Girl Dog Names That Start With M

A new favorite of the bohemian set, brought to light by actress Monet Mazur, daughter of the artist who designed the Rolling Stones' mouth logo.

Another feminine form of the old saint's name Mael. Spelled Maëlys, it is a very popular name in France today.

Mariel Hemingway popularized this attractive and unusual variation of Mary. It's a fairly recent form, emerging in the twentieth century. Other variations include Marielle and Mariella, which is found in Italy.

Though it's close to the German and French form of Matthew, Mathis, this name of the great artist can work as well for girls.

Milou and her near-identical twin Malou are adorable names popular throughout Europe; they're contractions of Marie or Mary and Lou or Louise. The Malou spelling will probably be easier for English speakers to pronounce; Milou may be conflated with Milo.

Merritt becomes a virtue name when you eliminate the extra Rs and Ts. And as with many virtue names, Merit is on the rise for both girls and boys.

Marine is an extremely popular and fashionable name in France that's virtually unknown here — and is ready to set sail. Marine feels more contemporary than Marina and less hippie-esque than Oceane, another popular name for girls in France.

Miller is the third-most common surname in the United States and was one of the fastest-rising first names for both girls and boys in 2023.

Maeby sprang into the modern consciousness via the cult TV favorite Arrested Development, in which the appealing teen character Maeby's name is a nickname for Mae. It's also a homonym for Maybe, which undercuts its inherent cuteness. Is Maeby prime for a real life baby name? Sorry, but we can't resist: Maybe.

One of those pan-European nickname names much more familiar in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe than in the US, though related name Mina is making a comeback here.

Tennis-related name popular throughout Europe that's never caught fire here.

This pretty, international feminization of Matthew was chosen by Mira Sorvino for her daughter, Mattea Angel. As the Spanish Mateo and the Italian Matteo become more popular for baby boys throughout Europe, the English-speaking world, and the Americas, Mattea is sure to get wider recognition. And as Theo and Thea have become fashionable names, Teo and Tea are rising too.

In many Slavic and other European countries, Milan is purely a boys’ name, but in the US, it's also popular for girls – no doubt inspired by the fashionable Italian city. It entered the Top 1000 for boys in 2013, while for girls it has been in the Top 1000 since 2009.

Madrigal might be a pretty and highly distinctive choice for a child of a musical family--or for the parent looking for a less conventional path to the nickname Maddie than Madeline or Madison . Definitely more striking than Cadence or even the increasingly popular Aria.

Mio is a lovely Japanese name for girls that has migrated beyond its native country. One Berry reports several young girls named Mio in Australia, and the name has potential in the rest of the English-speaking world for parents who want to move beyond Mia and Maya.

Britney Spears' little sister Jamie Lynn was one of the first to put this nickname on the birth certificate. Cute for a child, but we recommend giving her the option of the full name for later use.

The meaning of this sweet Japanese name varies depending on the combination of kanji used, but the first element mi means "beautiful".

Both Maire and Mare have begun making inroads with parents seeking novel yet authentic ways of honoring an ancestral Mary. The Finnish variation derives from the word mairea, meaning "sweet."

Marcy is about as hip as bobby sox and saddle shoes – which is to say, it's probably due a revival in the not-too-distant future! It was a typical Peanuts character name, which peaked in the seventies, but is starting to attract attention again across the pond, where soundalikes like Macy, Marnie, Maisy, Darcy and Lacey are already popular.

The popularity of Mila has no doubt influenced the rise of Mylah, which can also be viewed as a feminization of Milo.