Surnames that start with M carry some of the oldest stories in the book: names tied to trades like Miller and Mason, place-names like Moore and Marsh, and family lines like McCarthy and Morales that stretch across Ireland, Scotland, Spain, and beyond.
We gathered 212 last names beginning with M, from the ones you hear every day to rarer finds you may never have come across. Each entry comes with its origin and meaning, so you can trace where a name came from and what it once described.
A handful of these M names are also some of the most common surnames in the country. Martinez ranked 10th among U.S. surnames in the 2010 Census count with 1,060,159 people, and Moore ranked 19th with 724,374 bearers, according to the same count.
Scroll through to find a familiar family name, or just to enjoy the history packed into a single letter.
Popularity at a Glance
The most popular names on this list in the United States, 1965 to 2025: Michael, Matthew, Mason, Madison and Miles.
212 Majestic Last Names That Start with M
Here is a closer look at the history and meanings behind these popular family names.
- Mac: A common Gaelic surname prefix meaning “son.”
- MacBeth: One of the most iconic Shakespeare names, meaning “son of life.”
- MacDonald: Referring to a “son of Donald,” meaning “ruler of the world.”
- Machen: A Welsh habitational surname from the village of Machen near Newport.
- Macías: A Spanish name from Matías, a form of the biblical Matthias.
- Macintosh: Means “son of the chief” for fearless Scottish clan rulers.
- Mack: A jovial Gaelic name meaning “son.”
- MacKay: A fun pick meaning “son of Aodh,” meaning “fire” as a Gaelic name.
- MacKenzie: For a “son of Kenneth,” this surname is typically Scottish.
- Macklin: A trendy Scottish-rooted surname with that familiar “mac” element.
- MacLachlan: Meaning “son of the land of the lochs,” great for Scottish-born heroes.
- MacLeod: Unfortunately meaning “son of the ugly one,” with Isle of Skye roots.
- Macpherson: A spiritual Scottish surname meaning “son of the parson.”
- MacWilliam: This Scottish clan name means “son of William.”
- Maddox: A Welsh patronymic meaning “son of Madoc,” a name tied to good fortune.
- Madison: A presidential surname meaning “son of Matthew.”
- Madsen: A Danish patronymic meaning “son of Mads.”
- Maes: Very common in Belgium, this name means “son of Thomas.”
- Magaña: A surname for a family from the towns of Magaña in Spain.
- Magennis: A traditional Irish clan name meaning “son of Angus.”
- Mägi: A common Estonian surname meaning “hill, mountain.”
- Magnus: The most “great” and “mighty” among surnames starting with M.
- Maharaj: A strong Hindu surname meaning “great leader, great ruler.”
- Mahelona: A soft and handsome surname, perhaps derived from the Hebrew name Mahlon.
- Mahi’ai: A humble Hawaiian surname meaning “farmer.”
- Māhoe: Meaning “twin,” this 5-letter Hawaiian surname is twice as nice.
- Mahoney: With the fierce yet cuddly meaning of “descendant of the bear.”
- Major: An English surname from the Norman personal name Mauger, or from the military rank.
- Makedonas: A great pick among Greek M surnames for Macedonian families.
- Mäkelä: A sweet and commonly seen Finnish name meaning “hill farm.”
- Makris: Meaning “long,” this Greek surname would suit a tall family.
- Malcolm: A traditional, 7-letter Scottish name, meaning “devoted to Saint Columba.”
- Maldonado: With the unfortunate meaning of “badly endowed,” a unique Hispanic name to behold.
- Malfoy: Meaning “bad faith,” famously found in the Harry Potter series.
- Malinus: A Roman family name with all the promise of a “morning.”
- Malka: Common in Israel, this surname means “queen.”
- Mallory: An “unfortunate, unlucky” entry among these last names starting with M.
- Malone: An Irish surname for a “servant of Saint John.”
- Mammadov: Meaning “son of Mammad,” this 8-letter surname is especially common in Azerbaijan.
- Mancini: This common Italian surname means “left-handed.”
- Mann: This common British surname simply means “man, person.”
- Manning: A sporty name for a “brave man.”
- Manukyan: A common name in Armenia, with the sweet meaning of “child.”
