200 Elegant & Old Southern Girl Names & Meanings

I have selected 200 elegant and old Southern girl names, and their meanings are included.

List Of Elegant and Old Southern Girl Names with Meanings:

Zowie

It comes from the Greek word zoē, ”life.” Zowie is also a variant of Zoe that ranks in the top 100 names for girls born in the US. Hellenized Jews used Zoe to refer to Eve. David Bowie’s son had it as a childhood nickname.

Posey

Posey means “small bouquet,” and I like its old Southern sound.

Carson

Carson (“marsh dweller”) McCullers came from Columbus, Georgia.

Amaryllis

“To sparkle,” and a shepherdess in Virgil’s poems.

Birdie

“Little bird,” and a golf score one under par.

Mavis

From the Old French word mauvis, Mavis means “songbird.” In the Hotel Transylvania franchise, Mavis Dracula is Dracula’s teenage daughter.

Ophelia

Ophelia (“help”) loves a prince in Hamlet.

McKenna

“Born of fire.”

Amber

From Arabic anbar, “ambergris.”

Felicity

From Latin felicitas, “luck.”

Waylon Mae

Waylon is a variant of Wayland and is meaning “land by the road” while Mae has its origins in the Old Irish Medb (“she who intoxicates”).

Hannah

“Favor”.

Oakley

Oak clearing.

Jubilee

“Ram’s horn,” blown to open every fiftieth year in Leviticus.

Maya

“Illusion” in Sanskrit, “water” in Hebrew, “good mother” in Greek and “true arrow” in Japanese.

Lenora

Lenora is from the Greek Eleanor, which is the name of Eleanor of Aquitaine, the wife of King Louis VII, and queen of England.

Ramona

“Wise protector,” and a Helen Hunt Jackson novel set in California.

Tara

“Star” in Sanskrit, “hill” in Irish.

Florence

“Flourishing.”

Lydia

“From Lydia.” Lydia was a seller of purple cloth in Acts.

Yasmin

Yasmin has Persian origin and comes with a warm meaning, “jasmine flower.” Variants include Yassmin and Yasemin.

Zora

Zora (“dawn”) Neale Hurston was raised in Eatonville, Florida.

Finley

“Fair-haired” or “white warrior.”

Violet

“Purple flower.”

Emery

“Ruler of work.”

Fanny

Fanny is a variant of the French Stéphanie (crown) as well as of the English Frances, ”free one.” French-American painter Fanny Brennan worked for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Harper’s Bazaar.

Everleigh

Everleigh has English origin and is symbolizing ”eternal meadow.”

Whitlee

‘White clearing.’

Georgia

Georgia is from the Greek georgos and is the feminine form of George (“earthworker”). Georgie and Gigi are diminutive that I like.

Scarlett

Scarlett was initially an occupational surname for someone who dyed or traded scarlet fabric. It has origins in the Old French escarlate.

Cordelia

“Jewel of the sea.” It is from the Welsh Creiddylad.

Lorelei June

“Murmur rock.” June comes from Juno, who was a Roman goddess. Juno was called Regina (“Queen”) and was viewd as the feminine counterpart to Genius.

Letitia

From Latin laetitia, “gladness.”

Jewel

Precious stone.

Ernestine

“Serious.”

Cecilia

“Blind,” and patron saint of music.

Waverley

Waverley is of English origin and is symbolizing “meadow of quivering aspens.”

Joliette

Joliette has its origins in the French Jolie and has the meaning of ”pretty,” that every baby girl is. American actress Angelina Jolie is probably the most famous person with this name.

Estelle

”Star.” It is also used as a variant of Esther. In the Bible, Esther was the daughter of Abihail (Esther 2:15). Estelle Getty played Sophia on The Golden Girls.

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Wallis

Wallis is an alternate spelling of Wallace which is from the term waleis.

Carolina

Carolina is the Latin female variant of Carolus or Charles, ”free man.”

Opal

The word reached English through the Latin opalus from the Sanskrit upala, ”stone” or ”jewel.” 95 percent of the world’s opals are from Australia.

Effie

Effie comes from Euphemia, “well spoken.”

Susannah

“Lily,” and “Oh! Susanna,” a Stephen Foster song.

Wren

Tiny songbird.

Leona

“Lioness.”

Callie

With Greek origins, it means ”lovely” or ”beautiful.” Callie originated as a diminutive form of Caroline (“free woman”).

Mercy

“Compassion.”

Penelope

“Weaver” or “duck.”

Azalea

From Greek azaleos, “dry.”

Hollis

“Holly trees.”

Martina

”Servant of Mars.” Mars is the god of war in Roman myths and fathered Romulus and Remus. His sons founded Rome. Martina Navratilova won59 Grand Slam titles in singles and doubles.

Clover

Meadow flower.

Octavia

From Latin octavus, “eighth.”

Jolene

“God will increase.”

Scout

Scout (“listener”) Finch tells the story of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Adelaide

Adelaide has Germanic roots and means “noble-natured.” Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen was Queen of the UK of Great Britain and Ireland. There is the village Queen Adelaide in Cambridgeshire.

