Cat Names That Start With M

Mittens is a common name for cats with mitten-like fur patterns on their paws. The word actually has feline origins — it shares a root with mite, an Old French pet name for a cat. It became linked with mittens because they were made of fur.

Merilee and Merrilee were early respelled or word names, ahead of their time in some ways. Merrilee hit the Top 1000 for a couple of years in the 1940s, but last year no baby girls were given either version of the name in the US, which makes it more appealing.

The African tradition of day naming—giving a child a name inspired by the day, time, or season in which they were born—has become attractive to Western parents as word names increase in use. Midnight is a relatively new addition to the pool—it was used as a middle name by Nicole Richie and Joel Madden for their son in 2009.

Manzie was an obscure one-person name until Woody Allen used it for his young daughter, named after jazz drummer Manzie Johnson. Johnson played with another jazz musician, Sidney Bechet, whose last name Allen used for his other little girl.

Old-man name, soft as a fraying gray cashmere cardigan, that would be even cuter for a girl.

Momoko is a Japanese name meaning "peach child." It's also the name of a character in the popular Sailor Moon manga series.

Mandolin may seem like an outlandish choice for a name, but since BANJO has been used as a baby name, all the instruments in the band seem to be auditioning for a place on birth certificates. This one comes with a real name nickname, MANDY.

Mosley has seen a handful of uses — mostly among baby girls — since 2012, the year after Peyton Manning gave it to his daughter. It's much more familiar as a surname, such as that of novelist Walter Mosley.

The names from which Meja derived, including Meinhild and Magnhild, are long gone, but a Swedish singer called Meja (born Anna Pernilla Torndahl) has piqued interest in this modern derivative. Meja is now a Top 100 name in Sweden.

Modesty is a virtue name dating to Roman times, but never widely used, except for hot 1960s movie spoof heroine, Modesty Blaise, based on a comic strip.

A sweet and simple nickname for Marie that could serve to freshen up the outdated full form.

Mickey is a nickname-name redolent of the mid-20th century and best-known as a mouse name. While this spelling works for either gender, the girls' version is more often spelled Micki.

Maraca sounds more like a name than Banjo, so why not? It's rhythmic and, well, musical, so might make an adventurous choice.

Maroochy Barambah, an Australian singer, brought this name into prominence in Australia.

Marjoram is a herb and flower. With nicknames like Margie and Jo at the ready, we think that if Marigold can make a comeback, why not Marjoram?

A fun, unexpected way to honor your home state or a Mary in your life. As geographical girl names such as Ireland, Scotland, and Oakland slowly rise up the charts, Maryland could be a future favorite.

When British rocker Steven Patrick Morrissey decided to use his last name alone, it became a viable option for baby namers, a lot cooler than Morris or Maurice, with the nice three-syllable lilt of of such other Irish surnames as Finnegan and Flanagan. It can also be spelled Morrisey.