- Marcellus: Inspired by the “warlike, strong” Roman god of war, Mars.
- March: A pretty month name, meaning “legendary son” as a Welsh surname.
- Marchand: Sounds hardworking among French surnames starting with M, meaning “merchant.”
- Marchesi: This noble Italian surname means “marquis.”
- Marchetti: A cute pet form of Marco, common in Italy.
- Mariani: A handsome Italian surname for a person from Mariano.
- Marín: A dreamy Latino name for a family born “of the sea.”
- Marino: Great for a family of sailors, as this name means “marine.”
- Markopoulos: This Greek name means “son of Mark.”
- Marković: Popular in Croatia, meaning “son of Marko.”
- Marlowe: An English place-name surname meaning “land left after a drained pool.”
- Márquez: A noble and familiar Spanish name meaning “son of Marcos.”
- Marseille: Inspired by a French city, occasionally heard as a family name.
- Marsh: From Middle English, meaning “swamp, marsh, bog.”
- Marshall: An occupational surname from Old French “mareschal,” a keeper of horses that grew into a military rank.
- Martin: The most common surname in France, derived from the Roman god Mars.
- Martinelli: A diminutive form of Martin, from Italian.
- Martínez: This Spanish surname means “son of Martin.”
- Martini: Like the drink, this boozy Latin name also relates to Mars.
- Martinus: Another “war-like” surname from the Mars stem.
- Martirosyan: Another very common Armenian family name, meaning “martyr.”
- Martyn: A cool Welsh spelling variant of Martin.
- Mason: An English occupational surname for a stoneworker or bricklayer.
- Massey: A Norman habitational surname from places called Macey or Massy in France.
- Mata: This 4-letter Spanish and Portuguese surname connotes “forests, wood, and shrubs.”
- Matalon: A haughty option from the Spanish verb “matar,” meaning “to kill.”
- Mathers: This unusual occupational name would be used for a reaper or cutter of grass.
- Matisse: Meaning “God’s gift,” this artistic name comes from the same stem as Matthew.
- Matthew: A beautifully biblical boy name, meaning “gift of God.”
- Matthews: A strong surname, meaning “son of Matthew.”
- Matthewson: Also means “son of Matthew.”
- Matthiou: A gorgeous Greek surname from the Matthew stem.
- Maurer: Meaning “bricklayer,” this German occupational surname stands strong.
- Maurice: Meaning “dark-skinned,” an Old Latin name.
- Maximus: A Latin name meaning “greatest,” once borne by Roman emperors and early saints.
- Maxwell: Meaning “Macks’ stream” or “great stream.”
- May: There are various meanings behind this international 3-letter surname, great for summer-loving families.
- Mayer: A German surname meaning “steward” or “bailiff,” once a title for an estate manager.
- Mazur: A common Polish surname for someone from Mazovia.
- Mazza: An Italian surname from “mazza,” meaning “mace” or “club.”
- McAdams: A Scottish patronymic meaning “son of Adam.”
- McArthur: Referring to a “son of Arthur,” meaning “bear.”
- McCarthy: This touching name means “son of the loving one,” full of family affection.
- McCrae: A cool Gaelic name meaning “son of Rath,” itself a given name meaning “prosperity.”
- McCrory: Fun-to-say and sweet, meaning “son of Ruaidhri,” a Gaelic form of Rory.
- McDonald: An anglicized form of MacDonald, meaning “son of Donald.”
- McGill: A Scottish and Irish surname meaning “son of the foreigner” or stranger.
- McGregor: For a “son of Gregor,” this name is classically Scottish.
- McGuinness: A commonly-heard celebrity variant of Magennis.
- McIntosh: Another spelling of Mackintosh, sounding very regal.
- McIntyre: Meaning “son of the carpenter,” this name sounds hardworking and crafty.
- McKendrick: With the same stem as Henry (“home ruler”), a fun patronymic surname.
- McLean: Means “son of the servant of Saint John.”
- McNeily: Means “son of the champion” for a family of winners.
- Meadows: An English topographical surname for someone who lived beside a meadow.
- Medina: This common Spanish and Arabic surname means “city, town, dwelling.”
- Medrano: Meaning “abundance, growth, prosper,” this unique name has Basque roots.
