The Midwestern United States is a part of the country that is known for its farming and is located just east of the center of the United States. The states that are part of the Midwest are Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
The people are friendly and down to earth.
No wonder the Midwest region is nicknamed America’s Heartland.
If you reside in the Midwest region and are expecting a baby boy or baby girl, you may want to stick to your roots and choose a Midwestern name for your little one.
The most popular baby names vary by different region and state across the entire U.S. Names that are popular on the West Coast aren’t always the same as popular Southern baby names.
Related: What’s The Most Popular Baby Name in Your State?
Here are 150 of the most popular baby names for boys and girls in the Midwest according to our name experts and the Social Security Administration’s database.
The Most Popular Midwestern Names for Boys
- Alexander - Greek; “protector of mankind”
- Asher - Hebrew; “fortunate”
- Benjamin - Hebrew; “son of my right hand”
- Bennett - Latin; “blessed”
- Brooks - Old English; “stream”
- Carter - Old English; “cart driver”
- Cooper - Latin; “cask”
- Elijah - Hebrew; “God the Lord”
- Ezra - Hebrew; “salvation”
- Grayson - Old English; “to shine”
- Henry - German; “house ruler”
- Hudson - Old English; “son of Hud”
- Jackson - Hebrew; “the supplanter”
- Jacob - Hebrew; “the supplanter”
- James - Hebrew; “supplanter” or “subsitute”
- Leo - Greek and German; “lion-hearted”
- Levi - Hebrew for “united”
- Liam - Irish; “unwavering protector”
- Lincoln - Old English; “home by the pond”
- Logan - Scottish; “little hollow”
- Lucas - Latin; “bringer of light”
- Mason - French; “stone worker”
- Mateo - Hebrew; “gift of God” and Greek; “devoted to God”
- Maverick - English; “nonconforming”
- Michael - Hebrew; “who is like God”
- Noah - Hebrew; “comfort” or “wanderer”
- Oliver - Latin; “olive tree”
- Owen - Irish; “born to nobility” or “warrior”
- Samuel - Hebrew; “name of God”
- Sawyer - English; “woodcutter”
- Theodore - Greek; “gift of God”
- Waylon - English; “land by the road”
- Wesley - Old English; “west meadow”
- William - Spanish; “resolute” or “protector”
- Wyatt - Old English; “little warrior,” French; “water”
When it comes to naming traditions, they have varied over the centuries. Due to the number of immigrants coming to the United States, you would see names that were more common in Asian countries like Thailand.
Between the 1700s and 1900s, some of the Germans and Polish immigrated to the U.S. so you’ll likely have descendants that have names with those roots. Finally, many of the names used today have Scandinavian and Slavic influences and are combined with more English-sounding names.
Old Midwestern Boy Names
- Aksel - Old German; “father of peace”
- Anders - Swedish; “son of Andrew”
- Brent - English; “fiery or steep hill”
- Dale - German; “valley dweller”
- Duane - Irish; “wagon maker”
- Eldon - Old English; “Ella’s mound”
- Ephraim - Hebrew; “fruitful.” Also the name of a small town in Wisconsin.
- Lambeau - Lambeau Field is the home of the NFL team the Green Bay Packers and is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
- Lyle - French; “from the island”
- Merle - French; “blackbird”
- Niels - Irish, “champion,” Scandinavian; “victorious”
- Parker - Old English; “cultivated land”
- Randall - English; "secretive,” Anglo-Saxon; “shield” or “wolf”
- Virgil - Latin; “staff bearer”
The Most Popular Midwestern Names for Girls
- Addison - English; “daughter of Adam”
- Aurora - Latin; “gold” or “dawn”
- Ava - Latin; “blooming,” Hebrew; “life”
- Avery - English; “counselor”
- Charlotte - French; “free man”
- Chloe - Greek; “lark”
- Eleanor - Greek; “mercy”
- Ellie - Greek; “mercy” Hebrew; “consecrated to God”
- Emma - German; “all-embracing”
- Evelyn - English; “wished for child”
- Everly - English; “wild boar in woodland clearing”
- Gianna - Italian; “the Lord is gracious”
- Grace - Latin; “blessing”
- Harper - Old Norse; “whaler”
- Hazel - Old English; “hazel tree”
- Isabella - Hebrew and Spanish; “consecrated to God”
- Isla - Scottish and Spanish; “island”
- Ivy - English; “vine”
- Kinsley - English; “king’s meadow”
- Layla - Arabic; “dark as the night”
- Lucy - Latin; “light”
- Luna - Italian and Latin; “moon”
- Lydia - Greek; “woman from Persia”
- Mia - Hebrew; “bitter,” Scandinavian; “star of the sea”
- Mila - Russian; “dear one”
- Nora - Latin; “dignified,” Greek; “honor”
- Nova - Latin; “new”
- Olivia - Latin; “olive tree,” French; “peace”
- Paisley - Scottish; “church” or “cemetery”
- Penelope - Greek; “bobbin weaver”
- Quinn - Latin; “a girl who is as pretty as two”
- Scarlett - Middle English; “deep red”
- Sophia - Greek; “wisdom”
- Stella - Latin; “star”
- Violet - Latin; “purple”
- Willow - English; “freedom” or “tree”
Old Midwestern Girl Names
- Alma - Latin; “soul” or “nourishing”
- Darlene - French; “little darling”
- Delores - Latin; “lady of sorrows”
- Fern - Old English; “leafy plant”
- Galena - This is the name of a small town in Illinois
- Heidi - German; “noble” or “serene”
- Jill - The short form of the English name Jillian
- Jody - American; “praised”
- Kiersten - Scandinavian; “anointed”
- Laverne - French; “from the alder grove”
- Madison - English; “good” and it is also the name of a city in Wisconsin
- Marjorie - Greek and Scottish; “pearl”
- Sue - Hebrew; “lily”
Names Inspired by Pioneers
The pioneers were adventurers and explorers in the newly founded United States who traveled West to settle and cultivate new land and discover riches. Pioneers settled across the American prairies and frontiers.
