Most Malaysians are well aware of a distinct family naming convention belonging to Malaysia’s former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. Almost all of his children, such as Marina, Mirzan, Mukhriz, and Mokhzani, share a common trait: their names all start with the letter “M”.
While many naturally assumed it was just a simple family preference or coincidence, a netizen, @miramzk_, recently went viral on Threads after recalling a surprising historical ‘fun fact’ she stumbled upon while doing a school assignment years ago.
The school project that revealed the story behind the “M” names
The user shared a nostalgic throwback to her school days when computers were still scarce and researching national figures required actual trips to the library to flip through physical books.
During her deep dive into a biography book about Tun Dr. Mahathir, she came across an interesting detail regarding the origin of the letter “M” that has stuck in her head for years.
“Everyone knows that Tun M’s children all start with the letter M. Marina, Mirzan, Mukhriz, and so on (including his adopted children). But apparently, it’s not just because Tun Mahathir’s name starts with M. They say the letter M is right in the middle of the alphabet. So if there’s an oral exam, your name won’t be called too early or too late,” she wrote on her post.
The story goes back to Tun Dr Hasmah’s recollection
Following the viral attention her post received, the user shared further insights with WORLD OF BUZZ regarding the backstory of this unique naming convention.
Though she couldn’t recall the exact title or author of the biography she read years ago in her school library, she later dug deeper and tracked down a 2003 archived article titled “Living as Mahathirs” from the Perdana Leadership Foundation.
The account traces back to Tun Dr Hasmah Mohd Ali, who recalled that her late father-in-law had this specific reasoning.
According to Tun Dr Hasmah’s recollection, choosing a letter around the middle of the alphabet meant the children were far less likely to be called first or last during school examinations, particularly oral tests.
Why “M” was the perfect letter
The logic behind the choice was a calculated and practical stroke of genius. Because “M” sits comfortably right in the middle of the alphabet, children with names starting with M would never have to face the dread of being the very first to present during oral examinations, nor would they languish at the very end of a long queue.
Explaining the tactical advantage, the user added:
“If it’s the end of the alphabet, you might be called last. But if it’s M… you’re somewhere in the middle. So that’s where the tradition of naming the children with the letter M came from.”
The user even playfully admitted that sharing the same initial letter brought her a sense of personal relief during her own school days.
“Back then in class, I felt a bit safer when teachers called out names alphabetically. If your name started with A, you were up immediately. If it was Z, you had a long wait. M? You could just chill for a while,” she joked.
Netizens’ reactions
“Gosh, after this everyone’s going to start giving their kids middle-letter names. Back then, so many kids’ names started with middle letters, like M for Muhammad, N for Nurul/Nur…”
“My boy’s name starts with AA… school matters are a breeze. We got to leave the parent-teacher conference first!”
“My name starts with A, so I was usually first for everything, including injections and dental check-ups at school. But the good thing was, I never had to sit there and watch everyone else suffer before it was my turn!”
“And because of this fact, I found out back when I was in school… I named all my kids with names starting with M! And now, when my husband and I talk to each other on WhatsApp, we’re too lazy to type their full names, so they’ve become M1, M2, M3 and M4.”
