English Names

An attractive North Carolina unisex place name, Raleigh's soft sound is particularly appropriate for a girl. 

Raleigh

This nouveau spelling peaked at Number 583 in 2004. In spite of its trend-making K and "ee" ending, Karlee is much less popular than the original Carly.

Karlee

Weighty, spiritual, and ambitious word names have become increasingly popular in recent years, with Messiah, Saint, and Chosen in the US Top 1000. Savoir feels a natural progression, and indeed, has doubled in use in recent years.
 
Associated with dangerous rescue missions, acts of heroism, or the redeeming powers of Jesus Christ, Savoir was given to 91 boys in a recent year. Alternative spelling Saviour was also used in the US, given to 48 babies, and when you combine with numbers, the name ranks around the #1300 mark, alongside Dale, Benton, Santi, and Deon. 
 
It is a bold choice and a lot to live up to, but it does have the grounding quality of sounding similar to more traditional choices like Salvador or Sawyer, and we can certainly see it rising. 
 
Influencers and content creators Rissa and Quan used Saviour for their son in 2022 which has coincided with increased use of both spellings of the name.

Savior

With its bubbly sounds and stylish feel, Pepper joins a small but distinctive group of names inspired by the spice rack: Saffron, Juniper, Cassia, Sage, Ginger, and Rosemary. Enough like Pippa, Piper and Penelope that it feels usable, Pepper has appeared every year in the US stats since the 60s.

As a word, pepper can refer to the seasoning made from the dried seeds of a black pepper plant or to the many varieties of the vegetable-that-is-technically-a-fruit. Though unrelated, they bear the same name, deriving from the Indian name for the black peppercorn plant piper nigrum. When peppers (of the fruity kind) were first brought into Europe by Christopher Columbus, they were grouped together under the term 'pepper' because that's what all spices with a hot and strong taste were called. 
 
Pepper Potts is a character from the Marvel Universe, while Pepper Ann Pearson is the title character of a 90s Disney series. Also used in novel Good Omens, in the title of The Beatles album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and for the soda drink, Dr. Pepper, Pepper has only ever featured once in the US Top 1000. 
 
Possibly inspired by the 1975 film The Great Waldo Pepper, more than 130 girls were given the name that same year — five times as many as the year before. It's popularity was short lived however, and it wasn't until the 2008 release of the first Iron Man movie that the name began to gain traction. Given to 128 girls in a recent year, it is familiar while not overly popular.
 
There is a chance that Pepper may rise up the charts, thanks to Juniper's popularity, though some parents may be held back by the sound alike name of Peppa Pig. If you do enjoy the name but are put off by the cartoon character, you could consider Pepper as a nickname for Penelope, Persephone, or Phillipa.


Parents are beginning to scan the whole spice shelf for inspiration, picking up on Saffron, Sage, and Cinnamon -- and opening up a chance for this spiciest possibility of all; used for peppy TV characters.

Pepper

A less-used cross between Clifford and Clinton. 

Clifton

Carly and company have had a good run, fueled by Nickelodeon's popular series iCarly, as well as Canadian pop singer Carly Rae Jepsen.
 Now most spellings of the name, including Carlie, Karlee, and Carlee, are waning.

Carlee

A contemporary, on-trend sounding choice, Zylo feels like a mash up of Milo and Zion, with a hint of Zander and Sylas thrown in. Given to 51 boys in the US in a recent year, Zylo is likely an alternative spelling of Xylo, derived from the Greek xylon, meaning "wood" or "the Cross" (in the Biblical sense).
 
Alternatively, its use in Albania may be owing to the satiric novel, The Rise and Fall of Comrade Zylo by Dritëro Agolli, published in the 1970s. While the exact etymology is unknown, it well may be inspired by the Greek root listed above, or by the Turkic zül meaning "humbled, low, humiliation.". Either way, it would likely be pronounced zoo

Zylo

Has that blunt masculine feel -- à la Cole and Kyle -- that many modern parents are drawn to. 

Holt

Cindy as a name in its own right made it into the Top 20 in 1957 and remained a Top 200 girls' name until the end of the 20th century. Although it's fallen precipitously since then and left the Top 1000 completely in 2015, Cindy remains a name commonly heard in the US. Today, though, it would more likely be attached to moms or grandmas than to babies. 

Whether as a short form or a nickname used on its own, Cindy along with other popular nickname-names of its era -- Debbie, Kathy, Judy -- has faded from fashion to be replaced by the stylish nickname-names of this era, such as Ellie and Charlie.

Cindy

A color name, a gemstone name, and an ocean-inspired choice, Coral has a lot going for it with its sharp C sounds yet sweet vintage feel. Unlike Scarlett or Violet, however, it is only quietly used in the US these days, perhaps because of its similarity to more 'dated' Carol.
 
First appearing as a name during the Victorian craze for jewel names, Coral could never the less rise again alongside Ruby, Pearl and Opal — and as an alternative to Cora, Caroline, or Clara.

