Southern Girl Names: 136 Classics With Meanings

Southern girl names range from classics like Charlotte, Caroline and Eleanor to double names like Annie Mae, flower names like Magnolia and Camellia, and place names like Georgia and Savannah, and this list gives a checked meaning and origin for 136 of them.

Southern girl names have a warm, gracious feel: long classic names with friendly nicknames, double names said all in one breath, family surnames passed down as first names, and the flowers of a Southern garden. Some of those customs are more than a stereotype: name researchers have studied double names and surname names in the South, and we cite their work below.

We grouped the names by style: most-loved picks, classics, old vintage names, double names, surname names, flower and nature names, place names, Bible names, modern picks, and nicknames. Every meaning was checked against the name’s own Behind the Name entry. At the end you will find sibling sets, middle name pairings and quick tests to help you choose.

Key Takeaways

Popular southern girl names include Charlotte, Caroline, Savannah, Magnolia, Scarlett and Eleanor.
Charlotte ranked No. 2 for U.S. girls born in 2025, according to the Social Security Administration.
Double names like Annie Mae and Mary Sue are a documented Southern pattern, studied in a 1983 journal article.
Using a family surname or a mother’s maiden name as a first name is another Southern custom researchers have described.
Many surname names, such as Blair, Kendall and Emerson, are used for both girls and boys, so check the gender label.

Table of Contents

Southern Girl Names at a Glance

Quick Answer

Favorite southern girl names: Charlotte, Caroline, Savannah, Magnolia, Scarlett and Eleanor (most-loved picks); Margaret, Louisa, Harriet and Josephine (classics); Eudora, Imogene and Cordelia (old Southern charm); Annie Mae and Martha Jane (double names); Whitney, Blair and Collins (surname style); Camellia, Azalea and Jessamine (garden flowers); Georgia, Virginia, Carolina and Tallulah (place names); Emery, Kinley and Jolie (modern picks); and Mamie, Polly and Hattie (sweet nicknames).

Every origin label and meaning on this page was checked against the name’s own entry on Behind the Name in October 2026. Where the reference calls a meaning unknown, uncertain or only possible, we print it that way.

“Southern” is a style, not an official category. No agency labels a name as Southern, so this list gathers girl names often associated with the American South: names with a long history there, names tied to Southern places, and the naming customs that name researchers have actually documented in the region, such as double names and family surnames used as first names. Where a source makes a Southern connection, we say which source it is.

These ten are the names many families picture first: formal enough for a wedding invitation, soft enough to call across a porch. Charlotte is the most familiar of them: it ranked No. 2 for girls born in the United States in 2025, according to the Social Security Administration (SSA). The rest are well known without being everywhere.

Name	Meaning and origin
Charlotte	French, English. French feminine diminutive of Charles; introduced to Britain in the 17th century
Caroline	French, English. French feminine form of Carolus
Savannah	English. From the English word for a large grassy plain, ultimately from the Taíno (Native American) word sabana; a given name in America since the 19th century
Magnolia	English. From the flower, which was named for the French botanist Pierre Magnol
Scarlett	English. From an English surname for a person who made or sold clothes of scarlet cloth; the heroine Scarlett O’Hara in Margaret Mitchell’s novel Gone with the Wind (1936)
Eleanor	English. From the Old French form of the Occitan name Alienòr; one account links it to the Latin phrase alia Aenor, “the other Aenor,” but the origin is not fully clear
Elizabeth	English, biblical. From the Greek form of the Hebrew name Elisheba: “my God is an oath”
Mary	English, biblical. English form of Maria, from the Hebrew Miryam; the meaning is not known for certain, and it was most likely originally an Egyptian name, perhaps partly from words for “beloved” or “love”
Anna	English and many other languages; biblical. Form of Hannah used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament
Lila	English. Variant of Leila, or a short form of Delilah

Most-loved southern girl names, with the meaning and origin given by Behind the Name.

