Short and funky baby names may be trendy, but classic fancy and sophisticated names will never go out of style. Not only do they pair amazingly well with shorter last names, but elegant first names also chop down to adorable nicknames, too.
If you're looking to choose a name for your baby that stands the test of time, we've got the list for you.
Name pairings
Long and elegant baby names pair great with a shorter last name. They add to the flow of the name as a whole and they sound like they really belong together. For a good middle name, if you have a two-syllable last name, pick a one-syllable middle, and vice-versa — if you have a one-syllable last name, choose a two-syllable middle.
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There’s no real reason to avoid a long first name if you also have a long last name, but many parents choose shorter first names if their last is long to save their child from a huge task when it comes to spelling — and writing — their first and last names. If you plan to use a nickname however, it may not be an issue for your family at all.
Nicknames
Even though you love a longer baby name, will your daughter love that you named her Cordelia when she gets to be a schoolgirl? Maybe, maybe not, but fortunately almost all of the names listed below have an easy-to-create nickname lurking within its string of letters. Cordelia, for example, may want to be known as Cora, Corrie, Delia or even Dolly when she gets bigger. Your son Constantine, who might be known as Connie if he were born a few decades ago, may prefer to go by Andy, Stan, Tanner or Connor.
It can be good to have a ready-made nickname backup just in case your child isn’t totally wild about the name you choose, but she may love having a fancy baby name that is a little different from her peers as she grows up.
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Here are some of our favorites — maybe they’ll find their way to your baby name list.
Long and elegant names for baby girls
- Alannah
- Anastasia
- Caroline
- Charlotte
- Colette
- Cordelia
- Elenora
- Elizabeth
- Evianna
- Gabriella
- Genevieve
- Gwyneth
- Jacqueline
- Josephine
- Imogen
- Isabella
- Lorelei
- Lucinda
- Madelina
- Mallory
- Marielle
- Morganna
- Victoria
- Vivienne
Long and elegant names for baby boys
- Alastair
- Atticus
- Augustine
- Benjamin
- Cameron
- Constantine
- Delaney
- Dominic
- Gabriel
- Hamilton
- Harrison
- Jamison
- Jonathan
- Julian
- Kingsley
- Laurent
- Lawrence
- Leopold
- Malachi
- Maximus
- Napoleon
- Nathaniel
- Nikolai
- Prescott
- Quentin
- Sebastian
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Before you go, check out our slideshow below.
Originally published July 2013. Updated January 2017.