English Names

Ozzy has been on the rise in recent years and currently sits in the Top 1000 in the UK and the US. The Ozzie spelling has yet to catch up, but has nevertheless gained more attention thanks to its popular counterpart. In England and Wales, it features at the latter end of the charts, while in the US, it was given to 123 boys (and to 40 girls) in a recent count. Ozzy, but contrast, was chosen for 548 boys. 
 Derived from the Old English element os meaning "God" or "divine", or from the Irish oss meaning "deer", Ozzie has been used as a short form for oldy-worldy Osmond and Oswald, for popular Oscar, and for the Biblical Ozias.

Ozzie

Emeri is an alternate spelling of Emery which means industrious. Emeri offers a modern twist on traditional names like Emma and Emily. This spelling is used primarily for girls, with just under 200 girls given the name each year.

Emeri

The surname name Jetson may have originated as a variation on Judson, a patronymic related to Jordan, but it is more familiar to most Americans as the last name of the futuristic cartoon family.  Jetson may appeal to parents as a proper form leading to the cool boy nickname Jet.

Jetson

A combo name that was used in the early 19th century, but has always been overshadowed by its sleeker counterpart, Luella. By blending Ella with Louise, Louella could mean "battle famous fairy maiden" and using the 'Lou' spelling means it remains more closely tied to Louise which may be more appealing to anyone hoping to use it as an honor.
 
 Both spellings of Louella disappeared from the US Top 1000 back in the 1950s, but Luella has seen a revival in recent years and is now back on the charts. Louella isn't there yet, use of the name has doubled since 2020, and it is now given to around 140 babies each year.

Louella

Strange as it may now seem, the venerable St. Arnold was a Greek by birth, a musician who became a member of the court of Charlemagne. The name is said to have been introduced into Britain by the Normans in the form Arnaud.
Despite such reputable namesakes as composer Arnold Schoenberg, novelist Arnold Bennett and historian Arnold Toynbee, not to mention the former Governator, Arnold's image has been diminished by some nerdy fictional characters, though he is still a genuine classic who might come back along with Arthur and Albert.
We have heard stirrings of fashionable baby Arnolds populating nurseries alongside those named Wilbur and Barney.

Arnold

Even if it is the Number one surname in the U.S.--with more than 2.5 million bearers--we still think that Smith would make a cool first or middle name, whether or not it has family history.
 Though Smith was in fairly regular use until the 1920s--reaching as high as Number 326 in 1885--it would make a totally distinctive, sophisticated choice today.

Smith

One of the new bird names, like Lark and Wren, this one's associated with the billing and cooing sounds of love. Soft and gentle, Dove also has the admirable association with peace.
 Dove was actually an early bird, used as a first name in the seventeenth century and in the U.S. Top 1000 through the 1890's.
 One admirable surname association is with Rita Dove, the Pulitzer Prize winning poet and former United States Poet Laureate.

Dove

Carver is an occupational name with an artistic bent, associated with wood carving predominantly, though it could also be linked to those who carve from stone, marble, ice, and pumpkins. More familiar that the equally arty Painter, but fresher than the 90s style Carter, Carver has received more interest in recent years. 
 As a last name, it has eminent links to botanist and educator George Washington Carver and to short story master Raymond Carver. As a given name, Carver appears as a character in the R. D. Blackmore classic Lorna Doone. and has been borne by computer scientist Carver Mead and former football player Carver Shannon.
 
In the US, it has steadily been gaining popularity since the 2000s and in a recent year it was given to 126 boys — and to 9 girls.

Carver

A sleek, literary alternative to Eleanor, this stripped back form of Eleanor is a well-established spelling. It notably appears in Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, borne by Elinor Dashwood, along with George Eliot's Middlemarch and Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind , as a middle name. 
 
Ultimately a form of the Occitan Alienòr, a name that means "the other Aenor", Aenor referring to a an early bearer's mother, Elinor was a popular choice in the US back in the 1910s and 20s, but fell out of favor in the 50s. A recent year saw it given to 140 babies, making it a familiar, though quietly used spelling option. 
 
On and off the UK charts since the 90s, Elinor could make a stand-out alternative to Eleanor, Ellie, and Ellen, or it could do visually at least. Sound-wise, they are often said identically to Eleanor, though Elinor might get you more emphasis on the final nor sound in England, at least.
 
Notable bearers include political economist Elinor Ostrom, Olympic cyclist, Elinor Barker. actress Elinor Lawless, and poet Elinor Wylie

Elinor

Randall

One of several blunt B names just this side of the gender divide. While its short and to-the-point sound may feel modern, it has been declining steadily since the 1980s.
 David Brent is Ricky Gervais's character in the UK version of The Office.

Brent

While it may sound a little dated, Lamar is a name that has never been outside the US Top 1000, but it is in danger of falling off the list.
 Lamar Odom is a retired professional basketball player.

Lamar

A name with plenty of celebrity glamor and contemporary flair, Anniston has a variety of origins. On one hand, it's a place name, deriving from a city in Alabama of the same name. Founded in the late 19th century by Samuel Noble and Daniel Tyler, it was named in honor of the latter's daughter-in-law, Annie Tyler. 
 
