By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 47 pages
of 47
Selvyn is a masculine name of English origin, likely developed as a variant of Selwyn, which combines the Old English elements 'sele' (hall, manor) and 'wine' (friend), meaning 'friend from the manor…
English, phonetic spelling of St
See ST.
English saint's name
St. JOhn is mainly (but rarely) used by Catholics in England -- there's one in Jane Eyre. This would probably be too cumbersome for most American kids.
English
"swift"
Kind of a combination of scoot and fleet, brought into public domain by actor Skeet (born Brian) Ulrich. We would recommend looking into the unsavory slang meaning of this name before choosing it for…
"meadow near the woods"
Another servile surname, this one connected to the go-between character in "Charlie's Angels."
English and Scottish
"small dwelling place, shed"
Short but not particularly sweet surname.
"divided field"
Has diverse links to a Groucho Marx character, a bouncing ball, and late performance artist Spalding Gray.
English word name, German surname
"speck; one from Speck, bacon, butcher"
Not only did rocker John Mellencamp name his son Speck, but he appended the middle name Wildhorse to it.
English word name
A video-game name ("Final Fantasy VII") with an unappealing sound and meaning.
"puffy cheeks"
A popular first name in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, giving rise to surnames Gifford et al. Could enjoy a comeback thanks to trendy Griffin.
Could catch on in tandem with the newfound popularity of Griffin and Griffith.
"owner of a farmstead"
Most people's sole association with this name is Oprah companion Stedman Graham -- cool and sophisticated.
"from the southern cliff"
Climbing a mountain somewhere with Radcliff and Heathcliff.
English variation of Blythe
Too tightly associated with the real-life villainous Captain Bligh of The Mutiny on the Bounty.
"knight's attendant"
Old-fashioned, conjuring up an ardent suitor in a bow tie and straw boater.
"strong bear cub"
Variously spelled as Swithun or Swithin, this distinctive sounding name is belonged to St. Swithun, an Anglo-Saxon bishop known as the patron saint of Winchester and of the weather — making him the…
"gray man's ford"
Comes with a monocle.
"command of the valley"
Upscale and upstanding.
"cottage near the lake"
Similar in style or sound to Prescott, Maverick and Beckett, this far rarer name feels formal and strong. Notably borne by socialist Talcott Parsons, nicknames Tal or Otto might soften it a little.…
English surname
"dark wood or clearing"
Blakeley is one of the many -ley ending surnames that is being adopted as a first name, taking the 80s unisex darling Blake into the new millennium.
