Girl Name

Freedom Is Thy Middle Name

Middle names are like the fulcrum on a teeter-totter – they keep everything balanced. If you’re choosing a unique first name, you may opt for a safer middle name for equilibrium. For example, if you’re selecting a girl name like Shiloh for your daughter’s first name (à la Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie), then something like Elizabeth or Catherine is an ideal middle name. If your daughter doesn’t end up liking Shiloh much, she can always go by her middle name.

Looking for unique baby name for boy, check the boy name section

The same is true if you’re selecting a safe first name – you can go wild with the middle name. You have total freedom. If you’re just itching to use a unique name but don’t dare use it as the forename, you can hide it in the middle. For most parents, a girl name like Shiloh is just begging to be used as a middle name, as it may be too unusual to use it up front. If you’re daughter ends up having a wild personality, she may ultimately opt to go by her middle name instead.

The middle name is also the perfect place to sneak in that family name that you want to use, but you really can’t get on board with. A boy name like Cletus or a girl name like Swoosie may have been beloved for generations in your family, but there’s no way you’re going to expose your child to that kind of ridicule. The solution is to bury that old-fashioned name in the middle, where it’s rarely seen, but is still lurking there as a tribute to family tradition.

You have no idea what kind of personality your daughter or son will have; but if the first name for child isn’t the right match for him or her, chances are, the middle name will smooth things over.