Middle names for girls
170 middle names for girls, sorted by length and meaning, plus a checker that ranks them against your baby's first name and surname.
Find the middle name that flows
Middle names for girls by length
Contrast is the rule of thumb: short middle names after long first names, longer middle names after short ones.
One syllable (31)
- Anne grace, favour
- Belle beautiful
- Blair field, plain
- Blake dark; or pale, fair
- Claire clear, bright
- Eve life
- Faith faith, trust
- Faye fairy; also faith
- Grace grace, goodwill
- Gray grey
- Hope hope
- Jade precious green stone
- Jane God is gracious
- Jean God is gracious
- Joy joy
- June the month of June; youthful
- Kai sea
- Kate pure (from Katherine)
- Lane narrow road
- Lee meadow, clearing
- Lynn lake
- Mae pearl; the month of May
- Maeve she who intoxicates
- Niamh bright, radiant
- Pearl pearl
- Quinn wise, counsel
- Rose rose
- Ruth friend, companion
- Sage wise; the herb
- Skye from the Isle of Skye; sky
- Wren small songbird
Two syllables (75)
- Ada noble
- Alice noble kind
- Alma nourishing; soul
- Anna grace, favour
- Astrid divinely beautiful
- Audrey noble strength
- Ava bird; life
- Celeste heavenly
- Charlotte free person
- Chloe green shoot
- Clara bright, clear
- Cora maiden
- Daisy day's eye (the flower)
- Eden delight, paradise
- Edith prosperous in war
- Elise pledged to God (from Elizabeth)
- Ellie light (from Eleanor/Helen)
- Ellis benevolent
- Emma whole, universal
- Esme esteemed, beloved
- Esther star
- Florence flourishing, blooming
- Frances free; from France
- Freya lady
- Georgia farmer, earth-worker
- Hallie from the hall meadow
- Hannah grace, favour
- Harper harp player
- Hazel hazel tree
- Ingrid Ing is beautiful
- Iris rainbow
- Isla island (from Islay)
- Ivy ivy plant; fidelity
- Jordan to flow down
- Josie God will add (from Josephine)
- Keira little dark one
- Layla night; dark beauty
- Leah weary; delicate
- Lila night
- Lily lily flower; purity
- Louise renowned warrior
- Lucy light
- Luna moon
- Mabel lovable
- Marie from Mary; beloved or wished-for child
- Marlowe driftwood; lake remnants
- Maya illusion; also Greek mother
- Mia beloved; mine
- Mila gracious, dear
- Nia purpose
- Nina little girl; grace
- Nora honour (from Honora)
- Opal precious stone
- Phoebe bright, radiant
- Poppy poppy flower
- Priya beloved
- Remy oarsman; remedy
- Riley valiant
- River flowing body of water
- Robin bright fame; the bird
- Rory red king
- Ruby red gemstone
- Sadie princess (from Sarah)
- Saoirse freedom
- Sarah princess
- Sasha defender of people
- Scarlett red
- Selah pause and reflect
- Stella star
- Thea goddess; gift of God
- Vera faith
- Willow willow tree
- Yara water lady
- Zara blooming flower; radiance
- Zoe life
Three or more (64)
- Abigail my father's joy
- Adeline noble
- Aiyana eternal blossom
- Amara grace
- Amelia work, industrious
- Aria air; melody
- Athena goddess of wisdom
- Aurelia golden
- Aurora dawn
- Avery ruler of elves
- Beatrice she who brings happiness
- Calliope beautiful voice
- Camila young ceremonial attendant
- Caroline free woman (from Charles)
- Catherine pure
- Cecilia blind (from Caecilius)
- Delilah delicate
- Eleanor from Aliénor; light
- Elena bright, shining light
- Eliza pledged to God (from Elizabeth)
- Elizabeth my God is an oath
- Elodie foreign riches
- Emery brave, powerful
- Emilia rival; eager
- Evangeline good news
- Evelyn from Aveline; wished-for child
- Fiona white, fair
- Genesis origin, beginning
- Genevieve woman of the family
- Gianna God is gracious
- Harriet ruler of the home
- Imogen maiden
- Isabella pledged to God
- Josephine God will add
- Julia youthful
- Juniper evergreen juniper tree
- Leilani heavenly flowers
- Lillian lily
- Louisa renowned warrior
- Lucia light
- Lydia woman from Lydia
- Madeline woman from Magdala
- Margaret pearl
- Marigold golden flower
- Matilda mighty in battle
- Miriam wished-for child; bitter sea
- Naomi pleasantness
- Noemi pleasantness (from Naomi)
- Olivia olive tree
- Ophelia help
- Paloma dove
- Penelope weaver
- Rosalie rose
- Rosemary dew of the sea
- Seraphina fiery, burning ones
- Sofia wisdom
- Sophia wisdom
- Sylvia of the forest
- Talia dew from heaven
- Valentina strong, healthy
- Victoria victory
- Violet violet flower; purple
- Vivienne alive
- Winifred blessed peacemaking
First and middle name combinations
Top-ranked middle names for popular first names, by rhythm and sound.
