my fav girl names and middle names
- Kay
Origin:
English, diminutive of KatherineDescription:
Kay, a cigarette-smoking, nightclubbing name of the 1930's, could be ready for a comeback along with cousins May/Mae and Ray/Rae.
- Khali
- Kim
Origin:
English diminutive of Kimberly; Vietnamese; Scandinavian diminutive of Joachima; Soviet nameDescription:
Kim was the coolest name... of the 1960s. Kim was popularized by actress Kim Novak, and its energy is still maintained by rapper Lil' Kim, but it holds lil' or no appeal for new babies. Parents who like Kim's short, sweet sound might look to a choice such as Sam, Lou, or Belle.
- Kefi
- Lainey
Origin:
Diminutive of Elaine, French and ScottishMeaning:
"bright shining light"Description:
Nickname name Lainey has been rising since the turn of the century to become a Top 200 girls' name in the US today.
- Laurie
Origin:
English, diminutive of LauraMeaning:
"from Laurentum or bay laurel"Description:
Laurie morphed into the more streamlined Lori in the sixties but now feels dated for a girl in either spelling. Update Lauren has been renovated as Laurel or Laura itself.
- Leah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"weary"Description:
Strong but sweet, Leah is a classic name that doesn’t feel dull or dusty. It’s got plenty of dignity, grace, and pluck, making it a solid choice in the 21st century.
- Leighton
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"meadow town"Description:
One of those names that's suddenly on the map because of a celebrity's influence, Leighton Meester of the TV show Gossip Girl. She pronounces it LAY-ton but some will intuitively say LEE-ton.
- Liv
Origin:
NorseMeaning:
"life"Description:
The fame of actress and Aerosmith daughter Liv Tyler helped to infuse life into this short but solid Scandinavian name that was chosen for her daughter by Julianne Moore.
- London
Origin:
English place-nameDescription:
The capital of the United Kingdom makes a solid and attractive twenty-first-century choice, with a lot more substance than Paris. It's in the unisex column, with both girls and boys given the name in recent years.
- Love
Origin:
Word nameMeaning:
"love"Description:
Love makes an endearing middle name, as in Jennifer Love Hewitt. However, more parents are considering Love as a first name — enough for it to enter the charts for the first time in 2022 as one of the fastest-rising names of the year. Other love-related alternatives include Juliet, Valentina, and Amor.
- Luca
Origin:
Italian variation of Luke and LucasMeaning:
"light or man from Lucania"Description:
Very much a boy's name in Italy, it's beginning to be seen as a unisex possibility here: actress Jennie Garth used it for her daughter. When spelled Lucca as in the Italian city, it can also be considered one of the place names along with Venezia, Roma, and Milana that make great Italian names for girls.
- Lev
- Marbella
Origin:
Spanish place nameDescription:
The name of the resort city on Spain's Costa del Sol is pronounced mar-BAY-a, setting it apart from the bella-name competition -- though many English speakers won't realize that.
- Mila
Origin:
Slavic, RussianMeaning:
"gracious; dear"Description:
Mila is a popular name that took a 125 year nap, ranking in the Top 1000 in 1881 and then not ranking again until 2006, after actress Mila Kunis appeared on That 70s Show.
- Manu
- Naia
Origin:
Hawaiian, Greek, BasqueMeaning:
"dolphin; to flow; wave, sea foam"Description:
Multicultural option, equally intriguing as, but more unusual than, Maia.
- Nayeli
Origin:
ZapotecMeaning:
"I love you"Description:
A name rarely heard outside the Latino community, but it was popular enough in the early 2000s to crack the Top 200. Since then, it's lost ground.
- Nell
Origin:
English, diminutive of Helen, Eleanor, et alMeaning:
"bright, shining one"Description:
Nell, once a nickname for Helen, Ellen, or Eleanor, is a sweet old-fashioned charmer that is fashionably used today in its own right. While Nell is perfectly in tune with contemporary vintage name style, it hasn't taken off the way some of its sisters have and so maintains an air of distinction. Use Nell or Nellie as a short for any name from Eleanor to Penelope or just name her Nell.
- Nikola