120 Middle Names for Boys and Girls

A middle name can honor someone important, continue a family tradition, or simply make a full name sound more complete. Because it sits between the first and last name, it is also a useful place for a choice that feels meaningful but may be less familiar.

This list includes 120 middle names for girls, boys, and gender-neutral options. Each entry includes an origin or meaning, giving you another way to compare your favorites beyond how they sound.

Some names have more than one possible origin, especially those that have traveled through several languages or developed from surnames. When a meaning is uncertain, we’ve noted that in the description.

16 Common Middle Names for Girls

1. Ann or Anne: Both spellings have Hebrew origins and mean “grace.”

2. Anna: A form of Hannah used in Greek and Latin; its Hebrew root is associated with “favor” or “grace.”

3. Catherine: A Greek name meaning “pure.”

4. Elizabeth: This name means “God is my oath” in Hebrew.

5. Faith: An English virtue name taken directly from the word “faith.”

6. Grace: An English virtue name derived from Latin gratia, meaning “grace” or “favor.”

7. Hope: An English virtue name taken directly from the word “hope.”

8. Jane: This popular name is of English origin, meaning “God is gracious.”

9. Jean: An English and Scottish form related to Jane; its Hebrew root means “God is gracious.”

10. Joy: An English word name meaning “happiness.”

11. Kate: A form of Katherine, this name is Greek for “pure.”

12. Luna: Also common as a first name, Luna is Latin for “moon.”

13. Lynn: An English surname name derived from the Welsh word llyn, meaning “lake.”

14. Mae: An English variant of May.

15. Marie: The French form of Maria; the name’s deeper meaning is uncertain.

16. Rose: An English flower name derived from Latin rosa.

15 Common Middle Names for Boys

1. Andrew: This name for boys means “strong and manly” in Greek.

2. Anthony: An English form of the Roman family name Antonius; its original meaning is uncertain.

3. Benjamin: Hebrew for “son of the right hand.”

4. Christopher: A Greek name meaning “bearing Christ.”

5. Daniel: A Hebrew name meaning “God is my judge.”

6. Edward: Old English for “wealthy guard.”

7. Elijah: This name means “Yahweh is my God” in Hebrew.

8. Henry: The meaning of this boy’s name in German is “house ruler.”

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9. Jack: An English name derived from John, ultimately meaning “God is gracious.”

10. John: This name means “God is gracious” in Hebrew.

11. Joseph: A Hebrew name meaning “he will add” or “God will add.”

12. Matthew: A classic Hebrew name that means “gift of God.”

13. Michael: This name means “who is like God” in Hebrew.

14. Paul: Latin for “small” or “humble.”

15. Thomas: From an Aramaic name meaning “twin.”

16 Cute Middle Names for Girls

1. Alice: A Germanic-derived name associated with “noble” or “of noble kind.”

2. Bella: A short form of Isabella and other names ending in bella; it is also associated with the Italian word for “beautiful.”

3. Claire: This French name means “bright” or “clear.”

4. Coco: A diminutive of names beginning with Co, influenced by the word “cocoa.”

5. Eloise: An English form of the Old French Héloïse, probably derived from Germanic elements meaning “healthy” and “wide.”

6. Hazel: This Old English name means “hazelnut tree.”

7. Iris: A Greek name meaning “rainbow.”

8. June: An English name taken from the month, which was named for the Roman goddess Juno.

9. Lily: An English flower name derived from Latin lilium; the flower is associated with purity.

10. Mila: A Slavic name derived from an element meaning “dear” or “gracious.”

11. Noelle: The English form of French Noëlle, the feminine form of Noël, meaning “Christmas.”

12. Olive: English for “olive tree.”

13. Scarlett: An English surname originally used for someone who made or sold scarlet cloth.

14. Sophia: A Greek name meaning “wisdom.”

15. Violet: An English flower and color name derived from Latin viola.

16. Zoe: A Greek name meaning “life.”

Related: Cute Girl Names for Your Baby

10 Cute Middle Names for Boys

1. Beckett: An English surname name with several possible origins, including a Middle English word meaning “stream” or “brook.”

2. Caleb: A Hebrew biblical name whose meaning is debated; it may be connected to Hebrew words for “dog” or “whole heart.”

3. Connor: An Irish name traditionally interpreted as “lover of hounds.”

4. Easton: This middle name is derived from an English habitational name for someone who lived in a settlement in the east.

5. Hartley: English for “deer meadow.”

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6. Jesse: A Hebrew biblical name whose meaning may be related to “gift” or “existence.”

7. Mason: This is an English occupational name for a stone worker.

8. Milo: A name with Germanic and Ancient Greek roots; its precise meaning is uncertain.

9. Owen: A Welsh form of Owain; its original etymology is uncertain.

10. Zeke: Hebrew for “God strengthens.”

Related: Cute Boy Names for Your Baby

6 Cool Middle Names for Girls

1. Arya: This middle name for girls is of Sanskrit origin, meaning “honorable” or “noble.”

2. Honor: This name has both English and Latin roots. It means “integrity.”

3. Jade: An English name for the precious green gemstone.

4. Nova: Latin for “new.”

5. Raven: This English name refers to the blackbird and is also used for someone with dark hair.

6. Zora: This Slavic middle name means “dawn.”

Related: Cool Girl Names for Your Baby

14 Cool Middle Names for Boys

1. Ace: In Latin, this name means “one” or “unity.”

2. Ajax: A Greek mythological name of uncertain meaning, borne by a hero in the Trojan War.

3. Apollo: A Greek mythological name of uncertain meaning, borne by the god of prophecy, music, medicine, and later the sun.

