English Names

Today's Veronicas would be called Veronica. 

Ronni

As a virtuous word name, Trust can be associated with reliability, truthfulness, strength of character, hope, belief, and dependability: attributes that may appeal in both a secular and spiritual sense. As a more general word, however, it also brings to mind trust funds, legal agreements, property, interest, and money.
 
So is Trust more like True, Brave, and Noble, or is it more like Teller, Cash, and Amillion? Or does it sit somewhere in between, with Sterling and Prosper?
 
Given to 34 boys (and 15 girls) in a recent year, Trust first appeared in the US stats back in the 2000s. Bolder then than it is now, you could say it fits in with Truce, and Chosen, August and Rusty, Truett and Tristan.

Trust

If you discount the connection to the controversial Whittaker Chambers in the days of the Red Scare, Whittaker is a pleasant enough British surname with the preppyish nickname Whit.  


Whittaker

Aline may have originated as a short form of Adeline in the Middle Ages, but it may also be a variation of the Irish Aileen or Scottish Eileen. Aline dropped off the Top 1000 in the 1950s. Fewer than 40 baby girls were named Aline in the US last year.

Aline

While Austin is a popular boys' name, this spelling, honoring novelist Jane, nudges the name toward gender-neutral, chosen last year for 67 baby boys and 57 girls.


Austen

This spelling of Devon, as opposed to Devin or Devan, makes it a pretty and popular British place-name, evoking the beautiful county of farmlands and dramatic seascapes and moors in southwest England. A stylish ambi-gender name particularly well used in the early nineties, Devon remains an attractive option--though be aware that at this point in time, it is used more frequently for boys.

Devon

Enola has a lot of potential as a name: it includes the stylish 'nola' sound; it follows a similar letter pattern to the likes of Elora, Elara, and Elodie; it has a hint of Nevaeh about it, given that it is "alone" spelled backwards; it's familiar but not popular. For many decades, however, it was known only in relation to the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, the Enola Gay, and has been understandably avoided. 

While the exact meaning of the name is uncertain, Enola first appeared in the 19th century and was used in several popular novels during the period, most notably in Enola; or, her Fatal Mistake by Mary Young Ridenbaugh in 1886, and in Enola; or The Rescue, a sequel to The Prairie Rangers by William H. Chaney in the 1860s. The aforementioned plane, the Enola Gay, was named for the pilot's mother, who was supposedly named after a character in a book her father was reading.
 
It is possible that the name was created by reversing the word alone, though it might also have been influenced by names such as Elnora and Enora. Alternatively, it has been suggested that it is an English spelling of the Cherokee name Inole or Inola, meaning "black fox".
 
Enola reappeared in the French charts back in the 90s, while more recently, in 2021, it made its debut in the England and Wales Top 1000. This could be owing to author Nancy Springer's use of the name in her Conan Doyle inspired novels, now turned Netflix movie, Enola Holmes. She chose the name for this (non-canonical) younger sister of the detective due to its relation to the word alone. 
 
In the US too, the Enola Holmes movie increased use of the name fivefold in 2021, and in a recent year, it was given to 70 girls.

Enola

An alternative spelling of the Arthurian Guinevere, which may feel fresher and more contemporary, or just more appealing to those who don't like the Guin- combination. Meaning "white phantom" or "white wave", it was used in the 2011 video game Dark Souls.
 
It first appeared in the US stats back in the 1990s, in very small numbers, but has seen increased use in recent years, following the video game, and likely the rise of Gwendolyn, Elowyn, and Guinevere itself. In a recent year, it was given to 55 girls.

Gwynevere

Cool and dignified, sophisticated and modern, Reeve might be seen as alternative to long-familiar Reese. A medieval occupational name, a reeve was an English manor officer responsible for overseeing the discharge of feudal obligations; as such, it has been linked to bailiffs and sheriffs. 
 
Given to more than 30 boys in a recent year, it is also occasionally used a girl name (notably by aviators Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, for their youngest child). Currently, plural form Reeves outranks it across the board however.

Reeve

Wheeler is one of the most energetic of the newly stylish occupational names, all those 'e's giving it a friendly, freewheeling sound. 
 Wheeler has some historical cred via the nineteenth Vice President of the United States, William Almon Wheeler.

Wheeler

Whitman, a namesake surname for poet Walt, would be much more suited to a boy, probably because of that "man" part.  Whit or Witt makes an uplifting short form which can be used on its own.

Whitman

Trisha

The intriguing and creative feeling Twila is a vintage name that was semi-popular in the first half of the 20th century. Evoking the glowing light of twilight, it might appeal as an alternative to Lila, Tyler, or Skylar, or for the for the grown-up fans of the Stephanie Meyer's vampire series, Twilight. 
 Twila — also spelled Twyla — has a number of possible origins. On one hand, it could simply be inspired by the word "twilight", connecting it to the time of evening when the sun is below the horizon. Alternatively, it could come from the word "twill", a type of textile weave that creates a sturdy fabric, or, it could be inspired by the French Étoile (said EH-TWAL), meaning "star". 
 Twila was once the more popular spelling choice, peaking in the 1930s when it reached the Top 500. Out of style since the late 60s, Twila is now given to around 30 girls each year while Twyla is given to double that.

Twila

A Scottish town and river name, Afton has a cool, contemporary sound, similar to Alden, Austen, Effie, and Aspen. Derived from Old English, it could mean "Æffa's farmstead", Æffa being an Anglo-Saxon given name of unknown meaning.
 
Popular, briefly, back in the 1910s and then again in the 80s (thanks to the character in TV show Dallas character), Afton happens to coincide with a (formal) Swedish word for "evening".

Afton

Bradford

A family of lawyers might be interested in this surname as a tribute to famed defense attorney Clarence Darrow. 

Darrow

Brooks, Banks, Wells, Woods… why not Fields? This unique S ending option has a smart sound and outdoorsy appeal, and was given to just 16 boys in a recent year. The similar Fielding is another, similar option. 

Fields

While teasing about names is not as bad as it once was, the possibilities presented by this name would be difficult for any pubescent boy to resist. 

Harden

Old English name as outmoded as the use of the word maid for a young girl. 

Maida

Audie as a boys' name was made famous by Audie Murphy, the most decorated hero of World War II.  Murphy was born one of ten children of a poor Texas sharecropper's family and the origins of his unusual first name are unknown.  But there were 29 boys named Audie in 2013, more than twice the number of girls given the name, which can be a diminutive of Audrey.

Audie

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 50)

English Names (with Meanings & Popularity)