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145 Pretty Middle Names for Lily: Unique and Beautiful

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Discover the best middle names for Lily to give to the darling baby girl you’re expecting.

Lily is one of the prettiest names for a little girl. If you’re lucky enough to expect a baby girl named Lily, it’s time to choose the ideal middle name for her. With so many to choose from, how many name combinations can you try before tiring yourself out with the whole middle name search?

Here you’ll find the sweetest middle names for Lily that take everything into account. From meaning and origin to which names sound best together, you won’t have to look anywhere else.


50 Traditional Middle Names For Lily

These classic middle names are popular because they’re so charming.

  1. Abigail – from the Hebrew Ăvî-Ghayil, which refers to “my father’s joy.”
  2. Aisha – means “alive and well” in Arabic and was Muhammad’s third wife.
  3. Alannah – among cute middle names for Lily, meaning “little child” as a female variation of Alan.
  4. Alexandra – the female form of Alexander, meaning “defender of man” in Greek.
  5. Alice – from the Old German Adelheidis, meaning “noble” and “light.”
  6. Alys – a uniquely spelled nickname for the Old German Adalheidis, meaning “noble.”
  7. Amanda – for a “lovable” little girl who wants to be named Lily Amanda.
  8. Amber – named after the amber-colored jewel and means “fierce” in Arabic.
  9. Annabelle – a compound girl’s name meaning “favored grace” and “beauty.”
  10. Aria – means “air” in Italian as a musical term denoting a “melody.”
  11. Ashleigh – a beautiful spelling of the Old English Ashley, meaning “dweller near the ash tree forest.”
  12. Betsy – an adorable nickname for Elizabeth, meaning “God is my oath” in Hebrew.
  13. Caitlin – an Irish-Gaelic form of Catherine, meaning “pure” for little girls.
  14. Catherine – is derived from the Greek “katharos,” the original form of Catherine, meaning “pure.”
  15. Clara – means “bright” and “famous” and originated from the Latin name Clarus.
  16. Daisy – from the Old English “daegeseage,” meaning “the day’s eye” and one of the prettiest flowers.
  17. Diana – from the Latin “divus,” meaning “divine,” and the Roman goddess of the hunt.
  18. Edith – is made up of the Old English “ēad,” meaning “wealth,” and “gȳð,” meaning “strife.”
  19. Eleanor – means “light-hearted” and “shining light,” a variation of the Old French Aliénor.
  20. Eliza – a common short form of Elizabeth, meaning “pledged to God” in Hebrew.
  21. Elizabeth – the most traditional among middle names for Lily, meaning “God’s promise.”
  22. Elsie – short for E girl names like Elizabeth, Elspeth, or Elisheba; popular in Scotland.
  23. Emily – originated as the Roman Aemilius, which means “rival” or “to emulate.”
  24. Emma – based on the Germanic “ermen,” meaning “whole” and “universal.”
  25. Esme – short for the Spanish Esmerelda, means “esteemed” and “beloved” in French.
  26. Esther – from the Hebrew root “s-t-r,” meaning “hide,” or from the Old Persian “stāra,” meaning “star.”
  27. Fawn – a name for a “young deer,” perfect as Lily Fawn for your little doe.
  28. Frances – means “from France” or “free one” for girls, with Francis as the male version.
  29. Grace – a Latin word for a “blessing,” which refers to the Three Graces in Greek mythology.
  30. Hannah – an alternate variant of the Hebrew Channah, meaning “favor” or “grace.”
  31. Hattie – a nickname for Harriet, the female form of Henry, meaning “home or estate ruler.”
  32. Hope – from the Old English “hopian” and known as one of the Puritan virtue names.
  33. Isabella – the Spanish form of Elizabeth, meaning “devoted to God” or “God is my oath.”
  34. Isla – a Scottish name for an island that is also used in Spain.
  35. Jasmine – means “gift of God” and is a variation of the Persian flower name Yasmin.
  36. Jessica – derived from the Hebrew “yiskah,” meaning “God beholds”; can appear as Yessica.
  37. Johanna – a pretty spelling of Joanna, the female version of John, meaning “God is gracious.”
  38. Josephine – means “Jehovah increases” in Hebrew as the feminine version of Joseph.
  39. Margaret – dates back to the 11th century and means “pearl” from the Greek Margarites.
  40. Marie – one of the most popular Lily middle names; a French variant of Mary, meaning “bitterness.”
  41. Mirabel – dates back to the Latin “mirabilis,” meaning “wondrous” or “of wondrous beauty.”
  42. Miranda – is derived from the Latin “miror,” meaning “to admire” or “worthy of admiration.”
  43. Natalia – from the Latin “natalis,” meaning “birthday” for a Lily Natalia born near Christmas Day.
  44. Natasha – a Russian form of Natalia, given to girls born on or near Christmas Day.
  45. Sienna – named after the Italian city of Siena and also means “orange-red.”
  46. Sophia – a classic Greek name meaning “wisdom” that also appears as Sofia.
  47. Valentina – a feminine form of the Latin Valentine, meaning “strong” and “healthy.”
  48. Victoria – related to the male Victor and Victoria, the Roman goddess of victory.
  49. Violet – means “purple” in Latin from “viola,” and is a popular flower name for girls.
  50. Zara – means “radiance” as a variation of the Arabic Zahrah, meaning “blooming flower.”