4. Cash: An English word name associated with money; it is also used as a surname.

5. Cyrus: An English form of the Old Persian name Kūrush; its meaning is uncertain.

6. Fox: A Middle English nickname for someone sly and cunning, inspired by the animal.

7. Grant: French and Scottish for “large.”

8. Hunter: An English occupational name meaning “one who hunts.”

9. Jarvis: An English surname derived from Gervase, a Germanic name containing an element meaning “spear.”

10. Jasper: A name traditionally linked to Persian and commonly interpreted as “treasurer.”

11. Link: A diminutive of Lincoln, a name derived from the Celtic word for “lake” and the Latin word for “colony.”

12. Maverick: English for “independent” or “non-conforming.”

13. Sebastian: A Greek name meaning “venerable.”

14. Silas: A biblical name probably related to Silvanus; its deeper origin is uncertain.

Related: Cool Boy Names for Your Baby

8 Unique Middle Names for Girls

1. Avalon: Celtic for “island of apples.”

2. Birdie: This is an English name meaning “bird” or “bright.”

3. Gratia: A rare Dutch name derived from Latin gratia, meaning “grace.”

4. Hyacinth: A Greek mythological and flower name; the exact flower described by the ancient name is uncertain.

5. Jewel: English for “precious stone.”

6. Jia: A Chinese name whose meaning depends on the written character; possible meanings include “family” and “good” or “auspicious.”

7. Moira: An Irish and Scottish form of Mary; it also matches the Greek word moira, meaning “fate” or “destiny.”

8. Nyx: A short and unique middle name for girls that is Greek for “night.”

Related: Unique Girl Names and Their Meanings

12 Unique Middle Names for Boys

1. Angelo: An Italian form of Angelus, ultimately derived from a Greek word meaning “messenger.”

2. Ansel: An English surname name derived from Anselm, which comes from Germanic elements meaning “god” and “helmet” or “protection.”

3. Blaze: An English word name associated with fire; it can also be a form of Blaise.

4. Bodhi: A Sanskrit name meaning “awakening” or “enlightenment.”

5. Clark: An English occupational surname meaning “cleric” or “scribe.”

6. Cruz: Portuguese for “cross.”

7. Huck: This English name is the short form of Huckleberry.

8. Jax: A modern English name related to Jack or Jackson; the deeper root of Jack means “God is gracious.”

9. Knox: Scottish Gaelic for “round hill.”

10. Nash: A rare name of English origin that means “by the ash tree.”

11. Rhys: Welsh for “enthusiasm” or “passion.”

12. Wolf: A Germanic name taken from the word for “wolf.”

Related: Unique Boy Names and Their Meanings

23 Gender-Neutral Middle Names

1. Aubrey: An English and French name that means “elf ruler.”

2. Billie: This unisex name means “resolute protection” in English.

3. Blake: This name can either mean “fair” or “dark” in Old English.

4. Blue: This unisex name refers to the color blue and is of English origin.

5. Dakota: From the name of the Dakota people; the Dakota-language word is commonly translated as “allies” or “friends.”

6. Drew: An English short form of Andrew, a Greek-derived name traditionally interpreted as “manly.”

7. James: This Hebrew name means “supplanter.”

8. Jett: A modern English word name associated with jet-black color or jet aircraft.

9. Jo: A short form of names such as Joanna, Joseph, or Josephine; its meaning depends on the full name.

10. Lee: A unisex name of English origin that means “clearing” or “meadow.”

11. Logan: A Scottish surname derived from a Gaelic place name meaning “little hollow.”

12. Lou: A short form of Louis or Louise, names derived from Germanic elements meaning “famous” and “battle.”

13. Marlow: An English surname name with several proposed place-name origins.

14. Phoenix: This name means “dark red” in Greek. It also refers to the mythological bird.

15. Quinn: An Irish surname name derived from Ó Cuinn, meaning “descendant of Conn.”

16. Ray: This name has Old German roots and means “counsel.”

17. Reese: Welsh for “enthusiastic” or “ardent.”

18. Riley: A name derived from Irish and English surnames; the English place-name source means “rye clearing.”

19. Scout: An English word name meaning “one who gathers information,” derived from an Old French word meaning “to listen.”

20. Shay: Meaning “admirable,” this is an Irish gender-neutral name.

21. Tatum: An English surname derived from a place name; its exact meaning is uncertain.

22. Taylor: An English surname that originally referred to a tailor, from Norman French tailleur.

23. Wren: This name means “small bird” in English.

Related: Gender-Neutral Baby Names

Why Do We Have Middle Names?

Middle names were uncommon in early America because English naming customs generally used a given name and a surname. According to the National Park Service, middle names began appearing among wealthy families in the late 1700s, spread through the middle class during the 1800s, and were nearly customary by 1900.¹

Additional given names have served different purposes across cultures, including honoring saints and relatives. In some Spanish-speaking families, daughters shared María as a first name and used distinct middle names in daily life. Middle names can also distinguish people with the same first and last names or preserve a family name. They are common in the United States and the United Kingdom, but they are not part of every culture’s naming system.²

Once you have a few favorites, say each full name aloud and write down the initials. Listen for how the middle name balances the first and last names, and consider whether it gives your child another name they may want to use later.

If you are still choosing the first name, visit our baby names hub for ideas by style, origin, and starting letter.