<a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/164/English-Names">English names</a> might be easiest to define when they're actual word names drawn from the English languages and transformed into baby names. This genre has grown tremendously in the past decade, to the point that now parents are creating names from words they love or that have a symbolic meaning in English along with other languages such as Spanish, French, or Italian. 

Of course, there is also a long tradition of English names that were originally flower or place or inspirational or other word names, most notably practiced by the Puritans. At this point, words like Iris or Mercy or Christian have been used so long as names that they are solid entries in the name lexicon apart from their original connection to the words that inspired them. 

Today, celebrities are often coining names from English words — think North, Saint, Bear — and so helping to popularize not just the specific names but the whole concept. And stars from Drake to Rebel Wilson have driven the word name idea home. Now, almost any English word is fair game for transformation to a baby name. And if you're not adventurous enough to use these new word names as first names, you might want to consider them as middle names to add uniqueness and meaning. Newer English word names finding wide favor include the following.

English Word Names

A plausible and solid sounding word name that is reminiscent of Annika and Bianca, Anchor is both grounding and bold as a name. Plus, familiar nickname Annie is there as an option.

Anchor

This one's cutting right to the chase, but with such names as Justice and Peace on the rise, why not?  And we guarantee your seven-year-old son will love it, though your 17-year-old, maybe not so much.  Could be used as a middle name, as Talisa Soto and Benjamin Bratt did.

Bravery

A wild word name with a poetic and fantastical feel, Stargazer fits in with celeb-style choices such as Whimsy, Poetry, Romance, and Locket. While it might not be practical as a first name, it could work as a bold honor middle name for a someone who is into astronomy or astrology.
 
There is also a flower called a Stargazer lily and a fish called a stargazer, giving it multiple nature associations.

Stargazer

Honesty is one of the modern virtue names, which along with Justice and Destiny are picking up where Faith, Hope, and Charity left off. Is Honesty the most appealing name ever? No, and it's also sure to spark lots of tiresome jokes. Still, Honesty is a positive quality and a lot more appealing than negative word names such as Pistol and Rehab (which both, yes, were given to five baby girls in the US last year). Honesty is now ranking right below the Top 1000, with 233 baby girls given the name in the US in 2015. We predict that it will climb along with its meritorious sisters and brothers.

Honesty

Romance may initially strike you as too ardent and whimsical of a name for a baby, but given that the likes of Love and Dream have been a fast-rising name in recent years — not to mention soundalike Romy — Romance is well-suited to our current naming climate. 
 Romance could also be considered a literary name, through its definition of "a love story", along with its associations with medieval tales of chivalry and with the Romantic writers and poets of the 18th and 19th century. It might then appeal to those who also like Poem and Story. 
 
Currently, it has only ranked as a boys name in the US but this could change in the future, especially if parents take inspiration from influencers Francesca Farago and Jesse Sullivan. They used Romance as a middle name for their son in 2024, while their daughter received the first name Poetry, and we could see some parents deciding to use Romance "Romy" for a girl.

Romance

Rare for girls and rarer still for boys, Topaz is a gemstone name with a cool -Z ending, reminiscent of stylish options such as Azriel, Azariah, and Azai, along with the more classic Christopher, Thomas, and Tobias. Associated with healing, protection, fidelity, and good fortune, the golden gemstone is also the birthstone of November, which could make it a distinctive option for babies born in the month.
 
While the exact etymology of the name is unknown, one theory is that it comes from the Greek Topázios, the ancient name for what is now St. John's Island in the Red Sea. A yellow stone was originally mined from there, and while it believed to have been chrysolite and not topaz, the name may have became attached to the yellow gemstone anyway. A second theory is that it emerged from the Sanskrit word tapas meaning "heat" or "fire", likely in reference to its color.
 
While Topaz has never appeared in the US stats for boys, it has seen some use in Israel, India, and Canada as a masculine name. Thanks to its rarity however, it could work for any gender, especially as an unexpected middle name or a bold but familiar first.

Topaz

Baby names based on English words, including English word names for boys and girl names from English words, with meanings, origins, and popularity. (Page 6)

English Word Names

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