MalayaRussian, Ukrainian From Russian малый (maliy) or Ukrainian малий (malyy) both meaning "small, little", used as a nickname for a small child or a person who was thin or short in stature. Alternately, it may have come from Tatar малай (malay) meaning "boy, son" or "apprentice".
MalenkovRussian Patronymic derived from Russian маленький (malen'kiy) meaning "little, small". The Soviet leader Georgy Malenkov (1902-1988) was a notable bearer of this name.
MalinovBulgarian, Russian From Bulgarian and Russian малина (malina) meaning "raspberry", probably indicating a person who lived near a raspberry bush.
MaliziaItalian Means "malice, spite" or "mischievousness" in Italian.
MalsagovIngush (Russified) Russified form of the Ingush clan name Малсагнаькъан (Malsagnaqan) meaning "tribe of Malsag", from a given name derived from Ingush малх (malkh) meaning "sun, solar" and саг (sag) meaning "person, man".
MalyginmRussian Might be derived from малый, meaning "small, little."
MamarilFilipino, Pangasinan, Tagalog Means "shooter, one who shoots" in Pangasinan and Tagalog, derived from the professional or habitual prefix mang- and baril meaning "gun, firearm".
MamiyaJapanese From Japanese 真 (ma) meaning "true, genuine" or 茉 (ma) meaning "Arabian jasmine, white jasmine" combined with 宮 (miya) meaning "temple, shrine, palace".
ManabeJapanese From Japanese 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" or 間 (ma) meaning "among, between" and 鍋 (nabe) meaning "pot, pan" or 部 (be) meaning "part, section".
ManeelyWelsh A Welsh surname derived from 'map Neely' or 'son of Neely'
ManeraItalian Either a habitational name from any of two places called Manera in the Italian provinces of Cuneo and Como, a nickname and perhaps a metonymic occupational name (from the dialect word manèra meaning "executioner's axe, cleaver" or from Italian manero "well-behaved, skilled"), or derived from the given name Mainiero (ultimately from Frankish Maginhari, composed of the Ancient Germanic elements magin "strength, might" and hari, heri "army").
ManglicmotIlocano From Ilocano manglikmot meaning "to surround, to encircle".
ManguiatTagalog From Tagalog mangiat meaning "to seal, to compact".
ManhattanEnglish From the name of the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City, in the U.S. state of New York. Derived from the Munsee Lenape language term manaháhtaan (where manah- means "gather", -aht- means "bow" and -aan is an abstract element used to form verb stems), meaning "the place where we get bows" or "place for gathering the (wood to make) bows"... [more]
ManimtimTagalog Means "to endure, to forebear, to restrain oneself" in Tagalog.
MannerheimFinland Swedish (Rare) Swedification of the German surname Marhein. A famous bearer was Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (1867-1951), a Finnish military leader, statesman and the 6th President of Finland... [more]
ManobalThai From Thai มโน (mano) meaning "heart; mind; imagination" and "บาล" (ban) meaning "to protect; to tend; to govern".
ManzoniItalian Of uncertain origin: could be derived from a nickname given to those who raised and took care of bullock, or from the medieval terms manso or mansueto, denoting a gentle person.... [more]
MaokaJapanese From 真 (ma) meaning "truth, reality, genuine" combined with 岡 (oka) meaning "hill, knoll".
MaquedaSpanish This indicates familial origin within either of 2 eponymous localities: the Manchego municipality or the neighborhood of the Andalusian municipality of Málaga.
MaquibarBasque (Hispanicized) Castilianized form of Makibar, possibly derived from Basque mako "arch, hook; curved, crooked" or "club, cane, staff" and ibar "valley, riverbank"... [more]
MaquilingFilipino, Tagalog (Hispanicized) Derived from Tagalog makiling meaning "uneven, crooked, bent." This name was given in honor of Maria Makiling. She is said to be the protector of Mount Makiling, a volcano in the Philippines.
MarableFrench, English From the feminine personal name Mirabel, equated in medieval records with Latin mirabilis "marvelous", "wonderful" (in the sense "extraordinary").
MaramotTagalog Means "stingy, miserly, selfish" in Tagalog.
MarananFilipino, Tagalog Derived from Tagalog madaanan meaning "pass through, pass by somewhere".
MaranoItalian Habitational name from any of various places named with the Latin personal name Marius and the suffix -anu.
MarlboroughEnglish From the name of the market town and civil parish of Marlborough in Wiltshire, England, derived from the Old English given name Mǣrla and beorg meaning "hill, mound".
MasaiJapanese From 正 (masa) meaning "right, correct, proper, justice" and 井 (i) meaning "well, pit, mineshaft".
MasakiJapanese Surname of Japanese origin meaning "true blossoms" which comes from combing 真 (ma) meaning "true, genuine" with 咲 (saki) meaning "blossom".
MasakiJapanese From Japanese 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" and 崎 (saki) meaning "cape, peninsula".
MasakiJapanese From Japanese 正 (masa) meaning "right, proper" and 木 (ki) meaning "tree, wood".
MasatoJapanese From Japanese 正 (masa) meaning "right, proper", 雅 (masa) meaning "elegant, graceful" or 真 (masa) meaning "real, genuine, true" combined with 人 (to) meaning "person". Other combinations of kanji that have the same pronunciation can also form this name... [more]
MashhadiPersian Indicated a person from the city of Mashhad in Iran, itself derived from Arabic مشهد (mashhad) meaning "place of martyrdom".
MashimaJapanese Ma can mean "real, genuine, true" or "flax" and shima means "island".
MashimoJapanese From the Japanese 真 (ma) "real" and 下 (shimo or shita) "down," "bottom."
MasopustmCzech From a Czech nickname meaning "carnival", originally given to a festive person. A famous bearer was the Czech soccer player Josef Masopust (1931-2015).