- Medwin: For a “strong friend,” Medwin sure is reliable.
- Medwyn: Another spelling of Medwin, with a familiar sweetness to it.
- Megalos: Meaning “great, big,” this Greek surname sounds fit for superheroes.
- Meier: A vowel-heavy variant of Mayer (“bailiff”), common in northern Germany.
- Meikle: This unusual Middle Scottish surname means “large, big.”
- Melanthios: Meaning “dark flower,” this Greek surname sounds practically vampiric.
- Mele: A commonly seen surname prefix in Hawaii, representing a type of “song, dance.”
- Melnic: An unusual Slavic form of Miller.
- Melnyk: One of the most common surnames in Ukraine, meaning “miller.”
- Melton: A strong 6-letter surname, meaning “middle settlement.”
- Melville: From the “bad town” French place name Malleville, dating back to Norman times.
- Mendes: Meaning “son of Mendo,” with Mendez as a more familiar alternative.
- Méndez: A highly common Hispanic surname, meaning “son of Menendo.”
- Mendoza: This Basque surname holds the strength of a tall “mountain.”
- Menéndez: This gothic name is a longer variant of Méndez.
- Mercado: Means “market” in Spanish, perhaps for a trader.
- Mercer: Means “merchant,” from the Old French “mercier.”
- Meriweather: An English nickname surname from Middle English for a cheerful person, meaning “merry weather.”
- Merrick: Means “dark,” a cool Welsh form of Maurice.
- Mertens: A Dutch patronymic meaning “son of Maarten.”
- Mervyn: Meaning “marrow, eminent,” this Old Welsh name is earthy and unique.
- Merwin: A sweet, rustic variant of Mervyn.
- Mesa: Meaning “table” in Spanish, a unique topographical name.
- Messier: An Old French occupational surname for a “harvest master” in charge of crops and hay.
- Messina: Rooted in the Sicilian city of Messina.
- Mészáros: A Hungarian occupational name meaning “butcher, slaughterer.”
- Metaxas: For a Greek family who works with “silk,” either trading it or breeding silkworms.
- Metzger: A German and Jewish occupational surname meaning “butcher.”
- Meunier: Is the French form of Miller.
- Michael: A hugely popular Hebrew male name meaning “gift of God,” also a sweet surname.
- Michaels: For a “son of Micheal,” this name is holy and sweet.
- Michaelson: A longer form of Michaels with the same patronymic meaning.
- Michel: A French variant of Michael, asking, “Who is like God?”
- Middleton: Meaning “settlement in the middle,” a great royal maiden name.
- Mihhailov: A Russian surname taken from the given name Mikhail.
- Milanesi: A locational Italian surname for a family “from Milan.”
- Miles: Meaning “good, generous,” or derived from the given name, meaning “soldier.”
- Millar: A Scottish spelling of Miller, meaning “mill worker.”
- Miller: A very common English surname for someone who worked in a mill.
- Mills: Like Miller, perhaps used for someone who lived near a mill.
- Milne: Or Milnes, also for a family living or working near a mill.
- Miłosz: One of the sweetest M last names in Polish, meaning “dear, compassionate.”
- Milton: Meaning “mill town,” this English surname sounds upper-class.
- Minogue: A popstar surname meaning “descendent of Muineog,” a given name meaning “monk.”
- Miranda: A pretty international surname and feminine given name “worthy of admiration.”
- Mitchell: Comes from the same stem as Michael, asking, “Who is like God?”
- Mizrachi: This Hebrew surname means “eastern.”
- Mkrtchyan: Common in Armenia, this rare name means “baptist.”
- Moffett: After a Scottish town, meaning “long field.”
- Mohamed: A very common Arabic given and last name, meaning “praiseworthy.”
- Molina: A Spanish form of Miller, meaning “mill.”
- Møller: Is the Danish name for Miller.
- Molloy: A regal Irish name to be worn with pride, meaning “proud chieftain.”
- Molnár: Is the unique Hungarian version of Miller.
- Mondragon: Meaning “dragon mountain,” this Basque surname sounds straight from a fairy tale.
- Monet: An artistic name formed from given names holding that “mon” element, like Simon or Edmond.
