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classical-inspired girl middle names

mayerlingwaltz
By mayerlingwaltz
Updated Tue Jun 10 2025
My longest of potential middle names for a daughter. I like unique and slightly dated names, and am willing to take risks on the middle.
  1. Abra

    • Origin:

      Feminine variation of Abraham, Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "father of multitudes"

    • Description:

      Abra is soft, sensitive feminine form of Abraham that was the name of a soft, sensitive character in the John Steinbeck book and movie, "East of Eden." In the bible, Abra was a favorite of King Solomon and it was a popular name in seventeenth century England. Abra is also a West African name used for girls born on Tuesday. The magical 'abracadabra' is thought to have originated in the Aramaic language.
  2. Antigone

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "worthy of one's parents, in place of one's parents"

    • Description:

      In Greek mytholgy, Antigone was the noble and courageous daughter of Oedipus, who acts as his guide after he blinds himself. Antigone is also the eponymous heroine of a play by Jean Anouilh.
  3. Antonia

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "from Antium"

    • Description:

      Antonia is stronger than most feminized boys’ names, reflecting the pioneer spirit of Willa Cather's classic novel My Antonia. Antonia is hovering near the bottom of the US popularity list, which may be an excellent reason for you to use it.
  4. Aveline

    • Origin:

      French from German

    • Meaning:

      "desired; or island, water"

    • Description:

      Aveline is a name that's long been an obscure cousin of more widely-used choices, but may come into its own riding the tail of the megapopular Ava, which may derive from the same root.
  5. Avis

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "bird"

    • Description:

      Avis is a bird name that's been in hibernation for awhile, possibly due to the car rental association, but it could make a return on the wings of Ava. Baldwin brother Daniel chose it for his daughter.
  6. Bette

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Elizabeth

    • Description:

      Pronounced a la Bette (Betty) Davis or Bette (Bet) Midler, a twentieth-century relic. Though if the equally vintage Betty comes back, Bette may be close behind.
  7. Bridget

    • Origin:

      Anglicized variation of Gaelic Brighid

    • Meaning:

      "strength or exalted one"

    • Description:

      Bridget is the Anglicized form of Brigid, an Irish-Gaelic name that was derived from the word brígh, which means "strength."
  8. Bronte

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "thunder"

    • Description:

      This lovely surname of the three novel-writing sisters, now used as a baby name, makes a fitting tribute for lovers of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. While the original name took an umlaut over the e, modern English speakers may find that more trouble than it's worth.
  9. Cadence

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "rhythm, beat"

    • Description:

      The musical word name Cadence, seemed to come out of nowhere to zoom up the charts; it rose over 700 spots between 2002 and 2004, and showed up in the Top 200 in 2007. It's gone down in the popular names list since then, though. Some might see it as a feminine relative of the popular Caden. Kadence and Kaydence are also rising.
  10. Caprice

    • Origin:

      French from Italian

    • Meaning:

      "impulsive change of mind"

    • Description:

      Caprice is a word name with an appealing sound and a light-hearted meaning. Caprice is a rare name, used for only ten baby girls in the US in 2023.
  11. Clarimond

    • Origin:

      French

    • Meaning:

      "Light of the World"

    • Description:

      Clarimond is related to the Occitan name Esclarmonde, and is probably the more wearable of the two variations.
  12. Deirdre

    • Origin:

      Irish

    • Meaning:

      "sorrowful"

    • Description:

      Sadly, this strong Celtic name often has "of the sorrows" attached to it because of the tragic character in Irish legend. Also a bit drab when compared with newer Irish imports.
  13. Despina

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "lady"

    • Description:

      Despina is best known as the clever and wily maidservant character in Mozart's opera Così fan tutte. It is a name of Greek origin, derived from Despoina, who in Greek mythology was the daughter of Demeter and Poseidon.
  14. Eris

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "strife, discord"

    • Description:

      Eris was the goddess of strife and discord, turned fairy tale and then popular culture figure Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty. Ironic, as her name sounds so much like that of Eros, the god of love.
  15. Felice

    • Origin:

      Italian

    • Meaning:

      "lucky"

    • Description:

      Felix is rising in the chart for boys, and its feminine variations are sure to follow. The best knows these days, thanks to the TV character, is Felicity, but there's also Felicia and Felice. Like Lucia, Felice is a name with different pronunciations depending on where it's used. The Italians pronounce it fa-LEECH-ay, but the Americanized version is feh-LEESE.
  16. Georgia

    • Origin:

      English, feminine variation of George

    • Meaning:

      "farmer"

    • Description:

      Georgia is so rich, lush and luscious, it's almost irresistible. Georgia's now a rising star among the feminizations of George, helped by associations with the southern state (named for British King George II) and painter Georgia O'Keeffe, with the Ray Charles song "Georgia On My Mind" or maybe "Sweet Georgia Brown" playing in the background.
  17. Ines

    • Origin:

      Italian, Portuguese, Slovene and Croatian variation of Agnes

    • Meaning:

      "pure, virginal"

    • Description:

      This form of Agnes, Ines has always been popular since the true story of the thwarted lovers Queen Ines of Castro and King Peter of Portugal. This has to be one of the most heartbreaking and bloody true romances in history!
  18. Isaure

    • Description:

      Isaure is a feminine French name with ancient origins, possibly derived from the name Isaura, which referred to someone from Isauria, a region in ancient Asia Minor (now part of Turkey). The name has literary connections, appearing in medieval French poetry and troubadour traditions where 'Clémence Isaure' was said to have been a patroness of poetry competitions. Isaure has remained relatively rare even in France, giving it an air of refinement and uniqueness. The name has a delicate, elegant sound typical of classical French names. In contemporary usage, Isaure appeals to parents seeking a name with historical depth, poetic associations, and a distinctively French character.

  19. Ismene

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "knowledgeable"

    • Description:

      Sister of Antigone and daughter of Oedipus in Greek mythology, Ismene's name is unlikely to make it in modern times because of its teasability factor. Ismay or Esme would be better bets.
  20. Isola

    • Origin:

      Celtic variation of Isolde or Italian

    • Meaning:

      "island"

    • Description:

      Isola (named for the Celtic heroine Iseult) was the unusual name of Irish author Oscar Wilde’s younger sister, who died of meningitis at the age of nine. Wilde later dedicated his poem Requiescat to her memory.