Three of these have a direct Southern story in their entries. Savannah came into use as a given name in America in the 19th century. Scarlett is the heroine of Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 novel Gone with the Wind, though Behind the Name notes the name stayed uncommon until the 21st century. And Caroline shares its root with Carolina, the name of two Southern states (see the place-name table below). If you are shopping for a brother as well, our southern boy names list uses the same checked approach.

Classic Southern Girl Names

Classic Southern girl names are the long, graceful ones you might find on a family Bible page or a christening gown label: Margaret, Catherine, Louisa, Frances and Harriet. They are not unique to the South, and that is part of their appeal. They sound at home anywhere, they shorten to friendly nicknames, and they are easy to pass down from a grandmother or great aunt.

Name	Meaning and origin
Margaret	English. From the Latin name Margarita, from Greek margarites: “pearl”
Catherine	French, English. French form of Katherine and a common English variant; the origin of Katherine is debated
Sarah	English, Hebrew, biblical. From Hebrew: “lady, princess, noblewoman”; the wife of Abraham in the Old Testament
Louisa	English, German, Dutch, French. Latinate feminine form of Louis; borne by the American novelist Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women
Frances	English. Feminine form of Francis; the split between Francis for boys and Frances for girls dates to the 17th century
Harriet	English. English form of Henriette, and so a feminine form of Harry; very common in the English-speaking world by the 18th century; borne by the abolitionist Harriet Tubman
Eliza	English and other languages. Short form of Elizabeth
Josephine	English, German, Dutch. English, German and Dutch form of Joséphine
Evelyn	English (feminine and masculine). From an English surname derived from the given name Aveline; more common for boys in the 17th century, now almost entirely feminine
Lillian	English. Probably originally a diminutive of Elizabeth; it may also be read as an elaborated form of Lily; used in England since the 16th century
Julia	English and many other languages. Feminine form of the Roman family name Julius
Rebecca	English, biblical. From the Hebrew Rivqa, probably from a Semitic root meaning “join, tie, snare”; the wife of Isaac in the Old Testament
Emily	English. English feminine form of Aemilius
Louise	French, English. French feminine form of Louis
Adeline	French, English. French and English form of Adelina
Vivian	English (masculine and feminine). From the Latin name Vivianus, from vivus: “alive”

Classic girl names with a long history in the South and beyond.

Many of these come with a built-in nickname, which fits a habit name researchers have noted in the region. In a 1989 study of unusual given names from the Southern United States, published in the journal Names, Brenna E. Lorenz listed double names and “diminutives as formal given names” among the naming practices common in the South. In other words, a girl might be named Margaret and called Peggy, or simply named Sally on her birth certificate. You will find those short forms in the nickname table near the end of this guide.

Two of these overlap with the national top 10. Evelyn ranked No. 8 for U.S. girls born in 2025, according to the SSA, and Emma (in the double-name table below) ranked No. 3. If you want a classic that is less common right now, Louisa, Frances, Harriet and Vivian are good places to look.

Old Southern Girl Names With Vintage Charm

Searching for old Southern girl names? These nine have the feel of a great-grandmother’s name: a little grand, a little literary and long out of everyday use in many families. We kept this list short on purpose. For a much bigger set of farmhouse classics, see our country girl names guide, and for the grandmother generation, try old fashioned girl names.

Name	Meaning and origin
Eudora	Greek mythology. Greek for “good gift”; the name of a nymph, one of the Hyades
Ida	English, German and many other languages. From a Germanic element possibly meaning “work, labor”; strongly revived in the 19th century
Imogene	English. Variant of Imogen
Eugenia	English, Italian, Spanish and more. Feminine form of Eugenius (see Eugene); not regularly used in England until the 19th century
Cordelia	English; literature. From Cordeilla in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s 12th-century chronicles, the youngest daughter of King Leir and the only one who stayed loyal to him
Ophelia	English; literature. From Greek opheleia: “help, advantage”; the daughter of Polonius in Shakespeare’s Hamlet
Beatrice	Italian, English. Italian form of Beatrix; Dante’s guide through paradise in the Divine Comedy
Opal	English. From the iridescent gemstone, the birthstone of October; the word goes back to Sanskrit upala, “jewel”
Augusta	English, Italian, German and more. Feminine form of Augustus; introduced to Britain when King George III gave it to his second daughter in 1768

Old Southern girl names with vintage charm.

