User-created list
Ultimate Southern Names
Across 11 pages
of 11
Caldwell
Belden
English from French
"pretty valley"
Belden is a little-used surname-name that might work in this age of Belles.
Darcy
English, French, Irish
"from Arcy; dark one"
The ultimate Jane Austen hero name, Darcy makes a handsome, surname style choice. Predominantly used for girls in England and Wales, across the pond in Australia, it is a stylish Top 100 name for…
Siddalee
Siddalee is a distinctive feminine name that gained notice through Rebecca Wells' novel 'Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood' and its film adaptation. The literary character Siddalee Walker helped…
Payton
Variation of Patton or Peyton, English
"fighting man's estate"
Once an obscure, surname-inspired option, Payton (and Peyton) hiked up the charts back in the 90s, likely inspired by the football star Peyton Manning. While both spellings were more (statistically)…
Hadley
English
"heathery field"
Hemingway readers will recognize this as the name of Papa's first wife (and, eventually, actress Mariel's grandmother). But in Victorian times, Hadley and Hedley were actually more popular for boys.
Pellias
Variant of Pelleas
The spelling of Pelleas used in the original Post-Vulgate stories of the Arthurian legends.
Harris
English
"son of Harry"
When Harrison is too much, but Harry isn't enough, try this stylish surname name with a touch of British flair. It briefly reentered the US Top 1000 for the first time since 1988 in 2016, but has…
Holland
Dutch place-name
"wooded land"
Holland, like most place names, is intrinsically gender neutral, but in practice today it's mostly female. There's about one boy Holland born in the US these days for every five girl Hollands. That's…
Raleigh
English
"meadow of roe deer"
Attractive North Carolina place-name and surname of explorer Sir Walter Raleigh. Distinctive, classy-but-approachable choice for either sex.
Cort
German
"brave"
Short and curt.
Macon
French place-name
What with Mason scooting up the charts, this attractive place-name, with its thick Georgia accent, could make a more distinctive alternative. Macon has played major roles in two novels, Anne Tyler's…
CAULLIER
Harley
English
"hare clearing"
You can ride one, you can use it as a baby name – or, as is often the case, both! Harley is currently trending up for girls and down for boys in the US, although it remains predominantly masculine in…
Ashley
English
"dweller near the ash tree meadow"
It may have peaked at #1 for girls in 1991 and 1992 in the US, but Ashley actually has a long history as a male given name, as evidenced by the sensitive Ashley Wilkes in Gone With the Wind . It's…
Trent
English
"the flooder"
This strong single-syllable boys’ name has been finding favor with parents since the fifties, though it's been slipping in recent years; it fell out of the Top 500 for the first time since 1959 in…
Clint
English, diminutive of Clinton
As flinty and steely as Mr. Eastwood.