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250+ compound names for babies

Grace Royal
By Grace Royal
Updated Wed Jul 03 2024
250+ compound names for babies

Compound names are formed by combining two separate names together in order to create a brand new one. Also known as combined names or smoosh names, these portmanteau monikers aim to bring out the best of both names.

There are of course the classics - combination names that are so well-used that they might not even be thought of as smoosh names anymore. Well-established girls names such as Marianne, Annabelle, Rosemarie, Marilyn, and Mariella might fall under this category. There are some compound names that are simply two names stuck together with no extra cutting or merging. There are many Italian names for boys that fall under this category, such as Giancarlo and Leoluca, along with several classic feeling names for girls, like Annabeth or Ruthanne. Other combination names require a little more blending and chopping to become a new name, such as the African American Jamarion, a blend of James and Marion, or the French Lilou, created from Lilie and Louise. Smoosh names are more prevalent among girls, though many of them are made of similar parts. On-trend sounds like Belle, Lynn, Beth, Marie, Elle, Ella and Ann are added to the beginning or end of many names, in order to create something contemporary but familiar. Some combination names come from literature, such as Belphoebe and Samwise, while others come together to make bold word names, like Seabrook and Rosegold. From clunky and vintage Ethelmary to contemporary Skylette, we've collected together some of the best and some of the newest compound names for babies, ordered below by their popularity on Nameberry.

  1. Roselotte

    • Origin:

      German, Dutch

    • Meaning:

      "rose + free man"

    • Description:

      Poetic and whimsical but with touch of valor about it, Roselotte is a rare compound name, blending two classics together. It would likely be pronounced with four syllables ("RO-zuh-law-tuh"), three in Dutch ("ROZ-law-tuh") and two or three in English ("ROZ-loht" or ROZ-uh-loht").
  2. Rosemary

    • Origin:

      Latin or English

    • Meaning:

      "dew of the sea, or rosemary (herb)"

    • Description:

      Despite appearances, Rosemary is not a "smoosh" name, not even a traditional one. The name derives from two Latin terms "Ros" meaning ‘dew’ and "Marinus" "meaning "of the sea". The plant was termed ‘dew of the sea’ due to its salty texture and its ability to thrive in coastal climes. Only after the Middle Ages did the English names of Rose and Mary become interchanged with the name Rosmarinus and give us the modern name we use today.
  3. Annabelle

    • Origin:

      Combination of Anna and Belle or French form of Amabel

    • Meaning:

      "loving"

    • Description:

      This is a charming name that rose steeply along with other-belle names, such as Isabelle, until the horror film Annabelle and its sequels knocked it out of favor. Made famous by the Edgar Allen Poe poem Annabel Lee. Annabelle is saucy and stylish, a tad upscale, has a sense of humor, is melodious and lively, but is unfortunately off its peak.
  4. Bowen

    • Origin:

      Welsh, Chinese

    • Meaning:

      "son of Owen; wave of writing, wave of literature"

    • Description:

      Bowen is a Celtic surname representing two separate Celtic strains, one Welsh and one Irish, and entered the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2011.
  5. Luella

    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Louella

    • Meaning:

      "battle famous fairy maiden"

    • Description:

      Luella is a sleeker spelling variant of the girls' name Louella and is now more popular than the original. Sweet, but lively, it was a popular name in the the early 19th century, but fell out of favor in the 50s. Now, after a 60 year absence, it's back in the charts, in the US and the UK.
  6. Marisol

    • Origin:

      Spanish, contracted form of Maria de la Soledad

    • Meaning:

      "Mary of Solitude"

    • Description:

      Marisol is a favorite Spanish name for girls, and an excellent candidate to cross the culture line, a la Soledad and Paz.
  7. Lilou

    • Origin:

      Occitan pet form of French Liliane, or French compound of Lili and Louise

    • Meaning:

      "lily; lily + renowned warrior"

    • Description:

      Sweet, enchanting Lilou is considered both a pet name from the Occitan language (spoken in Provence in the south of France), and a compound name, blending floral Lili with classic Louise. It peaked in France back in 2009 when it reached #12, and while it has now fallen in popularity, it remains in the Top 200.
  8. Marilyn

    • Origin:

      English, combination of Mary and Lynn

    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + lake"

    • Description:

