Big List Of Last Names Beginning With M

Are you looking for a comprehensive list of last names beginning with “M”?

We’ve used the 2000 and 2010 U.S. Census to compile over six hundred surnames that start with the letter M and had at least five thousand people with the name

In the table below, you’ll see the total number of bearers for the name in each census.

Can’t Find A Surname That You Know?

If you don’t find a name that you’re interested in, then use our surname ranking tool which doesn’t have the minimum threshold that we’ve imposed on this list.

It will show you where your last name ranks in the U.S. census.

You can learn more in our tutorial on how to check how rare your last name is.

Meanings Of Popular Last Names Starting With M

Here are the top ten most common last names beginning with M in the 2010 U.S. census.

They are in descending order of how common they are.

Miller

  • Bearers: 1,161,437

With over one million people named Miller in the United States, this is one of the most common names in the country.

It was ranked seventh in the 2010 census, just behind Garcia.

Aside from English speaking countries, the name appears across Europe in variants like Mueller (Germanic) and Moller (Scandinavian).

The origins are in the Old Norse word for a mill keeper.

Martinez

  • Bearers: 1,060,159
  • Origins: Hispanic

Martinez was ranked as the tenth most common name in the 2010 census. Ninety-three percent of people with the name declared as Hispanic in the census.

The name simply means “son of Martin”. But what about the meaning of “Martin”?

Martin derives from the name of the Roman God of War i.e. Mars. Early adopters would have been soldiers and warriors.

Moore

  • Bearers: 724,374
  • Origins: English or Irish

This is a name with different origins depending on the region.

The English origins refer to people living near a marsh or a moor.

The Irish origins are from the name “Ó Mordha”, which means son of the great man.

Martin

  • Bearers: 702,625
  • Origins: across Europe

The name Martin is historically found across Europe. I’ve already mentioned the meaning from the God of War.

But the name spread in the Middle Ages partly in reverence to St Martin of Tours, a fourth-century saint.

Mitchell

  • Bearers: 384,486
  • Origins: English, Scottish

There are several origins and meanings. Some early bearers in England and Scotland took the personal name Michael as a surname.

Other bearers were given the name in reference to their size. “Michel” was the old (Middle) English word for “big”.

Morris

  • Bearers: 318,884
  • Origins: English

The name was introduced to England during the Norman Conquest.

It derives from the French personal name of Maurice.

Morales

  • Bearers: 311,777
  • Origins: Hispanic

Morales means “son of Moral”. The meaning comes from the Spanish term for a mulberry bush or blackberry bush.

Historically, the early bearers likely lived in areas with plentiful blackberry bushes.

Murphy

  • Bearers: 308,417
  • Origins: Irish

Murphy is an Anglicization of the Gaelic name O’Murchadha. This means “descendant of Murchadha”.

The meaning comes from old Gaelic words for sea (muir) and battle (cath).

Morgan

  • Bearers: 286,280
  • Origins: Welsh

Morgan was an early personal name in Wales that was adopted as a surname.

Mendoza

  • Bearers: 242,771
  • Origins: Hispanic

The origins of the name are in the Spanish words for “cold mountain”.

Myers

  • Bearers: 229,895
  • Origins: Irish
  • Meaning: Jovial Person

Famous People With M Surnames

Here is an assorted collection of ten famous people with a family name starting with M.

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) was one of the most famous political leaders in recent history.

He first became known worldwide as an imprisoned activist. He would later become the first black President of South Africa.

George RR Martin

George RR Martin is an American novelist.

His best-known work is the series “Game of Thrones”.

Freddie Mercury

The late Freddie Mercury was a British singer and songwriter who was born in Zanzibar to parents of Indian heritage.

He was the frontman for the rock band, Queen.

Karl Marx

Karl Marx (1818-1883) was a German philosopher.

His best-known works are Das Kapital and the Communist Manifesto.

Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison (1931-2019) was an American novelist.