MassaroItalian Regional or archaic form of Italian massaio meaning "tenant farmer, share cropper".
MastenbroekDutch Originally indicated a person from the polder area of Mastenbroek in the Dutch province of Overijssel, as well as a small village built around a church in the middle of that polder area. The place names derive from Middle Dutch mast meaning "pole, mast" or "pig feed, fodder" combined with broek meaning "marsh, wetland".
MastermanEnglish occupational name meaning "servant of the master" from Middle English maister "master" (Latin magister "teacher, master, leader") and mann "man".
MastertonScottish (Rare) From English Masterton, an area in the city of Dunfermline in the council area of Fife in Scotland.
MasudaJapanese From Japanese 増 (masu) meaning "increase", 益 (masu) meaning "benefit", 舛 (masu) meaning "oppose, to go against" (kun reading), 桝 (masu) meaning "box seat, measure" or 升 (masu) meaning "box" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
MasuiJapanese From Japanese 増 (masu) meaning "increase" and 井 (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit".
MasukoJapanese From 益 (masu) meaning "profit, benefit" and 子 (ko) meaning "child, sign of the rat".
MatakeJapanese Ma means "genuine" and take means "bamboo".
MathenyFrench (Anglicized) Of French origin. According to Matheny family tradition, this surname comes from the name of a village in France named Mathenay. This may also have been a French Huguenot surname.
MathrafalMedieval Welsh Named for Castle Mathrafal (Castell-Mathrafal) in Powys, Mid Wales. The House of Mathrafal ruled over Powys for much of the Mediaeval period. Notable members of the family included Owain Glyn Dŵr, who led a rebellion against English rule in 1400.
MattinglyEnglish (British) This name dates all the way back to the 1200s and research shows that Mattingly families began immigrating to the United States in the 1600s and continued until the 1900s. However, the place name (Mattingley, England) dates back to the year 1086, but spelled as Matingelege... [more]
MaverickEnglish (Rare) Surname notably borne by Texas lawyer, politician and land baron Samuel Maverick (1803-1870) to whom the word maverick was coined.
MaysonetProvençal Deriving from the Old French word machun, which meant 'stone cutter.' Inferring the original bearer of the name worked in stone or mason.
MazakiJapanese A surname of Japanese origin meaning "cape of truth" which comes from combing 真 (ma) meaning "true, genuine" with 崎 (zaki) meaning "cape, peninsula". A notable bearer of this surname is Anzu Mazaki/Téa Gardner from Yu-Gi-Oh!
MazepaUkrainian From Ukrainian мазепа (mazepa), meaning "idiot, fool, blockhead".
McCalveyIrish Either an Anglicized form of Mac an Chalbhaigh, possibly derived from Irish calbhach "big-headed" or "bald-headed", or an altered form of McKelvey.
McClurkinEnglish (Anglicized) Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Cléireacháin, a variant of Mac Cléirich. A famous bearer of this surname is pastor and gospel singer Donnie McClurkin (1959-).
MccolganIrish, Scottish Has several possible meanings. It might mean someone from the village of Kilcolgan, County Galway; a follower of St. Columba; or the son of someone named Colga... [more]
McCraryIrish Anglicization of the Gaelic surname Mac Ruaidhrí, which means "son of Rory".
McnultyNorthern Irish (Anglicized) Irish surname historically associated with County Donegal in northwest Ireland meaning "descended of the Ulaid Nation". The surname is derived from an anglicized contraction of the original Irish patronymic Mac "descended" an Ultaigh "Ulaid race".
MedranoSpanish This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Riojan municipality.
MeghnagiJewish, Northern African Sephardic Jewish, originating from the Libyan Jewish community. Most were from Tripoli, with a much smaller contingent from Benghazi.
MeguriJapanese (Rare) From Japanese 巡 (Meguri), a clipping of 巡谷 (Meguriya) meaning "Meguriya", a division in the division of Nakada in the area of Aiga in the city of Sumoto in the prefecture of Hyōgo in Japan.
MeguriJapanese (Rare) From Japanese 廻 (meguri), from 廻り (meguri) meaning "transport route, regular visit". This is the name of a former village in the district of Aira in the former Japanese province of Ōsumi in parts of present-day Kagoshima, Japan.
MeguroJapanese From Japanese 目 (me) meaning "eye, look, appearance" and 黒 (kuro) meaning "black".
MelanderSwedish Combination of the element Mel-, which is unexplained but probably derived from a place name, and the common surname suffix -ander (a combination of land "land" and the habitational suffix -er)... [more]
MelgosaSpanish 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.
MeloniItalian 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]
MendibilBasque Habitational name derived from Basque mendi "mountain" and -bil "round, circular".
MendietaBasque Habitational name derived from Basque mendi "mountain" and -eta "place of, abundance of".
MendiolaBasque 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".
MenesesSpanish, 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.
MengíbarSpanish This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Andalusian municipality.
MercedesSpanish (Caribbean) Means "mercies," from the Spanish title of the Virgin Mary, María de las Mercedes, meaning "Mary of Mercies."
MerriamWelsh 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".
MeutstegeDutch Possibly from Dutch meute meaning "pack, crowd" and steeg meaning "alleyway, lane, narrow path". Dutch former soccer player Wim Meutstege (1952-) bears this name.
MilibandJewish This is the surname of British Labour Party politicians Ed and David Miliband, who are ethnically Jewish.
MillaresGalician Habitational name from any of various places named Millares in Galicia, from the plural of Galician millar meaning "millet field".
MimanaJapanese (Rare) From Japanese 任那 (Mimana) meaning "Mimana", an ancient hypothesized region in parts of present-day South Korea, mentioned in the Nihon Shoki.