English Names

Actor Kit Harington, aka the dreamy Jon Snow on Game of Thrones, has given this nickname-name new style and appeal for boys. Actress Jodie Foster used it for her son back in the 2000s, while actor Kit Connor of Heartstopper fame may have introduced it to a wider audience.
Kit is one of those names that is gender-neutral but has a different derivation for boys and girls. For boys, it originated as a short form of Christopher, while for girls, it's an updated diminutive of Katherine.
Kit as a full name is still beneath the Top 1000 for both sexes in the US, but it's getting more popular. In a recent year, 134 baby girls and 181 baby boys were named Kit, up from 105 and 129 in 2021.
 
Kit also has the literary appeal of having appeared in works by Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy, and a nature/animal connection, given that it is used for the offspring of foxes, rabbits, and weasels.

Associated for half a century with Marlon Brando, who inherited the French-inflected name from his father, Marlon has been especially well used by African-Americans, including the Jackson and Wayans families. Though heard much less now than it was in the seventies, this could change as parents look to the names of old Hollywood stars. 
 Keith Richards, Dennis Miller, and (more recently) Monet Mazur all have sons named Marlon.

Marlon

Turner is a name that's both preppy and painterly, recalling the exquisite watercolor seascapes of British painter J.M.W. Turner. An occupational name in the Taylor-Carter mold, Turner is a more distinctive choice than many of the usual suspects.

 One first-name Turner namesake is Turner Catledge, the first Executive Editor of the New York Times, but for the most part its more notable bearers were surnamed Turner: Nat, the leader of a rebellion of enslaved people and subject of a William Styron novel; media mogul Ted; musicians Ike and Tina; and glamour girl Lana. In the movie Turner & Hooch, Tom Hanks was Det. Scott Turner and Hooch was the dog.

Turner

This is a more spunky and Nordic looking variant of Erica, but the k also makes the connection to the beautiful flower less apparent.

Erika

Thatcher is an open and friendly freckle-faced surname, fresher sounding than Tyler or Taylor, that dates back to the days of thatched-roof cottages. It is catching on with modern parents—it reached the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2013.
 Britberries in particular may have strong associations to Prime Minister Margaret, but the surname has other notable bearers as well, such as Becky Thatcher, the object of Tom's affections in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Thatcher Grey is the protagonist's father on Grey's Anatomy, and a young Heath Ledger played William Thatcher in 2001's A Knight's Tale.
 TV celebrity chef Cat Cora has a son named Thatcher Julius.

Thatcher

Justice, one of the rare virtue names for boys, entered the popularity ranks in 1992, and remained in the charts until the 2020s. While it has fallen out of favor in more recent years, it remains a fresh but solid feeling option.
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Suggestive of fairness, equality, and wisdom, Justice appeals as a secular virtue choice and as a word option that sounds as name-y as Justin or Justus. Actor Steven Seagal was ahead of the curve when he used it back in 1976.
 Another plus: Justice is one of the truest gender neutral names out there, given to nearly equal numbers of girls and boys in the US.
 With the Justus spelling, it was the name of several saints and noted scholars and scientists.

Justice

Combine the popularity of Betty White and Mad Men's glamorous Betty Draper Francis, with the residual sweetness of Ugly Betty's Betty Suarez, and the result is an impending return of the name. It's got presidential cred via Betty Ford and feminist history through Betty Friedan.
 
Betty's image is still very World War II, when Betty Grable was a hot pin-up girl and Betty was the all-American girls' name blanketing the country, second only to Mary from 1928 to 1934. 
So yes, Betty has been out for so long now that we are starting to imagine a new generation of adorable baby Bettys. We may be on the precipice of a Betty wave, thanks to Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, who recently chose it for their third daughter.
 
Bette Davis pronounced her name 'Betty,' while Bette Midler is 'Bet.'

Betty

This number name first came to public attention when Erykah Badu and Andre 3000 chose if for their son, Seven Sirius Benjamin, born in 1997. Over a decade later, David and Victoria Beckham used it as their daughter's middle name, and now in these days of unisex word names, it's rising for both sexes. It's certainly one of the most name-like numbers: after all, it's only a letter away from Steven.

Seven

Kit is a crisp, old-time nickname with plenty of spirit and style. In the UK it's a rising star for boys, while in the US, it is trending upwards for girls too. 
 
Originally used as a diminutive of Katherine and Christopher, Kit could stand on its own to make a cool alternative to Katie, or an unexpected honor name for the aforementioned classics. 
 