Her best-known work was the novel Beloved which won the Pulitzer Prize.

Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney is an English singer and songwriter. He was one of the Beatles before a long and successful solo career.

Perhaps his best-known works (and my favorites) are “Yesterday” and “Let It Be”.

Macbeth

Macbeth was a general and King of Scotland.

He was fictionalized in the great Shakespearean play of the same name.

Bob Marley

Bob Marley (1945-1981) was a Jamaican singer and songwriter. He was a pioneer of Reggae music.

Some of his best-known works (and my favorites) are “No Woman, No Cry” and “Buffalo Soldier”.

Claude Monet

Claude Monet (1840-1926) was a French painter. He was a founder of the Impressionist movement.

The painting below is the “Banks of the Seine” from 1880.

Claude Monet

Eddie Murphy

Eddie Murphy is an American actor who started his career in entertainment as a stand-up comedian.

Perhaps his best-known work is Beverly Hills Cop.

Last Names Starting With M

Let’s start with names from Ma to Mackenzie.

If you’re curious about the two-letter name of Ma, I cover it in some detail in our article on the shortest surnames starting with M.

I’ll summarize here by saying it is of Chinese origin and was adopted by several military leaders.

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Ma19,03028,452
Maas9,4109,285
Mabe6,8776,939
Mabry12,50812,846
Macdonald45,78246,717
Mace12,11412,222
Macedo5,7978,433
Macgregor5,0645,161
Machado18,42923,170
Macias46,73962,227
Maciel8,40711,500

The most common name in this section is Mack, which has over seventy-one thousand bearers in the 2010 U.S. census.

What are the origins of this name? Well, you also see plenty of Celtic names starting with Mac in this list. Mack is a shortened form. It literally means “son”.

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Mack67,15471,056
Mackay9,2489,886
Mackenzie13,17413,733
Mackey29,71830,749
Mackie6,5106,686
Macklin6,5927,140
Maclean7,1277,504
Macleod7,5427,886
Macmillan5,5535,688
Macon6,5927,008
Macpherson5,4645,579

From Macy to Maguire

Maddox is one of the most common names in this section, with about thirty-six thousand bearers in the 2010 U.S. census.

The origins are in England and Wales and the name is a variant of Maddock. The meaning derives from the Welsh word for good or benevolent.

Madison is also a name of English origin. It means “son of Mathew”.

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Macy5,2175,203
Madden34,47235,438
Maddox34,97036,250
Mader5,3215,434
Madera7,1609,583
Madigan5,6705,707
Madison26,54828,411
Madrid20,83425,854
Madrigal19,63227,033
Madsen16,42517,364

Let’s take a closer look at Magnuson. This means “son of Magnus”, and Magnus has several spelling variants on the list.

Magnus has Germanic origins. The meaning derives from the Latin word for “great” (magnus). The early bearers were powerful families or military leaders.

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Maes5,6406,033
Maestas7,8308,296
Magallanes6,2948,852
Magana27,57139,105
Magdaleno5,7807,956
Magee26,03127,720
Maggard6,3596,625
Maggio5,8365,877
Magill5,3255,692
Magnuson7,9577,980
Maguire15,85316,713

From Mahaffey to Maloney

Many of the names in this section are of Irish origins, which we will cover in another list.

Let’s take a look instead at Major. This has different meanings depending on the region.

The East European origins refer to the military title of a middle-ranking officer (a major).

The name arrived into England with the Norman Conquest and is a variant of Mauger.

The meaning may come from the Old German words for a spear (gar).

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Mahaffey7,9968,079
Mahan14,93715,375
Maher22,50323,222
Mahler5,1675,222
Mahon9,3279,441
Mahoney39,44040,397
Mai12,02717,445
Maier13,92914,135
Main12,63112,776
Majewski5,1095,126
Major19,79120,977
Majors9,4809,747

The name Malik had nearly fifteen thousand bearers in 2010.