Alternatively, it might be a an adaptation of the English surname Aniston, meaning "Anis' town", Anis being an old variant of Agnes. There's also the theory that is emerged as an Anglicized form of several Greek surnames beginning with Anastas-, the most famous example being the surname of F.R.I.E.N.D.S actress, Jenifer Aniston, whose grandfather changed the Greek Anastasakis to Aniston shortly after he entered the US. This would lend it the meaning "resurrection" or "resurrected town".
 
Actor couple Chyler Leigh and Nathan West added this one to the lexicon when they adapted the surname of the aforementioned actress as their daughter's first name. Anniston has made two brief appearances in the Top 1000 since 2010, and it likely that at least some of the parents were inspired by the sitcom star.
 
Given to around 160 girls in a recent year, the name could be a to great way to honor an Anne or an Agnes, and a way to avoid the popularity of similar Addison, Anna, and Adelyn.

Anniston

Truman is an upstanding presidential name that radiates an aura of integrity and moral truth, values any parent would want for a child. It seems definitely headed for a revival. 
 Also associated with writer Truman Capote, Truman was at the height of its popularity in the early twentieth century, around the time Capote was born. It reached its highest point—Number 249—in 1945, the year Harry Truman succeeded FDR.
 Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson chose it for their son, and it's also the name of Martha Stewart's young grandson.
 Truman Burbank was the ingenuous character played by Jim Carrey in The Truman Show, and Truman was the surname of Will in Will and Grace.

Truman

This once unique and multi-layered word name was used by R&B singer Nivea for her daughter back in 2005, and later, by country musician Jason Aldean. No longer an exclusively celebrity choice Navy is now in the US Top 500 for girls and is on the rise in the UK too. As a boys name, however, it remains an unexpected possibility.
 
Ultimately deriving from the Latin word navigia meaning "boats", Navy can refer to a fleet of ships, to the armed forces of the sea, or to the dark shade of blue, named for the traditional color of naval uniforms. As a name, it could fit in with the likes of Indigo, Scarlett, Jett, and Onyx, or it could serve as an unexpected choice to honor someone in the navy.
 
While the name may be given to around 10 times as many girls than boys in the US, it is nevertheless on the rise as a unisex possibility. Given to around 100 boys in 2024, it is twice as popular as it was in 2019. Across the pond in the UK meanwhile, Navy made the Top 1000 for boys in 2023 where it is used about half as often for boys as it is girls.

Navy

Once an obscure, surname-inspired option, Payton (and Peyton) hiked up the charts back in the 90s, likely inspired by the football star Peyton Manning. 
 While both spellings were more (statistically) unisex back in the 2000s, the name has begun to lean more feminine over time. This is especially true of Payton, which was given to nearly 1000 girls compared to 100 boys in a recent year. Nevertheless, it maintains plenty of charm and gentle strength, and wouldn't look out of place besides the likes of Grayson, Avery, and Rowan. 
 
Derived from an English place name and surname, Payton can mean "fighting man's estate" or "Paega's Town", but it is sometimes associated with Patton and Patrick too.

Notable bearers of the name include sprinter Payton Hazzard, basketball player Payton Pritchard, footballer Payton Turner, and singer-songwriter Payton Smith.

Payton

This abbreviated spelling, which also relates to Whitney, quickly took on a life of its own, thanks to the megafame of Britney Spears, but it's already beginning to burn out. 

Britney

In English, the word 'maven' refers to an expert or connoisseur, someone who possesses deep knowledge. Comedian Tracy Morgan brought this name into the spotlight when he chose it for his daughter, Maven Sonae, in 2013. Now, over 100 newborn girls in the US are given this name each year.
 
With its similarity to the classic Irish name Maeve and the trendy, serene Haven, Maven strikes a balance between being unique yet familiar, making it a modern favorite for parents seeking something distinctive yet approachable.

Maven

Shirley Temple almost single-handedly lifted the gloom of the Great Depression, and in tribute (and perhaps wishing for a similarly curly-headed, dimpled darling of their own), thousands of parents of that generation gave their little girls her name. In 1935, Shirley was the second most popular girls' name in the country with more than 42,000 babies named Shirley.

 In an earlier time Shirley was used primarily for boys, but the tide turned with the publication of Charlotte Bronte's novel Shirley in 1849, the story of a character whose parents had selected the name for a boy child, then decided to use it anyway when he turned out to be a she.

 In addition to Shirley Temple, there have been Shirleys MacLaine and Jones and writer Shirley Jackson, as well as rocker Shirley Manson.

Shirley

A simple, unusual word name with an evocative meaning, Ever feels similar enough to Eva, Evelyn, and Everly that it shifts easily into name territory. Actor Robert Carradine was ahead of the trends when he named his now grown-up actress daughter Ever back in the 70s, while more recently, it was used by both Milla Jovovich and Owain Yeoman. 
 
A unisex name, currently used slightly more often for boys, Ever is on the rise across the board. Given to around 125 girls and 200 boys in 2023, Ever is a whimsical name that's grounded by its familiar, name-y sounds, and its ties to the Hebrew name Eber and to the Germanic Eberhard, the source of Everett.

Ever

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 31)

English Names (with Meanings & Popularity)