120 Common Last Names That Start With M, With Meanings

Most people have specific choices of last names for their children; for example, some would want to go for the last names that start with M. Surnames came into the picture when it became difficult to identify people based on their first names. They can tell a lot about people because surnames usually represent faith, family businesses, cultures, geographical locations, occupations, or topographic areas. These names are generally passed down from one generation to the next. This post compiles a list of common last names from around the world that start with M. Read on.

Common Last Names Starting With M, In Different Origins

Italian Last Names That Start With M

1. Macri

A name of Greek origin, Macri, is the noun version of the adjective “makròs,” which represents a massive person.

2. Macaluso

This Arabic derived Italian name means liberated.

3. Macchia

This Italian topographic name means thicket or scrub.

4. Macina

This Italian surname means millstone.

5. Maggio

The famous Italian surname Maggio comes from the same Italian word that denotes the month of May.

6. Maiorani

The roots of this name link back to Marogani, a French family who moved to Italy in the 16th century.

7. Malatesta

Malatesta is a combination of two words. “Mala” means bad and “testa” means character. The word is also Italian slang for a stubborn person.

8. Mammarella

Italians have strong family ties, and this surname is a derivation of the word “mamma,” meaning mother. Carlo Mammarella is a famous Italian footballer.

9. Mancini

A surname of Italian origin and popular in Italy, Mancini is derived from the adjective Mancino. It refers to a left-handed

10. Manzi

With Latin roots, the surname Manzi is derived from the first name Mantius. It is also derived from the Italian word Manzo, which means ‘steer’. Manzi is an occupational name for one who raised steers.

11. Mariani

A derivative of the Latin nickname “Marianus,” Mariani is Mariano’s plural or patronymic version.

12. Massarini

Massarini is a descriptive Italian surname that comes from the word “massaro.” It refers to a person who is the owner of lands.

13. Morgante

With Old Italian roots, Morgante was a giant in a poem-novel by Italian author Luigi Pulci. The surname is based on the character of Morgante. According to Old French, Morgant is also an adjective, meaning proud or scornful.

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American Last Names That Start With M

14. Mabins

Mabins is the last name of English origin. It finds roots in the Welsh name Mabon, which refers to a child. This name is also considered a variant of the Scottish name Maben.

15. Macall

Also spelled as McCall, this surname of Scottish and Irish origin comes from a Gaelic word that refers to “the battle chief’s son.” Carl McCall was a famous U.S. politician born in 1935.

16. MacNeil

MacNeil is a surname of European origin. It is a derivative of the personal name Niall, which denotes a champion.

17. Maddison

Mathieson is the source of the last name Maddison, a name with English roots. It refers to Matthew’s son.

18. Malcolm

The Old Gaelic word “Mael Coluimb” finds its anglicized version in the surname Malcolm. This name is of European origin.

19. Marshall

With Scottish and English roots, this popular occupational last name belongs to medieval times. It refers to a man who takes care of horses.

20. Martin

Martin is a name of European roots. The names found prominence in the fourth century with a famous saint called Martin of Tours.

21. McDonald

The anglicized version of the Gaelic name Mac Dhamhnuill, McDonald is a popular last name of Scottish origin.

22. Morgan

Morgan is a surname of Old Welsh origin and a derivative of the personal name ‘Morcant.’

23. Murphy

A family name of European origin, Murphy refers to “Murchadh’s descendant.”

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Scottish Last Names Starting With M

24. Maack

Obtained from the given name Mack, the surname Maack means “charming” or “delightful” in Scottish and refers to the “greatest” in Latin.

25. Macmaster

Macmaster is a Scottish surname, which means son of a master.

26. Maguire

With probable roots in Scotland and Ireland, this last name is an Anglicized version of the Gaelic word ‘Mag Uidhir,’ meaning “Odhar’s son.” Maguire means “sallow.”

27. Macfee

Macfee is a Scottish name, which means charming.

28. McAllister

McAllister is a surname from Ireland and Scotland. It finds its roots in the Gaelic given name Mac Alasdair. It refers to Alasdair’s son.

