English Names for Boys

The name of a large Air Force base in the US, Langley is a surname style choice that may appeal to fans of Langston, Landon, and Oakley, but also Banner, Navy, and Cannon. Quietly used for boys in the 20th century, it has leaned slightly feminine since the 1990s after actress Mariel Hemmingway chose it for one of her daughters.

Langley

The mute, horn-honking Marx Brother's real name was Adolph -- so Harpo represented a huge step up. Also, it's Oprah's production company (her name spelled backward). 

Harpo

Surname of Declaration signer sure to present playground complications. 

Hancock

Lindsay is one of the few truly unisex names (rather than being a name that has changed genders). Over time the ey ending was usually reserved for women and the ay ending reserved for men, although both spellings are overwhelmingly female these days.

Lindsay

A possibility for fans of the mystery writer, but most parents would prefer Dashiell. 

Hammett

In Wuthering Heights, Cathy's milquetoast husband; Heath is so much more appealing. 

Linton

Slightly less stiff and small if spelled Lytton. 

Litton

A cross-cultural possibility, but a bit heavy and somber. 

Hammond

This English surname offers an interesting mix of images: it sounds upper-crusty yet macho, and also conjures up the coziness of a wintery ski lodge.  As a surname it is associated with the Massachusetts Republican Senate Minority Leader in the Woodrow Wilson era, Henry Cabot Lodge, who was the father of poet George Cabot Lodge and grandfather of Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., who was ambassador to the UN and Richard Nixon's 1960 presidential running mate.


Lodge

Though we usually think a name's image in contemporary culture supersedes its ancient meaning, this is a case where the definition could undermine a child's self-esteem. 

Hamill

Longfellow is the first name of the eponymous hero of the classic 1936 film Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, later remade with Adam Sandler. But it's hard to imagine a modern parent using it except as a middle name to honor the poet.

Longfellow

Rarely heard surname name that lacks the lightness of other o-ending names.

Ludlow

Although this was the surname of rugged World War II admiral William Halsey, these days it's more closely identified with uninamed female singer-songwriter Halsey. Five baby boys were named Halsey in the US last year, along with 45 baby girls.

Halsey

Young actor Haley Joel Osment to the contrary, this name in all its variations has become too popular for girls to survive as a boys' choice. Hailey, Haily Halley, Hallie, Hayley. 

Haley

An international and unisex choice, Malin is a rare northern English name associated with the city of Sheffield. In this case, it would mean "little warrior". As a Bulgarian choice, it is a masculine form of Malina, a Slavic name meaning "raspberry". It is more common as a feminine name, however, as a contracted form of Magdalene and Madeleine. 

Malin

Manley

English surname that's very rarely found as a first name. The Colorado city was named after Horace Greeley, the nineteenth-century congressman and founder of the New-York Tribune.

Greeley

Some definite downsides: Massive, Messy. 

Massey

Undiscovered single-syllable surname option, a friendly alternative to Reed. 

Mead

Surname from a landscape feature, associated with author Gore Vidal and Bill Clinton's Vice President Al Gore. Its alternative meaning - as in gory - may explain why it's never made it into the charts.

Gore

English names for boys dominate the popularity lists of the US, the UK, and other English-speaking countries, with William and James ranking highly in the US, and Jack, Oscar, and Charlie reigning in the UK.



Many English names for boys drawn from surnames are currently trending in the United States: Jackson, Cooper, Lincoln, Hunter, and Landon, for instance. And then there are English word names from Royal to Loyal that have become fashionable for baby boys.

 include Carter, Grayson, Julian, Mason, Parker, Robert, Sawyer, and Wyatt. Trending English names for boys include surname names such as Reeve and Miller and antique names such as Auberon and Anson.

Baby boy names of English origin popular in the UK

 include Oliver — a top name throughout the United Kingdom — Harry, Leo, and Alfie. The English name Tom ranks highly in France, while James is favored in The Netherlands and Oliver is popular in Spain.



Some of the straightforward boys’ names we think of as English — like the royal Charles, William, Henry, George, and Louis — all have non-English roots but may carry nicknames like Charlie or Bill that are distinctively English.

English Names for Boys rank highly throughout the English-speaking world, including William, James, Jack, Oscar, and Charlie. (Page 53)