This page lists 36 boy names and 33 girl names that begin with M. Each M name has its standard meaning and, where there is one, the nakshatra syllable it fits, so a family working from the Moon’s pada can see at a glance which names suit their baby. Only names in real use in India are included.
M is the म of Mohan and Meera. The letter sits across two nakshatras in the table, Magha with Ma, Mi, Mu, Me and Purva Phalguni with Mo, which is why M names are plentiful.
Boy names starting with M
| Name | Meaning | Nakshatra syllable |
|---|---|---|
| Madan | love; the god of love | Magha (Ma) |
| Madhav | sweet as honey; a name of Krishna | Magha (Ma) |
| Mahendra | great Indra, great lord | Magha (Ma) |
| Mahesh | great lord; a name of Shiva | Magha (Ma) |
| Mahir | skilful, expert | Magha (Ma) |
| Manav | human being | Magha (Ma) |
| Manik | ruby | Magha (Ma) |
| Manish | lord of the mind | Magha (Ma) |
| Manoj | born of the mind | Magha (Ma) |
| Mayank | the moon | Magha (Ma) |
| Megh | cloud | Magha (Me) |
| Meghashyam | dark as a rain cloud; a name of Krishna | Magha (Me) |
| Meghdoot | cloud messenger | Magha (Me) |
| Meghnad | thunder of the clouds | Magha (Me) |
| Meghraj | king of clouds | Magha (Me) |
| Mehul | rain | Magha (Me) |
| Meru | the sacred mountain of Indian cosmology | Magha (Me) |
| Mihir | the sun | Magha (Mi) |
| Milan | meeting, union | Magha (Mi) |
| Milap | union, meeting | Magha (Mi) |
| Milind | bee | Magha (Mi) |
| Mitesh | lord of friends | Magha (Mi) |
| Mithilesh | king of Mithila | Magha (Mi) |
| Mithun | a pair, a couple | Magha (Mi) |
| Mitra | friend; also the sun | Magha (Mi) |
| Mohan | enchanting; a name of Krishna | Purva Phalguni (Mo) |
| Mohit | enchanted, charmed | Purva Phalguni (Mo) |
| Mohnish | lord of enchantment | Purva Phalguni (Mo) |
| Moksh | liberation | Purva Phalguni (Mo) |
| Mudit | joyful | Magha (Mu) |
| Mukul | bud, blossom | Magha (Mu) |
| Mukund | giver of liberation; a name of Krishna | Magha (Mu) |
| Muni | sage, ascetic | Magha (Mu) |
| Munish | lord of sages | Magha (Mu) |
| Murali | flute; a name of Krishna | Magha (Mu) |
| Murari | a name of Krishna, foe of the demon Mura | Magha (Mu) |
Girl names starting with M
| Name | Meaning | Nakshatra syllable |
|---|---|---|
| Madhuri | sweetness | Magha (Ma) |
| Mahi | the earth | Magha (Ma) |
| Maitri | friendship | Magha (Ma) |
| Mala | garland | Magha (Ma) |
| Malati | jasmine | Magha (Ma) |
| Mamta | motherly affection | Magha (Ma) |
| Manasvi | intelligent, strong-minded | Magha (Ma) |
| Mandakini | the Ganga, the heavenly river | Magha (Ma) |
| Manjari | flower cluster, blossom spike | Magha (Ma) |
| Mansi | of the mind | Magha (Ma) |
| Maya | illusion, enchantment | Magha (Ma) |
| Medha | intelligence | Magha (Me) |
| Meena | fish | Magha (Mi) |
| Meenakshi | fish-eyed; a name of Goddess Parvati | Magha (Mi) |
| Meera | the devoted poet-saint Mirabai; a name for devotion | Magha (Mi) |
| Megha | cloud | Magha (Me) |
| Meghna | of the cloud | Magha (Me) |
| Mehak | fragrance | Magha (Me) |
| Meher | grace, kindness | Magha (Me) |
| Mekhala | girdle, belt | Magha (Me) |
| Mihika | mist, dew | Magha (Mi) |
| Mishti | sweet | Magha (Mi) |
| Mitali | friendship | Magha (Mi) |
| Mithila | the ancient city of Mithila, Sita’s homeland | Magha (Mi) |
| Mohana | charming | Purva Phalguni (Mo) |
| Mohini | enchantress; also a form of Vishnu | Purva Phalguni (Mo) |
| Mohita | enchanted | Purva Phalguni (Mo) |
| Moksha | liberation | Purva Phalguni (Mo) |
| Mudita | joyful | Magha (Mu) |
| Mugdha | charmed, innocent | Magha (Mu) |
| Mukta | pearl; liberated | Magha (Mu) |
| Mukti | liberation | Magha (Mu) |
| Muskan | smile | Magha (Mu) |
M in the nakshatra table
The 108 naming syllables include 5 that begin with M: Ma in Magha pada 1, Mi in Magha pada 2, Mu in Magha pada 3, Me in Magha pada 4 and Mo in Purva Phalguni pada 1. A baby whose Moon falls in one of those M padas takes that sound, and the M names above that match are shown in the last column of each table.
M in the rashi chart
In the first-letter chart, M belongs to Simha. Every name beginning with M sits in that one sign.
Move on to the previous letter, L and the next letter, N, return to the letters index, or search every name together in the name finder. For the M names above, the baby names hub has a page for each of the 27 nakshatras, and the free nakshatra calculator works out your baby’s pada from the birth details.
Frequently asked questions
↳ What are some Indian baby names that start with M?
Among boys, Madan, Madhav, Mahendra are on this page and 33 more. Among girls, Madhuri, Mahi, Maitri are listed with 30 more. The tables above give every name with its meaning.
↳ Do all M names have a nakshatra syllable?
69 of the 69 names on this page fit one of the 108 syllables. The other 0 begin with a sound that no pada gives, so a family following the nakshatra rule would not use a name that starts with M.
↳ Which rashi is the letter M in?
The chart places M in Simha.
↳ Are the M names here real and traditional?
Yes. Every M name on this page is in real use in India with a standard meaning, drawn from Sanskrit, Hindi or regional tradition. A M name whose meaning could not be confirmed is left out.