Eugenia

“Well-born.”

Sage

“Wise,” or “healthy.”

Blanche

Blanche (“white”) DuBois arrives in New Orleans in A Streetcar Named Desire.

Irene

Peace.

Blakely

Blakely comes from the Old English Blakeley (“dark”).

Loretta

Loretta has origins in Lauretta and the Latin laurus and is meaning ”the victor’s laurel.” Nicknames include Etta and Retta. Loretta Lynn’s sister is the singer Crystal Gayle.

Delta

Fourth Greek letter, as well as a Mississippi region called the birthplace of the blues.

Thelma

“Will,” and title of a Marie Corelli bestseller.

Rosemary

“Dew of the sea.”

Faith

“Trust”.

Dolly

Dolly is a form of Dorothy, the Greek “gift of God”. In 1972 Dolly Parton wrote both “I Will Always Love You” and “Jolene” on the same day.

Gwendolyn

Gwendolyn (“white ring”) Brooks was the first Black writer to win a Pulitzer.

Charity

From Latin caritas, “dearness.”

Lavinia

“Purity,” or “woman of Rome.”

Raven

“Black bird.”

Noreen

”Honor,” and is the Anglicized version of the Irish Nóirín.

Twyla

Twyla comes from the English word ”twilight” which has Old English and Proto-Germanic origins.

Emmaline

From Germanic ermen, “whole” or “universal.”

Flannery

Flannery (“red-haired”) O’Connor raised peacocks on her farm in Georgia.

Clara

Bright.

Liberty

“Freedom.”

Ulyssa

Ulyssa is a Latinized version of the Greek Odysseus, ”man of wrath.” Odysseus is the hero of Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey. Robert S. P. Beekes believed that Odysseus had Pre-Greek origins.

Aurelia

“Golden.”

Faye

“Fairy” or “loyalty.”

Shirley

From Old English scir and leah, “bright meadow.”

Miranda

Miranda (“worthy of admiration”) Lambert comes from Longview, Texas.

Abigail

“My father’s joy.”

Iris

Rainbow, a flower, a colored part of an eye and a Greek messenger goddess.

Honey

It has origins in Old English hunig.

Willadeene

Willadeene has Germanic origins and is a form of Wilhelmina, “resolute protection.”.

Harper

Harper is from the Norman le Harpur. In 2022, Harper was in the top 5 most popular names for white newborn girls in Virginia.

Patsy

Patsy (“patrician”) Cline came from Winchester, Virginia.

Ruth

Companion.

Juniper

“Evergreen.”

Monroe

“Mouth of the river Roe,” and Bill Monroe, father of bluegrass.

Paisley

Paisley is commonly used by people in rural American states. Paisley has a meaning that I love, “place of worship.”

Nadine

“Hope.”

Tatum

“Cheerful,” or “Tata’s homestead.”

Delaney

“Dark challenger” or “descendant of the challenger.”

Maxine

“Greatest.”

Tallulah

Tallulah is of Native American roots and means “jumping waters.”

Truett

”True” or ”faithful.” Truett has its origins in the German surname Treuhardt. American businessman Dan Cathy was born in Jonesboro, Georgia. He has a net worth of over $10 billion.

Cassidy

“Curly-haired” or “clever.”

Constance

“Steadfast.”

Lucille

Lucille (“light”) is what B.B. King called his guitars after a dance hall fire.

Hadley

From Old English haeth and leah, “heather field.”

Prudence

Prudence is from the Latin Prudentia, ”prudence.” American pianist Prudence Neff studied piano with Glenn Dillard Gunn,

Teagan

From the Welsh word tegan, Teagan means “beautiful.”

Dottie

Dottie is a diminutive form of Dorothy that has origins in the Greek Dōrothéa (God’s gift). Other variations are Dorothée in French and Dorothee in German. In 1965 Dottie West was the first woman to win a country Grammy.

Landry

“Ruler”.

Selah

Likely “pause.” Selah is found seventy-one times in Psalms.

Marlowe

From Old English mere and lafe, “lake remnants.”

Harlow

“Rock hill.”

Evangeline

“Good news.”

Mabel

Mabel comes from the Latin amabilis and is meaning ”lovable.” Mother Maybelle Carter helped to turn the guitar into a lead instrument.

Lark

Morning singer.

Melanie

“Black.”

India

From Sanskrit sindhu, “river.”

Beatrice

Beatrice (“bringer of joy”) guides Dante through Paradise.

Alma

Alma has origins in the Latin almus (”nourishing” or” kind”) as well as in the Spanish and Italian word for soul. It is pronounced as AL-muh.

Udela

From the Latin word udus, ”prosperity” or ”wealth.”

Abilene

Abilene has Hebrew origins. It means ”land of meadows.”

Luella

Luella is from the French language and is symbolizing “famous warrior of light.” Luella is pronounced ɫoo-EHⱢUH.

Summer

“Warm season.”

Reba

Reba (“bound”) McEntire was raised on a ranch in Oklahoma.

Meadow

Hay field.

Dahlia

“Valley,” and a flower after botanist Anders Dahl.

