Middle Names, Surnames, and Nicknames · International Baby Names
English Last Names
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Manning
Irish surname
"monk"
For football fans who have decided Peyton has become too feminine. Or they could look to brother Eli for inspiration.
Mariott
English
"descendant of Mary"
Medieval nickname for Mary that became a surname, then the name of a hotel chain, which makes it unlikely to be adopted as a baby name in modern times.
Marks
English, Dutch, or German surname
"son of Mark"
Marks is a surname that independently arose in several languages, most all of them as a patronymic form of Mark. Among Jewish families, Marks is typically a variation of Marx. Marx was a given name…
Marsden
English
"boundary valley"
A surname-style choice that could work as an alternative to Marshall, Mason, or Arden. A topographical name referring to someone who lived near the boundary of a valley, it could lead to nickname…
Matthews
Matthews is primarily known as an Anglo-Saxon surname derived from the given name Matthew, which comes from the Hebrew name Matityahu, meaning "gift of Yahweh" or "gift of God." As a first name,…
May
Diminutive of Margaret and Mary; month name
May is a sweet old-fashioned name that hasn't been on the national charts in several decades, but is definitely sounding fresh and springlike. Parents are beginning to see it once more as one of the…
Mayfair
English surname
A well-to-do London neighborhood, English surname, and potential route to the nickname May. Mayfair has everything going for it, and yet it couldn't be rarer.
Maynard
German
"hardy, brave, strong"
Sometimes pronounced MAY-nerd, which is death to a name. However, the name Maynard was given to 25 boys in 2022.
Mellon
English and Irish surname
"from Meulan; descendant of Meallán"
It's too close to the fruit "melon" to make a good first name, but if there are Mellons on your family tree, why not put it in the middle? The English form of this surname is habitational, and at one…
Mellon
English and Irish surname
"from Meulan; descendant of Meallán"
Pittsburgh's Mellon family — founders of Mellon Financial Corporation and Carnegie Mellon University, among other things — gives their surname old money panache. They are Irish by heritage, giving…
Melville
Scottish
"settlement on infertile land"
All names ending in ville are in nowheresville.
Merrick
German, Welsh
"fame, power, ruler; dark-skinned"
Maverick meets Merritt in this strong sounding choice, which has its origins in Welsh, German, and Scottish. Notably borne by dancer Merrick Hanna, comedian and presenter Merrick Watts, and by…
Mills
Feels akin to Brooks and Rivers, two other boys' names that double as plural nouns. It's been used as a first name for centuries, including by a two time governor of Virginia.
Milton
English
"settlement with a mill"
Once an upper-class British surname conjuring up the epic poetry of John Milton, it then descended to the antics of "Uncle Miltie" Berle, and now has left the stage completely.
Moody
Surname name
Moody would work great as the name of Snow White's lost eighth dwarf friend, but we can't recommend it as a first name IRL. It was the last name of Harry Potter character Mad-Eye Moody, played by…
Moore
English place-name
"the moors"
Moore is recommended as a rich and satisfying middle name choice, whether it relates to your own family history or not. Of the numerous outstanding Moore-surnamed namesakes, count sculptor Henry,…
Morley
English
"moor, meadow clearing"
Gently pleasant English family name long associated with 60-Minuteman Morley Safer.
Morris
English variation of Maurice
"dark-skinned"
Morris is as quiet and comfortable as a Morris chair, and has the same vintage feel. Once a Top 100 name in the early 1900s, Morris fell completely off the roster in 1995, probably due to lingering…
Morrison
English
"son of Morris"
Morrison is one of the more uncommon patronymics; it could be used to honor an ancestral Morris, or one of the well-known surnamed Morrisons: Toni, Jim or Van.
Mosley
English place name and surname
"peat bog, mouse clearing"
Mosley has seen a handful of uses — mostly among baby girls — since 2012, the year after Peyton Manning gave it to his daughter. It's much more familiar as a surname, such as that of novelist Walter…