English Names for Boys

With strong Wild West vibes, this word is rare but could work as a name.

Corral

Extravagant virtue name which is notably the first name of the British TV detective Inspector Morse.

Endeavour

The name Aldus gained some recognition through Aldus Manutius, a renowned 15th-century Italian printer and publisher who founded the Aldine Press. The name might be more familiar in its Aldous form, via Aldous Huxley, author of Brave New World. While never extremely common, the name has an intellectual, scholarly quality to it.

Aldus

Brockton

Surname name with feminine final ley. The Welsh name Bryn, though also unisex and veering toward the girl world, is far more attractive. 

Brinley

A literary word name, now synonymous with Shakespeare, Bard also refers more generally to a poet, particularly one who recited epics and traditional poems out loud. Similar in sound to Bernard, Barnaby, and Ford, and similar in style to Quill and Poet, Bard hasn't appeared in the US stats since the late 70s. With the release of the 2026 movie, The Odyssey however, it may gain more attention, after Travis Scott played the role of "Bard" in the film.

Bard

Sound-wise, Beige fits in with Sage, Gage, Boone, and Brooks, and you could argue it gives off calm, clean vibes. However, its links to total blandness and to the divisive "Beige Mom Aesthetic" mean that Beige has yet to make the US charts for boys. 

Beige

With its slightly cocky feel, this well-used surname is not often heard as a first. 

Brewster

A rowdy name nobody ever heard of, till Nick Nolte gave it to his son. 

Brawley

The suffix Bran is familiar as raven-related since Game of Thrones, and the -ley suffix has been popular since the 1990s heyday of Ashley.

Branley

Rugged and straightforward brand-new name, though you might not like the idea of branding your son. 

Brand

An unexpected route to nicknames Bram or Wells, this English surname derives from a historical hamlet in England, whose exact location has been lost to time. It comes from the Old English word for "bramble bush", giving it a connection to the natural world.
 
Similar Branwell - the name of the only boy in the Brontë family - is a variation of Bramwell, though it is unknown which came first. This link with Branwell not only gives it the vibes of rugged, lonely, windy moors, it also offers another potential meaning: "raven's well", via the Welsh and Irish element bran.
 
With Bram already popular in the Netherlands and ticking the boxes for a Dark Academic name, perhaps Bramwell might just catch on.

Bramwell

We can hear the kids teasing him from here. 

Brainard

Currently connected to football Hall of Famer turned actor Terry Bradshaw. 

Bradshaw

Possibility for fans of science fiction writer Ray. 

Bradbury

Digby is a place-name in Lincolnshire turned surname turned quirky first name that is starting to get some attention. In fact, it ranked in the UK Top 1000 in a recent year where it fits in with the likes of Barnaby, Rupert, and Wilbur. 
 
The name has been used for characters in Joanna Quinn's novel, The Whale Bone Theatre, in the TV soap, Holby City and the game Animal Crossing.
 
A similar name is Diggory, found in both Dickens's Martin Chuzzlewit, Hardy's Return of the Native, and C.S Lewis's Narnia novels (spelled Digory). They both have a clunky, old-man vibe, but also share sounds with the modern Briggs and Riggs.

Digby

Ancient nickname that sounds cuter than its modern alternatives -- but be aware that in the days of the horse and buggy, it was most often used for the horse. 

Dobbin

Two completely different images come from its national pronunciations -- BOY-err or boy-AY -- the latter giving it an effete French accent. 

Boyer

Burne

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 67)