Middle Names, Surnames, and Nicknames
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 46 pages
of 46
Occupational word name
Drummer entered the baby name lexicon thanks to blogger No Big Dill, who chose it for her newborn son, who joins five older sisters. Drummer is right in step with other occupational names in vogue…
English word name
Booker and Author are being used as names (the former is best known care of Booker T Washington), so why not Reader? Reader certainly fits in with both these and other "doing" names like Ryder,…
Sanskrit
"truth"
In Buddhism, Dharma embodies the basic principles of cosmic existence--making it a fitting name for the hippyish character on the sitcom Dharma and Greg , whose middle name was Freedom. Students of…
Word name
Chosen by one musician, Todd Rundgren, for his son, but unlikely to be emulated by others.
"gratification or pleasure"
The mythical daughter of Eros and Psyche becomes a modern-sounding word name. Danger: could be seen as X-rated.
Literary and word name
Remarkable Pettibone was a self-important housekeeper in James Fenimore Cooper's The Pioneers . Such names were not uncommon in early America, with such choices as Remember and Experience showing up…
"comfort"
This Puritan virtue name may be unstylish, but it is also sympathetic and appealing in these largely uncomfortable times.
word name
This cosmological name has a zippy feel that might work well for the galactic parent looking for the perfect name for their own little star.
English and French word name and surname
Revere is a word name meaning to admire or esteem, an appealing meaning. In the USA, however, Revere attracts further connotation as the surname of Paul Revere, one of the celebrated patriots of the…
Similar in look to Reverie, Revere is far-less dreamy. Connoting both the word meaning to admire or esteem and the US Revolutionary War patriot, Revere could make an interesting choice for a boy or a…
Rhymer feels right at home with names like Ryder, Ryker and Riley, but brings an artsy edge to this group of names.
This evocative term for a stone or shell carved in relief could make a striking first name for a girl, though she would have a starring role in her story, rather than a cameo.
French word name
"Girls Gone Child" blogger Rebecca Woolf made Boheme a first name when she gave it to one of her twin daughters (the other one's name is Reverie). La Boheme -- "The Bohemian" -- is a Puccini opera…
Blithe is a delicate feminine name derived from the Old English word 'bliþe,' meaning 'happy,' 'carefree,' or 'joyful.' As a word-name that directly evokes a positive emotional state, it belongs to…
Cool and casual, a la humorist Ring (born Ringgold. ) Lardner.
Nature name, English word name
"a shore of a body of water"
With the tide coming in on a new wave of word names, this one just might catch on, especially for parents who relish sun, sand, and surf. Forest lovers can spell it Beech, like the tree.
"string instrument"
When Australian actress Rachel Griffiths chose this highly unusual name for her son, many assumed it was a bizarre invention, but noted Australian poet and writer of Waltzing Matilda , Banjo…
Ballad could be the masculine answer to Aria. An obvious and cute nickname is Lad or Laddie.
Greek
"thunder"
This lovely surname of the three novel-writing sisters, now used as a baby name, makes a fitting tribute for lovers of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights . While the original name took an umlaut over…
Literary name and Old Norse
"gravel bank river"
This lovely name is best-known as the surname of eponymous Bronte heroine, Jane Eyre, and would make an appealing and distinctive middle name for the child of fans of that book. While the surname…