29. McCartney

From Northern Ireland and the Scottish Galloway, the surname McCartney is an Anglicized variant of the Gaelic name Mac Artaine, which means “Artan’s son.”

30. McKenzie

Mackenzie is a family name of Scottish origin. It is an Anglicized variant of the Gaelic name Mac Coinnich, a patronymic version of Coinneach denoting someone handsome.

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31. McPhail

The surname with roots in Scotland remains popular to date. It is a derivative of the personal given name Paul.

32. Melvin

Melvin is the Scottish variant of Melville or of the French last name de Maleuin or Melwin. It is an Anglicized form of a Gaelic word, meaning ‘gentle chieftain.’

33. Miller

The occupational name finds its emergence in English and Scottish culture. The name represents a miller or one who works at the mill or takes care of a mill.

34. Munroe

A variant of Monroe, Munroe is an Irish and Scottish surname. It is derived from the Gaelic name Rothach, which refers to a man from River Roe.

35. Murray

One of the common Scottish surnames, Murray means, “settlements in the sea.”

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Spanish Last Names Starting With M

36. Madrigal

The Spanish habitational surname is a derivative of the Late Latin word matricale ‘matrix’ referring to a womb or a river bed.

37. Maese

Maese is a Dutch patronymic name derived from the Spanish word ‘maes.’ It refers to a maestro or master, a teacher.

38. Magallanes

A habitational name from a Spanish village by the name of Magaláns, Magallanes is a common surname.

39. Majano

Majano means a ‘heap of stones’ usually used as a boundary. This Spanish topographic last could also be a habitational name from a town called Majano in the province of Toledo.

40. Marcos

Marcos also means warring

This personal name has been adapted into a popular surname. It has multiple meanings, including warring, a defender, and a hammer.

41. Medina

Medina is a Spanish habitational name about multiple places. The Arabic holy city of Medina is one such place. The surname is also used by Sephardic Jews.

42. Mesa

This Spanish family name is a habitational name from southern Spain. The city of La Mesa gets its name from the Latin word mensa, meaning ‘table-top’ as in the topographical feature.

43. Milian

Milian is a popular surname used by the Polish and Spanish. It is extracted from the Latin given name Aemilianus or Roman aemulus, meaning enemy or rival.

44. Monroy

The Spanish habitational family name represents people from Monroy, a town in the province of Cáceres. Monroy refers to the ‘red mountain.’

45. Murga

Murga is a place in the Navarre province of Spain. This habitational name also finds its roots in the Romanian word Murgã and the Greek word Mourgas.

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French Last Names Starting With M

46. Mabbit

Mabbit is a French name that means lovable.

47. Mabee

Mabee is derived from the French name Amable or Mable, which means lovingly or lovable person.

48. Maben

This name is popular among the Celtic tribe, which means “great son.”

49. Macadam

Macadam refers to Adam’s son. Adam or Adam Macgregor is the grandson of Gregor Macgregor, the chief of the Gregor clan.

50. Mador

A surname common amongst the French, Mador or Madore, is a shortened form of Amadour. Amadour is a given name derived from the Latin word Amator, denoting a lover.

51. Marseille

A geographical or habitational surname, the surname Marseille is also the name of a French city. These names are based on a person’s residence.

52. Martin

Martin is a patronymic surname after the French Saint Martin of Tours. This was one of the most popular French family names between 1891 and 1990.

53. Meaux

This French habitational name is derived from Seine-et-Marne, which got its name from the Gaulish tribe Meldi or from a town in the Rhône called Meaux-la-Montagne.

54. Melin

A common French name, Melin, is a nickname for the French name Amelin. It could also be a habitational name from places in Côte d’Or and Haute-Saône, where Melin comes from ‘mill’ or the Latin word molinum.

55. Michelin

Michelin is a popular French surname. According to Hebrew literature, Michael denotes one who is Godly or like God.