Coral

This would be an intriguing choice for an illustrator's child, thanks to Norman Rockwell and Rockwell Kent. But most babies called Rockwell today are named after Porter Rockwell, a companion of Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. 

Rockwell's last name is still going strong as a first name in Utah. In 2023, 66 baby boys in the US were named Rockwell, of which 20 were in the Western States, of which 14 were in Utah.

Of course, Rock and Rocky are adorable nicknames.

Rockwell

An English surname and place name, typically referring to someone who lives by or at the top of a hill, Bowden has similar sounds to other popular choices like Bodhi and Brody, or to Rowdy and Howie, depending in which pronunciation you choose to use. Also appearing as Boden or Beauden, it can also relate to the German word for "floor", to the French Beau, meaning "beautiful", or to the Old English name Bucge, meaning "fortress".
 
While Beauden is in the charts in the UK and New Zealand and Boden features in the US, Bowden is comparatively rarer. This may change in coming years, after dancer Dianne Buswell and YouTuber Joe Sugg chose it for their son born in 2026. The stars have chosen to pronounce it BOW-duhn (bow to rhyme with cow), though BO-duhn (Bo to rhyme with slow) is acceptable too.

Bowden

Charlene is a Charlotte variation that, along with similar names like Arlene and Marlene, spiked in popularity in the 1940s and fifties, reaching a high of Number 100 in 1949. Most parents today would prefer one of the note classic versions -- or even nickname Charlie.

Charlene

Walker is an outdoorsy, Old Western-style name that leapt into the US Top 100 for boys back in 2022. Now, like a number of occupational names before it (think Sawyer, Palmer, and Parker), Walker is being used for an increasing number of girls. 
 
Rarely used as a feminine name before 2018, Walker is now used seven times more than it was a decade ago, with 120 girls receiving the name in 2023. Preppy, cool, and tough, Walker has a stylish-cowboy feel to it and could also work as a nod to the writer of The Color Purple, Alice Walker.
 
American television host Courtney Hansen used the name Walker as one of her daughter's middle names in 2014 — as a tribute to her mother's maiden name.

Walker

Cute but slight mix of stylish sounds Cam and Bree, chosen by Rick Schroder for his daughter. 

Cambrie

Tough, cool, and rugged, Ramsey is a Scottish and English surname that has plenty of potential as a given name. Similar in style to Murray, Murphy, and Rafferty, it was chosen for around 90 boys and 70 girls in the US in a recent year.
 
Also written as Ramsay, the surname comes from an Old English place name, meaning "garlic island", likely owing to the growth of wild garlic in the area. Today, it is perhaps best associated with chef Gordan Ramsey and actor Bella Ramsey, though other bearers include physicist Norman Foster Ramsey, radio personality Dave Ramsey, and footballer Aaron Ramsey, among many more. 
 
Villainous Ramsay Bolton in the series A Song of Ice and Fire and its adaptation Game of Thrones may however have tainted the name for some, and it should be noted that the Ramsay spelling is rarely used.

Ramsey

A modern choice with plenty of gravitas, Rexton blends regal Latin Rex with English suffix -ton. In tune with Kingston, Weston, Luxton, Ashton, Preston, Boston, and similar, it was a fast rising choice in 2025, given to 78 babies compared to 21 the year prior. 
 
Also the name of a hearing aid brand and a model of car, it may continue to rise in coming years thanks to its popular sounds and nickname Rex.

Rexton

Tyrell is kind of part Tyrone and Tyler, part Terrell, though it has never made the US Top 1000. As a form of Terrell it means "to pull", from the French tirel and from here, it gets the additional meaning "stubborn", Terrell being given to an obstinate. Alternatively, it may mean "land", from terre.

Tyrell

Is it clunky cute, strong and vintage, or dreadful and mildewy? Like Gertrude and Bertha, Mildred is one that divides the crowds, but with popular nickname Mildred and renewed interest in Winifred, Deborah, Millicent, and Gwendolen, it's not entirely out of the question that Mildred might make a return in coming years 
 Mildred is an ancient Anglo-Saxon name that became popularized in England via the daughter of the 7th century saint and princess Ermenburga. Mildred herself became a saint and abbess in the 8th century and was noted for her kindness, especially to those made outcasts by society. Her name, meaning "gentle strength" was then fitting. 
 
In the US, she was a Top 10 choice from 1903 to 1926, with notable beaters including jazz singer Mildred Bailey and the character of Mildred Pierce, played by Joan Crawford in the hit movie of the same name.
 
Around 100 girls are currently called Mildred in the US each year.

Mildred

Strongly associated with the mega-popular single-named singer, who was actually the fourth Usher Raymond in his family. He could start a fad.
 
The Yiddish variation of Usher is commonly used in the Hasidic community.

Usher

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 36)

English Names (with Meanings & Popularity)