English Names

A surname and a place name, Reston blends the sounds of Weston, Stetson, Rhett, and Reese, giving it an on-trend feel. Derived from the Old Scottish Ristun (itself adapted from Old English), the name likely means "settlement by the brushwood".

Reston

Rowan meets Joey in this nickname-y style choice, and it may well be a modern creation, blending the classic nickname for Joseph with the contemporary favorite Ro- sound. However, Roey may have more history than that, even if it did only begin appearing in the US charts in the late 90s.
 
It could be considered a variation of the Hebrew name, Roi, meaning "my Shepherd", or the identically spelled Galician and Spanish name Roi, a diminutive of Roderigo ("famous ruler"). 
 
Used exclusively for boys so far, with 11 given the name in a recent year (double the number given in previous years), if viewed as a modern invention, it could easily cross into unisex territory.

Roey

A twist on the classic Caroline that could also be a smoosh name. 

Caralyn

A possible alternative to Anderson and a cool way to honor an Alexander, Sanderson has a slightly gentler sound and may appeal to those who also like Lysander, Sebastian, and Sullivan. With nicknames Sonny, Sander, Sandy, Sanders, and Sasha, it was given to just 8 boys in the US in a recent year.

Sanderson

One of the more subtle occupational surnames, Sayer is a pleasant, open, last-name-first name, particularly apt for a family of woodworkers -- or writers. 
 
Some parents are beginning to consider Sayer as a less popular alternative to Sawyer, which it may be a variation of, or a separate occupational name for someone who recited poetry and news, or even another occupational name an for assayer, who tested metals or tasted food.
 The most well known surnamed Sayer is the British singer Leo Sayer.

Sayer

British last name that, though rather gentle, feels like a sharper, sleeker Shelby. Todd Selby, known primarily by his last name, is a hip photographer of interiors.

Selby

Similar in style to Remington and Kensington, this English surname could get you to stylish nickname Cove. 

Covington

Dahlia is getting more visible, and so Dahliana feels more plausible.

Dahliana

Like many passé boys' names, this one sounds fresh again for girls. 

Dean

Striker is one of the new gang of boys' names that have two syllables, end in -er, spring from words, and have a macho, even aggressive meaning and image.  Other examples include Breaker, Heller, and Wilder.  Do the world a favor and desist.

Striker

A multicultural and unisex choice, Eko may be considered an English variation of the Greek Echo, a wordy choice from mythology borne by a nymph curse to only repeat what others said to her. Alternatively, it is a Japanese name, meaning "blessed child", a Georgian short form of Ekaterine meaning "pure", a Javanese variant of the Sanskrit Eka, meaning "one, first", a Yoruba name, possibly from Ekundayo meaning "tears become joy", or an Akan name meaning "born on Thursday".
 
Used in Indonesia, Nigeria, Japan, and Cameroon, it is occasionally used in the US, given to 5 girls and 7 boys in recent years.

A spin on surname style-name Truett, this form has appeared in the US stats in 1926 and 2025. Meaning "dry wood"  and "river bend" from its Old Norse and English roots,  it can also mean "true, faithful, and strong" from its Germanic ones. As such, it's a nature-related option with the a virtuous feel of True and Truth. 

Truette

Spiritual in multiple senses of the word, Epiphany has been given to a handful of girls since the late 1980s, peaking in 1988 when it was given to 55 babies, following the release of the movie Angel Heart in 1987, which featured a character of the name, played by Lisa Bonet.
 
Derived from the Greek epiphaneia, in Chrisitan tradition, Epiphany is associated with the visit of Magi to the infant Christ, sometimes called Three Kings' Day or Little Christmas. In Eastern Christianity, the celebration is a bigger deal, a feast day that additionally commemorates the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan River and the first miracle he performed in Cana. 
 It can used to refer to a manifestation of any supernatural or divine being, however from a secular point of view, it refers to a moment of sudden and monumental revelation or realization, which may appeal to those who feel having a baby has shifted their perspective.
 Given to just 7 girls in a recent year, it is not as popular as it once was, however, it could lead to nicknames such as Effie or Annie. 
 
Like the idea of Epiphany but find it too wordy? You could try the Italian and Spanish name Epifania instead.

Epiphany

Harris is a last-name name related, of course, to Harry and Harrison, in turn relatives of Henry. It's usually a male name, but Fox news anchor Harris Faulkner brought it to the female column. For now it remains a unique choice, given to 12 girls in a recent year. 

Harris

As Ireland becomes fashionable as a place name, bouncing on and off of the US girls charts thanks to Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin choosing it for their daughter, some parents may start to consider the adjective form Irish. It may feel like an odd choice to those living in Ireland, just as American would stand out as on option in the US, but sound-wise, it probably appeals as an alternative to Iris.
 
Given to a handful of babies most years in the US and unexpectedly popular in the Philippines where a 2014 study showed it was borne by over 39000 people there, the name may attract more attention in the future, after Rihanna & A$AP Rocky chose it for their daughter's middle name in 2025. Pronounced EYE-rish in English, in Filipino, EYE-reesh may be heard.
 
If you like the sound, Eilis (Eilish) and Ailis (Ailish) might be worth thinking about too.

Irish

Kaiza could be a variation on Kajsa, a Swedish short form of Katarina or Katharina and it could be a spin on the Biblical Keziah, which would lend it the meanings of "pure" and "cinnamon" respectively. However, more recent usage of the name is likely down to it being given as a feminine form of Kaiser (and Kyzer and Kaizer), the German form of Caesar and the word for king. 

Kaiza

Echoes of two dated names: Lori and Linda. 

Lorinda

An old royal name in England and Scotland that's also spelled Marjorie. Popular in the Middle Ages and Tudor period, it was revived at the end of the 19th century, peaked in 1921 and dropped off the list in 1958, enough time to be reconsidered as a Margaret alternative. The name Margery Daw is familiar via the seesaw nursery rhyme and Margery Williams wrote the children's classic The Velveteen Rabbit..

Margery

Long one of the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/p">girls' names starting with P</a>, Patti replaced Patsy as the midcentury's popular, peppy babysitter but has now joined her in the retirement home.

Patti

Hip new middle-name choice, conjuring up the gothic tales of Edgar Allan, and current single-named pop singer Poe. As a first name, it's radically underused, given last year in the US to only five baby boys and no baby girls.

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 81)

1450+ English Names (with Meanings & Popularity)