Middle Name Round-Up

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It's the last day of August, and sadly, the last day of our Middle Name Month. As I've shown you this month, almost any name makes a great middle name. In fact, many of us consider names for the middle position that we would never dream of using as first names. I've compiled a list of lists--all past posts of mine that include wonderful middle name options for boys and girls. Happy naming!

Nature Names
Nature names are widely appealing, and they make up some of the most popular middle names. These lists offer many more options beyond Rose, and they might even take you in an unexpected direction (fruit and veggie names, anyone?)

Fruit and Vegetable Names:
My favorite middles: Fig, Huckleberry, and Plum
Herbs and Spice Names
My favorite middles: Artemisia, Nigella, and Quassia
Squash and Pumpkin Names
My favorite middles: Cocozelle, Kuri, and Valenciano
Tree Names
My favorite middles: Ash, Birch, and Hickory
Unexpected Flower Names
My favorite middles: Anemone, Larkspur, and Petunia

Out-of-the-Box Names
If you're a more cautious namer, there's no better place for an out-of-the-box name than the middle. Out-of-the-Box Names are free-spirited and whimsical, and--in my opinion--make the cutest middle names.

Camera Names
My favorite middles: Kodak, Leica, and Olympus
Car Inspired Names
My favorite middles: Alfa, Lotus, and Tesla
Fashion Trends as Names
My favorite middles: Chevron, Dot, and Peplum
Holiday Names
My favorite middles: Holiday, Season, and Yule
Pattern Names
My favorite middles: Gingham, Grain, and Tartan
Royalty Inspired Names
My favorite middles: Baron, Noble, and Royal
Sports Names
My favorite middles: Cricket, Derby, and League

Virtue Names
Perhaps the most enduring middle name trend is virtue names. Nowadays we see plenty of girls with Grace in the middle, though in the past picks like Joy, Faith, and Hope were also popular. These lists offer some more modern choices.

Modern Virtue Names for Girls
My favorite middles: Divinity, Hero, and Virtue
Modern Virtue Names for Boys
My favorite middles: Candor, Reason, and Zeal

Word Names
Like out-of-the-box names, word names can be very playful when used in the middle. They range from conservative to offbeat, but all of them are delightful.

Beachy Names
My favorite middles: Dune, Marine, and Oceane
Calendar Names
My favorite middles: Season, Tuesday, and Winter
Day Names
My favorite middles: Asa, Dia, and Early
Nautical Names
My favorite middles: Beacon, Sailor, and Sea
Night Names
My favorite middles: Dream, Moon, and Story
State Capital Names
My favorite middles: Augusta, Helena, and Honolulu

July Names

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Tomorrow is the first day of July, a month that can be rather hot and unbearable here in Chicago. However, it is a month that offers a lot of inspiration in the baby name department. Whether you want your baby's name to subtly or obviously honor his or her birth month, this list can give you plenty of ideas.

Birthstone:
Ruby- A cute name on the rise, perfect for any time of year.

Birth Flower:
Larkspur- If Larkspur seems like too much for you, Lark or Larkin would be just fine.
Water Lily- This one offers so many options. From the water part you can get names like Sea, Lake, River, and Bay. From Lily you can use Lilia, Lillian, Lilith, or even Shoshanna. If you want, go all the way with this one and call her Oceane Liliana.

Birth Colors:
Green- So many shades of green make great baby names. The most useable ones are Olive, Fern, Forest, Hunter, India, Paris, Pine, and Sea (another great reason to use Sea).
Russet- What a cool name for a boy. He's perfect to honor a Russell, plus you can call him Russ.

Star Sign:
Leo- Late July babies will be Leos, which offers great options such as Leo, Leonardo, and Leopold for boys, and Leona, Leonie, or even Cleo for girls.

Related to July:
4th of July- Having a July 4th baby? Some parents like to go with the obvious connection and choose America or Liberty. Want something a little more understated? Try Justus.
Jul Names- Of course you can always go for the names that sound like July, including Julia, Juliette, Julian, and Julius.
Seven- July is the seventh month, and Seven is one of the few numbers that really seems to work as a baby name.
Summer- Summer is in full swing in July, so she makes perfect sense as a name.

Unexpected Flower Names

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It's hard to argue with a good flower name. Lily, Daisy, Iris, Violet, Rose, these names are well liked, but they are also the most common flower names. If you know you want to use a flower name for your baby, why not choose something unexpected? I have the perfect list to spark some inspiration.

Girls:
Amaryllis
Anemone
Aster
Azalea
Begonia
Calla
Camellia
Chrysanthemum
Clover
Daffodil
Dahlia
Freesia
Gardenia
Hyacinth
Larkspur
Lavender
Liatris
Lilac
Lotus
Marigold
Mimosa
Peony
Petunia
Poinsettia
Posy
Primrose
Tansy
Zinnia

Boys:
Cosmo
Quince