Submitted Surnames Starting with M

usage
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Melgar Spanish
Topographical name for someone who lived by a field of lucerne, Spanish melgar (a collective derivative of mielga 'lucerne', Late Latin melica, for classical Latin Medica (herba) 'plant' from Media).
Melgosa Spanish
This indicates familial origin within either of 2 Castilian municipalities, Melgosa de Burgos or Melgosa de Villadiego. It could also indicate familial origin within the Manchego municipality La Melgosa.
Meli Romansh
Derived from the given name Bartholomäus.
Melican Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Ó Maoileacháin.
Melikuziev Uzbek
Alternate transcription of Melikov.
Melikyan Armenian
Means "son of Melik".
Melillo Spanish, Italian
describing someone who worked on an apple orchard,harvesting and selling apples from the italian mela
Melin Swedish
From any place name named with the element mel- "middle".
Melinydd Welsh (Archaic)
A byname meaning "miller."
Melis Sardinian
Derived from Sardinian mele or meli meaning "honey".
Melissenos Greek
Surname associated with the greek word melissa (μέλισσα), which means bee, perhaps a beekeeper.
Melk Dutch
Dutch word for "milk"
Melker Dutch, Swedish (Rare), Afrikaans
Derived from Dutch melker "milker (one who milks)". In some cases, however, it can also be derived from the given name Melchior.
Melkersson Swedish
Means "son of Melker".
Melkonyan Armenian
Means "son of Melkon".
Mell English
Possible variant of Meale
Mellali Moroccan
Habitational name from the city of Beni Mellal
Mellali Moroccan
Habitational name from the city of Beni Mellal.
Mellark Popular Culture
The surname of the deuteragonist of the Hunger Games Trilogy, Peeta Mellark.
Mellenthin German
Habitational name from places so called near Berlin and on the island of Usedom.
Mellet French
Variant of Mollet.
Mellody Irish
Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Maoiléidigh ‘descendant of Maoléidigh’, a byname composed of the elements maol ‘chief’ + éidigh ‘ugly’.
Mellor English
Parishes in Derbyshire, and Lancashire, meaning the mill bank. ... [more]
Melloy English
Variant of Molloy.
Melmoth English
From middle english milde, meaning "mild, gentle, friendly" and mouth. The development of the surname may have been influenced by association with Middle English mele-mouth, meaning "mealy-mouthed, reticent, ingratiating, hypocritical".
Melnichuk Russian, Ukrainian (Russified)
Means "son of the miller".
Mel'nik Russian, Belarusian
Alternate transcription of Melnik.
Melnikov m Russian
Patronymic from Russian мельник (melnik) meaning "miller" (see Melnik).
Melnikova f Russian
Feminine form of Melnikov.
Melody English
Variant of Merridew, or perhaps occasionally derived from the rare Middle English feminine given name Melodia.
Melody Irish
Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Maoiléidigh.
Meloni Italian
From Italian mela ("apple", from Latin malum) or melone ("melon", from Latin melopepo), both ultimately from Ancient Greek μῆλον (mêlon), meaning "apple", "fruit from a tree"... [more]
Melquíades Spanish
From the given name Melquíades.
Melrose Scottish, English
Habitational name from a place near Galashiels in the Scottish Borders, so named from British words that were ancestors of Welsh moel ‘bare, barren’ + rhos ‘moor, heath’. ... [more]
Melton English
Habitational name from any of several places meaning "middle town". Compare Middleton.
Meltzer German
German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational name for a maltster, a brewer who used malt, from German Meltzer (an agent derivative of Middle High German malt ‘malt’, ‘germinated barley’), Yiddish meltser ‘maltster’... [more]
Mely French (Rare)
Of debated origin and meaning.
Melyn Welsh
Means "yellow" in Welsh.
Memetov Crimean Tatar
Means "son of Memet".
Memon Urdu
From the name of the Memon people who inhabit parts of India and Pakistan. The name itself is derived from Arabic مؤمن (mu'min) meaning "believer".
Menard English, French
Unaccented form of Ménard.
Mencia Spanish
Derived from the female personal name Mencía Mencia a cognate of the male name Matías.
Mencke German
Variant of Menke
Mendarozketa Basque
It indicates familial origin within the eponymous council of the municipality of Zigoitia.
Mendarte Basque
Habitational name of Gipuzkoan origin, possibly derived from Basque mendi "mountain" and arte "between, among".
Mendeleev Russian
Meaning uncertain. A famous bearer was Dimitri Mendeleev (1834-1907), a Russian chemist who developed an early model of the periodic table.
