English Names for Boys

Adventurous word choice, but still quite a burden for a child to bear. 

Discovery

Old-fashioned, conjuring up an ardent suitor in a bow tie and straw boater. 

Swain

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 saint to pray to during a drought. More popularly however, the name may evoke the Old English proverb, which predicts that whatever the weather is on St. Swithin's feast day (July 15), will continue for the next 40 days. 
 
(A bit of trivia: there is actually scientific evidence behind this! The feast day tends to coincide with the jet stream above the UK settling into a pattern that typically continues until the August, which might explain why the weather remains similar from that point.)
 
Blending the Old English elements, swiþ and hun, Swithun is an animal and nature related choice, meaning "strong bear cub". Neither Swithin or Swithun have appeared in the US stats, though Swithin was used in the UK (very occasionally) in the 2000s.

Swithun

Dickinson is a possibility for Richard's boy, though that Dick nickname is problematic no matter how you get to it. 

Dickinson

Talbot

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. Alcott is a similar option with a literary ties. 

Talcott

Destry rides again, this time as a Western flavored baby name. Derived from the French surname Destrier, from an Anglo-Norman word meaning "warhorse", this rugged name was popularized by the 1930 novel Destry Rides Again by Max Brand, subsequently adapted for the big screen. 

 It has only ranked in the US Top 1000 once, in 1964 at #637, after a popular TV series based on the novel was aired that year. It was given to fewer than 10 baby boys in the latest year on record.

 Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw named their daughter Destry in 1996.

Destry

Rather formal word name that has been used occasionally over the years, most notably for the autism activist and animal expert Temple Grandin. 

Temple

Butler name, and also that of the rat in Charlotte's Web.

Templeton

The name of the famous British man of letters might just appeal to some English majors as a more interesting alternative to Zachary. An appropriate playmate for Russell Crowe's boy Tennyson.


Thackeray

A case in which the son is now more attractive than the father. There have been Colonial settlers surnamed Dennison on this side of the Atlantic since 1623. 


Dennison

Similar in sound to the French "Thibault", which is far more popular, Tybalt is best known as the bloodlustful and brawling cousin of Juliet in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Perhaps this connotation has kept parents from using Tybalt. However, given the recent fad for all things Theo, Tybalt might offer a familiar yet unusual option for parents who like the meaning but want to swim against the current. Cute nicknames Ty and Tibby might also appeal.

Tybalt

Brusque and charmless, two things you don't  want your son to be. 

Thorpe

Pleasant surname connected to humorist James Thurber, with a sound as happy as a baby's gurgle. 

Thurber

If you're tired of Oliver, you might consider this energetic three-syllable surname instead, so you could have a little Tolly instead of an Ollie.
 Tolliver is a not-too-obvious occupational Scottish surname dating back to the time of armor makers. Heard much more often as a surname, there have been Tollivers in soap operas like General Hospital and Cy Tolliver was a character on Deadwood; in real life, Melba Tolliver is a barrier-breaking African-American TV journalist.

Tolliver

One of the magical words of childhood (and beyond), and associated with actor Treat (born Richard) Williams, whose nickname came from ancestor Robert Treat Williams, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. 

Treat

Nature surname with an aristocratic edge. Spelling it DeForest distances it from deforestation.

Deforest

This old-time name for a sofa would not be comfortable as a baby name. 

Davenport

Twain can be thought of as a modernization (and possible namesake) of the dated Wayne, seasoned with the humor of Mark Twain, who adopted it from a river term.


Twain

Obscure, though legitimate, name that could be used to honor a relative named Barton or Martin. 

Darton

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 61)