English Names

Name of a poet, this will be one for consideration by literary parents. The name fits well with the current trend towards surnames as given names, but beware the three syllable pronunciation, which may be a trap for the poetically disinclined.

Coleridge

If you want to give your child the gift of...gab. 

Eloquent

Laid-back and humble, with a distinctive down-home charm. 

Clem

Best known from actor-comedian Cleavon Little, Cleavon feels less soap opera than Cliff and quite really on-trend right now.

Cleavon

Sweet Elsie joined with gentle Mae to make a cosy, vintage name that feels right on style in England and Wales. In recent years, it has overtaken the once popular Ellie-Mae. 

Elsie-mae

Sweet and vintage with a hint of elegance from Rose, Elsie-Rose has appeared in the England and Wales Top 1000 a number of times, where it fits in with Elsie-Mae and Ivy-Rose.

Elsie-rose

The famous home of Hamlet in Shakespeare's great play, Elsinore is based on Kronborg Castle in eastern Denmark. Known as Helsingør in Danish, it guarded the narrow entryway to the Baltic Sea for centuries.
 
Similar in sound to Eleanor or Lenore, Elsinore has potential as a name. While some may find it a little pretentious or be bothered by the 'snore' sound, it could make a fabulous middle name for a lover of Shakespeare, or a daring and unexpected route to popular nicknames Nora and Elsie.

Elsinore

Distinguished though it is, it will never shake its portly cigar-smoking image. 

Churchill

There are a lot of little girls called Em today, but not that many named Em, just Em. As a first name, it's a bit reductive, especially with all the children named Emma, Emily, Emilia, Emeline, and onward. 

But we can see it working as a creative middle name, perhaps a clever way to honor Grandpa Mike?

Very occasionally given to babies born on December 25th, Christmas is a bold, declarative choice. When it is used, it is usually in the middle spot, with notable bearers including Danish politician Guido Leo John Christmas Møller, Australian Prime Minister Earle Christmas Grafton Page, and British judge and scholar, Travers Christmas Humphreys.
 
Noel is the more common choice for Christmas babies, along with Casper, Joseph, Gabriel, Felix, Shepherd, and Robin.

Christmas

One of the most distinguished names in literature could become a hero name in a family of poetry-lovers -- or be seen as a trendy new occupational name. 

Chaucer

South African-raised actress Embeth Davidtz added this unique smooth name to the mix. Perfect if you can't decide between Emma and Elizabeth and more unusual than Annabeth.

Embeth

The Cornish version of Emmeline holds many charms.

Emblyn

Chaplin carries two very distinctive images: the beloved Little Tramp and a minister, often to the military. It was the baby-name choice of Ever Carridine in 2010.

Chaplin

Carleton has a great meaning behind it, and should really have more popularity than it has found to date. You can shorten it to Carl or keep it upscale and formal in the longer form. Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk lends the name some sporty credentials, while American artist Carleton Wiggins confirms this name's Victorian earnestness.

Carleton

Putting a C before Albert doesn't make this old occupational name any more contempo. 

Calbert

Byram

For fans of the (female) author A. S. ; makes an interesting alternative to Wyatt or the hotelish Hyatt. 

Byatt

An English occupational name and surname that brings to mind old, stately homes, black suits, and white gloves, Butler peaked back in 1919 when 30 boys were given the name. It hasn't appeared in the stats since the 90s and, despite the popularity of occupational names, that first syllable likely puts parents off using this one.

Butler

One occupational name unlikely to find a single taker. 

Butcher

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 93)

English Names (with Meanings & Popularity)