910+ Middle Names

Knight (as opposed to Night) is a name clad in shiny armor. This high-ranking word name was introduced by singers Kelis and Nas. Knight might join brothers King, Royal, and Noble in a new definition of royal baby names.

March has never been popular as a month name, possibly because of its slightly abrupt sound. But with all kinds of month (and season, day, and holiday) names, from January to December, Sunday to Easter, Winter to Midnight, coming to the fore, March is beginning to seem eminently baby-ready.

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.

Jeter, which of course is used as a first name only because of Yankee star Derek, rhymes with Peter and may be derived from the French surname Jette, which was often bestowed on foundlings because it means "thrown out," or the German Jetter, an occupational name meaning "weeder." If your husband insists on Jeter, counter with Percival.

There was an ancient Saint Fort, and this is a modern, original way to convey a powerful meaning, especially in the middle place.

Nice sound, but double meaning -- shady glen or shady character.

Skater Tai Babilonia brought this sleek modern name to the world's attention. Pronounced "tie."

An ubercool and mysterious name, brought to you by director M. Night Shyamalan.

A boy with this name is certain to be bombarded with "What's up, doc?" every day of his life. Even Doctor would be preferable.

We've had Apples, Plums, Peaches, Cherries, and Berries added to the fruit basket: you could be the first to pick a Tangerine.

Hurricane is a storm, but it's also an American name, thanks to rising tennis star Hurricane Black -- whose sister's name is Tornado. There's no reason this tempestuous choice can't work for boys too, inasfar as the name can work for any child. As a name, Hurricane is definitely original and attention-getting, but is it a name you'd want to carry around for life?

Hip new middle-name choice, conjuring up the gothic tales of Edgar Allan, and current single-named pop singer Poe.

Queen has seen a revival in recent times, reaching its record high in 2018 with 280 births — it has remained steady since then. Previously, Queen saw a peak in the 1920s, but its origins go back even further than that. Queen was a noted name among enslaved people in America, along with other royal choices such as Duke, Squire, and Prince.

This British river name sounds sleek and strong but perhaps a bit too energetic.

A regal sounding name with a cool, trendy twist, Kaizer is a variation of the title given to the now-defunct German emperor. Deriving from Caesar (with the perhaps less appealing, hairy meaning), the traditional Kaiser spelling is in the US Top 1000. Given to around 330 boys each year, it is more than twice as popular as Kaizer.

This booming word name has been used every year since 1988, yet at most was given to 30 baby boys in a single year. But with names like Thunder, all it takes is one celebrity to bring it to the mainstream, and Usain Bolt could be the guy. He welcomed a son named Thunder (yes, Thunder Bolt) in 2021, twin to Saint Leo and brother to Olympia Lightning.

There are many fire-related names, from Aidan to Fiammetta, but the Flame isn't one that's often found on birth certificates. It's a highly symbolic word: flames can represent faith, passion and cleansing, for example, as well as straightforward heat and light.

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.

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.

A grassy place with trees is a nice image to attach to a name.