English Names

It feels like Finch should be a modern bird name that's as popular as Wren or Lark, but that's not the case - so it's one to consider if you're looking for a nature name that's familiar but rare. 

These colorful birds have made big contributions to science: the Galápagos finch played an important role in forming Darwin's theory of evolution, and the zebra finch has helped our understanding of how birds learn songs. 

Finch is also a surname belonging to, amongst other admirable people, the family in To Kill a Mockingbird.

Finch

Hyde, of course, is most familiar as a surname -- as in Mr. Hyde, evil alter ego of Dr. Jeckyll.  Unless Hyde is a family name or you have some other excellent reason for using it, we think you could do better.

Hyde

An alternative spelling to Denver, given to 20 girls in a recent year. 

Denvyr

Easton is a stylish Waspy-sounding surname that's climbing up the popularity charts. TV actress Elisabeth Rohm named her daughter Easton August Anthony, which seemed like a real gender bender, and now Rachel Leigh Cook has made it the middle name of her baby Charlotte.
Note that Easton is now in the Top 100 for boys--for whom directional names are a real trend-- but we won't be surprised to see more and more little lady Eastons arriving.

Easton

The doe-eyed Fawn is as gentle and soft as the baby deer it represents. And much like that baby deer, it carries with it the potential of new life. Fawn was featured at the bottom of the Top 1000 throughout the '60s and '70s — around the same time that Bambi came into play. But unlike Bambi, Fawn maintains relevance in the 21st century, thanks to its warmth and ties to the natural world. We would love to meet more baby girls named Fawn.
 
Given to around 20 girls in the US in a recent year, Fawn may be one to watch out for in coming years, especially after influencer Nara Smith called her daughter Fawnie in 2025.

Fawn

Part nature name, part mid-century favorite, Glenda came into use in the 20th century as a feminine form of Scottish Glenn, likely inspired by Linda and Wanda too. While Glenn would give it the meaning "valley", if you do consider it a smoosh name with Linda, Wanda, or Brenda, you get means such as "beautiful valley", "tender valley", "Wend's valley", "sword valley" or "fire valley".
 
Could Glenda rise back up the charts as a clunky cool option? Perhaps one day, but with around 20 girls called Glenda in each recent year, it hasn't yet begun to climb.

Glenda

Newton

This sassy, spunky name was used for the mostly Irish jump-roping pigtailed girls of the thirties and forties -- and some Irish and Italian boys as well. Its most noted bearer was iconic country music singer Patsy Cline (born Virginia), and was sighted most recently in the Ab Fab movie. After reaching Number 52 in the late thirties, it dropped off the list completely in 1970--and we're not anticipating a return.

Patsy

The new Randy -- though a bit commercial, as in Rand Corporation, Rand McNally, et al. 

Rand

Royce is a grandpa name with an upscale link to Rolls Royce, and a surprising rise for girls since the early noughties. Rebel Wilson has a daughter named Royce Lillian.

Royce

A word name with a touch of mystery surrounding it, Shadow is a bold, edgy choice for a baby which some may find a bit ominous. While it is predominatly used for cats, dogs, and other furry friends, it can be considered a wild word name that parents are actually using, having debuted in the US stats for girls in 1974 and for boys in 1987.
 
It was at its peak in 1993, when 22 girls and 36 boys recieved the name, (possibly thanks to the release of the Honda Dodge Shadow range or the apperance of Shadow, the golden retriever in Disney's 1993 Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey). In a more recent year, it was chosen for 6 girls and 14 boys in the US.
 

Borne by characters in the show and book American Gods and in the game franchise Sonic the Hedgehog, it joins the likes of Midnight, Storm, Jinx, and Raven.

Shadow

A member of the Aidan, Brayden, Zayden, Jayden family, Shayden combines the Hebrew and Irish "Shay" with the popular -den suffix. Less familiar than some of its rhyming counterparts, Shayden may also be perceived as a variation of the Arabic Shaidan (also spelled Shaydan and Shaydaan), meaning "high ranking".

Shayden

A wild word name, connected to ideas, explanations, speculation, and possibility, Theory makes a unexpected option. While some might sound oddly hypothetical for a real baby, it was nevertheless chosen for 14 girls in a recent year. 
 
The actors and content creators Lena and Anthony Todd picked the name in 2025 for their daughter, Theory Grace Light. In an Instagram post, Lena Anthony explained that for them, Theory is associated with seeking divine truth and sharing it with others.

Theory

Wilton

Windsor may have male references, such as Britain's royal House of Windsor and a tie's windsor knot, but this name also has a definite feminine feel, as in Windsor Rose. That seems appropriate, as Windsor is used equally these days for boys and girls. Nicknames might include Win, Wind, Windy, and Winnie.

Windsor

This is one surname-name that may swing decidedly to the male side, thanks to highly-visible young actor Alden Ehrenreich.

Alden

This variation of the more well known Alvin adds an unusual and feminine touch to the original. It sounds a bit more like what it means--"elf friend."

Alvina

Arleigh

Eliot is the sleekest spelling of the original, very occasionally used for girls, perhaps to honor novelist George Eliot.

Eliot

Best known as a hotel company, but shares some of the cool sounds of Wyatt.

Hyatt

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 61)

English Names (with Meanings & Popularity)