50 Unusual Lily Middle Names

Find the most out there choices for terrific middle names for Lily, unlike any other.

  1. Allegra – means “joyful” or “lively” in Italian and dates back to the Middle Ages.
  2. Amaliya – a four-syllable form of Amelia, meaning “industrious” in Latin.
  3. Amara – means “immortal” and “to love” in Latin, along with “bitter”; also means “grace” in Sanskrit.
  4. Arabella – means “yielding to prayer” in Latin and “beautiful” in English.
  5. Autumn – taken from the Latin “autumnus,” meaning “fall” or “season of harvest.”
  6. Avery – an English and French unisex name meaning “ruler of elves,” related to Alfred.
  7. Beatrix – from the Latin Viatrix, associated with the male name Viator, meaning “voyage” and “traveler.”
  8. Blue – a cool middle name for Lily which is related to the serene color.
  9. Cadence – refers to “rhythm” or “flow” from the Latin “cadere,” meaning “to fall.”
  10. Catalina – an elegant variation of the original Greek Katherine, meaning “pure.”
  11. Clio – means “glory” when inspired by Clio, the Greek muse of history and the lyre.
  12. Dahlia – inspired by the white flower named after the Swedish botanist Anders Dahl.
  13. Delilah – means “delicate” or “(she who) weakened” as a biblical Hebrew name.
  14. Delphine – the most French among middle names for Lily, meaning “dolphin.”
  15. Dove – best known as a bird that symbolizes “peace” for your Lily Dove.
  16. Esmerelda – a Spanish name for girls meaning “emerald,” appearing in The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
  17. Evangeline – means “messenger of good news” when based on the Latin “evangelium,” meaning “gospel.”
  18. Fleur – the French word for “flower,” which can be altered to the diminutive Fleurette.
  19. Florence – means “blossoming” and “flourishing” when derived from the Latin “florentius.”
  20. Freya – an Old Norse name from Freyja, meaning “noble lady,” associated with the goddess of fertility.
  21. Genevieve – from the Celtic name Genoveva, meaning “race” or “tribe”; also means “woman of the family.”
  22. Georgette – the French feminine form of George, meaning “farmer” or “earth-worker” in Greek.
  23. Harper – means “harpist” and “minstrel,” which is linked to the medieval practice of entertainers.
  24. Haven – means “harbor” or “safe place” and is sometimes linked to the idea of heaven.
  25. Kehlani – in Hawaii, Kehlani means “sea and sky” or “sea heavens.”
  26. Kit – sits among Lily middle names, known for being short and sweet, meaning “pure.”
  27. Lei – means “flower bud” or “child” in Hawaiian and “thunder” in Chinese.
  28. Luna – named after the divine personification of the moon in Roman mythology.
  29. Madison – a unisex name meaning “son of Matthew” and “son of Maude,” used for modern girls.
  30. Maven – means “one who understands” when taken from the Hebrew Meyvn.
  31. Moon – a bohemian-style way to call your little one Lily Moon.
  32. Nevaeh – when you spell Heaven backward, you end up with the cutest baby girl name, Nevaeh.
  33. Nevemeans “snow,” “bright,” and “radiant” in Latin and is a form of the Irish Niamh.
  34. Niamh – means “bright” and “radiant” and is the “daughter of the sea god” in Irish mythology.
  35. Odessa – means “wrathful,” as the female version of Odysseus in Homer’s The Odyssey.
  36. Persephone – go mythical in the name of Greek mythology as Persephone, the goddess of the underworld.
  37. Phoenix – means “dark red” in Greek and relates to a phoenix rising from the ashes.
  38. Posey – a nickname for Josephine that refers to a “bunch of flowers.”
  39. River – one of the cutest gender-neutral Lily middle names describing a “flowing body of water.”
  40. Saoirse – a strong Irish girl’s name meaning “liberty,” pronounced SUHR-shaa.
  41. Sera – an offbeat form of the biblical name Sarah, meaning “princess” in Hebrew.
  42. Stormy – is another name for a “tempest” that matches Lily, ending in “y.”
  43. Summer – celebrate the warmest season with a baby girl named Lily Summer (or Summer Lily).
  44. Tatum – an English girl’s name first used to indicate “Tate’s homestead.”
  45. Temperance – one of the English virtue names given to a girl who practices “moderation.”
  46. Trinity – originated with the Holy Trinity as a name with a spiritual meaning.
  47. Willow – taken from the Old English “welig,” which means “willow tree.”
  48. Wren – the name of a small brown songbird known as Lily Wren.
  49. Yasminemeans “gift from God” and “jasmine flower” in Persian and also appears as Jasmine.
  50. Zamaya – a version of Maia, one of the Greek goddesses of fertility and mother of Hermes.

