Thinking up middle names for girls isn’t usually at the top of the priority list for expecting parents. Until it’s time to monogram something, middle names tend to be overlooked, hidden in the liminal space between first and last. While last names connect us to family, and first names are central to our sense of self — and can even shape our futures — middle names can hide in plain sight for decades. Naturally, parents rarely ponder unique or cute middle names for their baby girl with the same intensity and focus they bring to first names. Middle names can carry very little weight, but they can also end up hauling a ton of family history and meaning — that’s their special power and appeal.
Middle names tend to be thought of as the “second-choice,” but middle names can actually be thought of as a way for parents to fit in a name they love too much to give up. Other times, of course, it’s the name that simply didn’t win out at the end of an argument. Middle names, particularly for girls, also allow parents to be a little bolder with their name choices, and are a great way to add instant individuality to a newborn. While some baby middle names can carry forward some piece of family lore, other middle names are wild cards played for novelty, cute factor, beauty, or to put a unique spin an otherwise popular or traditional first name. Finding a good middle name for a baby girl is an opportunity for parents to say more about the newest addition to the family.
No matter how you approach it, any middle name you love is sure to do its mysterious but important work. Once your baby girl is here, you’ll love her middle name because it’s hers. Here are 70 beautiful middle names for girls to get you started, that can either stand alone or be combined into a unique, hyphenated first name.
- Alea
- Ama
- Angelou
- Anne
- Aria
- Bea
- Bee
- Blair
- Blythe
- Capri
- Ceci
- Cora
- Doe
- Ellen
- Elodie
- Eloise
- Fay
- Fin
- Frances
- Grace
- Grey
- Halo
- Harper
- Haven
- Holly
- Hope
- Hunter
- Imani: means “faith” in Swahili
- Iris
- Isla
- Ivory
- Ivy
- Jade
- Jazz
- Jo
- Joy
- June
- Kay
- Kennedy
- Kit
- Lane
- Lee
- Leon
- Liberty
- Lily
- Luna
- Lynn
- Mae
- Maeve
- May
- Moon
- Nova
- Olive
- Paige
- Phoenix
- Posey
- Quincy
- Rae
- Rain
- Reed
- Ruby
- Sage
- Shea
- Soleil
- Solstice
- Skylar
- True
- Violet
- Zadie
- Zoe: means “life” in Greek