Mendeleyev Russian
Variant transcription of Mendeleev.
Mendenhall English
It indicates familial origin within the eponymous place in Wiltshire.
Mendès French
French form of Mendes.
Mendez Spanish (Americanized), Filipino
Unaccented form of Méndez primarily used in America and the Philippines.
Mendibil Basque
Habitational name derived from Basque mendi "mountain" and -bil "round, circular".
Mendiburu Basque
Means "top of the mountain" in Basque.
Mendicino Italian (Swiss)
Meaning "Baggar" in Italian.
Mendieta Basque
Habitational name derived from Basque mendi "mountain" and -eta "place of, abundance of".
Mendiguren Basque
From the name of a hamlet meaning "edge of the mountain" in Basque.
Mendinueta Basque
From the name of a village in Itzagaondoa, Navarre, Spain, derived from Basque mendino "small mountain" and the toponymic suffix -eta "place of, abundance of".
Mendiola Basque
From the name of a village in Álava, Basque Country, derived from mendi "mountain" combined with either ola "hut, cabin; foundry, factory" or -ola "place of".
Mendis Sinhalese
Sinhalese form of Mendes.
Mendizabal Basque
Means "wide mountain", derived from Basque mendi "mountain" and zabal "wide, broad, ample". This was also the name of a neighborhood of Arratzua-Ubarrundia that the falangists demolished in 1959 to make way for a reservoir.
Mendler German
Occupational name for a maker of coats from an agent derivative of Middle High German mantel, mandel, mendel "coat".
Mendlsan Yiddish
Yiddish form of Mendelssohn.
Mendola Italian
topographic name for someone who lived by an almond tree or trees or a habitational name from any of the places called with the dialect term amendola mendula "almond almond tree" (see Amendola ). Compare Lamendola.
Mendonça Portuguese
Portuguese form of Mendoza.
Mendosa Spanish
Variant spelling of Mendoza.
Menduri Romansh
Transferred use of the given name Menduri.
Menear Cornish, English (British)
English (Devon; of Cornish origin): topographic name for someone who lived by a menhir, i.e. a tall standing stone erected in prehistoric times (Cornish men ‘stone’ + hir ‘long’). In the United States, it is a common surname in Pennsylvania & West Virginia.
Méneguin Frainc-Comtou (Parisianized)
Parisianized form of an unknown Frainc-Comtou surname.
Menendes Portuguese (Brazilian)
Brazilian Portuguese cognate of Menéndez
Menendez Spanish (Americanized), Filipino
Unaccented form of Menéndez primarily used in America and the Philippines.
Meneses Spanish (Caribbean)
Meneses is my maternal grandfather's surname. He was born in Cuba in 1888 but his family came from Spain in the 1800's... [more]
Meneses Spanish, Portuguese
Meaning uncertain. It was likely a habitational name from either the municipality of Meneses de Campos in Palencia or the municipality of Valle de Mena in Burgos.
Menez Breton
Menez means mount or mountain in Breton.
Menezes Portuguese
Portuguese form of Meneses.
Meng Chinese
From Chinese 孟 (mèng) meaning "eldest brother". It was also adopted by descendants of Meng Sun, a prince from the state of Lu that existed during the Zhou dynasty.
Mengele German
Doctor Josef Mengele (Born on March 16, 1911 - Died on February 7, 1979), also known as the Angel of Death, was a German Schutzstaffel (SS) Officer and physician during World War II. He is mainly remembered for his actions at the Auschwitz concentration camp, where he performed deadly experiments on prisoners, was a member of the team of doctors who selected victims to be killed in the gas chambers and was one of the doctors who administered the gas.
Mengíbar Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Andalusian municipality.
Mengin French
Variant of Mangin.
Menhenot Cornish (Rare, Archaic)
It is derived from the placename "Menheniot" in Cornwall.
Menier French
Variant of Meunier.
Menke German
Derived as a diminutive of several Germanic given names whose first element was derived from Germanic *magin- and *megin- "strength; force; power".
Menna Italian
Derives from the given name Mena 5.
Mennen Dutch
Derived from a given name such as Manno, or any name containing the element megin "power, strength".
Menon Malayalam
Means "accountant" in Malayalam, itself derived from the title മേലവൻ (melavan) meaning "overseer, boss, exalted one", from മേല (mel) meaning "top, above, high" and the third person pronoun അവൻ (avan) meaning "he".
Menonita Spanish (Latin American, Rare)
From Spanish meaning "mennonite".
