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180+ Southern Names for Girls and Boys

  1. Mayella

    • Origin:

      Compound name, combining May, Mary, Margaret or Maya with Ella

    • Meaning:

      "Maytime fairy; beloved fairy; pearl-like fairy; fairy mother"

    • Description:

      A sunny sounding name, Mayella is a smoosh name with various meanings, depending on which etymological root you follow for May. The name is perhaps most associated with Mayella Ewell in Harper Lee's novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, a character whose loneliness and desperation spark the main plot of the book. This may well put parents off using the name and it is only ever given to a handful of girls every year.
  2. Texas

    • Origin:

      Place-name

    • Description:

      After Dallas, Austin, and Houston, the new cowboy on the block. Old-school Western nickname: Tex.
  3. Houston

    • Origin:

      Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "Hugh's town"

    • Description:

      Looking for a Texas name more distinctive than Austin and Dallas? Houston is a lanky, roguish place-name, right in style with its Texas accent and cowboy image.
  4. Junius

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "born in June"

    • Description:

      Junius is one of those names that's growing on us, along with many of its Roman countrymen such as Julius and Atticus. We once thought it was a combination of the least attractive elements of Junior and Julius but now we think...well, we think it's okay. Not great, but okay.
  5. Meridian

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "midday / pinnacle"

    • Description:

      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".
  6. Bayard

    • Origin:

      French

    • Meaning:

      "russet-haired"

    • Description:

      An old English redhead name -- one of the few that doesn't begin with the letter r -- with references both to a famous French knight and a magical horse. Civil Rights leader Bayard Rustin is a contemporary bearer of this unusual and evocative name.
  7. Chevy

    • Origin:

      French, diminutive of Chevalier

    • Meaning:

      "horseman, knight"

    • Description:

      Eternally tied to the surname Chase, via the old English battle and ballad, the DC suburb, and the goofy SNL pratfaller (who was born Cornelius). It entered the US Top 1000 in 2014.
  8. Weldon

    • Description:

      Weldon is a masculine name of English origin, derived from an Old English surname meaning 'hill near a spring' or 'well on a hill.' This place-name became a given name and gained modest popularity in the United States during the early to mid-20th century. Weldon carries a distinguished, somewhat vintage quality that conveys strength and reliability. While never ranking among the most common names, it maintains steady usage among parents drawn to traditional Anglo-Saxon names with clear meanings. The name projects an image of dependability and seriousness, often associated with southern American naming traditions. Weldon has experienced a slight revival among parents seeking uncommon vintage names.
  9. Calpurnia

    • Origin:

      Latin "chalice; cup"

    • Meaning:

      "chalice; cup"

    • Description:

      Calpurnia is a name with a massive history. As the third and final wife of Julius Caesar, Calpurnia has been forever depicted in literature (Shakespeare) and film (Cleopatra; Rome) as a modest and sweet woman, utterly devoted to Caesar. She is said to have foretold his death and to have tried (and failed) to have warned him of the treachery of his trusted allies. Following Caesar's assassination, Calpurnia never remarried.
  10. Atlanta

    • Origin:

      Place name

    • Meaning:

      "Atlantic Ocean"

    • Description:

      The capital of Georgia is far from the ocean, but got its name from the Western and Atlantic Railroad which ran through the city. Best known as a hub of industry and transport, and for its roles in the Civil War and Civil Rights Movement, it has never been popular as a baby name despite sounding like one. Its peak popularity was in 1995, the year before Atlanta hosted the Olympic Games.

  11. Jessup

    • Description:

      Jessup is a masculine name with English origins, primarily used as a surname before transitioning to occasional first-name usage. It evolved from the medieval personal name 'Joseph,' meaning 'God will add' or 'God increases.' Historically found in English counties like Yorkshire and Gloucestershire, Jessup has the distinctive quality of sounding both traditional and rare. As a first name, it offers a fresh alternative to the more common Jesse or Joseph, while maintaining familiar sounds. The name has a strong, concise quality with its two syllables and crisp ending. Though uncommon as a given name, Jessup appeals to parents seeking names with historical depth and an English heritage connection without being commonly used.

  12. Jazz

    • Origin:

      Word name

    • Description:

      Musical choice that may be a short form of Jasmine or Jazlyn, or might stand on its own like this or as Jaz, the spelling used by tennis duo Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi.
  13. Hoover

    • Origin:

      German

    • Meaning:

      "owner of a patch of farmland"

    • Description:

      A huve is 40 acres of land, so the occupational name Hoover refers to the farmer who owned and worked it. Hoover also relates to the rock band, the vacuum cleaner, the dam, and former FBI head J. Edgar.
  14. Dacey

    • Origin:

      Irish

    • Meaning:

      "from the south"

    • Description:

      Dacey is a delicate and lacy Irish name with real possibilities.
  15. Dorinda

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "bountiful gift"

    • Description:

      Cinderella stepsister type Victorian-valentine name.
  16. Dabney

    • Origin:

      French

    • Meaning:

      "from Aubigny"

    • Description:

      Dapper-sounding choice with old American roots (Dabney Cosby was a 19th century Virginian architect who worked with Thomas Jefferson on some of that state's most iconic buildings). Dabney Montgomery was Martin Luther King Jr's bodyguard, giving this name yet more American history depth. Dab is a sweet nickname option for this name.
  17. Memphis

    • Origin:

      Greek and Coptic place-name

    • Meaning:

      "Enduring and beautiful"

    • Description:

      Tied to the bluesy southern city and to the world heritage cite in Egypt after which it was named, Memphis is a modern choice with ancient history. Currently significantly more popular for boys in the US, as a place name with sounds reminiscent of Paris, Meredith and Emma, it has plenty of potential as a unisex choice.
  18. Temple

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "dweller near the temple"

    • Description:

      Rather formal word name that has been used occasionally over the years, most notably for the autism activist and animal expert Temple Grandin.
  19. Charleston

    • Origin:

      American place-name

    • Meaning:

      "Charles' town"

    • Description:

      Charleston is one of those baby names that may become more popular thanks to its nickname Charlie, now used about equally for boys and girls. If you want to call your daughter Charlie but believe she needs a more formal name, you might try Charleston instead of Charlotte. And Charleston is a lovely city in South Carolina.
  20. Darl

    • Origin:

      Literary name

    • Description:

      This name of a character in Faulkner's As I Lay Dying is short, sweet and Southern-sounding.