50+ Popular & Rare Surnames Starting with M

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Or create your own last name beginning with M using our generator

Co-authored by Dev Murphy, MA

Last Updated: September 9, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Common
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• Rare
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• Choosing a Last Name
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• Last Names that Start with M Generator

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Looking for a surname for a fictional character, your child, or even yourself? Keep reading! We've compiled a list of common last names that start with M and not-so-common names (in the U.S., anyway!), including their meanings. Scroll on for inspiration—and if you don't jive with any of the names on our list, we also have a unique generator that will help you choose the perfect surname starting with M.

Popular Last Names Beginning with M

• Murphy
• Martin
• Moore
• Morales
• Miller

Steps

Section 1 of 3:

Common Last Names That Start with "M"

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1. 
   These are some of the most common last names beginning with "M" in the United States. If you live in the USA, you've probably encountered someone with one of these surnames before. If you're looking for a popular last name for you or your fictional character, consider one of these:

   • Martin
   • Martines
   • Murphy
   • Martinez
   • Meyer
   • Miller
   • Mitchell
   • Marley
   • Madden
   • Madison
   • Moore
   • Mason
   • Montgomery
   • McLaughlin
   • Morley
   • Morton
   • Middleton
   • May
   • Massey
   • Marsh
   • Mann
   • McCarthy
   • Morales
   • Moreno
   • Murray
   • McDonald
   • Marshall
   • Morgan
   • Morris
   • Mueller
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Section 2 of 3:

Rare Last Names That Start with "M"

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1. 
   If you're in the U.S.A, these "M" surnames are less common. You've probably never heard of most of these last names, but you might in other parts of the world. If you or your character is from one of the cultures or nations mentioned below, you might want to choose a name that matches:

   • Mabunga (Filipino, "fruit," "to bear fruit")
   • Macagba (Filipino, unknown origins)
   • Macheras (Greek, "knife maker")
   • Maclary (Gaelic, "son of the cleric/priest")
   • Makepeace (English, "to make peace")
   • Minnerath (Irish, German, "descendant of little cleric")
   • Madrey (Spanish, "wood," "timber")
   • Magdaleno (Spanish, deriving from the Biblical name "Magdalena")
   • Malaquias (Hebrew, "messenger of God")
   • Mishchuk (Ukrainian, "town," "city")
   • Matsumoto (Japanese, "base of the pine tree")
   • Maeda (Japanese, "front rice paddy," or "field in front")
   • Malixi (Filipino, unknown origins)
   • Malkoff (Russian, Jewish, short for Malakhovsky, a Belarusian village)
   • Maloles (Spanish, "bad," "evil")
   • Maluf (Arabic, "well-known," "beloved," "friend")
   • Malyshev (Russian, "small child," "little one")
   • Mintz (Yiddish, "mint")
   • Morledge (Old English, "stream")
   • Mustone (Italian, unknown origins)

Section 3 of 3:

Choosing a Last Name

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1. 1
   Consider heritage and choose a name that matches. Last names can be a way to reflect our culture and nationality. You might think about picking a name from your or your fictional character's culture or language.
2. 2
   Say the name aloud with the first name to check the flow. It's important to make sure the last name you choose matches well with the first name accompanying it. When considering a surname you like, practice saying it aloud with the first name (and maybe the middle name, too) to make sure it rolls off the tongue and, perhaps, isn't too difficult to say.

   • You also want to make sure the first name and last name combined don't sound inappropriate or offensive in some way. For instance, if your first name is "Jenna," you probably don't want to go with the surname "Tull." Just a heads up!
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Last Names that Start with M Generator

1. Find the perfect 'M' last name for any purpose

   You have a special affinity with the letter M, and you need to figure out some options for a character last name, or a writer pseudonym, or just to jog your memory. Whatever it is, the Last Names that Start with M Generator will help you instantly find inspiration with just the click of a few buttons!

   • All fields are optional.

     Origin/Ethnicity Any (default) African American Arabic Aramaic Armenian Australian Babylonian Basque Brazilian British Bulgarian Cambodian Celtic Chinese Czech Danish Dutch Egyptian English Filipino Finnish French Gaelic German Ghanaian Greek Haitian Hawaiian Hebrew Hungarian Icelandic Indian Irish Italian Jamaican Japanese Korean Latin Mexican Native American Nigerian Norse Norwegian Pacific Islander Persian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Sanskrit Scandinavian Scottish Slavic Spanish Swahili Swedish Swiss Thai Turkish Ukrainian Vietnamese Welsh Yiddish Uncertain Other (write your own)

     Rarity Any (default) Common Uncommon Rare

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