English Names

Thanks to two cultural influences, January has joined March, April, June and August as a plausible month name.
 The first was a character named January Wayne in a bestselling 1973 Jacqueline Susann novel, Once is Not Enough, which was later made into a movie. Then, five years later, the mother-to-be of January Jones – future Mad Men star – was inspired by that character to give the name to her baby daughter, as did enough other parents in 1978 to bring January to Number 639 on the list.
 
More recently, January was used by Emily Henry in her popular contemporary romance novel, Beach Read, which might inspire parents-to-be in coming years. As of 2024, it was only used on 11 girls in the US, making it a very rare choice.
 So if you're looking for a cool and unusual namesake for a Janet, Janice or Joanna – or for someone with a birthday in the first month of the year , January might be the perfect alternative. January, along with Snow and Frost, are also perfect <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/89/winter-baby-names">names for winter babies</a>.

January

Vintage and charming with a hint of southern-belle about it, Louanna blends two classic names into one. Meaning "graceful, renowned warrior", it was briefly popular in the US in the late 1800s. Alternative forms Luann, Luana, and Luanna have enjoyed more popularity, while Louanne is favored in France.


Louanna

Sweet and lively Luella has been rising up the charts in recent years, and now this sleek form in the style of Noelle, Lucille, and Estelle is catching parents' attention. Considered a compound name, blending Louisa with Ella (or Elle, in this case), Luelle has stylish sounds and is far rarer than Luella. Given to 16 babies in a recent year, it has nevertheless doubled in popularity in the early 2020s.


Luelle

The sweet and stylish Maeve, paired with that enduring -lynn suffix, in the style of Emberlynn, Jazlynn, and Kaylynn. It has a variety of meanings depending on which of Lynn you follow, but options include: "intoxicating beauty", "intoxicating lake", or "flexible, tender, and intoxicating".
 Alternative spelling Maevelyn is currently more popular (albeit only used quietly for now), and was given to 14 girls in a recent count. Maevelynn was used for 9 babies in the same year.

Maevelynn

Also related to the word for wolf, this name has a first syllable that's not appealing to the American ear. Better ic-ending choices: Dominic, Frederic, Eric. 

Ulric

Winton

She'd better be. Merry is one of the classic <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/412/christmas-baby-names">names for Christmas babies</a>.

Merry

Netta ranked in the US Top 1000 in the 1880s, when it was often used as a short form of names such as Jeanette, Annette, and Antoinette. In Jewish families, Netta was typically seen as a variation of the Hebrew name Neta.

Netta

In an era with so many created, modern names, Aldrich oozes history and substance. But it is also fit for modern times, given its surname-as-name status and the nickname potential (Al, Richie, etc).

Aldrich

A -lynn name with a cool, unisex edge, Rocklynn blends Rock or Rocky with the Welsh llyn or gwyn, giving it a nature-y, outdoorsy meaning. Alternatively, it may blend the Spanish names Rocío and Linda to give the meaning "pretty, beautiful dew". This spelling is used predominantly (though quietly) for girls with 6 babies given the name in a recent year.

Rocklynn

Dates from when Charlene was hot enough to have spelling variations. 

Sharlene

Last name occasionally used as a first, can be seen as a Lance Armstrong athlete-hero name. 

Armstrong

An elaborate diminutive name that had its (quiet) heyday back in the 1920s and 30s, Sydelle is likely derived from Sarah (via Sadie), Siegfriede (meaning "victorious peace"), or Sydney ("St Denis"). Alternative theories are it was inspired by the surnames Sidell ("wide recess; wide valley") and Seidel (either from Siegfried or a German word meaning "tankard"). 
 
Also spelled as Sydell, Sydelle peaked in 1930 when it was given to 46 girls, though it appeared in the charts as recently as 2023, when 10 girls were given the name. Actress Sydelle Noel is a notable bearer.

Sydelle

The old word name Temple has gained some recent notice as a girls' name via admired autistic writer and inventor Dr. Temple Grandin (born Mary Temple), subject of an acclaimed biopic, in which she was played by Claire Danes. 
 As a female name, it was seen as the college-girl character of Temple Drake in the William Faulkner novel Sanctuary and the 1933 film The Story of Temple Drake. And as a surname, it will forever be identified with cute child star Shirley Temple.

Temple

Possibly inspired by Viola or by the way F and V sounds are pronounced similarly in Dutch and German, Viona is a variant of the Scottish Fiona. The change of spelling brings something bright and sharp to the name, and distances it from the Shrek association some may have. 
 
Other theories about the source of Viona include that it is a variation of Winona ("first"), Viola (botanical name), Vionnet ("way, path, trail), or Vienna (place name). 
 
Notable bearers include ice hockey player Viona Harrer, footballer Viona Rexhepi, and actress Viona Rosalina.

Viona

A once-popular nickname for Albert and Bertram now being polished up by hip Brits, but still hibernating in the Land of Nerd over here. 

Bert

A playful alternative to Abbie, Avery, Aubrey, and Briana, Abrie is a nickname style choice with a number of possible origins. It may be considered an variant of Aubrey, inspired by Abigail, giving it the meaning "elf ruler", however, it could equally be a feminine form of Biblical Abraham, meaning "father of multitudes". 
 
There's also the possibility that it comes from the Spanish and Catalan Abril, which translates to "April", or perhaps from the Ewe and Latin Abra which means "born on a Tuesday" and "maid" respectively. Additionally, there's the Persian Abrisham ("silk"), and the Hebrew Abriel (perhaps meaning "God is my father".)

Abrie

Breezy, beachy and cool, Coastal made its US debut in 2023 when it was given to 5 boys, while a more recent year saw it chosen for 6. It joins the ranks of wild nature names such as Summit, Canyon, and Cove, and of descriptive word names, like Wilder, Chosen, Rowdy, and Golden. While most parents will likely prefer the one-syllable Coast, this version may appeal to those who like the nature name, but also more "conventionally name-y" choices, like Pascal, Michael, and Connall. 


Coastal

Diminutive of Alvina, and a cute boyish retro nickname we can see making its way back onto a few birth certificates today.

Alvie

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 

. The English origin names below are ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.

English names including girl names and boy names of English origin from the English language and culture (Page 75)

1450+ English Names (with Meanings & Popularity)