Middle Names I'm Digging Right Now

  1. BirchHeart
    • Origin:

      Tree name
    • Description:

      Birch is a rarely used nature name that calls to mind the lovely image of the tall, strong but graceful white-barked tree.
  2. BlytheHeart
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "happy, carefree"
    • Description:

      Blythe originated as a nickname for an upbeat person, coming from the Old English word bliðe, meaning "merry" or "cheerful." Today the homophone blithe shares the same meaning. Blythe was eventually adapted to a surname before it became a feminine given name.
  3. CalhounHeart
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "from the narrow forest"
    • Description:

      A beaming, friendly Irish last-name-first-name waiting to be discovered.
  4. DayHeart
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "the time of light between one night and the next"
    • Description:

      Many African tribes have a tradition of naming children for the day or time they were born -- Friday, Afternoon -- a practice finding new life in the Western world as word names become more popular.
  5. DonahueHeart
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "dark fighter"
    • Description:

      This genial Irish surname feels much more current than Donald.
  6. FlynnHeart
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "descendant of the red-haired one"
    • Description:

      Flynn, a charming Irish surname, is still used only quietly, despite its easygoing, casual cowboy charm, unlike Finn which is a star of this genre. Flynn was the choice of Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr for their baby boy, and is also the middle name -- used as his first -- of a son of Miranda's fellow supermodel Elle Macpherson, of Gary Oldman's son Gulliver and Marley Shelton's daughter West.
  7. FrostHeart
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "freezing"
    • Description:

      Long heard as a last name, as in venerable poet Robert, U.K. talk show host David, British actress Sadie and old Jack Frost, Frost has suddenly entered the scene as a possible first, along with other seasonal weather names like Winter and Snow.
  8. GabrielHeart
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God is my strength"
    • Description:

      Gabriel has become a biblical favorite, an angelic choice that's lighter and less patriarchal than some of his Old Testament brethren. Derived from the Hebrew name Gavri’el, Gabriel is taken from the elements gever, meaning "strong," and ’el, in reference to God.
  9. JamesHeart
    • Origin:

      English variation of Jacob, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "supplanter"
    • Description:

      James is one of the classic Anglo-Saxon names, a stalwart through the ages that is more popular—and yes, stylish—than ever today. It recently came out Number 1 in a poll of America's favorite boys' baby names, and is the most common male name, counting people of all ages, in the US.
  10. JuneHeart
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "young"
    • Description:

      June, a sweetly old-fashioned month name derived from the goddess Juno, was long locked in a time capsule with June Allyson (born Ella) and June Cleaver, but is rising again especially as a middle name.
  11. LazarusHeart
    • Origin:

      Latinized Greek variation of Hebrew Eleazar
    • Meaning:

      "God is my helper"
    • Description:

      Lazarus is a name that looks as if it could possibly be raised from the dead, just like its biblical bearer. Look for it in the next wave of Old Testament revivals that transcend their long-bearded images, the way Noah, Moses, and Abraham have for this generation.
  12. LivHeart
    • Origin:

      Norse
    • Meaning:

      "life"
    • Description:

      The fame of actress and Aerosmith daughter Liv Tyler helped to infuse life into this short but solid Scandinavian name that was chosen for her daughter by Julianne Moore.
  13. LuxHeart
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "light"
    • Description:

      This name of a character played by Kirsten Dunst in the movie Virgin Suicides, originally a novel by Jeffrey Eugenides, is gaining attention, also thanks to the heroine Lux, Lady of Luminosity in the League of Legends games. Luz is the Spanish version.
  14. MarchHeart
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "month name"
    • Description:

      Along with August, March is one of the month names perfectly suited to boys. This brisk single-syllable name – which derives from the name of Mars, the Roman god of war – is worth considering as either a first or middle option. As a surname, it brings warm memories of the girls of Little Women, and of twentieth century actor Fredric.
  15. MarkHeart
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "warlike"
    • Description:

      After centuries of lagging behind other apostle names Peter and Paul, Mark suddenly caught on in the early 1950s, reaching Number 6 by 1960. It was in the Top 10 from 1955 to 1970 and second only to Michael in popular boy names starting with M.
  16. PearlHeart
    • Origin:

      Latin gem name
    • Meaning:

      "pearl"
    • Description:

      Pearl, like Ruby, has begun to be polished up for a new generation of fashionable children after a century of jewelry box storage. The birthstone for the month of June, Pearl could also make a fresher middle name alternative to the overused Rose. Cool couple Maya Rudolph and Paul Thomas Anderson named their daughter Pearl Minnie, followed by Jack Osbourne, and several celebs have put it in the middle spot, as in Busy Philipps's Cricket Pearl, Jake Owen's Olive Pearl and Caleb Followill's Dixie Pearl .
  17. SageHeart
    • Origin:

      Herb name; Latin
    • Meaning:

      "wise"
    • Description:

      Sage is an evocatively fragrant herbal name that also connotes wisdom, giving it a double advantage. It entered the Top 1000 at about the same time for both genders in the early 1990s, but it has pulled ahead for the girls. Toni Collette named her daughter Sage Florence.
  18. SnowHeart
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Description:

      There's definitely a cold front of names for winter babies moving in, with Summer, Spring and Autumn giving way to Winter--plus North, January, Frost--and Snow. This name feels brisk, fresh, pure, evocative -- and magical. A haunting middle name choice.
  19. VanHeart
    • Origin:

      Dutch
    • Meaning:

      "of"
    • Description:

      Whether it's used as a short form or on its own, this jazzy midcentury name is poised for a comeback along with brothers Ray and Walt.
  20. WilderHeart
    • Origin:

      Surname or word name
    • Description:

      New to the US Top 1000 in 2015, Wilder is on many parents' possibility lists, one of the new generation of bad boy names growing in popularity. Wilder got a big boost in interest through Goldie Hawn's grandson, born in 2007, via son Oliver.