Several of these have a literary thread. Cordelia and Ophelia both come from Shakespeare’s plays (Cordelia by way of a 12th-century chronicle), and Beatrice is Dante’s guide in the Divine Comedy. Eudora is a nymph in Greek mythology. Ida was strongly revived in the 19th century, partly because of the heroine of a Tennyson poem, and Augusta reached Britain through a royal daughter in 1768. Each one gives a little girl a story to grow into.

A practical note: Imogene is listed as a variant of Imogen, and Eugenia is a feminine form of Eugenius. Opal is a gemstone name, the birthstone of October, which makes it a sweet choice for a fall baby.

Southern Double Names: A Documented Tradition

Double names are the custom people most often connect with Southern girl names, and in this case there is research behind it. In a 1983 article in the journal Names called “Bible Belt Onomastics Revisited,” John Algeo and Adele Algeo studied given names from a university town of about 50,000 people, mainly in Georgia, using a 1980 high school graduation list, a 1980 university graduation list and 1980 obituary notices.

They described “a favored naming pattern for women” as a double name in which the first name has two syllables with the stress on the first (a trochee), such as Ada Mae, Annie Mae, Mary Sue, Martha Jane and Amy Ruth. In their data, 12% of the older women, 26% of the college women and 28% of the high school girls had names of this kind, so the pattern appeared to be growing rather than fading at the time. The article also quotes the Georgia columnist Lewis Grizzard: “We like double names in the South.”

To build your own, pick a first name from the first table and a short second name from the second. Say the whole thing out loud: the classic rhythm is a first name stressed on its first syllable followed by a single strong syllable.

Name	Meaning and origin
Annie	English, French, Dutch. Diminutive of Anne
Ada	English and many other languages. Originally a short form of Germanic names such as Adelaide or Adelina that begin with adal: “noble”
Ruby	English. From the precious stone (from Latin rubeus, “red”); used as a given name since the 16th century
Martha	English, biblical. From Aramaic: “the lady, the mistress”; borne by Martha Washington, wife of the first U.S. president
Amy	English. From the Old French name Amée: “beloved”
Betty	English. Diminutive of Elizabeth, dating from the end of the 17th century
Sally	English. Diminutive of Sarah, often used on its own
Emma	English and many other languages. Originally a short form of Germanic names that began with irmin: “whole” or “great”
Lucy	English. English form of Lucia, in use since the Middle Ages
Molly	English. Medieval diminutive of Mary, now often used on its own
Ella	English. A Norman name, originally a short form of Germanic names with alles: “other”; revived in the 19th century

First names that often lead a Southern double name.

Name	Meaning and origin
Mae	English. Variant of May
Ann	English, Manx. English and Manx form of Anne
Sue	English. Short form of Susanna or Susan
Jane	English. Medieval English form of Jehanne, an Old French feminine form of Iohannes (see John)
Lynn	English (feminine and masculine). From an English surname taken from place names, from Welsh llyn: “lake”; mostly a boys’ name before the 20th century
Ruth	English, biblical. Probably from a Hebrew word meaning “female friend”; the central figure of the Book of Ruth
Joy	English. From the English word joy; regularly used as a given name since the late 19th century
Kate	English. Short form of Katherine, often used on its own
Beth	English. Short form of Elizabeth, or sometimes Bethany
Grace	English. From the English word grace (Latin gratia); one of the virtue names created by the Puritans in the 17th century
Jo	English (feminine and masculine). Short form of Joan, Joanna, Josephine and other names that begin with Jo
Belle	English. Short form of Isabella or names ending in belle; also associated with the French word belle, “beautiful”
Rose	English, French. Originally a Norman French form of a Germanic name meaning “famous type”; tied to the flower from an early date
Dawn	English. From the English word dawn, from Old English dagung

Short second names that complete a double name.

