Nature, Place and Word Names · Name Image
180+ Southern Names for Girls and Boys
Across 10 pages
of 10
About this list
Southern names evidence the region's charm, hospitality, and courtesy.
In the American South, parents often pass down family names to their children. The need to distinguish children from their relatives led to many of what we consider Southern naming traditions, including double-barreled names and children going by their middle names.
Along with Top 10 American names Ava and Mason, Southern names that make the US Top 300 include Cash, Daisy, Delilah, Georgia, Tucker, and Wyatt. In the South, popular names for girls include Paisley, Scarlett, and Skylar. Carter, Elijah, and John are among the top boy names in the Southern states.
Southern place names can also honor a love of the South or Southern heritage. Along with Georgia, other choices include Alabama, Augusta, Austin, Carolina, Houston, Macon, and Savannah. Names drawn from natural features of the American South might make good choices. Along with Daisy, Southern nature names include Magnolia, Azalea, Bayou, Delta, and Meridian.
Names of notable Southerners might also make good Southern baby names. These honor names range from Blanche to Tennessee, Flannery to Faulkner, Dolly to Landry, Waylon to Zelda.
This list of Dixie baby names may inspire a choice for your southern belle or gentleman.
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The names
Charlotte
French, feminine diminutive of Charles
"free man"
Charlotte, the name of the young Princess of Cambridge, is the latest classic name to join Sophia, Emma, Olivia, and Isabella at the top of the popularity list. It is now among the most popular girl…
Hazel
English
"the hazelnut tree"
Hazel has a pleasantly hazy, brownish-green-eyed, old-fashioned image that more and more parents are choosing to share. Former Old Lady name Hazel reentered the popularity lists in 1998 and now is…
Cooper
English occupational name
"barrel maker"
The genial yet upscale and preppy Cooper was one of the first occupational last names to catch on -- and Cooper remains a pleasing option. Cooper began his rapid climb in 1982 and is a popular choice…
Scarlett
English
"scarlet, red"
Scarlett Johansson is doing more for this sparky southern name than Scarlett O'Hara ever did. Since the turn of the 21st century, Scarlett has gone from an obscure literary name to one of the most…
Grace
English, virtue name
Grace, a simple and pure virtue name which originally referred to divine grace, is a fashionable classic. In the early 2000s, it seemed headed for the Top 10 but pulled back from the upward…
Wyatt
English surname
"brave in war"
Wyatt has been hot, which is to say cool, for several years now. With its easy Wyatt Earpish cowboy charm, it's relaxed but still highly respectable. Wyatt is a lot more classic a name than you might…
Mason
English occupational name
"worker in stone"
Mason is an occupational surname that ranked among the Top 10 name for boys throughout the 2010s, after its choice as one of the first Kardashian baby names. It remained a Top 10 choice in the US…
Abigail
Hebrew
"my father is joyful"
Abigail has been in for so long -- the name has ranked in the US Top 100 since the late 1980s -- it's amazing that it isn't more out by now. But Abigail's biblical and historic roots make it a…
Delilah
Hebrew or Arabic
"delicate"
Melodic and lively, Delilah has cut itself (mostly) free from its treacherous past to become a contemporary favorite. Though some people are naturally still put off by the deceptive Biblical figure,…
Josephine
French feminine variation of Joseph, Hebrew
"Jehovah increases"
Josephine, with its large measure of class and character and a gently offbeat quality, has been on a gentle uphill climb in the US for over 30 years, now ranking in the Top 100. With an intriguing…
Josiah
Hebrew
"God supports, heals"
Josiah—a biblical name with lots of quaint, old-fashioned charm—makes a much fresher sounding alternative to either Joseph or Joshua, combining the best of both. Josiah is among the several Biblical…
Waylon
English
"cunning, craft"
With its rugged, country charm and confident sounds, Waylon is among the wave of Old Western names that parents are choosing. A relatively new entry to the US Top 100, this once uncommon choice has…
Beau
French
"handsome"
Beau suggests someone devilishly handsome, with a large measure of southern charm—a nice image to bestow on your boy. Often solely a nickname in the past, it's now standing firmly on its own. Beau…
Brooks
English
"of the brook"
A nature name, a word name, and a surname name, Brooks has plenty of cool factor. It gives off cowboy vibes and a sporty feel, while also maintaining a smart, collected image. Used occasionally as a…
Paisley
Scottish
"church, cemetery"
For a name related to a Scottish town, a patterned Indian fabric, and a country singer named Brad, Paisley has seen remarkable success. After appearing, seemingly out of nowhere, it is now an…
Daisy
Diminutive of Margaret or flower name, English
"day's eye"
Daisy, fresh, wholesome, and energetic, is one of the flower names that burst back into bloom after a century's hibernation. In 2024, it burst back into the Top 100 for the first time since 1908.…
Walker
English occupational name
"cloth-walker"
Walker is both a Waspy surname name—as in the W in George W. Bush—but it also has a gentle ambling quality and a creative connection to such greats as writer Walker Percy and photographer Walker…
Josie
English, diminutive of Josephine, feminine of Joseph, Hebrew
"Jehovah increases"
Josie is jaunty and friendly: among the most winning of all nickname names. She's been on the Social Security list since records began being kept. Josie and the Pussycats , revolving around an…
Georgia
English, feminine variation of George
"farmer"
Georgia is so rich, lush and luscious, it's almost irresistible. Georgia's now a rising star among the feminizations of George, helped by associations with the southern state (named for British King…
Juniper
Latin tree name
"young"
Juniper is a fresh-feeling nature name -- it's a small evergreen shrub -- with lots of energy. A new favorite of fashionable parents, Juniper joins such other tree and shrub names as Hazel, Acacia,…
