Nickname help!
We want to name our baby Penelope but we can’t decide on a nickname? Help!
From the South — or just looking for a baby name that captures its unique spirit? Check out our list of wonderful Southern baby names and their meanings.
Are you looking for a name to honor your baby’s Southern heritage?
Or perhaps you simply want to capture the charm and style of the southern states?
Either way, we’ve got a delightful selection of Southern baby names to inspire you!
We’re going to look at names for girls and boys, including classic Southern favorites and those with a more modern flair.
And we’ll check out their meanings too.
Let’s dive in.
In this article: 📝
- Southern names for girls
- Southern names for boys
- What are old Southern names?
- What is a common Southern name?
Southern names for girls
Southern girls’ names can be refined and elegant or bold and badass! Here are some of our favorites.
- Ada: Meaning “noble,” Ada has two different origin stories. One has it coming from the German name Adelaide. The other references the Biblical Adah, one of the first female names to appear in the Book of Genesis
- Addison: This name meaning “son of Adam,” works just as well for any gender.
- Belle: French for “beautiful.”
- Blanche: From French meaning “white,” this name was made famous by Blanche Dubois, a character in the Tennessee Williams play A Streetcar Named Desire.
- Charlotte: “Free” or “petite”.
- Clementine: This sweet name means “merciful.” The masculine version of the name, Clement, has belonged to a few different popes.
- Dolly: The short form of Dorothy or Dolores, Dolly means “gift of God.” It’s of course most famous as the name of country music legend, Dolly Parton.
- Eliza: “Joyful”
- Ella: From the Spanish for “she” or “her,” this popular name also has old English origins and means “fairy maiden.”
- Grace: A perfect choice for an elegant Southern belle.
- Josephine: From the Hebrew meaning “God shall multiply,” Josephine is a classic Southern name with lots of options for abbreviation.
- Mae: This cute name can be a shortened form of Mary or Margaret, or reference the month of May.
- Margaret: From ancient Greek origins, Margaret means “pearl.”
- Scarlett: One of the most famous Southern characters in literature is Gone with the Wind’s Scarlett O’Hara. The name is of French origins and refers to a passionate red.
- Willa: “Will,” “desire,” or “protection.”
🤠 You might also like: 104 Fearless Cowgirl Baby Names
Southern names for boys
Southern boys’ names evoke wide open spaces, freedom, and daring.
Check out these options for your own little cowboy.
- Atticus: This Latin name was made famous by the Southern lawyer in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird.
- Austin: After the city in Texas, Austin is also Latin for “great” or “magnificent.”
- Beau: This French masculine word means “beautiful.”
- Blake: From Old English roots, Blake can interestingly mean either dark and black or fair and pale.
- Brooks: A brook is a small stream. The plural form is most often used as a boy’s name.
- Carter: Carter refers to someone who makes a living by transporting goods by cart.
- Duke: With its royal undertones, Duke means “leader.”
- Emmett: “Universal,” “hard worker,” or “truth.”
- Faulkner: This great name honors the Southern literary giant William Faulkner. It means “falcon trainer.”
- Huck: Short for Huckleberry, this name has become increasingly popular in its own right.
- Montgomery: After the city in Alabama, shorten this to Monty for maximum cuteness.
- Rhett: Rhett Butler is the quintessential Southern gent in Gone With the Wind. His name means “to speak or advise.”
- Samuel: This Biblical name popular in the South means “God has heard.”
- Tennessee: This name has two Southern roots. It’s the name of a state in the South and belonged to the famous Southern playwright Tennessee Williams.
- Waylon: A good option to commemorate road trips through the South, Waylon means “land by the road.”
What are old Southern names?
There are some beautiful old Southern baby names out there.
Hark back to times gone by with these classic choices.
Here are some options for girls:
- Annamae: This lovely name is a traditional Southern favorite for girls.
- Betsy: This shortened form of Elizabeth is lovely in its own right. It means “pledged to God.”
- Birdie: While it may be hard to see the link, this adorable name is another derivative of Elizabeth.
- Bonnie: “Pretty”
- Daisy: Like the flower.
- Darlene: “Darling”
- Dora: From Dorothea or Theadora, Dora means “God’s gift.”
- Emmiline: A pretty Southern name with various spellings, Emmiline comes from the Germanic word for “work.”
- Harper: This is a great choice to honor Harper Lee, writer of the Southern classic To Kill a Mockingbird.
- Jolene: This classic Southern name has been immortalized by the Dolly Parton song.
- Loretta: This powerful name references the laurel tree, a symbol of victory.
- Maribelle: A blending of Mary and Belle, Maribelle means “beautiful star of the sea.”
- Savannah: After the coastal city of Georgia, Savannah is synonymous with Southern charm.
And these old Southern names are perfect for a little boy:
- Brick: Another great Southern character, Brick is the hero of the Tennessee Williams play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
- Charles: A name of kings, Charles means “free man.”
- Earl: “Warrior” or “nobleman.”
- Ewell: “Source of the river” or “winter solstice.”
- Hunter: This is a great name for adventurous kids.
- Jackson: Originally a family name, Jackson simply means “son of Jack.”
- Jefferson: Like Jackson, Jefferson started out as a family name. It means “son of Jeffers” or “son of Jeffrey.”
- Jeremiah: Another Biblical name popular in the South, Jeremiah means “God will raise.”
- Knox: Originally a Scottish name, this name means “small round hill.”
- Sawyer: A great gender-neutral name, Sawyer means “woodcutter.”
- Thomas: Another Biblical name, Thomas means “twin.”
- Wyatt: The most famous Wyatt of them all was western lawman Wyatt Earp. The name means “brave at war.”
What is a common Southern name?
Lots of Southern names are popular across the United States.
The lovely names in the list below have all featured in the top 300 names across the whole country.
- Ava: This perennial favorite makes the top 10 of US baby names. Perhaps the most famous Ava of all time is screen goddess Ava Gardner, who hailed from North Carolina.
- Carolina: This pretty name forms part of two Southern States, North and South Carolina.
- Cash: This one’s linked to famous country singer Johnny Cash, who was born in Arkansas.
- Delilah: The Biblical Delilah cuts off Samson’s hair. The name has Hebrew roots and means “delicate.”
- Georgia: Another popular name, Georgia directly references a Southern state.
- Tucker: From Middle English roots, Tucker means “tailor.”
- Mason: This name makes the list of top 20 US baby names and is usually used for boys. Like Tucker, it’s an occupational name and describes people who cut stone. It started off as a family name before gaining popularity as a given name.
As our list shows, there are a whole lot of cute Southern baby names out there!
And they ooze elegance, sophistication, and charm.
We hope there’s something here that’s caught your eye.
All the best with your choice!