Coinciding with the name for a young fox, Kit feels at home with the likes Wren and Quinn — and with fast risers like Scottie, Robin, and Drew. In a recent year, 188 girls received the name compared to 182 boys, making it a gender neutral choice in the US at least. 
Love the idea of Kit for a girl but still want a full name that isn't Katherine or Christina? You could try Kallista, Kensington, Keturah, Kismet, Kinneret, or Katalina.

An evocative word name, conjuring up images of the beautiful low land between hills and mountains, and the streams and rivers that often run through them, Valley has the advantage of also sounding totally name-y. Reminiscent of Ally, Valerie, Valentina, Tally, and Callie, it is a rising choice in the US, more than doubling in popularity in recent years.
 
It was given a huge boost after Kailyn Lowry (of Teen Mom fame) used it for her daughter in 2023, a twin sister to brother Verse, who both joined older sibs Isaac, Lincoln, Lux, Creed and Rio. The following year, it was given to 142 girls (and seven boys) compared to 69 girls the year prior. Additionally, to put its rise in perspective, just five years earlier it was given to less than 20 babies.

Valley

Hollis is a surname-name used quietly for both genders. At last count, it was given to over 200 baby boys and 160 baby girls in the US. Now a Top 1000 name for boys, it could well break into the charts for girls too in the coming years. 
 
It has notable connections for both genders: Hollis Thompson is a professional (male) basketball player, while Hollis is an outsized favorite for girls in South Carolina, where Pete Hollis was a community folk hero. On the girls' side, it feels like an updated, more buttoned-up and distinctive spin on Holly.

Hollis

Variation of Emma with the popular suffix -lyn.

Emmalyn

The original Allison was a Top 50 name from the 1980s through 2016, and Allyson is one of the many spelling variations parents used to put a more unique spin on the original.

Allyson

Peaking at #9 in 1982, Crystal's popularity in the 70s and 80s stems from its sparkling natural namesake and several notable bearers, like country music singer Crystal Gayle and Dynasty character Krystle Carrington. But it has since lost some of its luster for American parents, now ranking in the mid-600s. Ruby, Gemma and Pearl are fashionable alternatives, but nowadays Crystal could actually be a more unexpected choice for your little gem.

Crystal

Through all the years when Betty, Betsy, Beth, Liz, and Lizzie were the Elizabethan nicknames of choice, the bubblier Libby was set aside, but today it may be the most modern of all—it has already made a strong comeback in England and Wales, where it ranks Number 139.
 Libby Holman was a colorful torch singer in the 1920s and '30s, Libby Smith was a mysterious character on Lost, and Carly Simon wrote a song titled "Libby."

Libby

One of the trendiest of the new two-syllable <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ names</a> that have swept the country in the past few years, including the rhyming Aidan, Caden, Kaden, and Jaden. It's been falling on the US Top 1000 lately but it is still among the most popular contemporary <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/502/english-names-for-boys">English names for boys</a>..

Braden

Jaycee is a modern invented name, likely inspired by the similar sounding Casey and Macy. While these names peaked in the 1990s and 2000s, their energetic and contemporary vibe has kept them relevant today, and a recent year saw more than 300 girls given the name Jaycee in the US.
 
As Jaycee is an invention based on the sounds of established names, it doesn't have a specific meaning of its own. You might say, however, that it means "jaybird" from the "jay" element, or that it's a compound name, blending James, Jay, or Jane with Casey or Macey, offering meanings such as "vigilant supplanter", "God is gracious and vigilant", "jaybird on the hill" or similar.

Jaycee

Booker would make for a very cool name, for writers, reformers, R & B fans and those wanting to pay tribute to Booker T. Washington.

Booker T. Washington, born into enslavement, became a dominant figure in African-American history. Musician Booker T. Jones, of Booker T. and the M.G's, was named for Booker T.Washington. "Booker" was also the name of a short-lived TV crime drama series, spun off from "21 Jump Street".

Another reference plus for literary-minded parents, beyond the obvious book: the U.K. Man Booker Prize, awarded annually to the best novel.

 No longer on the US popularity list, it was as high as Number 177 in 1910 and would make for an old-school cool option today. In fact, it has nearly doubled in use in the last five years and was given to around 175 boys in 2023. With Brooks and Walker both popular choices, it may well continue to climb.

Booker

Heavily perfumed word name that peaked a few years ago. 

Essence

A top ranking choice in England and Wales, making frequent appearances on the Telegraph Announcments, Rafe feels equal parts rugged, amiable, and posh. Traditionally seen used a variant of Ralph (itself from the Old Norse Ráðúlfr), it came into use in the 17th century to reflect this particular pronunciation. 
 
Appearing in the UK Top 250, it could also work as a short form of Rafferty or Rafael.

Rafe

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 25)

English Names (with Meanings & Popularity)