| First name | Middle names that flow |
|---|---|
| Olivia | Olivia Belle · Olivia Blair · Olivia Claire · Olivia Faith · Olivia Faye |
| Harper | Harper Anne · Harper Belle · Harper Blair · Harper Claire · Harper Eve |
| Isla | Isla Belle · Isla Blair · Isla Claire · Isla Faith · Isla Faye |
| Luna | Luna Belle · Luna Blair · Luna Claire · Luna Faith · Luna Faye |
| Evelyn | Evelyn Anne · Evelyn Belle · Evelyn Blair · Evelyn Claire · Evelyn Eve |
| Mia | Mia Belle · Mia Blair · Mia Claire · Mia Faith · Mia Faye |
Middle names for girls by meaning
Light & brightness
Strength & courage
Amelia · work, industriousAudrey · noble strengthCaroline · free woman (from Charles)Charlotte · free personEdith · prosperous in warEmery · brave, powerfulFrances · free; from FranceLouisa · renowned warriorLouise · renowned warriorMatilda · mighty in battleRiley · valiantSaoirse · freedomValentina · strong, healthyVictoria · victory
Faith & blessing
Astrid · divinely beautifulCeleste · heavenlyElise · pledged to God (from Elizabeth)Eliza · pledged to God (from Elizabeth)Elizabeth · my God is an oathFaith · faith, trustFaye · fairy; also faithGrace · grace, goodwillHope · hopeIsabella · pledged to GodJosephine · God will addSeraphina · fiery, burning onesThea · goddess; gift of GodVera · faith
Nature & growing things
Ava · bird; lifeBlair · field, plainChloe · green shootEden · delight, paradiseGeorgia · farmer, earth-workerHazel · hazel treeIvy · ivy plant; fidelityJordan · to flow downJune · the month of June; youthfulJuniper · evergreen juniper treeLee · meadow, clearingLily · lily flower; purityMae · pearl; the month of MayOlivia · olive tree
Flowers
Gift & treasure
Love & beloved
Joy & happiness
Noble & leader
Wisdom
Sea & water
Sky, stars & moon
How to choose a middle name
- Fix the rhythm of first name + surname (try the rhythm explainer).
- Honour family: a grandparent's name or a surname fits naturally in the middle.
- Add a meaning the first name lacks; see meaningful baby names.
- Check the initials and the nicknames of the whole name.
Looking for boys? See middle names for boys.
Questions
What is a good middle name for a girl?
One that changes the rhythm of the full name. With a long first name, a one-syllable middle name (Anne, Belle, Blair, Blake) tidies it up; with a short first name, a two- or three-syllable middle name (Abigail, Adeline, Aiyana) adds flow.
Should the middle name be one syllable?
Only if the first name is long. The common guidance is contrast: vary the syllable counts across first, middle and last name so the full name doesn't sound clipped or sing-song.
Can a middle name honour a relative?
Yes, and it is the most common use. A grandparent's first name or a family surname in the middle spot honours them without fixing the child's everyday name.
How do I check that a middle name works with my surname?
Type your baby's first name and surname into the middle name generator. It tries every name on this page in the middle and ranks the full names by rhythm, clashing sounds and initials.