Middle Names with Meaning

No low self-esteem for this kid, or so his parents hope. 

Worth

Apt name for a little drama queen with a long future ahead of her. Saga is a Top 30 girls' name in Sweden.
 
Saga was the Norse goddess of poetry, storytelling, and history. She was a prophetess — able to predict events.

Saga

Mythical wonderland makes strong, evocative first name. 

Atlantis

Revel is a joyous word name that may appeal to parents wanting a non-traditional Biblical choice or simply a name that expresses how they feel.

Revel

Early is a word-turned-name, pleasantly suggesting the start of a bright new day. Of the new word and day names, Early is one of the best.
 
Early James is the stage name of singer-songwriter Fredrick James Mullis Jr.

Early

Fortune is a middle name choice designed to generate good luck and prosperity. 

Fortune

Power is one of the new crop -- Justice, Liberty, Peace -- of strong, clear-cut, declarative choices, though this one carries more assertiveness than virtue. 

Power

Win is an upbeat, can-do name that can be a short form of one of the buttoned-up British choices above or can stand on its own. Welsh Wyn is another possibility.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and singer Ciara named their son Win Harrison. Harrison is Wilson's father's first name.

A fun and confident choice, Holiday is a celebratory name, particularly associated with Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah, and New Year, and with rest, leisure, and vacations more generally. Fitting for a winter baby, but totally sunny too, it comes from the Old English hāligdæg meaning "holy day" as it was originally used to mark religious festivals and celebrations.
 
A quietly used option since the 50s, jazz singer Billie Holiday lends the name an element of glamor too, while familiar nickname Holly keeps it grounded. In a recent count, just 21 girls were called Holiday in the US, making this a rare choice that doesn't sound too out there.

Holiday

One celebrity baby Pilot put this occupational choice into the pool -- together with the middle name Inspektor, something we wouldn't advise following. 

Pilot

Plausible word name, denoting strength and stability, currently given to a small handful of boys in the US each year. 

Anchor

Solstice graduated from word to official first name when author Lionel Shriver used it for a character in her novel Big Brother. But of course, there were people named Solstice before: 16 baby girls were given the name in the US in 2021 (and it is occasionally used for boys too).

The word solstice is derived from the Old French and Latin term meaning "point at which the sun seems to stand still." There are pagan celebrations around the time of the winter and summer solstices, June 21 and December 21, the longest and shortest days of the year, which makes Solstice one of the best <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/577/names-for-december-babies">names for babies born in December</a> or June.

Solstice

Horizon

These days, it's more likely you'd call your daughter the popular Belle or Bella.

Bell

Jinx, a James Bond heroine name has an ominous meaning but kinetic energy. In the film "Die Another Day," the actual first name of the character played by Halle Berry is Giacinta. It could therefore be a playful nickname to Ginevra, Jessica, Genevieve, Gianna, Josephine, or Georgina, or a bold choice for those wanting some sparky and witchy. 

Jinx

Wild

One of the most usable of the pleasant, newly adopted nature/water names (like Lake and Ocean), especially in middle position. It's gentle, slightly whimsical, but grounded by its similarity to May or Rae.
 Other associations with bay are the bay laurel tree, prized since ancient times for its medicinal and culinary (bay leaves!) properties, and the reddish-brown color usually applied to horses. There's also the Old English connection, from beġ meaning "berry", making it a fun name for any future Baby Berry. And of course there is the contemporary term of endearment, "Bae", short for baby. 
 Bay Kennish was a character on the show Switched at Birth; and conservative political commentator Bay Buchanan was born Angela Marie.

Prime example of the aggressive word names that are an off-the-grid branch of the new macho names.  Makes Cannon, Maverick, and Ranger feel almost soft and sensitive by comparison. 

Danger

An ubercool and mysterious name, brought to you by director M. Night Shyamalan. 

Night

A bright and optimistic middle name choice. 

Middle names with meaning have become important to more and more parents, as middle names are seen less as connective tissue and more as a way to invest extra significance in your child's name. A 

 may be the name of a beloved friend or family member, a surname rescued from your family tree, or — in the case of the meaningful names here — a choice with an inspirational feel.

 can be meaningful if they carry special significance. Be it Grace or Glimmer, Lee or Legacy, the most important thing is that it has a connection to you and your family.

Meaningful middle names for babies do much more than bridge the first name and the last. Get inspiration from the names below.

Middle names with meaning, including River, Maverick, and Royal (Page 6)