A few pairings built only from names on this page: Ruby Jane, Molly Kate, Emma Grace, Lucy Belle, Ella Rose, Sally Jo, Betty Lynn and Mary Beth. Decide early whether the double name is the girl’s legal first name or a first and middle name used together. If both parts are meant to be used every day, you can put both words in the first-name field of the birth certificate so the whole name shows up on school and medical forms. Our middle names guide has more on rhythm and flow.

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Southern Surname Names: Family Names as First Names

Giving a daughter a family surname as her first name is another documented Southern custom. The Algeos noted that a wife’s maiden name may be used as a given name, so that “family relationships by marriage are remembered.” They added that family names are most often used as middle names, but sometimes even as first names, and can come from more distant relatives too. Lorenz likewise called the surname “a major source of new names” in her study of Southern given names.

Name	Meaning and origin
Whitney	English (feminine and masculine). From the English surname Whitney, from a place name probably meaning “white island”
Blair	Scottish, English (masculine and feminine). From a Scottish surname from Gaelic blàr: “plain, field, battlefield”; usually masculine in Scotland
Kendall	English (masculine and feminine). From a surname taken from Kendale in northwestern England: “valley on the river Kent”
Leighton	English (feminine and masculine). Variant of Layton
Collins	English (feminine and masculine). From a surname of Irish or English origin
Sloane	English (modern). From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Sluaghadháin
Campbell	English (masculine and feminine). From a Scottish surname meaning “crooked mouth” in Gaelic
Harlow	English (feminine and masculine). From an English surname from a place name: Old English for “rock, heap of stones” or “army,” combined with “hill”
Emerson	English (masculine and feminine). From an English surname meaning “son of Emery”
Hollis	English (masculine and feminine). From an English surname from Middle English holis, “holly trees,” for someone who lived near them
Marlowe	English (modern; feminine and masculine). From a surname taken from a place name meaning “remnants of a lake” in Old English
Blakely	English (modern). From an English surname from Old English blæc, “black,” and leah, “woodland clearing”
Ansley	English (modern). Variant of Ainsley, an English surname taken from the place names Annesley or Ansley
Greer	English (rare; feminine and masculine). From a Scottish surname derived from the given name Gregor
Ellery	English (masculine and feminine). From an English surname originally derived from the medieval masculine name Hilary
Finley	English (masculine and feminine). Variant of Finlay; the usual U.S. spelling

Surname names used for girls, with the place or meaning behind each one.

Many surname names are used for boys as well, and the table says so whenever the entry lists both genders. If you want a name used mostly for girls, Sloane and Blakely are listed as feminine. If you are honoring a family surname that is not in this table, the same rules apply: say it with your last name, check the initials, and think about the nickname. You can browse more unisex options in our gender neutral names list.

A gentle tip: the surname-as-first-name style works best when it means something to your family. Mom’s maiden name, a grandmother’s family name or a beloved great uncle’s surname will carry more weight than a name picked only for its sound.

Nature and Flower Names With a Southern Feel

Several flowering shrubs became given names with a gracious, garden-party sound: Magnolia (in the first table), Camellia, Azalea and Jessamine. Behind the Name labels Camellia and Jessamine as rare in English, so they will stand out more than Lily or Violet. Myrtle and Hazel were coined as given names in the 19th century, when, as the Myrtle entry notes, many other plant and flower names were coined too.

Name	Meaning and origin
Camellia	English (rare). From the flowering shrub, which was named for the botanist and missionary Georg Josef Kamel
Azalea	English (modern). From the flower (shrubs of the genus Rhododendron), ultimately from Greek azaleos: “dry”
Jessamine	English (rare). From a variant spelling of the English word jasmine
Jasmine	English, French. From the fragrant climbing plant; the word came via Arabic from Persian yasamin, also a Persian name
Myrtle	English. From the evergreen shrub (Greek myrtos); first used as a given name in the 19th century
Olive	English, French. From the tree, from Latin oliva
Lily	English. From the flower, a symbol of purity (Latin lilium)
Violet	English. From the purple flower (Latin viola); in general English use from the 19th century
Ivy	English. From the climbing plant (Old English ifig)
Laurel	English. From the laurel tree (Latin laurus)
Hazel	English. From the hazel tree or the light brown color (Old English hæsel); coined as a given name in the 19th century
Willow	English (modern). From the tree (Old English welig)
Coral	English, Spanish. From the word for the reef-forming deposits, ultimately from Greek korallion
Brooke	English. Variant of Brook; in use as a given name since the 1950s

Nature and flower names for girls.

