English Names

A sweet choice for a pet, and an endearing 'at-home' nickname for a little Marlowe, Marla, or Martha, Marshmallow is associated with the soft, chewy confectionaries that you might toast over a campfire. These sweet treats were inspired by the medicinal mixture made from the marsh-mallow plant (Althaea officinalis), originally used to treat coughs.
 
Technically then, Marshmallow might be considered a floral name, though you'd probably be better off saving it for a pet name (in both senses of the term).

Marshmallow

Chosen by Woody Allen for his son with Mia Farrow (now renamed Seamus), honoring the great old-time baseball player Satchel Paige, and by Spike Lee for his daughter, but far too eccentric for ordinary use. 

Satchel

Possibility for fish enthusiasts, but works better for a boy. 

Salmon

A clunky-cute member of the Madeline-Magdalene-Maude family, which perfectly blends all three together. With sweet nicknames Maudie, Leni, and Laney, the name ultimately derives from Aramaic, meaning "from Magdala", or more literally, "of the high tower". Other spellings include Maudelen, Maudelyn, and Maudeleyn. 

Maudelene

Historically, the name gained significance in the Netherlands through Maurice of Nassau (Maurits van Nassau), a key military leader during the Dutch Revolt against Spain in the 16th-17th centuries. While primarily found in the Netherlands and occasionally in Flemish-speaking parts of Belgium, Maurits remains a name with strong Dutch cultural associations. Though less common than international variants like Maurice, Morris, or Moritz, the name continues to be used in Dutch families, often to honor family traditions or historical connections.

Maurits

A twist on Madeline, a spin on Maybelline, or an elaboration of Maeve, Mavis, or Maven, Maveline contains plenty of stylish sounds that may appeal to contemporary parents. Pronounced as MAV-uh-line (or leen or lynn) or MAYV-uh-line (or leen or lynn), it may catch on as a way to expand a shorter name. 

Maveline

Celebs Demi Moore and Bruce Willis made waves in the 80s when they named their now-grown daughter after novelist Rumer Godden. The author was actually born Margaret, with family surname Rumer as her middle name.
 
The name has two possible origins: one, as a last name, possibly from the Germanic hruom meaning "fame, glory", and two, as a play on the word name Rumor, giving it the meaning "story, gossip, information, misinformation, common talk" and so on. For some, the latter may feel like a negative association, while for others, it may give it the edginess of Rebel, Ryatt, and Rowdy.

Rumer

In the style of Winifred or Solfrid, Mayfred feels both fresh and ancient. It may be an Anglicization of the Scandinavian Majfrid, which blends fríðr meaning "beautiful" with Maj, the Swedish and Danish word for the month of May, along with a variation of Maia ("mother") and Maria ("bitter, beloved"). As such, it could be interpreted as meaning "beautiful May", "beautiful mother", or "beautiful and beloved".
 
Alternatively, it may be considered an English compound name, blending the Germanic frrid with either the Spring-time month name, or with the Old English mægð. This would give you the meanings "peaceful May" and "maiden of peace, peaceful kinswoman" respectively.

Mayfred

If Millicent feels too clunky, Melissa too dated, and Amelia too popular, you could consider this ultra rare alternative. Ultimately from the Gothic name, Amalaswintha, meaning "strong in work" or more literally, "brave, unceasing, and strong", the Normans adapted it into Melisent or Melisende, which then became Anglicized as Millicent. 
 
As such, Melesina borrows from the Norman form, to make a unique but wearable option. Borne by Melesina Trench, an 18th century Irish writer and poet who recorded her experiences with famous figures of the period, it's a one-of-a-kind option, which also offers nicknames Millie, Mina, Minnie, and Mela.
 
Another possible source of the name is form Melusine, a mythological name associated with a water fairy who turned into a serpent once a week.

Melesina

An old form of Millicent, brought over to England by the Normans, along with Melisent and Melisende. Ultimately, they come from Amalaswintha, a Gothic name meaning "strong in work" or "vigorous, brave, and strong". 

Melicent

Melisende, the mellifluous name of a 12th century queen of Jerusalem, gave rise to the more modern Millicent, after it was brought to England by the Normans. Ultimately, it comes from the Gothic name, Amalaswintha, meaning "strong in work" or "vigorous, brave, and strong". 
 
Also appearing as Melisent, Melicent, and Malasintha, it's more related to Amelia than to Melissa, despite appearances. The French form, Melisande, is a fairy tale heroine.

