Unique Ways to Honor a Family Member With Your Child's Middle Name (2024)

Short names are becoming more popular, and they make sense as middle names, especially when they can act as a brief punctuation between two other names. If you're looking for names with few letters and a big impact, choose one of these short names for girls:

• Ada
• Ana
• Amy
  
• Ava
  
• Eva
  
• Eve
• Gia
  
• Ida
• Ivy
• Kay
• Kit
• Lia
• Mia
• Noa
  
• Zoe

Then again, after so many years of short-name dominance, the pendulum may be swinging in the other direction. If brevity was never really your thing, these long names for girls really trip off the tongue:

• Avayah
• Brynleigh
• Charlotte
  
• Clementine
• Elizabeth
  
• Evangeline
• Florence
• Hadassah
• Isabella
  
• Juliana
• Penelope
  
• Rosalia
  
• Theodora
• Xiomara
• Valentina
  

Middle names are where you can go a little wild, and pick a trendy name even if you have your heart set on a classic first name. The Social Security Administration (SSA) keeps track of the most popular baby names, and also the names that have experienced the biggest leaps in popularity in the past year. If you're looking for a name on the upswing, try one of these fast climbers (listed in order of popularity):

• Kaeli
• Alitzel
• Emryn
• Adhara
• Azari
• Kya
• Ivey
• Ainara
• Arely
• Scottie
• Avani
  
• Miller
• Aleyna
• Blessing
• Miley
• Andie
• Inaya
• Dania
• Halo
• Ailany
• Aylani
  
• Maisy
  
• Lakelynn
  
• Elowyn
  
• Tallulah
  

Here, you see a mix of up-and-coming trends: Typically boyish names repurposed as girls' middle names (Scottie, Miller, Andie), dictionary word names (Blessing, Halo) and lots of names that end in -i, -y and -ie. Will these be cracking into the top 10 any time soon?

The SSA isn't the only entity keeping track of hot baby names. The baby-naming sites like Nameberry, BabyCenter and The Bump keep data on its of its users' choices and interest in names. These may give you more insight into what names are popular right at this moment. Some current faves of these users include:

• Amara
• Arabella
• Aria
• Aurelia
• Clara
• Eliana
• Daphne
  
• Gianna
  
• Hayden
  
• Imogen
• Kai
• Lyla
  
• Maeve
• Malia
  
• Millie
  
• Noelle
  
• Ophelia
• Parker
• Remi
• Reese
  
• River
• Rose
  
• Rowan
  
• Rylee
• Zaya
  

If you're reluctant to have a "junior," or have your baby share her first name with a relative, you can use a middle name as a way of honoring your family. Doing so might also land you an au courant name, since vintage names like Edith, Eleanor, Josephine, Louise, Margot and Sadie and are all increasing in popularity.

Or, you can slot in an old family last name (after all, last-names-as-first-names is a trend, as names like Ainsley, Eden, Ellis, Sloane, Kennedy, and Piper can attest). And if that doesn't work, you can try using a name with an origin that celebrates your family's heritage. Perhaps one of these has a connection to your family's history:

• Alessia
• Alma
• Astrid
  
• Dulce
• Estella
• Dagmar
• Giovanna
• Khalani
• Layla
  
• Maya
  
• Mei
  
• Saoirse
  
• Yara
  

No matter the origin, names inspired by goddesses are on the rise. If you want the middle name to exude strength, try one of these heavenly names:

• Aphrodite
• Ariadne
• Artemis
• Athena
• Aurora
  
• Cora
  
• Dalia
  
• Devi
  
• Flora
• Freya/Frejya
• Gaia
• Iris
  
• Jaya
• Juno
• Kali
• Luna
• Minerva
  
• Niamh
  
• Padma
• Persephone
• Phoebe
  
• Seren
  
• Thora
• Uma
• Ziva

According to the SSA, these are the most often used baby names for girls that we haven't mentioned already:

• Olivia
• Emma
• Amelia
• Sophia/Sofia
• Evelyn
• Harper
  
• Camila
  
• Violet
  
• Scarlett
  
• Emily
  
• Hazel
  
• Lily
  
• Nora
  
• Chloe
  
• Ellie
  
• Mila
  
• Avery
  
• Abigail
  
• Ella
  
• Isla
  
• Madison
  
• Grace
  
• Lucy
  
• Willow
  
• Emilia
  
• Riley
  
• Naomi
  
• Victoria
  
• Stella
  
• Elena
  
• Hannah
  
• Delilah
  
• Leah
  
• Lainey
  
• Lillian
  
• Paisley
  
• Genesis
  
• Madelyn
  
• Leilani
  
• Addison
  
• Natalie
  
• Alice
  
• Ruby
  
• Claire
  
• Kinsley
  
• Everly
  
• Emery
  
• Adeline
  
• Audrey
  
• Autumn
  
• Jade
  
• Maria
  
• Caroline
  
• Brooklyn
  
• Quinn
  
• Aaliyah
  
• Vivian
  
• Liliana
  
• Gabriella
  
• Hailey
  
• Sarah
  
• Savannah
  
• Madeline
  
• Natalia
  
• Ariana
  
• Lydia
  
• Allison
  
• Aubrey
  
• Melody
  
• Ayla
  

Check out other Good Housekeeping lists:

French Baby Names | Hispanic Girl Names | Indian/Hindu Girl Names | Irish Girl Names | Italian Baby Names | Japanese Baby Names | Long Girl Names | Short Girl Names | Baby Boy Names | Unisex/Gender Neutral Names