This name is prominent in Pakistan. The meaning derives from an Arabic word for a king. It was conferred on local heads of a village.

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Maki9,1559,190
Malcolm9,64310,618
Maldonado88,016121,526
Malik10,37614,925
Malinowski5,8335,895
Mallard5,6026,583
Mallett6,5846,556
Mallory16,98717,578
Malloy16,05616,546
Malone69,25771,286
Maloney30,43430,671

From Manchester to Marble

Mann is the most common name in this section with over 83 thousand bearesr.

The name is Germanic in origin and it means what it sounds like in English. It was conferred as a nickname for men who were particularly strong or imposing.

Now, let’s take a look at Manley with about 25 thousand bearers in the 2010 U.S. census.

The name is of English origins. There are several places in England called Manley, and the name would have been conferred upon people from those villages and towns.

The meaning is derived from the Old English words for a woodland clearing.

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Manchester5,0785,182
Mancilla5,4677,908
Mancini10,88111,382
Mancuso9,6599,711
Mandel6,5326,703
Maness8,0658,095
Mangan5,7566,315
Mangum9,2719,515
Manley25,15925,136
Mann81,02283,510
Manning72,06974,949
Manns5,9216,312

Maples is an English name that has origins in geography.

The name was taken by people who lived near woodland of maple trees.

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Manriquez5,9348,119
Mansfield18,49818,725
Manson8,0907,663
Manuel24,22727,529
Manzanares5,2497,480
Manzano6,6709,608
Manzo10,59513,635
Mapes5,4845,456
Maples10,55910,603
Marble5,3975,796

From March to Marks

Marcum is one of the more common names in this section.

This name is a variant of Markham. There are several places with that name in England, and people would adopt the names of where they resided.

The meaning derives from the Old English words for the boundary of a village.

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
March10,55310,719
Marchand6,2516,610
Marchant5,3115,834
Marchese6,4836,670
Marcotte5,7715,923
Marcum15,92516,246
Marcus17,36017,671
Marek7,5178,042
Mares12,04114,931
Mariano7,1119,091

Marks is the most common name in this section.

This is a variant of Mark and the English name derives from the Roman name Marcus.

The name spread in Europe in part due to families adopting the name of Mark the Evangelist in the New Testament.

bishop
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Marin31,78643,904
Marino30,73531,687
Marion14,36414,777
Mariscal6,4018,368
Mark15,91614,265
Marker5,9386,438
Markey5,2255,435
Markham12,76313,137
Markle5,4015,893
Markley7,1767,581
Marks48,28149,177

From Marler to Martell

Marquez is the most common name in this section. We cover it in our list of Hispanic surnames starting with M.

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Marler6,5847,058
Marley6,0756,220
Marlin5,4155,602
Marlow13,18513,205
Marlowe6,3186,543
Marquardt8,3988,749
Marques6,3867,520
Marquez79,951107,533
Marquis8,4498,737
Marr10,36510,724
Marra5,5266,065
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Marrero16,78321,109
Marriott5,0515,547
Marroquin12,87419,661
Marrs5,7405,658
Marsh60,99962,304
Marshall177,213183,922
Marston6,1276,535
Marte6,0908,867
Martel8,3629,056
Martell9,56811,158

From Martens to Masterson

I’ve already given some origins for Martin and Martinez in the section in this article on the most common names starting with M.

Let me say a bit more about Saint Martin of Tours, whose popularity spread the name in the Middle Ages.

Martin was a Roman soldier stationed in France. The legend goes that he met a shivering beggar and cut his own cloak in two to help the man. Martin later became a bishop.

Remnants of the cloak became a holy relic revered by the kings of the Franks.

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Martens9,74910,096
Martin672,711702,625
Martindale6,9706,962
Martines8,0419,363
Martinez775,0721,060,159
Martini6,9887,612
Martino12,88913,128
Martins9,06211,751
Martinson7,6398,048
Martz8,4338,250

Mason is also a common name in this section with over 160 thousand bearers in the 2010 census.

