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

Tree Names

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Arbor Day greetings! Nature is a wonderful source of baby name inspiration--trees are especially great. I've noticed more and more tree names on babies lately--has anyone else? Let me know your favorites in the comments (I'm rather partial to Birch).

Acacia- Acacia is a stunningly beautiful name. At only #2257, I'm surprised she isn't more popular.

Ash- Has Ash officially gone to the boys? I definitely prefer him for a son, but I'm not sure everyone agrees with me. If you do like him for a boy, here's a list of full names.

Aspen- Nine times out of ten, people will first associate Aspen with the ski town. So if you want people to know you chose it for the nature connotations, I suggest having a nature (or even tree) themed sibset. I like Aspen, Linden, and Juniper.

Birch- Birch trees are some of my favorites, which might be why I love Birch as a name so much. It would be perfect for a middle name.

Cedar- Arguably the best part about nature names is that almost all of them are unisex. You can use the majority of these names on either a boy or girl, Cedar included.

Cypress- Cypress is the second of two place/tree names on this list. It is actually slightly more popular for girls, which surprised me. I thought it would lean boy because of the similarity to Cyrus.

Elm- Elmo may be off the table, but Elm makes a fantastic alternative. It also makes a great way to honor any Elmers in your life.

Hickory- I've never met a baby named Hickory. Or even heard of one, for that matter. However, it's not an uncommon dog name, and if you've ever looked at pet name data, you know that pet name trends tend to be a step ahead of baby name trends. Does that convince you to use Hickory?

Juniper- Juniper is on fire. She has only been in the top 1000 three years, but has skyrocketed all the way up to #648. That's a 227 place jump from the year before. Who knows where she'll be at in the 2014 data. Top 400, maybe?

Linden- Gender-wise, Linden is very apathetic. It's currently 55% female and 45% male. Spelled Lyndon (like LBJ), it's 89% male. Linden is a nice substitute for the oh-so-popular London.

Magnolia- Magnolia trees are gorgeous around this time--they have the prettiest pink flowers. She's also a lovely name, and has a lot of nickname options.

Maple- Maple and sound-alike sister Mabel are both on the rise here in the U.S. The former is much less trendy, at only #3284. Maple would make a great name for anyone's baby, but especially for syrup-lovers, Canadians, and tree-enthusiasts.

Oak- I never gave Oak much thought as a name until the beautiful LaTonya Staubs gave it to her son (a brother to River!). His full name is Oak Tullier (too-YAY), which is a perfect combo.

Olive- Olive was on my list for a long long time, until I began hearing too much of her (what should that be called--name fatigue?). I still think she's a very sweet, but at #290, she may be at risk of losing her hipster charm and becoming mainstream.

Pine- Strong, concise names for boys are having a moment. If you're a fan of this trend (like me), put Pine on your list. He's unique, on-trend, and a nature name.

Willow- Could Willow break the top 100 this year? She's at #155, and still rising, so there's a chance. If you're looking for a cool nickname for Willow, I suggest Loie or Billie.

10 M Names You Never Thought of Using: Boys

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What's your favorite M name for boys? Maverick? Mateo? Miles? I happen to be fond of Max, but he's just so popular right now. Many parents nowadays want a name that is on trend, yet no one is using. It sounds like an impossible task, but I've found ten M names that are just that.

Macalester- Looking for an offbeat way to get to Mac? How about Lester? Maybe Cal? Macalester is a smart collegiate name with a wealth of nickname possibilities (obviously).

Magnus- This Scandinavian charmer is the most popular of the list, ranking at 958. He makes a nice alternative to Max; just ask one of his many celebrity parents--including Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, and Jennifer Nettles.

Maguire- We love giving our children surnames as first names, but haven't embraced Maguire. It's a unisex name, but if you use him for a boy, he's nicknameless (and if you're anything like me, that's a plus).

Maine- Maine is my favorite state name. He's simple and understated, yet rugged and strong. It'd be a great way to honor a family member who was from Maine.

March- He's one of the most usable month names, yet he never gets used. I mean, come on, it's not like using February. I think he's one of the most handsome names.

Mead- He may be short, but he doesn't lack substance. Mead is a surname that would be great for honoring a Maude or a Reid.

Meyer- Another preppy surname, but this time with foodie appeal. Perfect for your sweet little boy, because Meyer Lemons are the sweetest.

Moe- You can't get much simpler than Moe. He makes a great first name, but he works as a nickname for many retro picks as well. My suggestion? Cosmo.

Moore- Moore strikes me as swanky and sophisticated. But it's a little hard for me to picture him on a baby.

Moss- Moss is appealing on so many levels. Where else can you find a name that both nature-lovers and super model fanatics can agree on?