56. Monet

A nickname for the personal name Simon, Monet is a popular French surname. It could also be a shorter form of any name ending with ‘mon’ like Aymon.

57. Moranville

Moranveille is a place in the Meuse and this habitational surname originates from there. This French last name could also be a combination of the personal name Morand and the Latin word ‘villa’ meaning estate.

58. Moris

Moris or Morris is a common English, Scottish, and Welsh surname. It has many variations in Dutch and German. In France, Moris is a variation of Maurice, which means ‘dark-skinned’ in Latin.

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Irish Last Names Starting With M

59. MacCarthy

A surname of Gaelic origin, history traces back MacCarthy to a Gaelic Irish ruling clan during the Middle Ages. Florence MacCarthy was a famous Irish prince from the 16th century.

60. MacCleary

The French last name MacCleary finds its roots in the Gaelic term Mac Cléirigh, which refers to the priest’s son.

61. MacCoy

MacCoy is a French surname, a combination of Scottish, Irish, and Manx terms. The name also finds Gaelic links with a Celtic pagan God called Mac Aodha, which referred to the “fire’s son.”

62. Maccarone

Maccarone is an Irish derived surname which is an occupational surname for pasta makers

63. Mahony

This family name originates from Mathghamhan, who was the son of a prince in the 10th century. The word means “bear” and is found exclusively in West Munster.

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64. Malone

Malone is a surname of Irish origin. The name is derived from the term Maoileoin, which denotes “St. John’s servant.” Bernie Malone was a famous Irish Labour Party lady politician.

65. Marcott

Marcott is a French variant of Marcotte

Marcott is the French variant of Marcotte. It is a metronymic occupational surname of “one who grows vines.” The Old French word marcotte refers to a layer formed by a vine shoot.

66. Monaghan

A common surname beginning with the letter ‘M’, Monaghan is extracted from Manacháin meaning “monk.”

67. Mooney

Mooney means wealthy. It is derived from the Irish word Maonaigh, which also refers to someone who can’t speak.

68. Moriarty

Moriarty is an Anglicized version of the Gaelic term Ó Muircheartaigh. It comprises two elements, muir meaning sea and ceadach meaning skilled. Moriarty, therefore, refers to a “skilled navigator.”

69. Mulhall

The last name Mulhall is indicative of the descendant of St. Cathal’s follower, Maolchathail. The name denotes a “devotee of Saint Cathal.”

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Hispanic Last Names That Start With M

70. Martinez

Martinez is a patronymic surname and refers to “Martin’s son.” It is a derivative of the Latin name Martinus, referring to the Roman god Mars, the protection war God.

71. Moreno

Although the origin of the word is unclear, it may have come from the Late Latin term maurinus meaning “moor.”

72. Munoz

A patronymic last name, Munoz, represents the “son of Muño.” The term also means a “hill.” Muñoz is the 40th most popular Hispanic surname.

73. Mendez

It refers to a descendant or son of Mendo or Mendel. The medieval surname Menendo is a derivative of the Visigothic name Hermenegildo, meaning “total sacrifice.”

74. Maldonado

The term ‘mal’ means bad. Maldonado comes from the Spanish term mal donado, and the combination means ill-favored, badly bestowed, or given.

75. Mejia

This surname, with Spanish roots dates back to the 1500s. It comes from the Hebrew term messiah, which is a vernacular form of the Latin term Messias.

76. Melendez

This Spanish-Basque last name is commonly spelled as Melendez in the Puerto Rican community of The United States.

77. Meza

A toponymic last name derived from old Spanish, Meza refers to a tabletop or plateau.

78. Molina

Molina is an occupational last name originating in Spain. The term in Latin means “mill” and is derived from the Latin term mola meaning “millstone.”

79. Mora

A surname of Ancient Roman-Latin origin, the Portuguese and Spanish name can be a pet name for Morales, Morais, or Maurier. Mora means ‘blackberry’ and was initially believed to be an occupational surname for people who farmed blackberries.