      For a name that was in the Top 20 for a whole decade – the 1930's – Marilyn has attained the status of almost a one-person name. Just say the name Marilyn, and most people will know who you mean. Yet strangely enough, though Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jean and renamed in tribute to earlier star Marilyn Miller) was the sex symbol of her generation, very little stardust adhered to her name. In fact, when Mariah Carey wished to honor the star in her daughter's name, she chose to call her Monroe rather than Marilyn.
  9. Lior

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "I have a light"

    • Description:

      Lior is a unisex name frequently heard in Israel, capturing the popular light theme through its meaning. For English speakers, the one down side is possible pronunciation confusion with "liar," though it's really lee-OR, with a long e sound and emphasis on the second syllable.
  10. Kyler

    • Origin:

      Dutch

    • Meaning:

      "victory of the people"

    • Description:

      Kyler was once a creative solution for 90s parents who enjoyed the sounds of Kyle and Tyler but didn't want to use anything so popular. Now a well-established name on the US charts, it is given to more than 1000 babies every year.
  11. Mariana

    • Origin:

      Latin, Portuguese, Spanish, Romanian

    • Meaning:

      "related to the god Mars"

    • Description:

      Mariana is that unusual name that is more than the sum of its parts. While Mary or Maria and Ana or Anna are both perfectly nice classic names, Mariana achieves a lyrical elegance that transcends them.
  12. Melinda

    • Origin:

      English combination name

    • Meaning:

      "beautiful honey"

    • Description:

      In the eighteenth century there was a poetic fad for names with the 'inda' sound, and, along with Belinda, Clarinda, Dorinda and Florinda, Melinda was one of those created at that time. It came into non-literary use in the 1840's, peaking in the U.S. in the late 1960s and 1970s: Melinda was a Top 100 name from 1967 to 1980. It began to fade as nickname Mindy ascended. Nowadays, however, Melinda feels more contemporary than cousins Melissa, Mindy, Belinda and Linda.
  13. Marianne

    • Origin:

      French combination of Marie and Anne

    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + grace"

    • Description:

      A midcentury Catholic classic that's not chosen by many parents today. Leonard Cohen fans might think of the beautiful song So Long, Marianne, named for his lover and muse Marianne Ihlen.
  14. Brooklyn

    • Origin:

      English Place name from Dutch

    • Meaning:

      "marshland"

    • Description:

      Extreme makeover: Brooklyn has gone from jokey Borough Boy name in the 1990s to a leading girls' name starting with B. The status of New York's Brooklyn as hipster heaven is ironic as few bona fide Brooklyn hipsters would choose this name.
  15. Jebediah

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "beloved friend"

    • Description:

      Like its better known cousin Jedidiah, Jebediah is one of those four-syllable Old Testament names that is being shorn of its long white-bearded image, with the help of its modern-sounding Jeb nickname.
  16. Annabeth

    • Origin:

      Combination of Anna and Beth

    • Description:

      This is a long-recognized smoosh name merging Anna with the short form of Elizabeth, and is one of the prettiest combo names, a possible alternative to Annabel.
  17. Maryjane

    • Origin:

      English, combination of Mary and Jane

    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, beloved + god is gracious"

    • Description:

      Mary was such a common name for so long that it sprouted a whole family of chimeric name splices: Maryann, Marybeth, Mary-Lousie, ad infinitum. Spiderman's Mary Jane Watson, the closed toe shoe with a strap, and the common nickname for marijuana have helped keep this one especially familiar to the American ear.
  18. Mariel

    • Origin:

      Dutch diminutive of Mary

    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"

    • Description:

      Mariel Hemingway popularized this attractive and unusual variation of Mary. It's a fairly recent form, emerging in the twentieth century. Other variations include Marielle and Mariella, which is found in Italy.
  19. Altalune

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "over the moon"

    • Description:

      Altalune is an invention used by Uma Thurman and Arpad Busson as one of several middle names for their daughter. It's evocative Latin meaning roughly translates to "over the moon." Celebrity baby Altalune will be called the more familiar Luna for short.
  20. Heathcliff

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "cliff near a heath"

    • Description:

      Heathcliff is the name of the original passionate macho hero of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, and also of the cartoon cat. It was chosen by fashionista Lucy Sykes for her son, and inspired the late Heath Ledger's name. But otherwise it's barely used, and perhaps a bit much of a namesake. For a modern boy we'd recommend Heath....or Cliff.