There are plenty of reasons to love the South. The food is amazing, the hospitality is second to none, and the culture is rich and unique, not to mention, Southern charm.
And when it comes to Southern belle names, the South has some of the most beautiful, unique, and timeless picks around.
The southern part of the United States includes the deep south; Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisana (if you love Cajun names check out that post)., Mississippi, Oklahoma and South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
We compiled a list of cute southern girl names, unique southern girl names, old southern girl names and modern southern belle names.
These Southern girls’ names are timeless and classic, yet still, manage to sound fresh and modern.
What Is the Most Southern Girl’s Name?
When you think of a Southern girl, what comes to mind? Maybe she’s wearing a sundress and cowboy boots, or sipping sweet tea on the porch.
Or perhaps she’s got a heavy drawl and a love for country music.
Whatever the image, one thing is for sure: Southern girls have a certain charm and charisma that is all their own.
And part of that charm lies in their names. From classic Southern names like Mary and Elizabeth to more unique choices like Magnolia and Scarlet, Southern girl names reflect the rich heritage and history of the South.
They also reflect the pride that Southern girls have in their femininity and their roots. If you are interested in country girls names in general, check out our post.
Amelia
Amelia is of Latin origin, meaning “work”
Avery
English origin, meaning “ruler of the elves”
Belle
French origin girls name, meaning “beautiful”
Carter
English origin, meaning “one who uses a cart”, usually a male name but more often being used as a feminine name.
Charlotte
French origin, meaning “free man” or “petite”. Feminine form of the name Charles.
Elizabeth
Hebrew origin, meaning “God is my oath”
Emma
Latin origin, meaning “whole or entire”
Ella
English origin, meaning “all, completely; other, foreign”
Grace
Latin origin, meaning “favor, blessing”
Harper
Middle English origin, meaning “harp player”. Harper Lee was a popular American novelist.
Hunter
English origin, meaning “one who hunts”
Liliana
Latin origin, meaning “lily”
Magnolia
Latin origin, meaning “flowering tree”
Mary
Latin origin, meaning “bitterness”
Mason
English and Scottish origin, meaning “one who works with stone.”
Nora
Latin origin, meaning “honor”
Natalie
Latin origin, meaning “born on Christmas Day“
Olivia
Latin origin, meaning “olive tree”, for more tree names see our tree name post.
Parker
English origin, meaning “park keeper”
Penelope
Greek origin, meaning “weaver”
Sawyer
English origin, meaning “one who cuts wood”
Scarlet / Scarlett
Latin origin, meaning “red”, if you love red or blood names read this!
Victoria
Latin origin, meaning “conqueror”
Violet
Latin origin, meaning “purple”
Willow
English origin, meaning “Slender and Graceful”
Wyatta
English origin, meaning “hardy, brave”
What’s a Southern Belle name?
In the American South, it is not uncommon to hear a little girl referred to by her double name.
For example, a child named Mary Elizabeth might be called Mary Beth by her family and friends. This tradition is rooted in the region’s history and is a source of pride for many Southerners. Double names are often classics that have been passed down through the generations.
Additionally, you will find little girls with names like Annabelle, Blanche, or Parker. While these names may seem unusual to outsiders, they often have special meaning to the families who choose them.
In many cases, Southern names are a way of honoring family tradition. For example, a girl might be named after her grandmother or great-aunt.
Others are inspired by nature (see our flower girl names) or the Bible. Still, others are simply whimsical and fun, chosen because they make the child stand out from the crowd.
Whatever the reason behind them, Southern names are often as unique and spirited as the girls who bear them.
Abigail
Hebrew origin, meaning “my father is joy” or “father of exaltation.”
Alice
German origin, meaning “noble, nobility”
Anna
Latin origin, meaning “gracious, sweet, and bitter”
Annabelle
Latin origin, meaning “lovable, beautiful”
Annalee
Hebrew origin, meaning “favor; grace”
Astrid
Scandinavian origin, meaning “divine beauty”
Augusta
Latin origin, meaning “venerable”
Aurelia
Latin origin, meaning “the golden one”
Berta
German origin, meaning “bright, famous”
Betsy
Hebrew origin, meaning “God is my oath”. diminutive of Elizabeth.
