M Boys

Mateo

Spanish

"gift of God"

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.…

Michael

Hebrew

"who is like God?"

Michael was the Number 1 American boys' name for almost half a century. While Michael has moved out of the Top 10 baby boy names , it's still widely used. How has Michael racked up this phenomenal…

Matthew

Hebrew

"gift of God"

Matthew was the third most popular boys' name in America throughout the 1980s and '90s, and is still one of the top boy names starting with M . The New Testament Matthew is the epitome of the…

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…

Max

English and German diminutive of Maximilian or Maxwell

"greatest"

Max was derived from Maximilian, a Latin name that originated from the Roman family name Maximus. The character name Max in the children's classic Where the Wild Things Are had an impact on baby…

Marco

Italian and Spanish form of Mark

"warlike"

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…

Matthias

Aramaic variation of Matthew

"gift of God"

With Matthew sounding somewhat exhausted, and ancient endings sounding new again, this New Testament apostolic name makes an appealing and recommended choice. Both Mathias and Matias are well used in…

Moses

Egyptian

"delivered from the water"

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin's choice of this white-bearded Old Testament name helped bring it into the modern age, along with brethren Elijah, Isaiah and Isaac. User-friendly nicknames include…

Misael

Hebrew

"as God is"

Old Testament name all but unknown outside the Latino community, it is nonetheless in the US Top 1000, where it has been since 1990.

Marcello

Italian and Spanish

"young warrior"

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.

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…

Merlin

Welsh

"sea fortress"

This name of the famous fifth-century sorcerer and mentor of King Arthur may or may not be a bit wizardy for a real-life modern child. Its most noted modern bearer: football star turned actor Merlin…

Marius

Latin, from a Roman family name related to Mars, the god of war

Marius, frequently heard in Germany and France, is a slightly fusty yet accessible name that has (Les Mis) to Anne Rice. With the rise in interest in such Latin names as Maximus and Atticus, Marius…

Moss

English

"descendant of Moses"

This evocative green nature name, heard much more frequently as a surname, is associated with playwright Moss Hart (born Robert), who co-wrote (with George S. Kaufman) such enduring Broadway comedies…

Malachy

Irish version of Malachi, Hebrew, or Secundus, Latin

"my messenger; second"

This spelling, which came to the attention of readers of the best-selling Angela's Ashes as the name of author Frank McCourt's father and brother, the latter of whom wrote a bestseller of his own,…

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.

Melchior

Dutch from Hebrew

"city of the king; king of light"

The least used of the Three Wise Men's names, but a strong option for bold namers to consider. The exact origins of Melchior are unknown, but it is speculated that it derived from either the Hebrew…

Muir

Scottish

"dweller near the moor"

A common family name in Scotland, occasionally used as a first.

Madoc

Welsh

"fortunate, benefactor's son"

Also spelled Madog, which was the name of an early Welshman, Madog ap Owain Gwynedd, reputed to have been the first European to discover North America in 1155. Maddox, the name of Angelina Jolie and…

Morpheus

Greek mythology name, god of sleep and dreams

Though you may pray to the god of sleep for your baby to slumber through the night, a drowsy image is not the greatest one to inflict on your little boy.