Nature, Place and Word Names · Name Image
180+ Southern Names for Girls and Boys
Across 10 pages
of 10
Abilene
English from Hebrew
"grass"
Abilene is a rarely used place name, mentioned as such in the New Testament, that combines the cowboy spunk of the Texas city with the midwestern morality of the Kansas town where Dwight D.…
Darby
Irish, English, Norse
"free from envy; from the deer estate"
Once a common boy name in Ireland, the dynamic Darby now has a definite unisex feel. A bit like a mash up between Darcy and Ruby, it appeared in the US Top 1000 in the 90s, peaking in 1995 when it…
Willamae
Compound name, blending Willa and Mae
"resolute protection + beloved, pearl, may"
A smoosh name with plenty of both vintage and Southern charm. It combines the familiar Mae with up and coming Willa, and might remind people of jazz dancer Willa Mae Ricker.
Darl
Literary name
This name of a character in Faulkner's As I Lay Dying is short, sweet and Southern-sounding.
Dacey
Irish
"from the south"
Dacey is a delicate and lacy Irish name with real possibilities.
Dabney
French
"from Aubigny"
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…
Delta
Greek
"fourth letter; island formed at the mouth of a river"
Delta is an unusual vintage option, blending the sounds of Della and Etta. The fourth letter of the Greek alphabet and a geographical term, used to describe an island formed at the mouth of a river,…
Dixie
Latin, French
"I have spoken; tenth"
A sassy, spunky, punchy kind of name, Dixie can also be considered a place name, one that has become problematic because of its association with the antebellum South. The Dixie Chicks recently…
Dolly
English, diminutive of Dorothy
"gift of God"
Sweet and cosy with a touch of sass, this nickname-y choice was a familiar option up until the sixties in the US. Then, for a while, it was a bit of a one-person name, associated with singer Dolly…
Dorinda
Greek
"bountiful gift"
Cinderella stepsister type Victorian-valentine name.
Earl
English word name
"nobleman, warrior"
Earl is a title name - brought to England by the vikings - that's out of fashion right now, unlike King and Duke. Its peak popularity was in the 1920s, which gives it a dusty great-grandpa feel, but…
Cricket
Nature name
Nickname name from the era of Father Knows Best , though we can see it making something of a comeback, a la Clover and Pippa. Cricket has new potential especially since it has recently been chosen by…
Ellie-mae
Ellie Mae is a sweet, double-barreled feminine name combining two popular diminutives. Ellie, originally a nickname for Eleanor or Elizabeth, derives from Greek and Hebrew origins meaning "bright,…
Clytie
Greek mythology name
"glorious or renowned"
Clytie was a sea nymph who loved the sun god Helios, who spurned her. She turned into the heliotrope flower.
Emmylou
English combination of Emmy + Lou
"work, universal + renowned warrior"
This name is closely identified with Emmylou Harris, the singer who gives dignity to an old-style combo name. There were over 60 baby girls named Emmylou in the US last year, due the the popularity…
Eudora
Greek
"generous gift"
Eudora is the name of five minor goddesses of Greek mythology and a major goddess (in the person of Pulitzer Prize-winning Eudora Welty) of modern American literature. Eudora is pleasant and…
Eulalie
French form of Eulalia, Greek
"sweetly speaking"
Eulalie hasn't ranked in the US Top 1000 since 1899, but its French roots might make it more appealing to modern ears than its sister Eulalia. "Eulalie" is a poem by Edgar Allan Poe, and the name…
Faulkner
English
"falconer"
Faulkner is an old occupational surname that was used for someone who kept and trained falcons when falconry was a popular sport in medieval Europe. Anyone using it in contemporary America would…
Flannery
Irish
"descendant of Flannghal"
Long before the vogue of using Irish surnames for girls, writer Flannery O'Connor gave this one some visibility. It has a warm (flannelly) feel and the currently popular three-syllable ee-ending…
Fleming
English
"man from Flanders"
If it's not too phlegmatic for you, this surname and name of a Scottish clan could honor a number of people, especially Alexander Fleming, the father of antibiotics, and Ian Fleming, the creator of…