My Girls Middle Names
- Lavender
Origin:
English color and flower nameMeaning:
"purple flower"Description:
Lavender lags far behind sweet-smelling purple-hued sister names Violet and Lila, but is starting to get some enthusiastic attention from cutting-edge namers along with other adventurous nature names like Clementine and Marigold. In fact, 2024 saw it enter the US Top 1000 for the first time, when it was given to nearly 260 girls.
- Malia
Origin:
Hawaiian variation of MaryMeaning:
"bitter"Description:
Malia rose up the charts back in 2009 when it was brought into the spotlight as the name of the Obama's eldest daughter. It leapt into the US Top 200, and while it hasn't reached that level of popularity again, it now sees steady usage, and is given to around 1100 girls every year.
- Avalon
Origin:
CelticMeaning:
"island of apples"Description:
Avalon, an island paradise of Celtic myth and Arthurian legend--it was where King Arthur was taken to recover from his wounds-- and also the colorful capital of the California island of Catalina-- makes a heavenly first name. Actress Rena Sofer and British musician Julian Cope used it for their daughters.
- Cove
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"small bay"Description:
Cove is an up-and-coming nature name whose cool sound and peaceful image saw it rising for both sexes... until COVID-19 hit. It remained steady in use for boys in 2021, but actually increased for girls, although it remains a seriously rare and distinctive choice for either gender.
- Aviva
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"springlike, fresh, dewy"Description:
Aviva is vivacious and memorable, a fresh spin on the Vivian and Vivienne names that have been getting more popular since Angelina and Brad chose one for their twin daughter. Another A-beginning palindrome name: Aziza.
- Reverie
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
Reverie is a strong-sounding word for an ethereal, dreamlike state -- a perfect contrast and meaning for a word that intends to become a first name. Popular mommy blogger Rebecca Woolf of Girls Gone Child named one of her twin daughters Reverie, setting off a groundswell of interest.
- Coralie
Origin:
French from LatinMeaning:
"coral"Description:
Coralie is a French name not often heard here, though she's gaining some recognition via Neil Gaiman's similar sounding spooky and lovely children's book, Coraline. Other literary appearances: Coralie is the stage name of an actress in Balzac's Lost Illusions, and a French girl in an 1850 Thackeray novel.Coralie is currently very popular in French-speaking Quebec, and there is a contemporary French singer named Coralie Clement.
- Edna
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"rejuvenation, delight"Description:
Edna is one of those names that, until what it seemed like a few minutes ago, felt so terminally frumpy that no one could imagine a parent choosing it for an innocent modern baby girl. But with the great upswing in names honoring ancestral family members, several of them being other four-letter, e-ending names, we wouldn't be so sure.
- Posie
Origin:
Variation of Posy or short form of Mariposa, English or SpanishMeaning:
"a bunch of flowers or butterfly"Description:
Posie and its near-identical twins Posy and Posey are delicate old-fashioned flower names of the type that are stylish today: Think Poppy, Marigold, Clover.
- Sparrow
Origin:
Nature nameMeaning:
"sparrow, a bird"Description:
With related choices such as Lark and Phoenix gaining popularity, why not Sparrow? Though it's usually thought of as a female name, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden chose it for their son.
- Thalassa
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"the sea"Description:
A pretty, rarely used Greek name, Thalassa is the ancient personification of the sea, particularly the Mediterranean, who is sometimes considered the mother of Aphrodite. In 1991, a newly discovered moon of Neptune was dubbed Thalassa.
- Elinor
Origin:
Spelling variation of Eleanor, English, FrenchDescription:
A sleek, literary alternative to Eleanor, this stripped back form of Eleanor is a well-established spelling. It notably appears in Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, borne by Elinor Dashwood, along with George Eliot's Middlemarch and Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind , as a middle name.
- Ilana
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"oak tree"Description:
Ilana is a name with seemingly endless variations, well used in Israel, sometimes chosen for little girls born on the holiday of TuB'Shevat, the New Year of the Trees.
- Grey
Origin:
Color nameDescription:
Grey is the more common spelling in Britain and Australia. This color name has a softness and ambiguity which makes it equally lovely for a boy or a girl.
- Eirene
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"peace"Description:
Eirene, modernized to Irene, was the Greek goddess of peace. Eirene or Irene was also the name of an early empress and several saints.
- Peridot
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"a green gemstone"Description:
Peridot is the gem of the month of August, a vibrant green mineral, said to be good for helping people put the past behind them, and an interesting, undiscovered jewel name. It was regarded in ancient times as the symbol of the sun.
- Flynn
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"descendant of the red-haired one"Description:
A winning last-name-first Celtic choice, Flynn is still mostly used for boys, such as the son of Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr. Though Flynn is definitely one of the Irish surname names, from Quinn to Flannery to Makenna, that makes one of the trendy boy names for girls".
- Everest
Origin:
Place-name, world's tallest mountainMeaning:
"from Évreux"Description:
Everest has an attractive enough sound and lofty enough meaning to come into style, à la Sierra. George Lucas bestowed this aspirational name on his baby daughter in 2013 and it has been climbing up the charts ever since. Currently in the US Top 1000 for boys, it was also given to around 100 girls in a recent year.
- Clove
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"clove"Description:
Clove is a spice name that is a tad more piquant than Saffron or Cinnamon. It might get more attention now as a member of The Hunger Games family of names.
- Elenna
Description:
Elenna is a feminine name with multiple possible origins. It may be a variant spelling of Elena or Helen, which derive from Greek roots meaning "bright one" or "shining light." This melodic name carries a soft, flowing quality with its double 'n' distinction. While not among the most common names in English-speaking countries, Elenna has seen occasional use throughout the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The name evokes a sense of elegance and femininity while maintaining a distinctive quality. Parents might choose Elenna for its beautiful sound, subtle uniqueness, and connection to the more traditional Elena while offering a slightly different spelling that sets it apart.