Middle Names, Surnames, and Nicknames
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 46 pages
of 46
Latin
"lover of God"
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's middle name could make an interesting pick for music-loving parents, most easily in the middle place, ala Mozart. But today's more wide-ranging naming sensibility and love…
English surname and place-name
"edge"
Kent is a no-nonsense, brief, brisk one-syllable name, almost as curt as Kurt.
Nature name
Sky is an ambigender nature name that was first legitimized as the character of Sky Masterson in the 1950 musical Guys and Dolls , played in the film version by Marlon Brando. It's a name we…
English word name
"the state of being the case"
True has become an accepted first and middle name; Truth makes an even stronger statement. And with nearly 150 baby boys named Truth in the US in the most recent year counted, as many as were named…
Spelling variation of word name King
All names connected with royalty have become increasingly popular in recent years, and King variation Kyng is no exception. Some parents may feel that the Kyng spelling makes it more of a name and…
Hindi, Sanskrit "destiny, spiritual force; deed, fate"
"destiny, spiritual force; deed, fate"
Some parents are hoping to bestow good karma on their children with this name, derived from the Sanskrit word for "fate". Associated with the Hindu and Buddhist belief that someone's actions in this…
Welsh
"fair, blessed"
Wynn is an attractive Welsh name, originally male but now also used for girls outside of Wales. The authentic feminine version would be Gwen, which derives from the same very productive gwyn element,…
Place-name
Given to children of both sexes as far back as colonial times, this carries a lot of baggage. However, parents continue to take the risk. Actress America Ferrera may be have inspired some families to…
English virtue name from Latin
"the quality of being clear"
Clarity is one of the lightest of the newly rediscovered virtue names, with a bit of three-syllable sparkle, old-fashioned charm and a clear vision for the future. Clarity is a very desirable quality…
Word name
Alternative to Princess or Queenie.
English, diminutive of Theresa
"to harvest"
Cosy and warm but with plenty of substance and strength, Tess is a literary diminutive that works perfectly well as a stand-alone name. Stylish in the Netherlands, it currently sits outside the Top…
English
"a small roadway or path"
Lane is a unisex name equally accessible to boys and girls. Breezy, cool and contemporary, it might equally put in mind country lanes and banks of wildflowers. As a word name, Lane means "small…
"strength, health"
Valentine is an attractive Shakespearean name with romantic associations, but those very ties to the saint and the sentimental holiday have sent it into a decline, one which we think may be about to…
English word, virtue name
"honor"
A classic virtue name for girls stretching back to the Pilgrim times, in more recent years, Honor has become one of the unisex baby names with a near-even gender split. Rarely used on boys before the…
"an account of incidents or events"
An imaginative choice with an uptempo Cory/Rory/Tori sound, perfect for the child of a writer — or anyone with a good story to tell. Story has been finding some appreciation among celebs like…
Loyalty is one of the Modern Virtue Names rising precipitously for babies in recent years, used last year for nearly 300 children, about 85 percent of them girls. Loyalty may also owe some of its…
Irish
"misshapen head"
This attractive surname name still projects that Kennedy family charisma. While it didn't come into widespread use until long after the deaths of martyred heroes President John F. or Senator Robert…
River name, color name, or variation of Niall, Irish
"champion"
Water names are a cool category these days, and this one of the famous Egyptian river is no exception. It streamlines the fussier Niles and also may be thought of as a color name, meaning dark blue…
Scottish, contraction of surname Gregor; Latin
"alert, watchful"
This attractive Scottish surname choice, has a certain amount of glamour thanks to feisty British-born red-haired forties Academy Award winner Greer Garson, who was born Eileen Evelyn Greer…
Glory sounds fresh and uplifting and a lot more modern than Gloria (which is definitely feeling the stirrings of a revival, though some might still view it as a terminal Old Lady name). Glory, as in…
