Girl name · French
Magnolia
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: flower named for botanist Pierre MagnolMagnolia is a girl's name that comes from French and means "flower named for botanist Pierre Magnol". It is used in English and Spanish.
- Meaning
- Flower named for botanist Pierre Magnol
- Origin
- French
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #124 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Magnolia
As a girl's name, Magnolia comes from French and means "flower named for botanist Pierre Magnol". It is used in English and Spanish.
Its meaning puts Magnolia on our names that mean flower list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Magnolia on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Magnolia on 7 lists.
“English word name; the flower honors botanist Pierre Magnol”
From Flower names for girls, girl flower names from the garden
“The flower of the South”
From Porch goose names, southern and country porch goose names
“Named for French botanist Pierre Magnol; Southern and graceful”
From Female cat names, flower names for girl cats
“A Southern blossom, sweet and stately”
From Girl dog names, flower and nature names for girl dogs
“Flower named for Pierre Magnol; English. Southern and lush”
From Girl middle names, flower and nature middle names
“The flower, named for French botanist Pierre Magnol”
From Mexican girl names, mexican girl names from nature
“Flower named for botanist Pierre Magnol; English. Southern charm in a name”
From Vintage girl names, vintage flower, plant and gemstone names
How popular is Magnolia?
- US rank in 2025
- #124
- 2,233 babies, 1,389 per million girls
- Best rank
- #124 in 2025
- 2,233 babies that year
- Babies since 1880
- At least 23,403
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 80 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 93 per million |
| 1900s | 164 per million |
| 1910s | 135 per million |
| 1920s | 99 per million |
| 1930s | 63 per million |
| 1940s | 34 per million |
| 1950s | 16 per million |
| 1960s | 8 per million |
| 1970s | 10 per million |
| 1980s | 8 per million |
| 1990s | 15 per million |
| 2000s | 49 per million |
| 2010s | 310 per million |
| 2020s | 1,214 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #507 | #384 | #314 | #237 | #176 | #140 | #151 | #145 | #138 | #124 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names with a similar meaning
- FloraFlower, blossom (Latin, girl)
- RosaRose flower (Latin, girl)
- IngaNamed for Ing, a Germanic god (Old Norse, girl)
- LilyLily flower (English, girl)
- NarcisoNarcissus flower (Greek, boy)
- AinsleyFrom a place named for a solitary or hermitage clearing (English, unisex)
- AntheaFlower, blossom (Greek, girl)
- CataleyaFrom cattleya, an orchid named for William Cattley (English, girl)
- FleurA flower (Latin, girl)
- FlorFlower (Latin, girl)
Middle names for Magnolia
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from French
- BelleBeautiful (French, girl)
- NoelleChristmas (French, girl)
- SoleilSun (French, girl)
- AiméeBeloved (French, girl)
- CapucineNasturtium flower (French, girl)
- ChantalStony (French, girl)
- ÉglantineSweetbriar, a wild rose (French, girl)
- EspéranceHope (French, girl)
- FleuretteLittle flower, a diminutive of Fleur (French, girl)
- GaranceMadder plant, used for red dye (French, girl)
Magnolia: common questions
What does the name Magnolia mean?
Magnolia comes from French and means "flower named for botanist Pierre Magnol".
Is Magnolia a boy or girl name?
Magnolia is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Magnolia come from?
Magnolia comes from French and means "flower named for botanist Pierre Magnol". Today it is used in English and Spanish.
How popular is the name Magnolia?
Magnolia ranked #124 in the US in 2025, with 2,233 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What middle names go with Magnolia?
Middle names that flow well with Magnolia include Alice, Anne, Aoife, Daisy and Jane. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.