Middle Names, Surnames, and Nicknames
910+ Middle Names (with Meanings & Popularity)
Across 46 pages
of 46
Lee
English
"pasture, meadow"
The original brief, breezy name is somewhat out of favor now even as a middle name. The Leigh spelling has more substance and is more identifiable as female.
Lynn
Diminutive of Linda, English, Welsh
"pretty, soft, tender; lake"
Lynn arrived in the 1940s, spinning off from the wildly popular Linda to become a top mid-century middle (and first) name, ranking at #58 during its 1956 peak. Now, however, Lynn is out of the…
Jean
English and Scottish, from French variation of Johanna
"God is gracious"
Originally a feminine of John, Jean was popular in Scotland long before it found favor elsewhere, and had its most shining moment here in the era of Jean Harlow (born Harlean), ultimate symbol of…
Jo
Diminutive of Joanna or Josephine, Hebrew
"Jehovah increases"
The name Jo still evokes the spunky image of the character in Louisa May Alcott's Little Women . Its literary status makes Jo one of the OG boyish nicknames for girls, ala Frankie, Billie, and…
Jude
Latin diminutive of Judith or variation of Judah, Hebrew, Arabic
"praised; to be generous and good to others"
Jude may be a popular boys' name, thanks to Jude Law, but boyish nicknames for girls - like Frankie and Teddy - are on trend and Jude is also a new way to spin Judy or Judith. It's long been used…
Ann
English variation of Hebrew Hannah
"grace"
Ann, the name of the sainted mother of the Virgin Mary, was among the top girls’ names for centuries, in both the original English Ann spelling and the French Anne. Both left the Top 100 around 1970…
Sue
Diminutive of Susan
Much-used midcentury diminutive, now fallen far from favor even as a middle name.
Ellen
English variation of Helen
"torch; shining light"
An medieval English form of Helen, the sensitive but clear-eyed Ellen has swung in and out of style for centuries, often alternating with the parent name. Ellen was the more common in medieval…
Lou
Short form of Louise
"renowned warrior"
Lou is usually a short form of Louise, Louisa, or Lucy in English-speaking countries, when Lou is used for girls at all. But in France and Germany, it's a fashionable choice all on its own, sure to…
Lou
Diminutive of Louis or Lewis, French and German
"renowned warrior"
Lou, all by itself, is become fashionable for girls, which usually makes a name LESS fashionable for boys. But Lou, like Bill or Jim, is rarely used on its own for boys anyway. (You wouldn't name a…
True
English word name
"true"
An inspirational and aspirational word name that evokes ideas of loyalty, faith, honesty, and accuracy, True is a unisex name, which is just slightly more popular for boys. Like an updated form of…
Truth
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…
May
Diminutive of Margaret and Mary; month name
May is a sweet old-fashioned name that hasn't been on the national charts in several decades, but is definitely sounding fresh and springlike. Parents are beginning to see it once more as one of the…
Kay
English, diminutive of Katherine, Greek
"pure"
Kay, a cigarette-smoking, nightclubbing name of the 1930's, could be ready for a comeback along with cousins May/Mae and Ray/Rae. Kay has been out of sight since the mid-eighties, but was in the…
Belle
Short form of Isabelle or French
"beautiful"
Belle has nothing but positive associations, from "belle of the ball" to "Southern belle" to the heroine of Disney's Beauty and the Beast . As if this weren't enough good things, Belle is also one of…
Rae
English, diminutive of Rachel, Hebrew
"ewe"
All the old ae/ay middle names for girls are back — Kay, Fay, Mae/May — and Rae is one of the coolest, used as such by celebrities as Mark Wahlberg and Daniel Baldwin. Even more popular in the…
Rue
Botanical names or word name
"herb; regret"
Rue has gone from Golden Girls actress to Hunger Games heroine to a fresh alternative to beloved middle name Rose. This botanical name is also a coincidental double word name, meaning "regret" in…
Love
English word name or Swedish variation of Louis
"renowned warrior"
In the Anglophone world, Love is more likely to be perceived and pronounced as an English word name than the Swedish form of Louis, which is pronounced LOO-veh.
James
Hebrew
"supplanter"
James for a girl? Believe it or not, this is one of the boy names for girls" gaining a lot of attention these days, since Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds shocked the world by choosing it for their…
Bird
Nature name
We once dismissed Bird as "too flighty", but with the rise of avian names from Lark to Robin to, well, Birdie, we don't see why Bird can't be a fine choice, especially as a middle name.