Willow and Azalea carry the reference’s “modern” label, which means they are newer as given names even though the words are old. Jasmine and Jessamine share a root: Jessamine began as a variant spelling of the word jasmine. Brooke and Coral come from water rather than the garden. For a much bigger bouquet, see our full list of flower names.

Place-Inspired Southern Girl Names

Place names are part of Southern naming history. Lorenz wrote that “the use of southern state names for female given names became popular” in the past, and she found the practice peaked in the mid-1800s and faded in the early 1900s. The Algeos called Georgia, as a given name, “regionally patriotic.” Every name below is listed on Behind the Name as a feminine (or unisex) given name, and the table gives the place connection exactly as the entry tells it.

Name	Meaning and origin
Georgia	English, Greek. Latinate feminine form of George; the American state was named after the British king George II
Virginia	English and other languages. Feminine form of the Roman family name Verginius, of unknown meaning; borne by Virginia Dare, born in 1587 on Roanoke Island, the first English baby born in the New World
Carolina	Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, English, Swedish. Latinate feminine form of Carolus; North and South Carolina were named for Charles I, king of England
Tallulah	English (rare). The name of waterfalls in Georgia; popularly said to mean “leaping waters” in Choctaw, it may actually mean “town” in Creek
Raleigh	English (masculine and feminine). From an English surname from a place name meaning “red clearing” or “roe deer clearing”; a North Carolina city bears the name, after Walter Raleigh
Dallas	English (masculine and feminine). From a surname meaning “valley house” (Old English) or “meadow dwelling” (Scottish Gaelic); a city in Texas bears the name
Shelby	English (masculine and feminine). From an English surname, possibly a variant of Selby; reinforced as a girls’ name by the movie Steel Magnolias (1989)
Memphis	English (modern; masculine and feminine). From the ancient Egyptian city or the Tennessee city named after it; from Egyptian words meaning “enduring beauty”
Tara	English. From the Irish place name Teamhair, possibly “elevated place”; popularized by Gone with the Wind, where it is the name of the O’Hara plantation

Place-inspired names for girls.

Some place stories are more complicated than they look. Tallulah’s popular meaning, “leaping waters,” is uncertain: the reference says it may actually mean “town” in Creek. Virginia is older than the state and its meaning is unknown, but the reference notes it has generally been more popular in America than elsewhere in the English-speaking world, perhaps because of Virginia Dare. Tara comes from an Irish place name and, according to the Algeos, likely recalls the O’Hara plantation and was popular in northern Georgia.

Savannah, in the first table, is a landscape word rather than a city name in its entry: it comes from the word for a grassy plain. If you would like a place name with fewer associations, a middle name position is a quiet way to honor a hometown.

Bible Names for Southern Girls

The Algeos’ article takes its title from the term Bible Belt. Biblical names are not Southern by definition, but they are a natural fit if faith is part of the reason you are choosing a name. These ten all appear in the Old or New Testament, according to their entries.

Name	Meaning and origin
Leah	English, Hebrew, biblical. Probably from Hebrew: “weary, grieved”; the first wife of Jacob in the Old Testament
Esther	English, biblical and more. Possibly from Persian: “star,” or from the name of the goddess Ishtar; the queen of the Book of Esther
Miriam	Hebrew, English, biblical. Form of Mary used in the Old Testament, for the elder sister of Moses and Aaron
Abigail	English, biblical. From Hebrew: “my father is joy”; a wife of King David
Lydia	English, biblical. Greek for “from Lydia,” a region of Asia Minor; a woman converted by Saint Paul in the New Testament
Priscilla	English, biblical. A Roman name, a diminutive of Prisca; a companion of Paul in Acts, and popular with the Puritans
Phoebe	English, biblical. From the Greek Phoibe: “bright, pure”; named in Paul’s epistle to the Romans
Dinah	Biblical, English. Hebrew: “judged”; a daughter of Jacob and Leah
Keziah	Biblical. From Hebrew: “cassia, cinnamon,” from the spice tree; a daughter of Job
Rachel	English, biblical. From Hebrew: “ewe”; the favorite wife of Jacob

Bible names for girls.