German Last Names Starting With M

80. Maag

With Dutch and German heritage, the surname Maag comes from the Middle German word ‘Mac’ and the Middle Dutch term ‘Mage.’ Maag refers to a ‘kinsman’ or ‘relative.’

81. Mais

A derivative of the German term Maiss, Mais is a topographic surname, meaning a “land clearing.” The name first surfaced in the Rhineland. It also means “May” and could have been borne by someone born in May or someone fond of spring.

82. Maltsberger

This German habitational surname is derived from a place by the name of Maltsberg. Johann Maltsberger emigrated from Germany to TN in the early 19th century, thus, spreading the name beyond his country.

83. Markus

A surname with Latin roots, Markus has multiple meanings including defender, warlike, and even denotes a hammer. Markus also refers to the descendant of Mark, which refers to someone belonging to Mars, the God of war.

84. Mauer

A common German last name, Mauer, is a variant of Maurer. According to German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) literature, Mauer means ‘wall.’ This name could be topographic, denoting a person who lived by a wall or occupational for a builder of walls.

85. Meinberg

The German Habitational surname Meinberg comes from a place by the same name in Westphalia.

86. Meyer

Meyer is an occupational surname

Also spelled as Meier, Meyer is an occupational surname. Initially, it referred to a landlord of a manor, but later it was used for a self-employed farmer.

87. Milch

The popular German surname is a metonymic occupational name. Milch denotes a milk seller. The name is derived from the Middle High German word ‘milich’ meaning milk.

88. Moser

A topographic name from South Germany, Moser refers to a person who resided near a peat bog. According to North German, this is a metonymic occupational surname for a vegetable vendor. Moser could also be a habitational name from a place with the word ‘mos.’

89. Müller/ Möller

A surname of occupational relevance, Müller refers to a miller or one who works in a mill. This is the most common German last name.

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Greek Last Names Starting With M

90. Makris

A popular name in ancient Greek, Makris is a pet name for the Greek term ‘makros,’ which means “tall” or “long.”

91. Mallas

A Greek occupational surname, Mallas, means “trowel.” The name denoted someone who lays bricks for a living.

92. Mandrapilias

The family name Mandrapilias is commonly found in the Spartan region of Greece. The name is derived from a term that refers to a wall made of stone.

93. Manikas

A derivation of the Greek term ‘maniki’ meaning sleeve or handle, Manikas is an occupational surname borne by people who craft handles.

94. Markopoulos

A derivation of the name ‘Markus,’ this Greek last name refers to “Mark’s son.” This ancient surname means “blessed by God Mars,” who was the War-God.

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95. Mavros

The Greek last name Mavros describes a person of dark complexion or ‘black.’ This descriptive surname is also used as a prefix for given names.

96. Matraxia

Matraxia is a popular Sicilian surname with Greek roots. Probably a geographical name from Mathraki, the Dorian Island, which Dorians left to create the famous Magna Graecia.

97. Metaxas

A common amongst Greek surnames starting with ‘M,’ Metaxas is acquired from the Greek term metaxi, which means ‘silk’ or refers to a person who works with silk.

98. Mikos

This Greek last name is believed to be a shortened form of Demetrios. The name is the Greek equivalent of Nicholas. The Greeks consider Mikos to be a descendant of Michos or Michael, who they worship like a God.

99. Moralis

The Greek surname Moralis finds roots in the Spanish last name ‘Morales.’ This name is a derivation of the Spanish word ‘moreras,’ denoting ‘mulberry trees.’

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Polish Last Names Beginning With M

100. Macak

A Polish patronymic surname, Macak, is a shortened form of the given name Maciej, which is the Polish equivalent of Mathew. Mathew in Hebrew refers to a gift from God.

101. Mace

This Polish surname means bitterness of the sea.

102. Maleski

This habitational Polish surname denotes people from places like Malesze in Białystok voivodeship or Malesin in Skierniewice voivodeship.

103. Mazurek

One of the most popular last names in Poland, Mazurek, is of Polish and Ukrainian descent. It is diminutive of the given name Mazur meaning “rustic.” It is a regional name for a person belonging to the Masovia or Mazowsze province, including modern Masuria.

