3 syllable middles for girls

Aurora

Latin

"dawn"

The goddess name Aurora has consistently been on the US popularity list since the nineteenth century, but has really taken off in the past 30 years. Aurora also enjoys remarkable international…

Sylvia

Latin

"from the forest"

The musical, sylvan Sylvia seems poised to join former friends Frances and Beatrice and Dorothy back in the nursery. Sylvia has been consistently on the popularity list since records started being…

Elora

Contracted form of Elnora, Eliora or Eleanora

Contemporary without feeling overtly modern, Elora is a winning mix of elements and sounds. It's got the popular El-prefix of Eleanor, Eloise, and Elliana, the -ora ending ef Aurora, Cora, and Nora —…

Marina

Latin

"from the sea"

This pretty sea-born name was used to dramatic effect by Shakespeare in his play Pericles for the virtuous princess who says she is "Call'd Marina, for I was born at sea." Marina was an epithet of…

Artemis

Greek mythology name

"safe or butcher"

Artemis, one of the key figures of the female Greek pantheon, is the ancient virgin goddess of the hunt, wilderness, animals, childbirth, and a protector of young girls, later associated with the…

Victorine

French variation of Victoria, Latin

"victory"

Victorine is appealing if you know it's an authentic vintage French girls' name, less so if you assume it's an awkward feminization, ala Davette or Richardine.

Althea

Greek

"with healing power"

Althea is a poetic, almost ethereal name found in Greek myth and pastoral poetry, associated in modern times with the great tennis player Althea Gibson, the first African-American to win at…

Tallulah

Choctaw, Irish

"leaping water, lady of abundance"

This hauntingly euphonious Choctaw name has re-entered the public domain, as memories of the outrageous actress Tallulah Bankhead have faded. For years, Tallulah was a name associated only with…

Odessa

Russian form of Odesa, Ukrainian place-name

"voyage"

Odessa, (transcribed as Odesa in Ukrainian) is a Ukrainian port city and was given its name by Catherine the Great, who was inspired by Homer's Odyssey . It would make an original and intriguing…

Verena

Latin

"integrity"

Verena is pleasant but old-fashioned. Whether that's the outdated kind of old-fashioned or the so-out-it's-in-again kind is your call. St. Verena was a third century nurse; Verena Tarrant is a…

Rowena

Welsh

"white spear; famous friend; fame and joy"

A fabled storybook name via the heroine of Sir Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe (1819), which featured a heroine called Rowena of Hargottstanstede, and also a Harry Potter name, as Rowena Ravenclaw,…

Ursula

Latin

"little female bear"

A saint's name with a noteworthy literary background, including uses by Shakespeare in Two Gentlemen of Verona and Much Ado About Nothing , by Ben Johnson, Walter Scott, Longfellow, D. H. Lawrence…

Silvia

Latin

"from the woods"

This original form of the name -- the more familiar Sylvia spelling came later -- seems more modern now.

Adora

Latin

"adored"

A name that would lavish your child with adoration, a princess name--as in Princess Adora of She-Ra: Princess of Power .

Aldea

Aldea is a feminine name with multiple cultural origins. In Romanian, 'aldea' relates to ancient words meaning 'settlement' or 'village,' while in Spanish, 'aldea' directly translates to 'small…

Altea

Altea is a delicate feminine name with Mediterranean roots. Derived from the Greek word 'althaia' meaning 'healing' or 'wholesome,' it carries connotations of restorative power and nourishment. In…

Alura

English

"godlike adviser"

Alura has an entirely different root from the similar Allura and shares the fairy tale tinge. It could be a great choice for a wise baby girl.

Amarys

Spelling variation of Amaris, Hebrew

"God has said"

Amaris and Amarys are pretty modernized versions of the ancient Hebrew Amariah. Almost 300 baby girls were named Amaris in the US last year, along with nearly 100 boys, but only seven baby girls were…

Anthea

Greek

"flowery"

This unjustly neglected floral name is smart and crisp, with a touch of Athena, Anna, and Cynthia about it. It also has that stylish Greek mythological heritage: Anthea is an epithet of Hera, the…

Arista

Greek or Latin

"the best; ear of corn"

From the root for aristocrat, an upwardly mobile choice -- or if you go by its other meaning, an earthy delicious choice. Arista is a rare name for girls that has the popular A beginning-and-ending…