English Names

This rhythmic last-name-first-name projects the creativity and inventiveness of Thomas Edison. It's an English surname deriving from either Adam or Eda, a medieval diminutive of Edith.

 Q. Why is it suddenly being considered by new parents? A) They may possibly be inspired by the mega-trendy Addison, or B) infuenced by the renewed interest in "Twilight" hero Edward and looking at other Ed-starting possibilities, C) attracted to the stylish -son ending, ala Jackson and Harrison or D) into science.

 Whatever the reason, Edison is rising through the ranks and strikes the perfect balance of familiar and distinctive.

Edison

Adrianna

A brisk and beachy word name, conjuring up rugged shorelines and sandy, summery holidays. While Cove seems to have bounced back from its negative (Covid) associations, Coast might be an obvious alternative. In fact, the two names saw a similar amount of use in a recent year, when 184 boys were called Coast and 167 were called Cove.
 
While Cove leans more gender neutral (81:167), Coast remains predominantly masculine for now (15:184).

Coast

Strongly feminine variation of Colby with two prime associations: singer Colbie Caillat and actress Colbie Smulders (born Jacoba).

Colbie

As an English nickname, Emi can be short for anything beginning with (or containing) the popular "em" sound, such as Emily, Emilia, or maybe even Clementine.
 As a Japanese name, it can be formed of various different combinations of kanji characters, with different meanings, including "beautiful favor" "smile", "blessing, fruit" or "beautiful picture". It might also be used as a short form or part of the name Emiko. 
 
It might also be used as a Yoruba name, as either a short form of names such as Adeyemi or Olufemi or sometimes as a stand-alone, with the element emi meaning "mine, I, soul, spirit."
 
It's one of those names that works well across different cultures and in different places, from Hawaii to Japan, from Slovenia to Nigeria.

Jagger is a swaggering Rolling Stone of a name that's been picked up by a number of fellow celebs, including Lindsay Davenport and Brett Scallions--while Soleil Moon Frye pulled a gender switch when she bestowed it on her daughter. It's edgy with a touch of danger.
 Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee started the ball rolling when they gave their son Dylan the middle name of Jagger in 1997; it entered the popularity list in 2001.

Jagger

Originally a nickname for a third-generation son, as in Thurman Thackeray III, Trey is now being given to others, and it has also expanded to Treynor and Treyton. The name also is popular among basketball fans: It's another word for a three-point shot.

Trey

Hollis is a rugged, gentle and quietly used name, given to over 200 boys and 150 girls each year in the US. In 2023, it became one of the newest entries to the US Top 1000, where it fits in with the surnames-as-first-names trend, and other familiar choices like Ellis, Silas, and Holden. 
 
Derived from the English surname meaning "near the holly bushes", it has a number of notable connections. Hollis Thompson is a professional basketball player; Hollis Watkins is a Civil Rights activist in Mississippi; Pete Hollis was a community folk hero; and "The Ballad of Hollis Brown" is a popular Bob Dylan song.
 Combining woodsy sounds and outdoorsy vibes with a surname-y and smart style, Hollis feels sleek and preppy, but adventurous and spirited too.

Hollis

Foster is one commonly heard last name that makes a fine first. The word foster means "to nourish" — as in "fostering hope", or "fostering a relationship". The only problem with Foster might be its association with "foster child."
 There are numerous notable last-named Fosters, including composer Stephen, actresses Jodie and Sutton, architect Norman, and comic strip artist Hal, creator of "Prince Valiant."

Foster

A contemporary spelling of a vintage nickname, Maizie ensures that it would get pronounced MAYZ-ee over MAYS-ee. While some may find it too reminiscent of "maize", as in the corn plant, this may be part of the appeal for others, giving it a subtle nature link.
 
A once popular choice in England and Wales, peaking in 2010 when it ranked in the Top 250, Maizie made its debut in the US charts in 2025 when it climbed 138 places up the charts. Given to 295 girls, Maisie was chosen for more than four times as many girls in the same year, when it was chosen for 1328 babies.

Maizie

Likely borrowed from Kale or Cale, both short forms of the Biblical Caleb, Kael may also be used as an Anglicization of the Irish Cáel or as a Spanish form of the Breton Gaël. As such, it could mean "dog" or "whole heart" via Caleb, "slender" via Cáel, and "Gaelic" via Gaël,
 
 It was a fast rising choice in the US in 2025 when it jumped 536 places up the charts to re-enter the Top 1000, having been absent for several years.

Kael

Macho to the max.  But with the rise of x as a fashionable letter anywhere it appears in a name, ala Jaxson or Maxon, we may be hearing more of Axton.

Axton

Bennett, with its 'ett' ending, has a softer feel compared to some other Ben- names, and with celebrity style Benny and Beni catching attention, this variation of Benedict with its gentle meaning has seen more use for girls in recent years. Alternate spellings include Bennette and Bennet — the latter which may appeal to any Jane Austen fans.