104. Mieczysław

Mieczysław is a modern version of the Old Polish surname Miecisław, derived from mietać. The term means ‘to throw.’

105. Mielcarek

The common Polish last name is a diminutive of the Polish term mielcarz, which means ‘maltster.’ The name is an equivalent of the Jewish and German occupational surname Meltzer, referring to a maltster or one who brews malts.

106. Mieszko

Mieszko is a popular historical surname belonging to the first ruler of Poland. Though it is becoming rare with time, it is often used as a given name. The surname is believed to be a derivative of Miecisław.

107. Mirosław

One of the oldest Polish family names, Miroslaw is a word formed in combination of two productive Polish Slavic name lexemes in reverse order. The reconstruction refers to “one who worships peace” and “one who becomes famous by establishing peace and order.”

108. Mleczko

Mleczko, last names that start with M

A derivative of mleko meaning ‘milk,’ the Polish surname Mleczko is an occupational name denoting a milkman.

109. Mosakowski

A habitational surname, Mosakowski, refers to a person belonging to a town called Mosaki in Ciechanów voivodeship. It is an extension of the given name Mosak, a nickname for many names beginning with Mo.

110. Motyka

Motyka is a surname of Polish, Slovak, and Ukrainian popularity. The term refers to a “hoe.” It speaks of a person who often takes off on a wild goose chase. A famous bearer of this surname is the Polish historian Grzegorz Motyka born in 1967.

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Portuguese Last Names Starting With M

111. Machado

A family name of Spanish and Portuguese origin, Machado means ‘hatchet’ or ‘axe.’ The name dates back to 2nd Century Europe and is commonly found in Spain, Portugal, Latin America, Brazil, and parts of India due to Portuguese colonization.

112. Mascarenhas

A popular surname to date, Mascarenhas is a habitational family name with roots in the civil parish of Mascarenhas in Mirandela, Portugal. Pedro Mascarenhas was a famous Portuguese colonial administrator and explorer.

113. Matos

Also spelled as Mattos or prefixed as de Matos, this is a famous Portuguese and Sephardic surname. Matoš is also a popular Croatian surname. The toponymic name gets its fame from the region Lamego in Portugal. In Hebrew, the term means “tribe” or “wooden sticks.”

114. Mello

Originating from Italy, this Portuguese surname is also popular in Brazil. A famous bearer of this surname is the Portuguese author Dom Francisco Manuel de Mello.

115. Mesquita

Mesquita is a Galician and Portuguese last name that means “mosque.”  The Portuguese writer Raul Mesquita is a well-known bearer of this surname.

116. Miranda

Miranda refers to someone who is “admirable.” This surname finds its roots in many countries, including Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Italy, and in languages such as Sephardic Jewish and Maltese.

117. Modesto

Originating in Latin Europe, the surname Modesto is commonly found in Spain, Portugal, and Italy. The term means modest, humble, or virtuous.

118. Moleiro

This occupational surname refers to a “miller”. Moleiro is a name of Galician and Portuguese origin and popularity.

119. Mota

Mota is a topographic surname of Portuguese and Spanish origin. It represents a person who resided near a fortified castle.

120. Munhoz

According to the Portuguese language, the surname Munhoz originated from Spanish and is a variant of the Spanish word Muñoz.

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Discover More Names

When you have to choose a name for your baby, a few hundreds of names may not be just enough. Keep digging our mine of baby names until you find that one precious gem.

Naming a child is one of the most important occasions in a parent’s life. Most parents choose their babies’ names and surnames based on their family, heritage, or lineage. So, if you are looking for a last name that starts with M, you may explore the list provided here. We have compiled a list of surnames from various countries, along with their meanings. Surnames such as Milch, Mace, Matos, etc may pique your interest. Ready to explore!

Get to know the last names that start with M of these famous people. Learn about their incredible accomplishments and inspiring stories.

Article written by Baby Plumbing

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