200+ Cool Middle Names

Supermodel Shalom Harlow glamorized this name, which is heard as a greeting every day in Israel.

Politics aside, the Cuban capital is one of the most rhythmic of place-names. The question is: can politics be put aside?

Knowledge is a word name that's surprising popular in the US, where a recent year saw it given to 184 boys. And if Maverick, Legend, and Justice can be popular baby names, why not Knowledge? It's an important quality for any child to possess, via their name as well as their brain, and you can have all kinds of knowledgeability, in the classroom or the great outdoors, emotionally or spiritually and beyond.

It may feel like a heavy name to wear, however, though nicknames Nol or Ned might help to ground it.

Ax makes a somewhat threatening short form of the popular Axel, given to more than 3000 baby boys last year. It can also be used on its own, though it usually isn't. There were, however, seven baby boys named Axe in the US in 2015.

Spunky old vaudeville era nickname name suddenly sounds new again.

Has a dotty, antic feel via dotty, antic Auntie Mame.

An interesting Canadian province and city name that has some literary history as the name of a character in Dickens's Bleak House; could make a distinctive choice for parents with northern roots.

Wildly optimistic -- and unrealistic -- choice.

Unisex variation of Jazz or Jasper that couldn't say it more plainly. Used for their daughter by tennis couple Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi.

Asking for trouble.

Musician Ry Cooder brought this short form into the lexicon -- his full name is Ryland -- and it feels more familiar now that more Ry- beginning names such as Ryder and Riley are, ahem, riding up the ranks. The Rye spelling makes it more of a word or a nature name and less of a nickname.

Dune is a name of several layers. It's a modern nature name, like Ocean, Bay and Reef, although rarer, conjuring up images of breezy sand dunes on summer beach days.

Depending on how you look at it, a variation of the word name Colt or an abbreviated form of Kolton.

This evocative place-name is rising in popularity -- despite (or perhaps because of) the unfortunate association with an airplane that went missing in March 2014.

Doe is a soft and gentle-eyed middle name possibility and, like Fawn, one of the few animal names open to girls.

"Saturday Night Live" cast member Finesse Mitchell often mocks his own and similar names when portraying the character Starkeisha on the show.

Kenya is fairly commonly heard as a girl's name, but its capital city makes a much more exceptional choice. The name comes from the Maasai phrase "Enkare Nairobi," which translates to "cold water." Nairobi is popularly known as the Green City.

Journalist Hiawatha Bray is a singular contemporary bearer of this name of a Native-American leader immortalized in a Longfellow poem.

Rosette is a delicate feminine name with French origins, functioning as a diminutive form of Rose. It literally means 'little rose,' referring to the small, rose-shaped decoration or ribbon formation. The name combines botanical beauty with artistic flair, conveying images of elegance and refinement. While never extremely common in English-speaking countries, Rosette has maintained a consistent presence, appreciated for its sophisticated French flair. The name carries the rose's symbolic associations with love and beauty while adding a touch of uniqueness compared to the more common Rose or Rosie. Rosette appeals to parents seeking a name that's recognizable yet distinctive, combining floral inspiration with European charm.

Regal Kingsley seems like an all-boy name, but a growing number of parents have bestowed this name on a girl. Credit the ever-trendier -ley suffix.