English Names

Self-assured and playful, Bash is a short form of the popular Sebastian, sharing the same energy as Dash, Colt, and Nash. It could work as a quirky, rough-and-tumble alternative to the more familiar nicknames Seb or Baz, or, for those looking for something unexpected and adventurous, it could be a stand alone choice.
 
Beyond its ties to Sebastian, Bash could also be considered a word name. This gives it a number of meanings, including: to strike or thump someone; a party or gathering; an endeavor, or to have a go. These meanings might put some off using Bash on the birth certificate, though for others, it could give it an energetic and confident vibe.
 
Associated for some with the long-running comic strip The Bash Street Kids from the British comic, The Beano, Bash has also featured in the Thomas the Tank Engine Franchise and in the American comedy Franklin and Bash.
 
Quietly used since 2014, Bash was given to 21 babies in 2022, though more recently, it has been declining in the US, given to just 10 boys in a recent count.

Bash

Ash is a gender-neutral choice that calls to mind the '80s favorite: Ashley. But view it as a nature name -- as in the tree, not the charred bit of soot in the fireplace -- and it makes a cool choice that fits with today's trends. 

This name projects a sense of well-being, as in "hale and hearty", while also having a nature-adjacent meaning, referring to someone who lives near a hollow, a nook, or a remote area of land. Rhyming word hail adds a hint of storminess to the name too.
 
Unusual but accessible, with a clear simple sound, it may appeal to those who enjoy Hayden, Hayes, or Hal. Namesakes include Revolutionary War hero Nathan Hale, along with Margaret Hale and Mr Hale of Elizabeth Gaskell's novel North and South.

Hale

Havoc may be viewed in two ways: a violent boy name associated with widespread destruction and devastation, or a more playful choice, associated with mayhem and mischief, a more gentle kind of chaos. Appearing in the US stats since 2008 (and yet to be give to more than 20 boys in a single year), a recent count saw 13 boys given the name. Still, with Rowdy and Wilder in style, and actor Rory Culkin choosing it for his daughter in 2026, this name could be one to keep an eye on.  


Havoc

Do you really want to name your baby after a hotel? Or a famous-for-being-famous starlet?

Hilton

Irwin

A city name that sounds more legit than most because of its similarity to Peyton and other such names in circulation. 

Dayton

Elnora is best known as the name of the heroine of the early 20th century novel A Girl of the Limberlost. While Elnora might plausibly have many derivations, the most logical is that isn't a contracted form of Eleanora, the Latinate variation of Eleanor.

Elnora

An outdoorsy but smart feeling choice, Latham could be perfect for those looking for undiscovered last names as first names. Similar in style to Graham, Layton, and Linden, it has its origins in the Old Norse word hlaða meaning "barn", which could make it an interesting choice for those honoring family who've been in farming or who like the idea of having a smallhold of their own.

Latham

A name with multiple origins, Meyers could be considered a German name meaning "tenant, farmer, bailiff" or "leader of the household", a Hebrew name meaning "enlightening, shining", a French name meaning "doctor", and an English name meaning "mayor".
 
While singular form Meyer was familiar as a given name in the late 19th-and early 20th-century, Meyers is rarer, though it does fit in with the likes of Brooks, Banks, Townes, and Rivers. First appearing in the US stats in 2013, it was given to 13 boys in a recent year.

Meyers

An all-encompassing nature name, Nature has seen surprising take up for girls in recent years, with more than 270 given the name in the first half of the 2020s. For boys, it has remained rare, given around 12 each year. Nickname Nate could help it appeal.

Nature

Once too tightly tied to the aging musical clan featuring Donny and Marie, Osmond may now be able to escape that association and join the cooler group of Os and Oz names, which include Osgood, Ozias, and even Oswald.

Osmond

Derived from either the Laura/Lauren/Laurence family, ultimately from the Latin laurus meaning "bay laurel", or a variation of Lorraine and Lorena, names associated with the French province of Lorraine, Lorene was familiar in the US in the early 20th century. It peaked in the 1920s, when it reached the Top 200, but had fallen out of style by the 70s. Given to 23 girls in a recent year, filmmaker Lorene Scafaria is a notable bearer. 
 
LAW-reen, LAW-RAYN, LAW-rehn, and LAW-ruhn may all be used as pronunciations.

Lorene

The sidekick in almost every movie or TV show with an Italo-American setting, this once common name has now fallen onto the endangered list, given to fewer than 50 baby boys each year.

Marvel, now a character name in The Hunger Games series, was a miracle name of yesterday, on the girls' Social Security list until 1941 and reaching a high of 487 at the turn of the last century, when Marva was also in style. 
 These days it does have something of a comic book feel, what with Marvel Comics, Captain Marvel and Mary Marvel, and despite the fact that Marvel is a male character in The Hunger Games, we can see some parents reviving this name for their own little marvel of a baby girl. That's what rocker Pete Wentz, dad of creatively-named sons Bronx Mowgli and Saint Laszlo, did recently when he named his daughter Marvel Jane.

Marvel

Stark is an ancient surname derived from the Old English word stearc, meaning firm and unyielding. In modern parlance, stark means severe or plain. But Stark's use as a first name -- 15 boys were named Stark in the US in 2017 -- stems from its prominence in Game of Thrones, which has inspired so many <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/new-baby-names">new baby names</a>. House Stark is a ruling family on GoT; its motto is fittingly "Winter is coming," so Stark and other names from the show might make creative <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/89/winter-baby-names">names for winter babies</a>.

As a first name, Stark is strong, straightforward, yet a bit, well....stark. Though we doubt it will be the next Arya (a member of House Stark), Stark will undoubtedly grow in usage as a first name along with the popularity of the show and books.

Stark

Unusual word names with a strong, sometimes last-name feel are on the rise, from Chosen to Valor, to Wilder, Ford, and Ledger. With similar sounds to Jake and Waylon, and with a stirring meaning, could Wake be one more parents turn to in coming years?
 
Deriving from the Old English wōc and wacian, Wake is associated with rising from sleep, with gaining awareness, and with rousing or stirring something up in another person. This could give it subtle spiritual ties or feel symbolic of gaining knowledge and understanding.
 
As a name, Wake could come from Waca, an Old English nickname given to someone who was watchful and vigilant, or someone who had to be on watch and keep an eye on danger.
 
A perhaps more morbid association is that Wake also evokes the party after a funeral or a vigil kept by the body of the dead. This may well put people off from using it, or it could lend it a slightly darker edge.
 
Given to 16 boys in a recent year, Wake is rare but quietly used.

Wake

Deriving from an English locational surname meaning "white island", Whitney was in rare but regular use for boys in the US until the early 1960s, when actress Whitney Blake popularized it for girls. It received a further big boost on the girls' side in the 1980s, thanks to singer Whitney Houston. Now falling rapidly down the rankings, it could be time to reclaim this one for the boys, if only as a neat way to cool-guy nickname Whit.

Whitney

No low self-esteem for this kid, or so his parents hope. 

Worth

Spring doesn't sound half as contemporary as Winter, which has become the cool season name. 

Spring

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 63)

English Names (with Meanings & Popularity)