- Monroe: Also spelled as Munro, meaning “Irish man from the River Roe.”
- Montague: Meaning “sharp mountain,” reminding us of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
- Montanari: An adventurous name for an Italian “highlander, mountaineer.”
- Montes: A Hispanic name for a family living near the “mountains.”
- Montgomery: A Norman surname meaning “Gomeric’s hill,” carried to Britain after 1066.
- Monti: An Italian surname as high-reaching as the “mountains.”
- Montoya: This recognizable surname means “mountain.”
- Moody: An English nickname surname from Old English “modig,” meaning “brave, bold.”
- Moon: An English surname from the Norman place name Moyon in France.
- Mooney: Meaning “descendant of the wealthy,” this Gaelic name aptly looks like the word “money.”
- Moore: A Middle English name for a person living near a “moor” or “open land.”
- Moorton: An Old English name meaning “moor town.”
- Morales: This sweet, autumnal name means “mulberry, blackberry tree.”
- Moray: A variant of Murray, meaning “coast, shore” as a Scottish name.
- Moreau: An Old French name meaning “dark, dark-skinned.”
- Moreira: A sweet Portuguese surname meaning “mulberry.”
- Moreno: Beautiful for a “brunette” or someone with a dark complexion.
- Moretti: Another “dark” name, perhaps for a dark-haired person.
- Morgan: Meaning “of the sea,” this Welsh name is gorgeously oceanic.
- Moriarty: Meaning “navigator, sea-skilled,” this Gaelic name is a shorter form of the traditional Ó Muircheartaigh.
- Morien: Meaning “sea born,” another sweet pick among Welsh last names beginning with M.
- Morin: Another similar choice, meaning “dark” and “of the sea.”
- Moros: This grim name means “doom,” after the ancient Greek personification of impending fate.
- Moroz: A Ukrainian and Russian surname connoting winter, meaning “frost.”
- Morrigan: Inspired by an Irish mythological goddess of war and suffering.
- Morris: A common name derived from the Latin Maurice, meaning “dark.”
- Morrison: Meaning “son of Morris,” a common entry among Scottish family names.
- Morrow: Rooted in Gaelic, meaning “seafarer,” or perhaps from a “coastal town.”
- Mors: The Latin word for “death,” a chilling entry among Roman surnames beginning with M.
- Mortensen: Meaning “son of Morten,” this patronymic is common in Denmark.
- Moseley: Means “woodland clearing,” from Old English roots.
- Moser: A geographical surname for someone living near a peat bog.
- Moshe: A Hebrew form of the beautiful biblical name Moses.
- Moss: Like the green, squashy plant, or derived from the Hebrew name Moses.
- Mountbatten: A royal British surname with German roots.
- Moustakas: A Greek surname from “moustaki,” a nickname for someone with a mustache.
- Mueller: A spelling variant of Müller, meaning “miller.”
- Muir: An adventurous Old Scots clan name for those who used to dwell “by a moor.”
- Muir: Conversely, an Irish surname meaning “sea” in Gaelic.
- Mulder: A Dutch form of “miller,” common in the Netherlands.
- Mulder: Separately, a German occupational name for a “maker of wooden bowls.”
- Mullen: Another fun surname meaning “mill.”
- Müller: The most common German last name, meaning “miller.”
- Mullins: Another name meaning “miller,” from Norman French.
- Muñoz: Meaning “son of Muño,” a medieval Spanish name.
- Munro: A Scottish name given to a “man from the River Roe” running through Northern Ireland.
- Munster: A habitational surname from the southern Irish province of Munster.
- Muntanu: From Moldova, meaning “from the mountain.”
- Murdoch: A trendy and powerful Gaelic surname meaning “sea warrior.”
- Murillo: A Spanish habitational name for people from Murillo.
- Murphy: A hugely common Celtic name, meaning “sea warrior.”
- Murray: This popular name has many possible roots throughout Scotland and Ireland.
- Musk: A woody, fragrant pick among 4-letter surnames starting with M.
- Myers: Means “mayor” as an Old English name, or perhaps “marsh” from Old Norse.
- Mylonas: Is yet another “miller” name, this one with Greek roots.
- Myskia: An Old Swedish word, meaning “bat.”
