, myself"
Maro is an ancient saints' name -- he was an Italian follower of St. Flavia and was martyred -- rarely used in modern life. The name Maro may stem from the Roman Marcellus, related to Mars, the god…
Scottish
"mouth of the river Ro"
Takes Monroe out of the Dead Presidents category and gives it new life.
Native American tribal and place-name
Resonant place-name of the beautiful Southern California desert.
Scottish, variation of Menzies
"tenants of a manor"
Supermodel Helena Christensen named her son in honor of jazz great Charles Mingus, opening up a whole category of jazzy possibilities: Kenton, Calloway, Ellington, Gillespie, Mulligan, Tatum, and…
Dutch, diminutive of Bartholomeus
"son of the earth"
Apt choice for an architect's child, honoring German-born Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a central figure in modern design, and universally referred to as Mies.
A beyond-bold shooting-star name choice, sure to raise some relatives' eyebrows.
Diminutive of Mercer
"a merchant"
Merce Cunningham (born with the French version Mercier) was a highly influential avant garde dancer-choreographer and his name still resonates with an aura of bold originality.
Short form of Mozes, Dutch, Egyptian, German
"delivered from water; moss"
While some English speakers might read this a "moose" or "moos" (as in the sound a cow makes), it is in fact said with the strong O sound of "boat" or "nose". A popular choice in the Netherlands,…
American Place-name
Strong, spare, and highly unusual -- there were no babies recorded of either gender receiving this name in one recent year -- place-name referring to the northernmost state in New England. All state…
Hebrew
"swift to the plunder"
Actor Mahershala Ali single-handedly put this Biblical name on the map. If you think it's difficult to pronounce and spell, consider that it's short for Maher-shalal-hash-baz, the longest name in the…
"the comforter"
Menahem derives from a Hebrew word meaning "the comforter" King Menahem of the Old Testament did not live up to his name — he was one of Israel’s cruelest kings.
Breton
"sea brow"
This Tolkien name is a variation on Meriadeg, a Breton name derived from Conan Meriadeg who was the legendary founder of Brittany. In Tolkien's novel, Meriadoc (shortened to the charming "Merry") is…
Latin
"midday / pinnacle"
In geography, a meridian is a line drawn around the curve of the Earth between the North and South Poles. The term comes from Latin meridianus, meaning "pertaining to midday", and the association…
Celtic
"iron man"
Melor is the name of a Breton saint who in legend was also a prince, suggesting he was the son of a Cornish king (Mylor is the Cornish variation of the name). Melor was said to have a foot and hand…
English
"from the meadow"
Undiscovered single-syllable surname option, a friendly alternative to Reed.
French
"wonderful, miraculous"
The grandiose name of a French revolutionary – in full: Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau. Mirabeau likely derives from Latin mirabilis , making it a masculine cousin of Mirabelle.