Read the full story behind each one before you decide. Leah’s probable meaning is “weary, grieved,” and Dinah’s story in the Old Testament is a hard one. Others are simply lovely: Abigail means “my father is joy,” and Phoebe means “bright, pure.” Our biblical girl names guide has many more.

Modern Southern-Style Picks

Modern Southern-style names tend to be short, friendly and ending in a long “ee” sound, often built from surnames or sound combinations. Most of these carry Behind the Name’s “modern” label, which means they are recent as given names. We describe the style only; the meaning and origin come from each entry.

Name	Meaning and origin
Emery	English (masculine and feminine). Norman French form of Emmerich; as a modern name, now typically feminine, likely inspired by the surname Emery
Brynlee	English (modern). Variant of Brinley, a combination of Bryn and the sound “lee”
Kinley	English (modern). From a Scottish surname, an Anglicized form of Mac Fhionnlaigh
Laney	English. Diminutive of Elaine
Jolie	English. French for “pretty”; the reference notes it is not used as a given name in France
Remi	English (modern; feminine and masculine). English form of Rémi, also used as a feminine name
Kaylee	English (modern). A combination of the sound elements kay and lee
Annalee	English (modern). Combination of Anna and Lee
McKenna	English (modern). From an Irish and Scottish surname, an Anglicized form of Mac Cionaodha
Delaney	English (modern). From a surname: either the English surname Delaney or the Irish one
Reese	Welsh, English (masculine and feminine). Anglicized form of Rhys, also used as a feminine name

Modern Southern-style names for girls.

Annalee is a neat bridge between old and new: the reference lists it as a combination of Anna and Lee, so it pairs a classic with a modern ending. Laney is a diminutive of Elaine, and Brynlee is a variant of Brinley. If you choose one of the modern spellings, check that it reads clearly on paper, because names built from sounds can be spelled several ways.

Short Names and Southern Nicknames

Nicknames are a big part of Southern girl names, and Lorenz’s study counted “diminutives as formal given names” among Southern naming practices. Every name in this table has its own Behind the Name entry, which lists the full name it comes from. That lets you choose either way: put the full name on the birth certificate and use the nickname at home, or give the nickname as the name itself.

Name	Meaning and origin
Mamie	English. Diminutive of Mary or Margaret
Polly	English. Medieval variant of Molly; why the first letter changed is unknown
Peggy	English. Medieval variant of Meggy, a diminutive of Margaret
Betsy	English. Diminutive of Elizabeth
Effie	English, Scottish. Diminutive of Euphemia
Nell	English. Medieval diminutive of names beginning with El, such as Eleanor, Ellen or Helen
Kit	English (masculine and feminine). Diminutive of Christopher or Katherine
Kitty	English. Diminutive of Katherine
Tilly	English. Diminutive of Matilda
Missy	English. Diminutive of Melissa
Ollie	English (masculine and feminine). Diminutive of Oliver, Olivia or Olive
Sadie	English. Diminutive of Sarah
Hattie	English. Diminutive of Harriet
Millie	English. Diminutive of Mildred, Millicent and other names with the same sound
Lottie	English, Swedish. Diminutive of Charlotte or Liselotte
Ginny	English. Diminutive of Virginia

Short names and nicknames for girls, with the full name behind each one.

Some of the connections are surprising. Peggy comes from Margaret by way of Meggy, and Polly from Molly, and the reference says nobody knows why the first letter changed. Mamie can shorten Mary or Margaret, and Ginny shortens Virginia. Kit and Ollie are used for boys too. For hundreds more, see our nicknames for girls list, and for names that are short from the start, try short girl names.

