M - Boys' Names

Milo

Latin and Old German

"soldier or merciful"

Milo is most commonly considered to be Germanic name derived from the Latin word miles , meaning "soldier." However, there is evidence to suggest it also may have independently spawned from the…

Malik

Arabic; Greenlandic

"king; owner; wave"

A name with many spelling variations, including Malek, Melik, and Maliq, Malik is a popular name of Arabic and Semetic origin that is used internationally as both a given name and a surname. In terms…

Montgomery

Norman

"man power"

This image of this distinguished Anglo-Scottish surname, drawn from the French place name of the ancient castle of Saint Foi de Montgomery, is rapidly shifting from fusty and formal to cool. And…

March

English word name

"month name"

Along with August, March is one of the month names perfectly suited to boys. This brisk single-syllable name – which derives from the name of Mars, the Roman god of war – is worth considering as…

Marden

Marden is a masculine name with English origins, derived from a place name that combines the Old English elements 'mere' (lake or pond) and 'denu' (valley), essentially meaning 'valley with a lake.'…

Maxence

French form of Latin Maximus

"greatest"

A cute and fresh way to get to Max, this was the name of a sixth century saint. Maxence is a Top 100 boys' name in France, but largely unknown in the US where it is given to only a handful of baby…

Merritt

English surname

"boundary gate"

Merritt is an old-style surname name that could be seen as a positive virtue name. It was used in the late 19th and early 20th century for boys, reaching the Top 400 in 1899, and is notable today for…

Mischa

Russian, diminutive of Mikhail

Though the Mischa spelling is migrating toward the feminine side thanks to actress Mischa Barton, this Russian boys' short form still works for children of both sexes, as Mischa or Misha.

Mitya

Mitya is a masculine name of Russian origin, functioning as a diminutive or nickname for Dmitri (also spelled Dmitry or Dimitri). The root name Dmitri derives from the Greek name Demetrios, meaning…

Mordecai

Hebrew

"follower of Marduk"

Mordecai, although it has a noble heritage, has never caught on in this country, because of its rather weighty image. Nevertheless, with parents searching for rarer Biblical names that work as…