English Names

While this may look like a contracted form of vintage girl name, Winifred, it is in fact an Old English masculine name in its own right. Borne by the 8th century monk and missionary St. Boniface, it appeared nearly consistently in the US Top 1000 from the 1880s when records began, up to 1966 when it fell out of favor.
 
Combining the elements <emw>wine</m> "friend" and friþ "peace", it may appeal to those like unisex names but are compromising with a partner who doesn't. Rugged and knightly in feel, but with the clunky-cute feel of Winifred, it also comes with charming nicknames Freddie, Winn, Fred, and Winnie.

Winfred

Winnavie has the endearing sounds of vintage Winnie, but the cadence of contemporary choices like Waverley, Everly, and Romilly. The exact etymology of the name is unknown, however, it may be related to the Old English names Wynniva and Wynnġifu, meaning "gift of joy".
 
It could equally be connected to Guinevere, meaning "white phantom, white wave", or to Winifred ("blessed peacemaking"). More generally, you could associate it with the winn sound, giving you the meanings "joy" or "friend" from Old English, and "blessed, fair" from Welsh.
 
Currently a rare option, it may work as an alternative to Winry or Winslow.

Winnavie

One of the rare English surname names originally derived from a female given name: Eoforhild (Everild), meaning "boar battle". Also spelled Averill, it's an extremely rare choice today, but shares sounds with fashionable Ava and Avery.

Averil

Currently more popular for girls, Winsley could easily work as a unisex option, similar in sound to Winston and Finley. Literally meaning "Wine's clearing" and more figuratively meaning "friend's clearing", it briefly appeared in the US stats for boys in 2009.

Winsley

Stylish and easy going Winslow is a surname-style choice and a place name that up until 2009 was predominantly, albeit quietly, used on boys. Now, it is a unisex option that currently leans feminine. This spelling variation has yet to enter the charts but with Marlo and Munro catching on, this stripped back choice might appeal in the future. 
 
Derived from Old English, the name literally means "Wine's hill" or "hill belonging to Wine", but given that Wine is a given name meaning "friend", a more figurative interpretation is "friend's hill".

Winslo

A spelling variation of Winston that appears more often as a last name than as a given name.

Winstonn

An unexpected, descriptive, and whimsical word name, blending classic Rose with contemporary Winter. It's been appearing in the US stats since 2013 and is given to a small handful of girls each year. 
 
The name also appears in the England and Wales data, but written as Winter-Rose. A recent year saw it given to 18 babies, but it has been given to as many as 30 in the past.

Winterrose

A whimsical word name, Wishmay could reflect the phrase "Wish I may" or alternativel, "May all your wishes come true". It could then be connected with dreams, hopes, and fancies, adding to that whimsy feel.
 
Alternatively, it could be interpreted as with a wish for the month of May, or more figuratively, as a wish for sunnier, brighter weather. For a more grounded source, it may well be considered a twist or adaptation of the German surname Wischmeyer, meaning "tenant farmer who sweeps" or "tenant farmer from the meadow". 
 
As a given name, Wishmay is currently undiscovered, though it has received interest over on the Nameberry Forums alongside Loveday, Wildrose, and Maeblythe.

Wishmay

An unusual surname-style name, Wister may be a spin on Wester ("westerly, one who lives in the west") or a play on the archaic word "wist", relating to "wit", "knowledge", and "awareness". Borne by writer Owen Wister, known as the "father of Western fiction", having help make the cowboy into a hero figure, it is also the name of a mountain in Wyoming, named for the author.

Wister

An ancient name with a modern twist, Wolfstan comes from the Anglo-Saxon name Wulfstan. It maintains the power of its older form while feeling looking and feeling familiar and cool. Meaning "wolf stone" from the Old English elements wulf and stan, it comes with three versatile nickname options: edgy and on-trend Wolf; cute and playful Wolfie; and vintage grandpa name, Stan.
 
It may also appeal as a rare and unexpected saint's name, Saint Wulfstan being an 11th century monk and bishop.

Wolfstan

Bobbsey Twins-era nickname name that could find new life via Nan, heroine of The Nanny Diaries. Nan was also the nickname of Annabel St George, the protagonist of Edith Wharton's novel "The Buccaneers".

A strong, historical name, Wulfrun combines the elements wulf ("wolf") and run ("rune, secret, lore") to give the slightly mystical meanings of "rune of the wolf" or "wolf's secret lore". It was notably borne by a 10th-century noblewoman, known for owning Hēatūn, a "principle farm" in the West Midlands, where she endowed a church. The region went on to become the city and borough of Wolverhampton in England, where many places are still named after her. 
 
Wulfruna is sometimes used as an alternative form, while Wolfram is (masculine) descendent of the name.

Wulfrun

Wyndham has proved a surprisingly fast rising choice for boys in the 2020s, probably thanks to American golfer, Wyndham Clark, who won both the Wells Fargo Championship and the U.S. Open in 2023. In 2025, 44 boys were called Wyndham — compared to eight in 2019 — and, for the first time, it also appeared in the US stats as a for girls. 
 
Aside from the golfer, notable namesakes include the artist (and founder of the Vorticist movement) Wyndham Lewis, and the author John Wyndham, who wrote The Day of The Triffids and The Chrysalids, adding literary and arty flair to the name. 
 
With the breezy meaning "from the windy village", some may be put off by the 'gassy' associations of nickname Windy, but you could always consider Wyn or Winnie instead.

Wyndham

Traditionally used as a masculine name and a surname, Winslow began to climb the charts for girls in the 2010s, likely due to its similarity to Willow and Harlowe, and because of the sweet nickname Winnie. Wynslow is a quietly used spelling alternative that contains the on-trend Y, and if Wynter is anything to go by, it may well gain more attention in coming years. 

Wynslow

The name of the mother of Aethelred the Unready was once common among the Anglo-Saxon nobility, and was briefly revived during the 19th century, only to be lost once again to history. 

However, with the recent revival of Frida and other clunky-cool vintage gems like Agatha, Matilda and Theodora, we think this ancient option could be worth a second look. 

And how cute would a baby Elfie be?

Elfrida

Playful and contemporary but with a solid and international sound, Zahli may be considered a diminutive from a variety of names including the floral Azalea, Rozalia, and Rosalie, the Arabic Zahra, and the Hebrew Zahara. Zali, Zahlie, and Zahlee are alternative spellings.  

Zahli

A name that is rarely heard and might be worth considering as a way of zipping up a namesake Sandra. It has long been associated with iconoclastic British fashion designer Zandra Rhodes.
 Zandra did actually invade the lower depths of the U.S. popularity list three times--in 1953, 1970 and 1971.

Zandra

A sweet, snappy feminine form of Zavier, Zaviana, or perhaps Zavanna.

Zavi

With a meaning like "elf power," Alfreda could find some appeal among fantasy enthusiasts. "Freda" makes for a pleasant nickname.

Alfreda

Intriguing alternative that goes beyond Louisa and May, for Little Women fans.

Alcott

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 

. The English origin names below are ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.

English names including girl names and boy names of English origin from the English language and culture (Page 116)

1450+ English Names (with Meanings & Popularity)