English Names for Boys

Strong, friendly surname choice, à la Bailey. 

Paley

Farrar has two separate origins: an occupational name meaning "smith", and a Scottish river name, from a Pictish word meaning "to wind". Barely ever recorded as a first name, Farrar is a blank slate that fits with the surname style that's popular today.

Farrar

Parkin

Parr

For now at least, Parton conjures up the larger-than-life image of Dolly. For an American boy, Patton or Peyton would probably be a better bet.

Parton

Pascoe was popular in medieval times and is definitely deserving of revival, especially for a child born in the Easter season. Other spellings are Pasco and Pascow.

Pascoe

As seen on SNL, Pat is the ultimate <a href="https://nameberry.com/unisex-names"> androgynous name</a>. Stick with long form Patrick, and make sure everyone calls him Patrick. 

Patsy has been rarely heard for half a century, for either gender, and we're not expecting that to change in the near future.. 

Patsy

Paterson is a surname-name to continue a line of Peters and also the name of a city in New Jersey, hometown of poets William Carlos Williams and Allen Ginsberg.

Paterson

Actor Farley Granger set it in motion, now could be a gentler alternative to Harley. 

Farley

Fane, used as a nickname in the Middle Ages for someone with a cheerful disposition, is one of the more offbeat members of the Zane-Kane family. 

Fane

Peabody is a quintessentially Waspy surname that your child won't thank you for -- either the pea part or the body part, or the meaning part. 

Peabody

An ambitious geographical name, associated with mountains and success. In the UK, however, this is a slang term, meaning "bad, disappointing".

Peak

A child named Peale may have to endure more than a few banana jokes, but the Peales were a distinguished family of artists. 

Peale

Peel may seem at first like a cool name, until you consider the inevitable teasing.  A peel was a tower that sheltered humans and animals against attack, though these days it's better known as the skin of a banana. 

Peel

Faulkner is an old occupational surname that was used for someone who kept and trained falcons when falconry was a popular sport in medieval Europe. Anyone using it in contemporary America would probably be honoring Southern novelist William Faulkner. While we love the author, Falconer would probably be a slightly easier name to carry on the playground.


Faulkner

Pelham, a place-name surname, could work well as a first, despite its slightly arrogant air. It's what the P in P.G. Wodehouse stands for. 

Pelham

Pell makes an unusual middle name choice.  And if grandpa Seymour was a fur trader, you might do better to honor him by naming the baby Pell.

Pell

Better suited to a stuffy school than a little boy, but it nevertheless has a preppy air that may appeal to some. 

Pembroke

Pendleton

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 56)