Common pioneer girl names and pioneer boy names are unique baby name options that pay homage to the culture of the American Midwest.
- Abraham - Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States and was born in Larue County, Kentucky.
- Amelia - Amelia Earhart was an aviator and she was born in Atchison, Kansas.
- Ann - Ann Landers was a writer for the Chicago Sun-Times. She lived in the Midwest and was born in Sioux City, Iowa, and passed in Chicago, Illinois.
- Betty - Betty Friedan was a feminist writer and activist. She was born in Peoria, Illinois.
- Daniel - Daniel Boone was a pioneer and frontiersman who is famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky.
- Diana - Diana Ross is a singer and actress born in Detroit, Michigan.
- Ernest - Ernest Hemingway was a famous novelist and was born in Oak Park, Illinois.
- Frank - Frank Lloyd Wright was a famous architect and he was born in Richland Center, Wisconsin.
- Georgia - Georgia O’Keefe was a modernist artist and was born in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.
- Gloria - Gloria Steinem is a journalist and political activist who was born in Toledo, Ohio.
- Harry - Harry Houdini was a stunt performer and magician who lived in Detroit, Michigan after coming to the United States.
- Henry - Henry Ford was the founder of Ford Motors and was from Dearborn, Michigan.
- Jesse - Jesse James was an American outlaw and was born in Kearney, Missouri.
- Judy - Judy Garland was an actress and singer born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
- Laura - Laura Ingalls Wilder was a writer and was born in Pepin County, Wisconsin.
- Lawrence - Lawrence Welk was a TV host and bandleader. He was born in Strasburg, North Dakota.
- Malcolm - Malcolm X was a Muslim minister and human rights activist. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska.
- Mark - Mark Twain was a famous writer and was born in Florida, Missouri.
- Maya - Maya Lin was a designer and sculptor. She was born in Athens, Ohio.
- Michael - Michael Jackson was a singer/songwriter who was born in Gary, Indiana.
- Neil - Neil Armstrong was an astronaut who resided in the Midwest his whole life. He was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, and passed in Cincinnati, Ohio.
- Norman - Norman Borlaug contributed to the Green Revolution and was born in Cresco, Iowa.
- Oprah - Oprah Winfrey is a philanthropist and talk show host. Her show was broadcasted from Chicago, Illinois.
- Orson - Orson Welles was a director and producer who was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
- Quincy - Quincy Jones was a musician who was born in Chicago, Illinois.
- Red - Red Cloud was a Native American chief of the Sioux tribe Oglala Lakota. He was born in North Platte, Nebraska.
- Russell - Russell Means was a Native American rights activist born in Porcupine, South Dakota.
- Scott - F. Scott Fitzgerald was a novelist who was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
- Stevie - Stevie Wonder is a singer/songwriter born in Saginaw, Michigan.
- Walt - Walt Disney was an animator and film producer. He was born in Chicago, Illinois.
- Warren - Warren Buffett is the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway and was born in Omaha, Nebraska.
Midwestern Nicknames
These Midwestern nicknames are heard all over the region and can be pretty common! Take a look and see if you like any of these cute nicknames for girls or boys!
- Apollo
- Barbie
- Bee’s Knees
- Bubbles
- Bunny
- Buttercup
- Candy
- Cat Fish
- Champ
- Corn Pop
- Daffodil
- Duckie
- Jellyfish
- Little Flower
- Midwestie
- Peaches
- Peanut
- Pepper
- Tortoise Shell
- Tweety Bird
- Twinkie
No matter if you are an American Midwest native or if you’re interested in the culture, we have provided many names for you. We hope you find the perfect one!
For more baby name inspiration check out these popular baby name lists:
- 101 Country Boy Names for Your Country Bumpkin
- Top 1000 Most Popular Baby Boy Names in the U.S.
- Top 1000 Most Popular Baby Girl Names in the U.S.
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