45 Short Middle Names For Lily

If brevity is your thing, you’ll love these short middle names for Lily.

  1. Ada – means “ornament,” “nobility,” and “island” when based on the German name Adelaide.
  2. Ann – is likely the most popular middle name for Lily, meaning “graciousness.”
  3. Ash – from the Hebrew Asher, meaning “happy,” and also short for Ashley.
  4. Ava – given to someone who is “bird” or “birdlike,” from the Latin “avis.”
  5. Bea – a girl’s name meaning “bringer of happiness” or “blessed,” which is also short for Beatrice.
  6. Belle – means “beautiful” in French when it was used for names ending in “-bel.”
  7. Bess – a cute vintage nickname for Elizabeth, meaning “God is my oath.”
  8. Beth – is short for Elizabeth, meaning “house” in Hebrew; also linked to Bethany, meaning “house of suffering.”
  9. Bex – dates back to the original spelling of Rebecca (Rhebekka), from “rabak,” meaning “to bind.”
  10. Boo – short for the Native American Picabo, meaning “shining waters”; a unisex term for a “little one.”
  11. Bree – derived from the Irish Bríghe and Brigid, meaning “noble” and “power.”
  12. Cat – a very feline nickname for Catherine, which means “pure” in Greek.
  13. Cher – from the French “chérie,” meaning “dear” or “beloved”; best known for the American entertainer Cher.
  14. Coco – a beloved French pet name meaning “darling,” super popular for both girls and pets.
  15. Dot – a retro nickname for Dorothy, which means “Gift of God.”
  16. Ellameans “beautiful” and “fairy maiden” and is a Swedish diminutive for Elizabeth or Eleanor.
  17. Em – the shortest middle name for Lily on our list, and is a nickname for Emily.
  18. Faye – a unique spelling of Fay, which refers to a “place of beech trees.”
  19. Fern – from the Old English ”fearn,” first a surname for someone who lives among ferns.
  20. Gem – the most literal of jewel names, associated with gemstones of all varieties.
  21. Ida – means “industrious” or “prosperous” based on the Germanic “id,” which means “labor” and “work.”
  22. Iris – from the Greek “eírein,” meaning “to speak”; refers to the Greek personification of a rainbow.
  23. Jade – is derived from the Spanish “piedra de la ijada,” meaning “(stone of the) flank.”
  24. Jai – an Indian girl’s name meaning “victory” in Sanskrit; it also means “bluebird.”
  25. Jo – short for Josephine, which means “God is gracious” or “God will add.”
  26. June – means “young” when associated with the Roman goddess Juno, the protector of the state.
  27. Kate – a short form of Katherine, meaning “pure,” which is super popular to this day.
  28. Kay – an alternate choice for those who need a nickname for Katherine, meaning “pure.”
  29. Lis – a unique way to create a short form of Elizabeth (or Elisabeth) instead of Liz.
  30. Luxmeans “light” in Latin and Spanish, and also appears as Luxe.
  31. Mae – a spelling variation of May or Maia, the Roman goddess of spring, which means “sea of bitterness.”