Skylar

Skylar has roots in the Dutch Schuyler (“scholar”).

Magnolia

Magnolia is from French botanist Pierre Magnol who was inpired from Latin magnus (“great”).

Savannah

”Open grassland.”

Dixie

”Tenth.”

Augusta

Augusta (”majestic” or ”venerable”) was the womanly form of the Latin Augustus which was the title Rome gave its emperors. Short forms that I find interesting are Gussie and Aggie.

Patience

Calm endurance.

Ainsley

From Old English, “hermitage meadow.”

Bobbie

Bobbie (“bright fame”) Gentry sang “Ode to Billie Joe” about a Mississippi bridge.

Crystal

“Ice.”

Virginia

Virginia is from the Latin virgo and is symbolizing ”maiden.”

Ruby

Ruby has roots in the Latin ruber (”red”).

Pearl

Pearl is from the Latin perla, and was the polished choice for Victorian and Edwardian families.

Shiloh

“Peace” or “his gift,” and a Civil War battlefield in Tennessee.

Delilah

Delilah (“delicate”) betrayed Samson in Book of Judges.

Belle

“Beautiful”.

Ivy

“Climbing vine.”

Bonnie

”Pretty” or ”fine” and has roots in the French bon. In Gone with the Wind, Bonnie Blue Butler wasScarlett and Rhett’s daughter.

Hope

“Expectation.”

Bethany

“House of figs,” and a village where Lazarus lived.

Arabella

Arabella has Latin roots, with a meaning that I love: “yielding to prayer.”

Reese

From Welsh Rhys, “ardor.”

Clementine

Clementine is the feminine of the Latin Clement. Short forms include Clemmie and Tine.

Dallas

From Scottish Gaelic, “meadow dwelling.”

Eden

Eden is symbolizing “delight.”

Briar

“Thorny shrub.”

Lorraine

“From Lorraine,” a French region named for King Lothair.

Beulah

Beulah is the Hebrew word for married. It is used in the Book of Isaiah as a tender name for the land of Israel.

Tupelo

From Creek ito and opilwa, “swamp tree.”

Mildred

Mildred (“gentle strength”) Loving won the case that ended bans on interracial marriage.

Lacey

From Lassy, a village in Normandy.

Olive

Olive tree.

Etta

Etta was initially a diminutive for Henrietta and Rosetta. The Italian and French “-etta” means “little one.”

Dakota

“Friend.”

Myrtle

A flowering shrub, sacred to Aphrodite in Greek myth.

Raleigh

“Deer meadow” or “red clearing,” and a state capital for Sir Walter Raleigh.

Grace

“Charm.”

Winnie

Winnie is linked to Winifred that is the English variant of the Welsh Gwenfrewi (”blessed peace”).

Wynonna

It comes from Dakota Sioux words for “firstborn daughter.”

Ida

Ida (“industrious”) B. Wells was born in Holly Springs, Mississippi.

Kennedy

“Helmeted head,” or “misshapen head.”

Fern

Fern plant, and a farm girl who saves Wilbur in Charlotte’s Web.

Camellia

“Kamel’s flower”. Camellia is the state flower of Alabama.

Eudora

Eudora (“good gift”) Welty wrote her stories in Jackson, Mississippi.

Sutton

From Old English suth and tun, “southern town”.

Hazel

“Hazel tree.”

Primrose

“First rose.”

Selma

Selma is a form of Anselma (“God’s protection”).

Marietta

Marietta is an affectionate Italian form of Maria which has roots in the Latin Mary.

Temperance

“Moderation”.

Autumn

“Harvest season”.

Kinsley

“King’s meadow.”

Leah

“Weary,” “delicate,” “wild cow” or “ruler.”

Tabitha

From Aramaic, “gazelle.”

Willow

Willow tree.

Sadie

“Princess,” and Sadie Hawkins, who chased bachelors in Li’l Abner.

Coretta

Coretta (“maiden”) Scott King was born near Marion, Alabama.

Poppy

Red flower.

Memphis

“Enduring beauty,” and an ancient Egyptian capital.

Inez

Inez comes from Agnes, “pure.”

Lily

“Lily flower.”

Zelda

Zelda (“happiness”) Fitzgerald was a judge’s daughter from Montgomery, Alabama.

Dove

Peace bird.

Naomi

“Pleasantness.”

Ethel

It comes from Old English æthel, “noble.”

Goldie

Gold.

Sawyer

Sawyer (“woodcutter”) is Tom’s surname in Mark Twain’s novels.

Darlene

“Darling.”

Verity

Truth.

Presley

Presley (“priest’s meadow”) is a surname Elvis made famous.

Cheyenne

From Dakota Šahíyena, “red talkers.”

Imogene

“Daughter.”

Mattie

Mattie (“mighty in battle”) Ross hunts her father’s killer in True Grit.

Shelby

“Willow farm,” and a bride in Steel Magnolias.

Aretha

Aretha (“virtue”) Franklin was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Merritt

“Boundary gate.”

Daisy

From Old English dæges eage, “day’s eye.”