Menotti Italian
From the medieval given name Menotto, a diminutive of Domenico via its short form Menico.
Mensah Western African, Akan
Means "third-born son" in Akan.
Mensink Dutch
Patronymic or habitational name meaning "of Menso", a diminutive of personal name derived from the element megin (see Mense, Menno).
Mentis Greek
From the ancient greek name Mentios.
Mentsoian Armenian
Meaning unknown.
Mentzer German
Habitational name with the agent suffix -er, either from Mainz, earlier Mentz, derived from the medieval Latin name Mogontia (Latin Mogontiacum, probably from the Celtic personal name Mogontios), or from Menz in Brandenburg and Saxony.
Menu French
From French meaning "petite".
Menzel German, English
Derived from a short form of MENZ, Clemens or Hermann.
Menzer German
Variant of Mentzer.
Menzie Scottish
Menzie (originally spelled Menȝie) derives from the surname Menzies, which in turn derives from the Norman commune Mesnières (known as Maneria in the 1300s)... [more]
Merabet Arabic (Maghrebi)
Mainly found in Algeria.
Merage Persian
Likely from Arabic Miraj, meaning ‘ascension’. A famous bearer of the surname is the co-founder of Hot Pockets, Paul Merage.
Meràs Occitan
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Languedocien commune.
Mercante Italian
An occupational name meaning "merchant, trader" in Italian, from Latin mercans "trading".
Mercedes Spanish (Caribbean)
Means "mercies," from the Spanish title of the Virgin Mary, María de las Mercedes, meaning "Mary of Mercies."
Mercey French
Derived from the name of the commune in the Eure department in Normandy in northern France.
Merch English
A variant of the surname March
Mercure French (Quebec), Mauritian Creole, Haitian Creole
From the given name Mercure, making it a cognate of Mercurio. A known bearer was Canadian actress Monique Mercure (1930-2020).
Mercurio Italian
From the given name Mercurio.
Mercury English
In some cases this may represent an anglicized form of French Mercure or Italian Mercuri, Mercurio or Di Mercurio... [more]
Mercy French
Variant of Mercey.
Mereäär Estonian
Mereäär is an Estonian surname meaning "waterside".
Meredith Welsh
From the personal name Maredudd. In Welsh the stress is on the second syllable. The Old Welsh form is Morgetiud, of which the first element may mean "pomp, splendor" and the second is iudd "lord".
Meremäe Estonian
Meremäe is an Estonian surname meaning "sea hill".
Merendino Italian
Diminutive of Merenda.
Mergenthaler German
Habitational name for someone from a place called Mergenthal in Saxony or Bohemia.
Méri Hungarian
Meaning as of yet unknown. It might possibly be a variant of Mérő (or vice versa).
Meri Estonian, Finnish
Means "sea" in both Estonian and Finnish.
Merical American (Rare)
Altered form of French Marécal.
Merick Welsh
Derived from the Welsh given name Meuric.
Mérida Spanish
habitational name from the city of Mérida in Badajoz province... [more]
Merikanto Finnish
From Finnish meri "sea" and Kanto, an estate in Finland.... [more]
Meriloo Estonian
Meriloo is an Estonia surname derived from "meri" (sea) and "loo", one of several named locations in Estonia.
Merimaa Estonian
Merimaa is an Estonian surname meaning "sea land".
Merisaar Estonian
Merisaar is an Estonian surname meaning "sea island".
Merisalu Estonian
Merisalu is an Estonian surname meaning "sea grove".
Meritee Estonian
Meritee is an Estonian surname meaning "sea road/causeway".
Merivale English
The surname Merivale was first found in Cornwall and Devon, where this prominent family flourished. Walter Merifild was recorded in Devon in 1200 but it is believed the family had established itself earlier in St... [more]
Meriwether English
Means "happy weather" in Middle English, originally belonging to a cheery person.
Merkh German (Anglicized, ?)
Anglicized form of the name Märkh, a German name that existed in southern Germany with Arabic roots tied to the village of al-Märkh in Qatar; the name became Anglicized in the early 17th century. It is one of those surnames where anyone who possesses it is related to everyone else who possesses the name.
Merkouris Greek
Possibly a Greek cognate of Italian Mercurio, which is ultimately derived from Latin Mercurius.
Merl Jewish
Jewish (Ashkenazic) metronymic from the Yiddish female personal name Merl, a pet form of Hebrew Miryam (see Mirkin).
Merlette French
Feminine diminutive of French merle "blackbird", this name was given as a nickname to a cheerful person or to someone who liked to sing.
