Middle Names, Surnames, and Nicknames
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 46 pages
of 46
Word name
While nature names, even those of fierce animals and mountain peaks, are used for children these days, architectural features like this somehow seem a bit cold.
"pathway, trail; piece of music; trace, impression"
Chosen by US politician, Sarah Palin back the late 80s, Track is an unexpected word name with multiple layers. Perhaps too on the nose for most, it has appeared in the US stats only one, in 2011,…
Latin
"midday / pinnacle"
In geography, a meridian is a line drawn around the curve of the Earth between the North and South Poles. The term comes from Latin meridianus, meaning "pertaining to midday", and the association…
English word, Old English
"an inlet of the sea where the land curves inward; berry"
Like River and Lake, a cool, refreshing modern water-related choice. This name is also associated with bay leaves, the bay laurel, the contemporary term of endearment, "bae", and the Old English word…
Yes, nature lovers are starting to name their children after all forms of life, including fish, but consider carefully before you cast your line into these tease-infested waters.
Cornish place name
"accompany, bring together"
The name of a beautiful village on the Roseland Peninsula in Cornwall, Veryan actually derives from a series of misunderstandings: Sen Veryan ("Saint Veryan") is a Cornish corruption of Severian,…
English word name
Modern virtue name, playing on the word "tough".
"two pence"
This quirky British nickname-turned- real-name is most famously borne by English actress Tuppence Middleton, who was named for her mother Tina’s childhood nickname. There is also a British literary…
Jura is an uncommon masculine name with diverse origins across multiple cultures. In Slavic languages, particularly Polish and Czech, it functions as a diminutive of names like Juraj or Jerzy (forms…
Place-name
The vowel ending tilts this sharply toward the feminine, and at this point Havana still has some political implications as well.
Native American place-name
While some sources assign the place-name the romantic meaning "beautiful daughter of the stars," the Virginia region itself says the name is of uncertain Native American origin with many possible but…
English word name, French
"vigour, spirit"
A vibrant and energetic noun name, chosen by actress Shawnee Smith for her daughter, Verve has plenty of zest packed into a stylish single syllable. Borrowed from French, it means "spirit, vigour,…
"moral depravity or corruption"
This scary word name was given to five baby boys in the US in 2013, entering the lexicon for the first time. Are the boys named Vice destined for a life of crime, or the creation of a media empire?
