105 Elegant Middle Names for Baby Mae

First, let us say congratulations on welcoming a little girl into your family! We know how precious and overwhelming and tender and wild this time can be. Especially as you try to find the perfect name for your little girl, it can feel like so many important decisions have to be made quickly. And choosing your child’s name is one of the first and most important ones!

If you are reading this article, then you have settled on the name Mae for your daughter’s first name. Mae is a beautiful and classic name, and as a short name with only one syllable, there are many possible middle name options for Mae. 

There are many sources of inspiration to find the best middle name, including family and friends’ names, nature-inspired names, favorite places, favorite characters, and so on.

Below we’ll also discuss tools like cadence and syllable balance, which help us put together a name that we love the sound of!

Once we’ve considered some of these important elements, we’ll conclude with a list of middle names that pair wonderfully with Mae.

With our list of helpful tips and great middle name options, you’ll be sure to find the perfect fit for your little girl!

 

What Does the Name Mae Mean?

Mae is a diminutive form of the names Mary or Margaret. It is most often thought to mean “pearl.” Various spellings of Mae include Mei, May, and Maye. 

May is an Anglo-Saxon name that was derived from the Latin word maiores, meaning “great.” It can also be a diminutive of the name Margaret, which means “pearl.” Mae is a popular name in the United States, while May is more popular in the United Kingdom.

 

Popular People Named Mae

Mae West – American actress, playwright, and singer in the 1920s

Mae Jemison – the first African American woman to travel in space

Mae Whitman – Actress from the popular TV series Parenthood

Now that you know a bit about the meaning and history of the name Mae, it’s time to dig into some tools for choosing the right middle name for little Mae.

 

How to Choose the Best Middle Name for Mae

Family Ties

A few years ago, my dad decided to use an ancestry site to trace our relatives and history. When he showed us the list of names, I was amazed; there were so many family names I had never heard!

Considering family names or names of important people in your life is a great source of inspiration. One of my friends named her little girl after her grandmother, Madeline.

Another friend chose to honor her aunt, who had been a special part of her life. Considering family names is a great way to honor a loved one while also finding a name that is classic and unique. It’s also a great way to honor your heritage and culture!

 

Special Places

Think back over the places you’ve visited throughout your life. Which ones have been special or unforgettable?

Did you travel to a city whose name you love?

Or are you a nature lover who would appreciate a nature-inspired middle name for your little girl?

Wren, Rosemary, Daisy, Willow, River, Sage, Laurel, and Magnolia are all beautiful names. A friend traveled to Sydney, Australia with her family during high school and never forgot her experience there. She also loved the name!

There are other city names, including Adelaide, Helena, Savannah, Shannon, Aurora, Brooklyn, and Charlotte. There may even be smaller places, such as parks, hiking trails, or lakes, that may inspire your favorite middle name. 

 

Celebrity Names

Have you ever considered a celebrity name for your baby? Do you have a favorite singer and author? Maybe an actress or performer? You could consider her name – first or middle – for your Mae.

For example, Reese Witherspoon’s first name is Laura. As a stage name, Reese was definitely a more unique choice. This is also a great example of how many people go by their middle name instead of their first!

Since Mae is a short first name, you could always rearrange the order of her names, if needed!

 

Nature Inspired

Nature-based middle names are a popular choice for baby girls. They bring a certain sophistication and elegance to the name Mae. If you want to go this route, consider using the name of a flower, plant, or tree. For example:

Rose – elegant and classic

Lila – soft and romantic

Willow – graceful and nature-inspired  

 

Favorite Books or Shows

How about considering a favorite book or television show for middle name inspiration? This could be a great way to find a middle name you love.

Disney is a great source for both old-fashioned and unique middle names, especially for little girls! Think Elsa, Anna, Aurora, Jasmine, Belle, Alice, Jane, Kiara, and Tiana. There’s also Maribel, Isabella, or Luisa from the hit movie Encanto. (But…we don’t talk about Bruno, no, no, no.) .

If television names don’t offer much inspiration, consider your favorite authors – whether their names or the names of characters from their books! Arwen, Bella, Bridget, Clarice, Eloise, Imogen, Lucy, Emily, Ramona, Scarlett, and Windy are all popular characters from classic novels. 

 

Double Names

With the right pairing, Mae could also make for a great double name! Mae Louise, Mae Ellen, or Mae Claire are all beautiful double names. Since Mae is only one syllable, it makes a great name to combine with another name. Double names can be a unique way to help your little girl stand apart!