Merlin English, French, German
From the given name Merlin as well as referred to the blackbird, that is named merle in French and merlo in Italian and Spanish... [more]
Merlino Italian
Either from the given name Merlino the Italian form of Merlin, a diminutive of Merlo, or for someone who came from Merlino in the Milano province.
Mermer Turkish
Means "marble" in Turkish, ultimately of Greek origin.
Mermis Dutch
Altered form of Mevis, a shortened form of the given name Bartholomeus
Mernissi Arabic (Maghrebi)
Possibly a variant of Marnissi. A famous bearer was Moroccan feminist writer and sociologist Fatima Mernissi (1940-2015).
Merriam Welsh
Derived from either the personal name Meuric, which is the Welsh form of Maurice, or ultimately from the Latin personal name Mauritius, which means "dark".
Merridew English
A different form of Meredith (from the Welsh personal name Meredydd, perhaps literally "lord of splendour"). It occurs in Wilkie Collins' 'The Moonstone' (1868) belonging to Mrs Merridew, widowed sister to Sir John Verinder.
Merrifield English
English habitational name from any of various places, such as Merryfield in Devon and Cornwall or Mirfield in West Yorkshire, all named with the Old English elements myrige 'pleasant' + feld 'pasture', 'open country.' See also Merivale.
Merrigan Irish
Irish: Anglicized Form Of Gaelic Ó Muireagáin ‘Descendant Of Muireagán’-'The son of the descendant of Mary'/or/ A Personal Name Derived From Muir ‘Sea’.
Merrihew English, Irish
Likely an altered form of Welsh Meredith (which is found as Meriday in 16th- and 17th-century English sources; also compare Merridew) or possibly of English Mayhew.
Merriman English, Irish
1. English: nickname, an elaborated form of Merry.... [more]
Merrimen Norman
An ancient Norman name, that would have been used in Britain soon after the Conquest of the island in 1066. This name was given to a person who was a person who was a mischievous child, or who liked to play tricks and make jokes.
Merriott English
Either a habitational name from Merriott in Somerset. The placename may derive from Old English mere miere "mare" mere "pool" or gemære "boundary" and gæt "gate gap"... [more]
Merriweather English
From a medieval nickname for someone of a cheerful disposition (cf. Meriwether).
Merrix Welsh
Variant of Merricks.
Merson Jewish
Means "son of Meyer."
Mert Turkish
From the given name Mert.
Mertesacker German
Means "Merten's field" in German, derived from the given name Merten and Middle High German acker meaning "field". A famous bearer is the retired German soccer player Per Mertesacker (1984-).
Merton English
From a place name meaning "town on a lake" in Old English.
Mertz German
Variant of the surname Martz
Mervin Welsh, English
From the given name Mervin
Mervyn English
(i) from the medieval personal name Merewine, literally "fame-friend"; (ii) from the Old English personal names Mǣrwynn, literally "famous joy", and Merefinn, from Old Norse Mora-Finnr; (iii) from the Welsh personal name Merfyn, literally probably "marrow-eminent"
Merzouk Arabic (Maghrebi)
Derived from the given name Marzuq.
Mesa Spanish
Habitational name for someone from any of the various locations in Spain called Mesa meaning "table" or "mesa" in Spanish (referring to a flat area of land).
Mesarić Croatian
Derived from mesar, meaning "butcher".
Mesaroš Serbian
Serbian variant of Mészáros, meaning "butcher".
Mesbah Arabic (Maghrebi), Arabic (Egyptian)
Derived from Arabic مِصْبَاح (miṣbāḥ) meaning "lamp, light, luminary".
Mescal Irish (Anglicized)
From Irish Ó Meiscill meaning "descendant of Meisceall", a personal name perhaps related to meisce (“drunkeness”).
Mescall Irish
Variant of Mescal.
Meşe Turkish
Means "oak" in Turkish.
Meseta Spanish (Mexican)
Meaning "plateau" in Spanish. Primarily used mostly in Mexico.
Mesías Spanish, Spanish (Latin American)
Spanish, meaning Messiah.
Mesikäpp Estonian
Mesikäpp is an Estonian surname meaning "honey cupboard".
Mesila Estonian
Mesila is an Estonian surname meaning "apiary" and "bee garden".
Mesina Italian
From Sardinian mesina "keg, small barrel", probably given as a nickname to someone with a round or fat build.
Mesipuu Estonian
Mesipuu is an Estonian surname meaning "beehive" (literally, "honey tree").
Mesly French
Variant of Mesley.