Updated October 2024
Across 10 pages
of 10
English
"from the barley settlement"
More user-friendly, though less substantial, than Bartholomew.
"dark wood or clearing"
A decade or two ago, we might have stopped with Blake, but today the surname Blakely or Blakeley sounds more modern as a first name.
"bare hillside"
A friendly sounding surname name reminiscent of the increasingly popular Marlow and Harlow. British musician Gary Barlow is a notable namesake.
English diminutive of Bartholomew
Bates is a fresh version of Bartholomew, and feels more wearable than Bart. Bates could be considered a patriotic choice for American parents - Katharine Lee Bates was an author and professor best…
English word name
"signal light"
A word name with an appealing and illuminating meaning.
Old English
"bee wolf"
This ancient name is that of the hero of the epic Beowulf , which is thought to be the oldest-ever poem in English lit written in the vernacular. J. R. R. Tolkien used the poem as one of his…
"great happiness"
Bliss might once have seemed a far-out choice, but it has been on the rise for girls in recent years, alongside similar options such as Dream, Heaven, Halo, and Blessing. Associated with a state of…
English, diminutive of Robert
"bright fame"
Kids love Bob the Builder, but do they want to be Bob the Builder? Bob and Bobby have been out of style since the 1960s, but as vintage nickname-names -- Fred, Archie -- come back into vogue, Bob may…
English, diminutive of Albert and Bertram
A once-popular nickname for Albert and Bertram now being polished up by hip Brits, but still hibernating in the Land of Nerd over here.
English variation of Barnabas, Aramaic
"son of consolation"
Barnaby, a genial and energetic name with an Irish-sounding three-syllable lilt, is an ancient appellation that manages to be both unusual and highly attractive and deserves to be used more than it…
Tree name
Birch is a rarely used nature name that calls to mind the lovely image of the tall, strong but graceful white-barked tree. The best known bearer of the name is former high-ranking Democratic Senator…
English variation of Blythe
Too tightly associated with the real-life villainous Captain Bligh of The Mutiny on the Bounty.
"gray man's ford"
Comes with a monocle.
English surname
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.
"black well or stream"
Dark.
English and Scottish
"small dwelling place, shed"
Short but not particularly sweet surname.
"meadow near the woods"
Another servile surname, this one connected to the go-between character in "Charlie's Angels."
"well near the woods"
Waspy-sounding choice, well known in literature for Boswell's Life of Johnson .
"he who lives in a broad valley"
Hitting bottom.
"one who lives near a stream"
A surname with more force than most.