Dog Names That Start With M

Another culture's slant on Mark, sometimes associated with former president of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos and his shoe-collecting wife, Imelda.

Marty and Martie are old-fashioned gender-neutral nickname names, boyish nicknames not heard much since the middle of the last century. That could change, though, with the rise of vintage boyish nicknames for girls. They have a certain charm and may come back into style along with mother names such as Martha.

Men may be from Mars as the saying goes, and the name may derive from the Latin maris meaning male, but soul singer Erykah Badu and Workaholics star Blake Anderson have given it potential as a unisex name after they both used it for their daughters.

Maylin is following in the footsteps of Maelynn and Maelyn — two modern invented Mae and Lynn compounds that are on the rise.

An anglicized spelling of Muirne, the name of the mother of Finn mac Cool in Irish legend, Myrna has a unique sound and two possible meanings, both of which are positive. Actress Myrna Loy was a notable bearer and her fame caused a spike in popularity of the name, when it reached the US Top 150 in the 1930s.

A top ten choice in Chile and a popular name throughout the Spanish-speaking world, Maite is a mighty-sounding name with a soft and sweet meaning. It is also found as a contracted form of María Teresa or María Esther.

Traditionally a Scottish habitational surname, but today could be viewed as a mashup of Melanie or Melissa and Rose.

Former Top 5 choice in Slovenia that now sits below the Top 20.

Minty isn't a fresh word name — it's an old-fashioned nickname for Araminta, the romantic smoosh name coined by playwright William Congreve in 1693.

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.

Actress Mena Suvari (named after an Egyptian hotel) made this name seem especially appealing. Mena is also a minor Roman goddess of fertility.

Although Maguire is such a prominent Irish surname —it ranks in the Top 40 in the Emerald Isle —this lively and cheerful family name has rarely been used as a first, unlike more familiar examples like Ryan, Riley and Reagan. The powerful and distinguished Maguire clan was known for their courage, leadership and resilience. The name's many notable associations include the unionizing Pennsylvania coal miners known as the Molly Maguires, actor Tobey Maguire and Dixie Chick Martie Maguire. Other spellings are McGuire and McGwire; two other handsome Irish surnames to consider are Malone and Magee.

Deriving from the Sanskrit Mithra, Mitra is the Hindu god of the sun and of friendship. This transcription is unisex in Hindi, while in Persian, it is the feminine form.

Popular name in Spain drawn from the Provencal Mireio, coined by the poet Frederic Mistral. Very pretty and, though difficult to spell and pronounce, simpler than the French version.

Tied to the bluesy southern city and to the world heritage cite in Egypt after which it was named, Memphis is a modern choice with ancient history. Currently significantly more popular for boys in the US, as a place name with sounds reminiscent of Paris, Meredith and Emma, it has plenty of potential as a unisex choice.

Madalyn is a variant of the French name Madeleine — one of several which have graced the US top 1000 in recent years.

Sleek and sophisticated.

We like Matti in theory, but in practice it’s likely to get confused for the girlish Maddie.

This is a Spanish variation of Maximilian that has begun to gain some popularity. It has a luxurious feel -- maybe it's the suggestion of "millions"? -- but this is one of those Spanish baby names that come with Anglicized nicknames that can make it work across cultures.

She'd better be. Merry is one of the classic names for Christmas babies.