Bianca
Italian origin, meaning “white”
Blanche
Name of French and German origin, meaning “white” or “pure”
Bonnie
Scottish origin, meaning “fine, attractive”
Callie
Name of Greek origin, meaning “most beautiful”
Caroline
Name of Latin origin, meaning “Free Woman”
Catherine
Greek origin, meaning “pure”
Claire
Latin origin, meaning “clear, bright”
Clara
Latin origin, meaning “clear, bright”
Donna
Italian origin, meaning “lady”
Eleanor
Greek origin, meaning “light”
Faye
Middle English origin, meaning “fairy”
Myrtle
Latin origin, meaning “dark green”
Nancy
French origin, meaning “gracious”
Ruby
Latin origin, meaning “red”; deep red precious stone
What Are Old Southern Girl Names?
Culture and tradition are revered in the American south. And when it comes to naming baby girls, Southerners often choose classic Southern baby names that have been passed down for generations.
Here’s a list of old or vintage Southern girl names:
Annamae
A Southern baby name of Hebrew origin, meaning “to love”
Alexandria
A baby girl name of Greek origin, meaning “defender” or “protector”, we have a full list of names which mean protector or guardian here.
Carla
German origin, meaning “free man”
Claudette
French origin, meaning “lame”. Diminutive form of Claudia.
Coralee
Old French origin, meaning “coral reef”
Dixie
A Southern baby girl name of French origin, meaning “tenth”
Ellen
Greek origin, meaning “light” or “torch”
Gladys
Welsh origin, meaning “lame” or “proud”
Hannah
Hebrew origin, meaning “gracious”
Hattie
A diminutive of the name Harriet, Hattie is an English name that means “estate ruler”.
Heddie
German origin, meaning “warrior”, for more badass warrior names see here.
Ida
German origin, meaning “hardworking”
Isabelle
Hebrew origin, meaning “consecrated to God”
Jemima
A baby girl name of Hebrew origin, meaning “dove”
Jessie
Scottish origin, meaning “God is gracious”
Jody
A baby girl name of Hebrew origin, meaning “He will increase”
Josephine
A traditional girl name of French origin, meaning “God will increase”
Maribel
Hebrew origin, meaning “beautiful”
Melanie
Greek origin, meaning “black, dark”
Memphis
Greek origin, meaning “beautiful and established”
Parker
This name is of English origin and means “park keeper”.
Tammy
A diminutive of the name Tamara, which is of Hebrew origin, and means “date palm” or “spice”.
What Are Good Southern Middle Names?
While northern middle names tend to be more commonplace and known, southern middle names often have a greater deal of charm and character.
This is likely due in part to the history of the south. For generations, people in the south have been known for their love of cotillions, derbies, and battlefields.
As a result, many southern middle names are steeped in heritage and tradition.
However, this is not to say that all southern middle names are old-fashioned. In recent years, there has been a trend towards choosing classic southern names with a southern twist.
Courtney
French origin, meaning “short nose”
Daphne
Greek origin, meaning “laurel tree”
Dorrie
Greek origin, meaning “gift”
Eleanor
A popular Southern girl name of Greek origin, meaning “light” or “sun ray”
Helen
Greek origin, meaning “shining light” or “torch”
Isobel
Scottish origin, meaning “consecrated to God”
Lorraine
A baby name of French origin, meaning “from Lorraine”
Mae
A diminutive of the classic Southern name Mary, Mae is a Southern name of English origin, meaning “bitter” or “sea of bitterness”.
Maribelle
Old French origin, meaning “of the sea”
Margaret
Greek origin, meaning “pearl”
Tanya
A Russian diminutive of Tatiana, which is a feminine form of the Roman name Tatius or a derivation from the Sabine word tatene, meaning “father.”
Cute Southern Girl Names
Here’s our cute Southern girl name list:
Alouetta
French origin, meaning “lark”
Belinda
A pretty Southern girl name of Spanish origin, meaning “Beautiful”
Clementine
The name Clementine is the feminine form of the Latin name Clemens and it means “merciful” or “gentle”.
