Unique Middle Names for Girls
- Jet
Origin:
Mineral and word nameDescription:
Though this may be thought of as a short form of the legitimate name Jetta, that one's gone to the cars. This sounds more modern if a bit supersonic. In the Netherlands, it's in the Top 100, originating as a short form of -ette ending names such as Henriette and Mariette.
- Marvel
Origin:
English word nameDescription:
Marvel, now a character name in The Hunger Games series, was a miracle name of yesterday, on the girls' Social Security list until 1941 and reaching a high of 487 at the turn of the last century, when Marva was also in style.
- Citron
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"lemon"Description:
A Gallic twist on a word or nature name, which has a nice lemony feel.
- Poe
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"peacock"Description:
Hip new middle-name choice, conjuring up the gothic tales of Edgar Allan, and current single-named pop singer Poe.
- Nairobi
Origin:
African place-name, MaasiMeaning:
"cold water"Description:
Kenya is fairly commonly heard as a girl's name, but its capital city makes a much more exceptional choice. The name comes from the Maasai phrase "Enkare Nairobi," which translates to "cold water." Nairobi is popularly known as the Green City.
- Shalom
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"peace"Description:
Supermodel Shalom Harlow glamorized this name, which is heard as a greeting every day in Israel.
- Meraki
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"doing something with soul, love, creativity, or devotion"Description:
Meraki is one of those untranslatable words that only exist in a single language. It's the Greek concept of putting your whole heart into something. NPR says, "Meraki is often used to describe cooking or preparing a meal, but it can also mean arranging a room, choosing decorations, or setting an elegant table."
- Leaf
Origin:
Nature nameDescription:
Leaf is a hippieish choice that, for girls, still retains an evergreen quality.
- Cameo
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
This evocative term for a stone or shell carved in relief could make a striking first name for a girl, though she would have a starring role in her story, rather than a cameo.
- North
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
North's image and gender status was irrevocably changed when Kim Kardashian and Kanye West announced it as the name of their newborn daughter. But why not? West is firmly established as a name, Easton is coming up strong, and North has a nice solid sound as well -- certainly as appropriate for either gender. South, though, not so much.
- Reeve
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"bailiff"Description:
Chosen by aviators Charles and Anne Lindbergh for their daughter, Reeve is another single-syllable surname waiting to be borrowed by the girls.
- Afternoon
Origin:
English, “afternoon”Description:
An early day name worthy of consideration today for someone seeking a truly unusual name.
- Italia
Origin:
Italian place-nameDescription:
Authentic, melodic place-name for the adventurous, chosen by rapper LL Cool J for his daughter and given to nearly 80 baby girls in the US last year. Italia of course is what the Italians call Italy.
- Dune
Origin:
English word nameDescription:
Dune is a haunting and evocative sandy-beach name, which also has sci-fi connections. Dune is a science fiction franchise that was launched by Frank Herbert's 1965 novel. Some interesting Dune character names include Alia, Leto, Siona, Bellonda,and Tamalane.
- Allegro
Origin:
ItalianMeaning:
"brisk, sprightly"Description:
ALLEGRA is a delicate ballet-dancer name; ALLEGRO, which means a fast-paced movement in music, is stronger and more vibrant.
- Eleven
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
If Erykah Badu can name her son Seven, why can't you name your daughter (or son) this? Eleven has recently gotten a lot of attention via the character on the TV show Stranger Things.
- Deneb
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"tail"Description:
A star in the "tail" of the Cygnus constellation.
- Cruise
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"cross"Description:
Cool, cruising choice for either sex.
- Boheme
Origin:
French word nameDescription:
"Girls Gone Child" blogger Rebecca Woolf made Boheme a first name when she gave it to one of her twin daughters (the other one's name is Reverie). La Boheme -- "The Bohemian" -- is a Puccini opera that was transmogrified into the modern play Rent. Boheme means a literary or artistic person who lives outside conventional society.
- Berlin
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"borderline"Description:
Edgy German capital with definite possibilities as a baby name.