  32. May – the most springlike month of the year for your little Lily May.
  33. Nell – means “shining light” and “hard as a horn”; also short for Eleanor, Helen, and Ellen.
  34. Reese – a Welsh unisex name meaning “enthusiasm,” “fire,” and “ardor,” associated with actress Reese Witherspoon.
  35. Rose – describes a rose flower in Latin; related to the Virgin Mary, the “mystical rose.”
  36. Skye – a name meaning “island of clouds” linked to the Scottish Isle of Skye.
  37. Sol – the Spanish word for “sun,” which also means “prayer for” or “peace.”
  38. Sue – means “lily” in Hebrew, which is a nickname for Susan.
  39. Val – means “valiant,” “powerful,” and “healthy” when based on the Latin Valentine.
  40. Vi – is short for Violet, which denotes a particular shade of purple.
  41. Viv – a nickname for Vivian, from the Latin “vivus,” meaning “lively” or “alive.”
  42. Wynn – means “friend,” “white,” and “fair” in Welsh; also appears as Wyn and Wynne.
  43. Xun – means “swift,” “fast,” or “sudden” in Chinese; also the Chinese word for “snow.”
  44. Zo – describes a “spiritual leader” in many African countries and “light” in Arabic.
  45. Zoe – is one of the Lily middle names with Greek origins, meaning “life.”

Middle Names For Lily FAQ

What Is a Good Middle Name for Lily?

Since Lily only has two-syllables, it’s probably best to stick to shorter middle names for Lily. This way, whatever middle name you choose won’t overtake Lily itself. Ideas like Belle and Sage work well, but you can still opt for longer or more elaborate Lily middle names. Persephone and Esmerelda are good examples of going the longer route.

What Is a Good Nickname for Lily?

Since Lily is a nickname, technically, you’ve got many cute ideas for even shorter alternatives. Some of the shorter choices include Lils, Lil, or Lee. Lilsy or Lolly are other pet names for Lily that bring extra warmth. You could also go as offbeat as you like with Lily, from Lilybug to Lilypad. The most regal nickname for Lily would be Lilibet, used by the late Queen Elizabeth II.

What Is Lily Short For?

Though best known as the name of a white flower, Lily can be short for Lillian, Lilith, or Elizabeth. Other lesser-known names that use Lily as a nickname include Liliana, Lilybeth, or Lilyrose. Additionally, you have a choice when it comes to spelling Lily. The version ending in Y is more popular, but there are some people named Lillie or Lilie out there, too.

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About the Author

Maryana Vestic

Maryana Vestic is a Brooklyn-based writer, editor, and food photographer with a background in entertainment Business Affairs. She studied film at NYU, Irish Theatre Studies at Trinity College Dublin, and has an MFA in Creative Writing Nonfiction from The New School. She loves cooking, baking, hiking, and horror films, as well as running a local baking business in Brooklyn with her boyfriend.