Melisende

Derived from the Gothic name, Amalaswintha, this form was brought to England by the Normans, though it was later adapted into the variation we know better today: Millicent. This form may remind people of Melissa, though they aren't related. 

Melisent

A sweet, cosy nickname that may appeal to those who like Mimi, Clem, Jem, Leni, and Em, Mem has been used historically as a nickname for the Puritan names Remember and Remembrance, but it has also been used for Merritt, Marrion, Memphis, Miriam, and Emmeline. A unisex choice that leans masculine in Portuguese, it has very occasionally been used as a full name, as in the case of actor Mem Ferda. 

As an English nickname, Mem is a vintage choice that may appeal to fans of Jem, Kip, and Len. It has been used historically as a short form a variety of names including the Remember, Mehmet, Merritt, Marion, and Emmett, though it has been occasionally used as a full name, as in the case of actor Mem Ferda and musician Mem Shannon.
 
As a Portuguese choice, Mem is used as an alternative to Mendo, a name that might relate to the historical Hermenegildo meaning "great tribute" or "immense compensation" . It has been notably borne by a 16th governor-general of Portugal (Mem de Sá).

A magical Anglo-Saxon choice, Mereswyth combines the Old English mere ("sea") with swiþ ("strong") to form a name that reflects the power of the ocean. It could make a cool choice for writers looking for something bold but with sweet nickname Meri. 
 
The name can also be spelled as Mereswith.

Mereswyth

A rare and poetic saint's name, Merewenna was a 10th-century Christian saint, notable for founding Romsey Abbey in Hampshire, England. Also known as St. Mærwynn, the name may derive from Old English to mean "famously joyful" or "famous bliss", though others link it to the Cornish Morwenna and Welsh Morwen, meaning "maiden". 




Merewenna

Bright and warm, Meridia has a cheerful, sunny feel to it. It may have emerged as a variation of: Meridian, ultimately from the Latin meridianus meaning "southerly" or "noon"; Merida, a Spanish place name, meaning "veterans of Augusta"; or a form of Meredith, meaning "great lord".
 
Other possibilities are that it's a smoosh of Mary and Lydia or a spin on the Finnish Meri, meaning "sea".

Meridia

Similar in sound to Maia, Myla, and Miley, Meyers is a plural name with multiple roots. It can be viewed as a German name meaning "tenant, farmer, bailiff" or "leader of the household", a Hebrew name meaning "enlightening, shining", a French name meaning "doctor", and an English name meaning "mayor". 
Given to a handful of boys since 2013, for girls, it has only appeared in the stats twice,, when it was given to 11 girls between 2o20 and 2021

Meyers

Radella

A mystical word name, most often reserved for black cats, Midnight conjures up darkness and the liminal space between the end of one day and the beginning of the next. It has seen some use as a baby name however, and was chosen by celebs Nicole Richie and Joel Madden for their son's middle name in 2009, and then by social media star, Jasmine Chiswell for her son's first name in 2022.
 
The name first entered the US stats back in 2005 for girls, but 2022 saw it rank for boys for the first time when 5 babies were given the name.

Midnight

English names -- names originating in the English language -- rank among the top names in the US, the UK, and other English-speaking countries, along with such European countries as Sweden, Germany, and France.

 in the US Top 300 include Georgia, Juliet, Lily and Olive for girls, and Emmett, Miles, Oscar, and William for boy.

 include Alfie, Lily, Edward, and Ella. In Sweden, the English girls' name Alice ranks near the top of the list, while the English boys' nickname Tom is fashionable in France.



Less conventional English names that rank highly in the US include, for girls, Kendall, Kinsley, Madison, Marley, Peyton, Presley, Sutton, Willow, Winter and Wren, For boys, this group includes Archer, Brooks, Carter, Fletcher, Graham, Huxley, Mason, Reed, Sawyer, and Wilder.

 that carry a lot of style value include, for girls, Araminta, Arden, Azalea, Birdie, Blythe, Clover, Lilac, Lavender, Posey, and Waverly. For boys, unique English names to consider include Birch, Booker, Dane, Garrison, Hale, Kit, Oberon, Shaw, Tobin, and Winston.



Our collection of English baby names also includes surname names such as Lancaster and Huffington, nature names such as River and Marigold, English word names such as Love and Journey, along with place names like Devon and occupational names such as Driver.



Browse Nameberry's complete range of English names for girls and boys, continued, below, or consult our individual lists of 

English names including girl names and boy names of English origin from the English language and culture (Page 108)

English Names (with Meanings & Popularity)