Bennett's unisex appeal was highlighted when NFL player Jason Kelce and his wife, Kylie, chose Bennett Llewellyn for their daughter in 2023. Meanwhile, influencer Jaci Marie Smith named her daughter Benny in 2024, suggesting Ben- names might just catch on for girls.
 
In fact, in a recent year, Bennett was given to 234 girls in the US compared to 5095 boys. While that does mean just over four percent of all Bennetts born were girls, it's not an insubstantial number — especially when you consider it was given to 146 girls the year before. As such, it sat within the US Top 1100, alongside Agnes, Jovi, Casey, and Cordelia. 
 
 Bennett with its modern feel and links to Pride and Prejudice (with the Bennet spelling) might appeal more to some parents than Bernadette or Benjamina — plus you've got the nickname options of Benni, Betty, Etta, Betsy, and Nettie too.

Bennett

The popular single-named alternative singer (born Bek) has given this cool nature-meets-surname name a new lease of life. Another notable bearer is Beck Weathers, a Texan pathologist who survived the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, which was covered in the book and film Into Thin Air.

 Outdoorsy yet refined, Beck still sits below the radar but could follow brother Beckett up the charts.

Beck

A contemporary spin on Hailey, Bailey, and Kailey, using the stylish letter Z and the double -ee ending, Zaylee ticks the boxes as trendy choice for a modern baby. It joined the US Top 1000 back in 2015 and at least 350 girls received the name in a recent year.
 
While it can be considered a modern invention, Zaylee might also seen as a short form of the floral Azalea or as a spin on the popular French name, Zélie (ZEH-lee), meaning "noble", for those seeking to ground the name somewhere. 
 
Alongside Zaylee, spelling alternative Zaylie is receiving more attention, and was given to around 50 girls in a recent year. The similar Zayla has also ranked in the US charts.
 
Content creator Aubree Jones has a daughter called Zaylee Ruth.

Zaylee

Emmeline is an Emma relative and Emily cousin that is destined for greater use in the wake of the megapopularity of those two names. A recommended Nameberry fave, Emmeline hopped onto the US Top 1000 in 2014 for the first time ever. While it is genuinely an old name, it was rarely used a century ago; only 17 baby girls were named Emmeline in 1915, the same number as were named Ernie!
 A popular medieval name, Emmeline was introduced to Britain by the Normans. It appeared as a character in Uncle Tom's Cabin, and is famous in Britain as the name of the illustrious suffragette, Emmeline Pankhurst. Way back in 1980, it was the name of young Brooke Shields's innocent character in The Blue Lagoon. More recently, Emmeline Vance was a witch in the Harry Potter series.
 Christian Bale has a daughter named Emmeline.

Emmeline

The most popular spelling in a family of names including Darien and Darion, Darian has nonetheless been on the decline since it peaked in the 1990s. 

Darian

Brittany first arrived on the US popularity list in 1971, and rapidly zoomed up the charts, in the Top 100 a decade later. By 1986 it had entered the Top 10, becoming the third most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ name</a> in the country by 1989. 

After such immense popularity, there has been a steep decline, but it remains a name evocative of one of the most beautiful and culturally interesting areas of France -- and much preferable to the contracted Britney.

Brittany evolved as a modern coinage from the ancient French duchy Bretagne. Celtic Bretons emigrated from France to become the Bretons of English; later the name Britain came to signify the country.

Brittany

Thanks to the surprise hit revival of Etta James' song At Last and because of recent interest in vintage style nicknames, Etta has established herself as a possible successor to Emma and Ella. While it is currently in the latter end of the US charts, the smart, snappy name is a rising choice in the UK, where it features in the Top 150. 

Once a short form of Henrietta, Etta has long been used on its own, and like Nora it feels perfectly substantial as a standalone. It could however also be a nickname for Loretta, Annetta, Violet, Juliet - or, for the brave, Jamesetta, which was Etta James' real first name.
 
Once a Top 100 name in the last decades of the 19th century, it slid down the US popularity charts, as nickname-y choices were ditched in favor of putting a full name on the birth certificate. It has made appearances on the US charts since 2017, and with its vintage vibes and sharp-but-sweet sounds, it may well be here to stay this time. 
 
The name was recently been picked by a celeb, Carson Daly, who is said to have been inspired by soul singer Etta James. Meanwhile, Henrietta "Etta" Bishop was a character on the TV show Fringe and might have shone a new light on the name.
 
Given to around 260 girls in a recent year, Etta joins Ruthie and Winifred as vintage-revival names to re-enter the US charts. 
 
A bit of trivia: Etta is an anagram name, which can be rearranged to make Tate.

Etta

Rugged and outdoorsy, Heath was an obscure choice until the 1960s when it was used in the television series, The Big Valley for character Heath Barkley. It peaked in the 70s when it reached the US Top 200, but it has since fallen to the latter end of the Top 1000.
 
Australian actor Heath Ledger was a notable bearer of the name, whose tragic death in 2008 led to a brief spike in popularity in the US. 
 Heath is the name of a popular toffee candy bar by Hershey's.

Heath

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 20)

English Names (with Meanings & Popularity)