The name is of English origin. The meaning derives from the Middle English word for a tradesman who works with stone.

We still call them stone masons to this day.

old stone church
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Marvin10,37510,310
Marx9,40411,716
Mashburn6,6756,688
Mason155,484160,213
Massa5,6516,111
Massey53,45955,595
Massie10,52510,920
Mast12,86915,932
Masters23,10623,533
Masterson11,67312,117

From Mata to Matz

Matthews is the most common name in this section. When you run your eye down the list, you’ll see it has many variants.

They all derive from the name Matthew, which is found in various forms across Europe.

The origins are from the Hebrew name Matiyahu, which means “gift of God”.

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Mata34,88848,120
Mateo8,54013,746
Matheny8,3698,595
Mather6,6027,621
Mathes6,4686,553
Matheson7,3027,585
Mathew9,31113,808
Mathews50,60851,592
Mathias8,2868,851
Mathis51,79654,217
Matias7,29511,635
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Matlock12,01712,599
Matney5,2075,518
Matos16,81921,258
Matson12,10012,320
Matteson6,9497,148
Matthew6,4866,436
Matthews124,839131,303
Mattingly14,66115,050
Mattison7,0837,485
Mattox9,88110,099
Mattson15,82516,203
Matz5,1235,143

From Mauldin to Mazza

May is the most common name in this section with over one hundred thousand bearers in 2010.

There are several origins for this name in Europe. In England, it was a variant or nickname for Matthew, which we looked at in the previous section.

Elsewhere, it was also given to people born in the month of May. The month is named after Maia, a Roman goddess of fertility.

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Mauldin9,71310,011
Maupin6,0606,051
Maurer20,33320,707
Mauro7,4837,722
Maxey10,46110,584
Maxfield5,4555,987
Maxwell65,77967,961
May101,726103,306
Maya7,22710,313
Mayberry14,06014,326
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Mayer39,11139,555
Mayers5,5926,076
Mayes24,85325,256
Mayfield29,13629,805
Mayhew8,7549,085
Maynard35,64836,460
Mayo33,12635,228
Mayorga6,8649,659
Mays38,91440,408
Mazur8,7218,733
Mazza8,0788,043

List of last names beginning with “Mc”

There are 165 names in the 2010 U.S. census starting with Mc that have at least five thousand bearers.

These names are Irish or Scottish, and we will cover them in a separate list.

From Meacham to Meneses

Let’s take a look at Meeks and Meek which are variants. The origins are different depending on the region.

The English name originates from a term bestowed on a mild-mannered or gentle person.

The Dutch name originates from the Middle Dutch word for bread. Bakers of bread would take the name.

Baker
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Meacham6,1156,190
Mead21,91922,727
Meade21,26422,091
Meador10,17410,292
Meadows42,88444,500
Meagher5,6195,784
Means15,80816,203
Mears9,7069,988
Medeiros18,12119,031
Medina139,353188,497
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Medley13,15213,630
Medlin10,51110,750
Medlock6,0136,416
Medrano29,38640,261
Meehan14,34814,630
Meek14,54914,970
Meeker8,3948,781
Meeks28,42629,457
Mehta9,69114,342
Meier24,88625,486
Meister7,4237,885
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Mejia66,534104,057
Melancon6,2586,496
Melchor5,4988,319
Melendez42,13956,230
Melgar5,3039,106
Mello11,26311,670
Melo6,7439,731
Melson7,1205,054
Melton48,59450,069
Melvin19,52320,008
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Mena14,29919,522
Menard10,97311,543
Menchaca6,6188,169
Mendenhall9,98810,213
Mendes8,03410,162
Mendez112,736161,717
Mendiola7,98010,752
Mendoza168,567242,771
Menendez9,04511,609
Meneses5,6958,548

From Mejia to Meza

Meyer is a common name in this section with over 150 thousand bearers in the 2010 census.