Emery
German origin, meaning “brave”
Harriet
English origin, meaning “home-ruler”
Itzel
Spanish origin, meaning “rainbow lady”
Lainey
Greek origin, meaning “bright, shining light”
Louella
French origin, meaning “famous warrior”
Ora
A baby name of Spanish origin, meaning “prayer”
Presley
A Southern girl name, meaning it can be given to either a boy or a girl. The name Presley is an English variant of the Scottish surname Pressley, which is derived from the Old English word press, meaning “priest”.
Reese
Welsh origin, meaning “ardor” or “passion”
Savannah
Name of Spanish origin, meaning “Treeless Plain”
Sutton
A baby name of English origin, meaning “from the south town” or “southern settlement”.
Taylor
This name is of English origin, and comes from a surname that originally denoted someone who was a tailor, from Old French tailleur, and ultimately from Latin taliare, meaning “to cut”.
Unique Southern Girl Names
Unique Southern girl names often evoke the sunny days and sweet tea of the south. So, here are some unique and pretty Southern girl names:
Aletta
A Greek name, meaning “winged”
Beulah
A baby girl name of Hebrew origin, meaning “married”
Imogen
Gaelic origin, meaning “maiden”
Joetta
Hebrew origin, meaning “God will increase”
Laurel
Latin origin, meaning “the laurel or sweet bay tree”
Neely
Irish origin, meaning “victorious people”
Tallulah
Native American origin, meaning “leaping water”
Willadeene
English origin, meaning “Gray”
Sweet Southern Girl Names
Here’s our sweet Southern name list:
Chantilly
A name of French origin meaning “song” or “singing”.
Cornelia
Latin origin, meaning “horn”
Dakota
Native American origin, meaning “ally, friend”
Eileen
A name of Irish origin that means “light” or “shining one”. It is often associated with the name Helen.
Faith
English origin, meaning “faith” or “belief”
Hartley
This Southern girl name is derived from a place name meaning “stag meadow” in Old English.
June
The name June is derived from the Latin name Junius, which was the name of a Roman family clan. The name Junius is thought to be derived from the goddess Juno.
Mona
Irish and Gaelic origin, meaning “noble” or “aristocrat”
Stella
Latin and Italian origin, meaning “star”
Modern Southern Girl Names
When it comes to naming their daughters, modern southern parents are sweet on sweet names. And while traditional southern girl names like Scarlett and Harper are still popular, modern parents are also giving their girls Southern baby names that are not traditionally used as names in the south.
Bryanna
Latin origin, meaning “strong, virtuous, honorable”
Cameron
Scottish origins, meaning “crooked nose”
Cheyenne
Native American origin, meaning “unintelligible”
Corliss
A name of French origin, meaning “little and fiery”
Emmalyn
Latin origin, meaning “entire, universal
Fallon
A name of Irish origin, meaning “leader”.
Floretta
Latin name, meaning “flowering”
Genevieve
A name of French origin, Genevieve is the feminine form of the name Genevieve and means “woman of the people”.
Hayley
A name of English origin, derived from Old English words meaning “hay” and “meadow”.
Paisley
A Southern name of Scottish origin that is derived from the Latin word “pascua” meaning “Easter” or “Passover”.
Zelda
A unique Southern girl name of Hebrew origin that means “shadow” or “night.”
Conclusion on Southern Belle Names
While any name can be a southern name, there are some that just have that extra bit of southern charm.
There’s something about southern baby girl names that just sound lovely.
Perhaps it’s the air of refinement and elegance that these southern names evoke.
Or maybe it’s the fact that many of these southern baby girl names have been passed down through generations of families in the south.
Whatever the reason, there’s no denying that southern baby girl names are popular.
Some of the most popular southern baby names for little girls include Mary, Caroline, and Grace. Some country baby names are inspired by towns or cities in the Southern states or states south of the Mason-Dixon Line.
Whether you’re looking for a name for your own little Southern belle or just want to reflect your own Southern pride, these beautiful names are sure to please. So go ahead and choose your favorite – after all, every Southern girl deserves a perfect name.