How to Choose a Southern Girl Name

Once you have a shortlist of southern girl names, a few quick tests can help you pick:

Start with family: Southern naming customs, as the research above shows, often honor relatives: a grandmother’s first name, a mother’s maiden name, or a family surname in the middle spot. Ask older relatives for names from the family tree.
Say the whole name aloud: first, middle and last together. Double names and surname names have a strong rhythm, so make sure the full name flows.
Read the full story: check the meaning in the table. A few names (Leah, Dinah, Campbell) come with meanings or stories you should be comfortable with.
Decide on the nickname: if you choose Margaret, expect Peggy or Mamie at some point. If you love the nickname most, consider giving it as the name.
Check spelling and accents: a few names on this page trace back to accented forms (Josephine is a form of Joséphine, Remi a form of Rémi). U.S. paperwork does not always carry accents or special characters, so decide early how you will write the name.
Look up popularity: the SSA’s Popularity of a Name tool shows how a name has been used over time. Within the 2025 girls’ top 10, only Charlotte (No. 2), Emma (No. 3) and Evelyn (No. 8) appear on this page.

Sibling sets. Matching by style works well: Georgia and Virginia (states); Camellia and Magnolia (Southern garden flowers); Eudora and Cordelia (vintage literary); Mamie and Hattie (nickname names); Whitney and Blair (surname style).

Middle name pairings. A few built only from names on this page: Savannah Grace, Eleanor Mae, Charlotte Rose, Caroline Ruth, Magnolia Jane, Harriet Joy and Louisa Kate. Our main baby girl names list covers every style.

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The Bottom Line

Southern girl names are a style, not a rulebook. The customs researchers have documented in the South (double names like Annie Mae and Mary Sue, family surnames used as first names, state names such as Georgia, and nicknames given as real names) are a good place to start, and classics like Charlotte, Caroline and Eleanor never go out of style. Pick a few favorites, read each meaning, say each one with your last name, and choose the name that still feels right a week later.

Whatever you choose, the best Southern names usually carry a little family history. If a grandmother, a hometown or a favorite garden flower comes to mind, that personal connection is worth more than any list.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some popular southern girl names?

Familiar southern girl names include Charlotte, Caroline, Savannah, Magnolia, Scarlett and Eleanor. Charlotte is the most common of these: it ranked No. 2 for girls born in the United States in 2025, according to the Social Security Administration. Classics such as Margaret, Louisa and Harriet and place names like Georgia and Virginia fit the same style.

What are some old southern girl names?

Old Southern girl names with vintage charm include Eudora, Ida, Imogene, Eugenia, Cordelia, Ophelia, Beatrice, Opal and Augusta. Nickname names such as Mamie, Effie, Hattie and Polly have the same old-time feel. Ida, for example, was strongly revived in the 19th century, and Augusta reached Britain through a royal daughter in 1768.

What are Southern double names for girls?

A Southern double name pairs a two-syllable first name with a short second name, used together. A 1983 study of given names, mainly from Georgia, found examples such as Ada Mae, Annie Mae, Mary Sue, Martha Jane and Amy Ruth. Other pairings in the same pattern include Ruby Jane, Molly Kate and Emma Grace.

What are some unique Southern girl names?

Less common choices include Camellia and Jessamine, both labeled rare in English by Behind the Name; Tallulah, the name of waterfalls in Georgia; Eudora, Greek for good gift; and Keziah, a daughter of Job whose name means cassia or cinnamon. Surname names like Hollis and Greer are uncommon picks too.

What are some Southern names that are state names?

Girl names taken from Southern state names include Georgia, Virginia and Carolina. Georgia the state was named after King George II, and North and South Carolina were named for King Charles I. A 1989 study of Southern given names found that using Southern state names for girls peaked in the mid-1800s.

What is a good Southern middle name for a girl?

Short, one-syllable names make classic Southern middle names: Mae, Ann, Jane, Ruth, Grace, Rose, Kate and Joy all work well. Try pairings like Savannah Grace, Eleanor Mae or Caroline Ruth. Many Southern families also use a mother’s maiden name or another family surname in the middle spot to honor relatives.

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