Middle Names, Surnames, and Nicknames
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 46 pages
of 46
French/Breton variation of John
"God is gracious"
This might be a better choice than the similarly pronounced Jan, to avoid gender confusion.
Diminutive of Earl, English, or word name
"nobleman, warrior; early"
Early is a word-turned-name, pleasantly suggesting the start of a bright new day. Of the new word and day names, Early is one of the best. Early James is the stage name of singer-songwriter Fredrick…
Latin
"Roman messenger god"
Adventurous parents are starting to look back to names of ancient gods like Mercury, Zeus, and Apollo. This one is also a planet and a metallic element, and has a friendly nickname, Merc. The Roman…
English word name, diminutive of Sylvester
A bit too cunning.
English word name
"an account of incidents or events"
A new unisex word name with a lot of charm, especially appropriate for the child of writers. Soleil Moon Frye named her second baby boy Story and Jenna Elfman called her son Story Elias.
"trail"
Hiking enthusiasts might consider this nature name, though it also has the connotation of someone lagging behind. That hasn't stopped nearly 30 boys being given the name in the US since 2010,…
Bird and color name
Teal is one of the prettiest and most straightforward of the new color names -- an ideal middle name choice.
Geographical name
Today Show anchor Savannah Guthrie put this name of a geographical feature on the baby name map when she chose it for her newborn daughter, Vale Guthrie Feldman. Vale might be considered part nature…
Word name
A name heard in Puritan times -- Cotton Mather was a minister involved in the Salem witchcraft trials -- which really deserves modern consideration as it blends nature and softness into a really…
Short form of Rebecca or English
"one living beside a small stream"
Although the single-named singer is male, this might be a girl's nickname name or a sleek nature name that's perfect in the middle.
"luck, fate, wealth"
Fortune is a middle name choice designed to generate good luck and prosperity.
It's a beautiful burnished metal -- but also slang for policeman.
Harvest has been occasionally used as a name since the eighteenth century, originally as evenly unisex, but in the US data for last year was starting to lean more female, given to 29 girls and 11…
A grassy place with trees is a nice image to attach to a name.
American animal name
"pike, a fish"
The field of nature names is constantly expanding to include all species of flowers and trees and animals and birds and even fish. In addition to its appeal for anglers, Pike recalls Zebulon Pike,…
Tibetan
"brave wanderer"
If Portia can become Porsche, then Apollo can morph into Polo -- the imprint of designer Ralph Lauren.
Power is one of the new crop -- Justice, Liberty, Peace -- of strong, clear-cut, declarative choices, though this one carries more assertiveness than virtue.
African word name from Swahili
"journey"
In the US this is likely to conjure zebras, lions and elephants on the Serengeti, but its original meaning "journey" broadens its wearability. Safari is a name common in Africa for babies born while…
"unaccompanied"
Solo is a singular word name with special meaning for Star Wars fans. Equally appropriate for girls and boys, it works especially well in the middle.
English surname, variation of Wild, English word name
"untamed; undomesticated, uncultivated"
Wilde is a bold choice that equally fits in to a number of contemporary name trends. It's a daring, outdoorsy word name; a surname-style choice; a literary honor name; and a sound-alike for more…