This name has Germanic origins. The meaning comes from the title of mayor given to the head of a village or a wealthy landlord.

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Mejia66,534104,057
Melancon6,2586,496
Melchor5,4988,319
Melendez42,13956,230
Melgar5,3039,106
Mello11,26311,670
Melo6,7439,731
Melson7,1205,054
Melton48,59450,069
Melvin19,52320,008
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Mena14,29919,522
Menard10,97311,543
Menchaca6,6188,169
Mendenhall9,98810,213
Mendes8,03410,162
Mendez112,736161,717
Mendiola7,98010,752
Mendoza168,567242,771
Menendez9,04511,609
Meneses5,6958,548
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Meraz6,1068,616
Mercado46,43760,761
Mercer33,79734,431
Merchant13,42114,692
Mercier7,7538,149
Meredith23,93724,679
Merino7,48011,684
Merkel6,5776,991
Merrell8,4148,809
Merrick8,3608,629
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Merrill31,75832,620
Merriman8,6569,085
Merritt44,62645,594
Mertz7,8057,841
Mesa11,34113,566
Messenger5,8246,022
Messer19,81920,306
Messick6,3496,441
Messina12,62612,717
Metcalf23,54023,946
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Metz20,01020,366
Metzger20,38620,771
Metzler6,6126,657
Meyer149,664150,895
Meyers56,74457,127
Meza37,66253,230

From Metz to Mizell

We covered Miller in the opening section of the most common names beginning with M.

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Metz20,01020,366
Metzger20,38620,771
Metzler6,6126,657
Meyer149,664150,895
Meyers56,74457,127
Meza37,66253,230
Michael39,36940,736
Michaels16,69617,528
Michalski6,8666,914
Michaud14,40814,910
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Michel21,48725,578
Michels6,9017,225
Mick5,3055,299
Mickelson7,4057,267
Middleton40,70842,578
Mielke5,4225,482
Miguel7,28210,861
Milam11,55411,787
Milan5,3186,268
Milano5,1505,609
Milburn7,7547,871
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Miles81,93384,942
Miley6,9307,365
Millan9,12710,733
Millar6,1686,883
Millard12,62212,843
Miller1,127,8031,161,437
Milligan21,88722,416
Milliken5,6355,857
Mills147,909151,942
Milne6,0556,258
Milner11,79012,153
Milton19,89920,703
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Mims18,24819,139
Min5,0286,982
Mincey5,2335,839
Miner20,62721,439
Mink5,5905,922
Minnick7,5257,581
Minor29,63430,702
Minter9,82810,301
Minton13,66713,737
Mintz5,9015,853
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Miracle5,9246,291
Miramontes6,8418,884
Miranda67,64693,628
Mireles12,86317,186
Mitchel6,1615,570
Mitchell367,433384,486
Mix5,8415,344
Mixon12,15412,394
Mize11,87311,908
Mizell5,2325,429

From Moats to Morehouse

Moore is a common name in this section.

The Irish origins are from the name “Ó Mordha”, which means son of the great man.

The English origins refer to people living near a marsh or a moor.

