When choosing a first name for an infant, a lot of thought and consideration goes into the process. Honor names, meaning, length, rhythm… the list goes on and on. However, some find it hard to depart from traditional and formulaic names when it comes to filling the middle name spot. Therefore, I’ve provided below some more unique and lively alternatives to the middle names everyone’s using.
Faye- Although Mae isn’t necessarily at filler middle status quite yet, Faye does provide a softer and more unexpected alternative.
June- Short, spunky, June is a good package for those trying to avoid widely used middle names but who don’t want anything outrageous.
Jane- Despite Jane feeling like a perfect, classic middle name choice, she’s nowhere near overused. She’s perfect for grounding a wild first name or feminizing a unisex name.
Ruth- Similar to Jane, Ruth feels like everything filler middles tend to be: short, classic, and feminine, but Ruth has dodged intense popularity as a middle name, making this moniker perfectly manageable if you find the style of popular middles appealing.
Wren- Wren has just started picking up when it comes to the first name spot, but has yet to be heavily used as a middle name. However, she’s short, feisty, and a great choice for nature lovers.
Lark- Speaking on the topic of bird names, this lilting and delicate middle name is rooted in nature and a great choice for freshening up an older first name.
Daisy- This fresh and fun choice can make a clunky first name feel a bit more cutesy and bright.
Briar- A fairy-tale moniker that conjures up images of a trickling brook and three fairies, Briar would serve well as a whimsical middle name for a little girl.
Sage- This sweetly tomboyish name taken from the natural world can give both a boy or a girl name a soft allure.
Fox- This is the perfect strong word name to solidify a vintage or soft first name choice.
Jude- If the biblical association of betrayal is dropped from sound-alike Judas, Jude is a solid middle name option to consider.
Bay- Similar to Faye or Mae, but with a bit more of a masculine feel, this brief appellation will work on a girl as well, due to the popularity of the unisex name Baylee/Bailey with girls.
Gray- With Grayson receiving a lot of love lately, why shouldn’t Gray? Gray’s tiny size makes him a dependable middle name selection to enhance a longer first name choice.
Kit- What used to be a cutesy and rarely used nickname for Christopher has blossomed into a given name for both genders, and, similar to Gray, Kit’s length makes him perfect for the middle slot.
Although these are lovely and accessible options for middle names, they might not have any significance to parents. In fact, some people might actually want to honor someone with the more common Rose, John, James, Ann, or Elizabeth, but fear being too unoriginal or vanilla, as these names are often overused as middle names. Below, I’ve listed several variations of each of these names.
Primrose- Take away a bit of botanical and add a touch more spunk to Rose, and you end up at Primrose. Once separated from the Hunger Games connection, Primrose seems to be a great honor middle name for a Rose.
Rosalie- This elaboration and modern twist on the classic Rose is perfect for an unconventional middle name.
Evan- Evan has experienced popularity as a first name, but as far as middle names go, this Welsh form of John hasn’t taken off.
Jack- Another popular first name, this short form of John makes an excellent middle name for a boy today.
Jacob- Jacob is the Hebrew translation of James, making it a great honor name for a James in both the first and middle spot.
Jameson- With the stylish -son ending for boy names, Jameson is as current as a variation of James can get.
Anouk- While Anouk seems very offbeat, it’s actually a French variation of the name Anna, which can definitely honor an Ann. Although Anouk is a very bold choice, tucking it into the middle can spice up a given name just enough.
Annette- Despite feeling just the slightest bit dated, Annette can feminize a masculine or unisex name and provide honor for the name Ann.
Isobel- Derived from the Spanish take on Elizabeth, Isobel feels more current and crisp for a modern middle, thanks to the popularity of Isabella in the first name category in the past decade.
Elspeth- This gorgeous and serene variation of Elizabeth coming from Scotland feels just novel enough to be the perfect middle name to honor an Elizabeth.
Despite all of these suggestions, the best middle names are always chosen with thought and meaning, something that a list can’t necessarily invoke. However, I hope that this has inspired you to look beyond the most obvious choices for middle names.
Sincerely,
~Delphina Moon
What is your favorite middle name on this list or otherwise? Why? Let me know in the comments section.
I absolutely LOVE Wren as a middle name! Also, happy to see your nod to Isobel, the middle name I chose for my daughter Katherine to have a connection to my name, Elizabeth! :-)