 

Syllable Balance

The reason some names sound better than others is typically because they have some form of syllable balance – or maybe even alliteration! This isn’t a hard and fast rule, but a mix of syllables usually makes names sound better.

For example, my name isn’t too unique or interesting (most popular name in the 1980s, hi!), but my full name follows a 3:2:1 syllable balance and flows well together. Some popular syllable combinations include 2:1:2, 4:2:1, 3:2:1, and 2:1:3. It’s not an exact science (and some super popular people have made a name for themselves with a 1:1:1 ratio), but creating a balance of syllables does add sophistication to the name!

 

Cadence

Lastly, an important factor to consider is cadence! This can be a great way to add extra flair to your baby’s name. For those of us who don’t have a musical background, cadence is simply the flow or rhythm of a set of sounds or words. It’s that special thing that makes music and words and names sound pleasing or memorable to our ears.

Cadence can be achieved in many ways, including balancing syllables as we discussed above, but the best test is to say your daughter’s whole name aloud and see how it sounds. You will be able to tell whether you love the middle name you’ve chosen for Mae or would rather go with another option. It’s all in the ears of the beholder!

Now that we’ve covered some great ways to be inspired to choose the best middle name, let’s consider this list of great middle names for Mae.

 

Best Middle Names for Mae

1. Mae Abigail
2. Mae Alessandra
3. Mae Alexandra
4. Mae Alice
5. Mae Allison
6. Mae Amanda
7. Mae Amelia
8. Mae Anastasia
9. Mae Angelica
10. Mae Angelina
11. Mae Annabelle
12. Mae Anneliese
13. Mae Arabella
14. Mae Ariana
15. Mae Ashley
16. Mae Augusta
17. Mae Beatrice
18. Mae Beatrix
19. Mae Brianna
20. Mae Camille
21. Mae Carlotta
22. Mae Caroline
23. Mae Cassandra
24. Mae Catalina
25. Mae Cecily
26. Mae Charlotte
27. Mae Christina
28. Mae Clementine
29. Mae Constance
30. Mae Coralie
31. Mae Cordelia
32. Mae Corinne
33. Mae Danica
34. Mae Daphne
35. Mae Delilah
36. Mae Delphine
37. Mae Dorothea
38. Mae Eleanor
39. Mae Eliana
40. Mae Elisabeth
41. Mae Emmaline
42. Mae Evangeline
43. Mae Evelyn
44. Mae Felicity
45. Mae Florence
46. Mae Frances
47. Mae Francesca
48. Mae Gabriella
49. Mae Genevieve
50. Mae Georgiana
51. Mae Grace
52. Mae Gretchen
53. Mae Gwendolyn
54. Mae Hannah
55. Mae Harriett
56. Mae Helene
57. Mae Henrietta
58. Mae Hermione
59. Mae Imogen
60. Mae India
61. Mae Isabel
62. Mae Isadora
63. Mae Jacqueline
64. Mae Jessica
65. Mae Jordan
66. Mae Josephine
67. Mae Juliet
68. Mae Katerina
69. Mae Katherine
70. Mae Kathleen
71. Mae Kiara
72. Mae Leonie
73. Mae Liliana
74. Mae Lorelei
75. Mae Louisa
76. Mae Louise
77. Mae Lucia
78. Mae Lydia
79. Mae Natasha
80. Mae Noelle
81. Mae Olive
82. Mae Olivia
83. Mae Patricia
84. Mae Penelope
85. Mae Philippa
86. Mae Priscilla
87. Mae Rebekah
88. Mae Rosalie
89. Mae Rosamund
90. Mae Roseanne
91. Mae Rosemary
92. Mae Ruby
93. Mae Sabrina
94. Mae Samantha
95. Mae Saren
96. Mae Scarlett
97. Mae Seraphina
98. Mae Serena
99. Mae Sophia
100. Mae Susannah
101. Mae Tabitha
102. Mae Tessa
103. Mae Victoria
104. Mae Violet
105. Mae Willow

 

Final Thoughts

Middle names are the perfect way to add personality to your child’s name. But choosing a middle name for your baby girl is not always easy. We hope these tools have given you some ideas for where to start, if not led you to the best middle name for Mae! Once you narrow your options of best middle names, practice saying the names aloud with Mae and your last name to see if you like the sound of it! 

Have fun with this process and enjoy trying out different combinations until you find the perfect name for your little one. When you find a middle name for Mae that you love, we’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

 

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