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Moats5,5565,778
Mobley27,64829,065
Mock15,20815,847
Moe10,74011,150
Moeller13,09413,915
Moen7,8958,138
Moffett11,52411,853
Moffitt9,65210,070
Mohamed12,49927,972
Mohammed9,58515,132
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Mohler6,2246,506
Mohr17,15317,180
Mojica10,80314,737
Molina70,21196,979
Moll6,8447,131
Molloy6,9867,238
Molnar8,4788,586
Monaco8,0548,198
Monaghan7,6137,968
Monahan15,05815,533
Moncada6,0968,574
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Monday5,1855,379
Mondragon12,06318,620
Money6,2616,420
Monge5,7648,418
Moniz5,6665,775
Monk11,20712,103
Monroe53,47555,136
Monroy9,21514,673
Monson9,97010,425
Montague10,72011,258
Montalvo18,08523,454
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Montanez12,48216,281
Montano21,11027,276
Monteiro5,2936,965
Montelongo6,3088,472
Montemayor6,6308,106
Montenegro7,94310,606
Montero11,99717,314
Montes35,19648,142
Montez8,32210,097
Montgomery112,144115,953
Montiel7,89912,376
Montoya57,07571,844
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Moody62,34464,429
Moon42,06245,528
Mooney32,95333,555
Moore698,671724,374
Moorman7,1497,399
Mora41,34857,464
Morales217,642311,777
Moran78,54688,615
Moreau8,4739,035
Morehead7,6707,653
Morehouse6,2986,309

From Moreau to Moyers

Morris is the most common name in this section with over 300 thousand bearers in the 2010 census.

The name was introduced to England during the Norman Conquest, and it derives from the French personal name of Maurice.

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Moreira6,3639,037
Morel6,3098,085
Moreland17,17317,832
Morelli6,4196,532
Moreno146,088196,925
Morey10,59510,894
Morgan276,400286,280
Moriarty9,66110,005
Morin28,18429,593
Moritz6,1256,216
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Morley10,81511,028
Morrell11,33411,700
Morrill7,4587,598
Morris311,754318,884
Morrison117,939121,130
Morrissey13,24413,564
Morrow55,66456,840
Morse41,11241,774
Mortensen10,20811,013
Mortimer5,3585,521
Morton58,78859,213
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Mosby7,1347,549
Moseley16,73617,130
Moser29,48530,483
Moses36,81439,216
Mosher15,59515,672
Mosier8,3848,522
Moskowitz5,0705,304
Mosley44,69847,963
Mosqueda6,7399,709
Moss73,75076,908
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Mota10,09414,182
Motley9,96610,274
Mott17,01317,092
Moua9,77614,013
Moulton11,58012,104
Mount8,6028,754
Mouton6,0156,535
Mowery8,0028,226
Moy8,5238,781
Moya13,52618,071
Moye7,0367,657
Moyer36,42137,050

From Mudd to Myrick

I covered Murphy in the opening section on the most common names.

Here, I’ll look at Murdock and Murdoch which are Scottish variants. The origins are in the Scots-Gaelic word for a warrior of the sea.

It would have been adopted by sailors on fighting ships.

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Mudd6,2946,391
Mueller64,30564,191
Muhammad13,97219,076
Muir10,86311,130
Mulcahy6,4446,595
Mulder6,8097,317
Mulholland6,1516,353
Mulkey5,6956,061
Mull9,9259,377
Mullen36,44237,502
Muller26,74427,216
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Mulligan14,22914,590
Mullin11,09911,103
Mullins70,28671,646
Mullis8,7639,003
Mumford6,2446,413
Muncy5,0075,308
Mundy9,3909,439
Munger5,4515,639
Munguia8,74912,615
Muniz24,20330,695
Munn8,6668,751
Munoz117,774158,483
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Munro6,5516,918
Munroe5,6396,226
Munson17,34517,745
Murdock19,04119,873
Murillo31,96445,558
Muro6,0097,916
Murphy300,501308,417
Murray178,414184,910
Murrell10,60011,347
Murry9,59010,140
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Muse11,18412,571
Musgrove6,5546,660
Musick6,5496,972
Musselman6,3756,306
Musser9,3549,820
Myer6,4086,317
Myers224,824229,895
Myles12,34813,898
Myrick12,89613,236

Can’t Find A Surname That You Know?

If you don’t find a name that you’re interested in, then use our surname ranking tool which doesn’t have the 2,000 threshold that we’ve imposed on this list.

You can learn more in our tutorial on how to check how rare any last name is.

Index To Other Letters

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