200+ Cool Middle Names

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.

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.

Asking for trouble.

Nico is a fun and lively nickname, full of charm, and suitable both as a full name and a short form. Nikko is a unique spelling that currently sits just outside of the US Top 1000.

One of the best-known African names in the Western World because of the Somali-born model and wife of the late David Bowie.

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.

With the plethora of Alexes around, Xan (and Xander) have emerged as hot new nicknames for Alexander. Xan also stands well on its own. It can be found--not surprisingly--in several computer games.

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

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.

An Irish classic for boys that has a streamlined, surnamey, unisex appeal in this spelling.

In geography, a meridian is a line drawn around the curve of the Earth between the North and South Poles. The term comes from Latin meridianus, meaning "pertaining to midday", and the association with midday has led to the word gaining an added figurative meaning of "pinnacle; culmination".

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

Alaska's Denali National Park is the home of the highest mountain in the US, officially renamed Denali in 2014, endowing the name with a lofty feel. There were 20 boys and 55 girls given the name in 2014.

Many African tribes have a tradition of naming children for the day or time they were born -- Friday, Afternoon -- a practice finding new life in the Western world as word names become more popular.

This hip Parisian neighborhood name would make a delightful middle for a baby girl.

Spunky old vaudeville era nickname name suddenly sounds new again.

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

Though it's used far more often for boys, Lyle has a lot in common with today's trending girl names that share the double L sound: Lila, Layla, and Lola.

Panda, welcome to the baby name menagerie! Panda is an adorable animal name (after an adorable animal) that is sure to be both very rare and very cute. In Skins there was a character called Panda, which was short for Pandora. The name Panda comes from the Nepali word ponya meaning "bamboo eater".

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.