Girls middle names

Elizabeth

Hebrew

"pledged to God"

Elizabeth is one of the most popular girls' names of all time, the female equivalent of James or William. Yet Elizabeth has so much going for it—rich history, broad appeal, and timeless style—that no…

Layla

Variation of Leila, Arabic

"night"

A lovely musical name (remember the old Eric Clapton-Derek & the Dominos song?), Layla's seen a significant surge in popularity, partly partly all names with a double L are stylish, and partly…

Grace

English, virtue name

Grace, a simple and pure virtue name which originally referred to divine grace, is a fashionable classic. In the early 2000s, it seemed headed for the Top 10 but pulled back from the upward…

Sarah

Hebrew

"princess"

Sarah was derived from the Hebrew word sarah , meaning "princess." Sarah is an Old Testament name — she was the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac. According to the Book of Genesis, Sarah was…

Cora

Greek

"maiden"

Cora is a lovely, old-fashioned girls' that has been recently rejuvenated by its contemporary-feeling simplicity. In fact, Cora seemed headed straight for the top of the popularity list when the…

Emerson

English

"son of Emery"

The combination of Emily and Emma's popularity -- and the fact that Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher's daughter is named Emerson -- have put this formerly strictly boys’ name , embodying the…

Rylee

Spelling variation of Riley, Irish

"courageous"

This substitute spelling of Riley has been popular with parents for a decade. Rylee entered the charts in 1994, and is solidly within the Top 200 for the last 2 decades. Ryleigh is another spelling…

Vera

Russian

"faith"

Vera was the height of fashion in 1910, then was for a long time difficult to picture embroidered on a baby blanket. Now, though, it has come back into style along with other old-fashioned simple…

Jane

English

"God is gracious"

Simple, classic, strong, and versatile, Jane has shrugged off her plain associations to become a short, punchy name with plenty of literary significance. Calling to mind Jane Austen and Jane Eyre ,…

Faith

Virtue name

Faith is one of the most straightforward of the virtue names popularized by the Puritans in the seventeenth century, many parents still choosing it as an indicator of their religious conviction.…

Lena

English, Scottish, Dutch, German, and Scandinavian, diminutive of various names ending in -lena

This pet form of Helena and other ena-ending names, long used as an independent name, is attracting notice again as an option both multicultural and simple. Lena was a Top 100 name from 1880 to 1920.…

Esme

French

"beloved"

Esmé comes from the past participle of the Old French verb esmer , meaing "to esteem" or "to love." It can also be considered a derivative of the Spanish name Esmeralda, which means "emerald". Esmé…

Hope

Virtue name

Can a name as virtuous as Hope be cool and trendy? Strangely enough -- yes. But though this optimistic Puritan favorite is experiencing substantial popularity, Hope is too pure and elegant to be…

Edith

English

"prosperous in war"

Edith was a hugely popular name a hundred years ago that's being revived among stylish parents in Stockholm and London. It's currently beginning to gain traction in the US among those with a taste…

Mae

Diminutive of Mary or Margaret, Hebrew, Latin

"beloved, bitter, drop of the sea; pearl"

Mae, a sweet and springlike old-fashioned name, hadn't been on the national charts in forty years, but finally made it back in 2010. Mae is derived from May, the month name that was chosen for its…

Faye

English

"fairy"

Soft and simple, but no less magical, Faye is enjoying a quiet spell of popularity in the US. It broke the Top 1000 in 2014, and by 2023, was one of the fastest rising names on the charts. Faye is a…

Kate

English, diminutive of Katherine

"pure"

Kate, in the headlines via Catherine Middleton aka the Princess of Wales, has been as pervasive as Kathy was in the 1950s and 1960s, both as a nickname for Katherine and Kaitlyn and as a strong,…

Marie

French variation of Mary

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"

The ubiquitous French version of Mary came into the English-speaking world in the nineteenth century. In the United States, Marie was a huge hit at the turn of the last century and for the ensuing…

Anne

French variation of English Ann and Hebrew Hannah

"grace"

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 but…

Abby

Diminutive of Abigail, Hebrew

"my father is joyful"

Gently old-fashioned stand-alone nickname that owes its popularity to mega popular Abigail.