English Names that Start With B

Brooke variation – or is the other way around? – that makes it more a nature name, less an eighties-style androgynous name.

Brook

Burton originated as a habitation surname that now feels like a appropriate first. Actor Richard Burton, two-time husband of Elizabeth Taylor, was the most famous bearer.

Burtie makes an adorable short form.

Burton

Spelling this name with a y instead of the conventional way — Bailey — makes it a tad more feminine and also adds a touch of water. Baylee is another popular feminine alternative.

Bayley

More of the seemingly infinite variations of this name. 

Bryana

Brenner is an occupational surname for both a charcoal burner and a distiller of spirits. One of the least used of occupational surnames, it has that 'er' ending that definitely adds to its stylishness; a possible successor to Brendan.


Brenner

Braylen is a trendy boys' name that's ranked on the US Top 1000 for nearly 20 years now. While the name is definitely given to some baby girls in the US -- 40 last year, to be exact -- it's used less than ten percent of the time for girls and so does not make out cutoff for being considered gender neutral.

Braylen

Blue suddenly came into the spotlight, as the unusual color name chosen by Beyonce and Jay-Z for their baby girl Blue Ivy. Blue is also a starbaby middle name du jour, used for both sexes in different spellings and forms, from John Travolta and Kelly Preston's Ella Bleu to Alicia Silverstone's Bear Blu. Dave 'The Edge' Evans named his daughter Blue Angel back in 1989.
 Despite all these high profile female references, less than 40 percent of the babies name Blue today are girls. Blue is the heroine of the Marisha Pessl novel Special Topics in Calamity Physics.

Blue

Brazil

Only slightly fewer girls are named Brandi each year than Brandy, 45 versus 57 in the US. Both spellings have their advantages and disadvantages.

Brandi

Just the kind of vintage nickname (think Hattie, Josie, Mamie, Millie) that's coming back into style in a big way. Actress Busy Phillips named her little girl Birdie.

Byrdie

A hot name, though perhaps not in the sense you want for your baby. About 20 times as many boys as girls were named Blaze in one recent year, perhaps because it can be seen as a spelling variation of the classic male saint's name Blaise.

Blaze

An invented name that feels like a mix between Brayden and Raelynn.

Braylin

Most Bills today are dads...or grandpas. The younger Williams are usually nicknamed Will, or called by their full names. 

Bill

Most will see this as a refreshing middle name possibility, but Bristol Palin baby daddy Levi Johnston used it as a first name for his new daughter, Breeze Beretta. 

Breeze

Britton, technically a spelling variation of Britain, is much more popular that the original place name for both boys and girls. There are about three baby girls named Britton for every four boys, making it a truly nonbinary choice.

Britton

A modern option, Becklynn might be considered a  a spin on Rebecca, meaning "to tie, bind" from Hebrew, or it could blend the stylish Beck with the Lynn suffix, giving it the meanings "small stream (flowing) into the lake" or "small pretty stream".  Also spelled as Beklyn and Becklyn, this form has been appearing in the US stats since 2018, given to a small handful of girls. 



Becklynn

Blu is a new (nu?) spin on an increasingly popular color name, also spelled Blue and Bleu by celebrity parents. Blu is the spelling used for one of the (male) Waldrop quintuplets, but the name is gender neutral.

Self-assured and playful, Bash is a short form of the popular Sebastian, sharing the same energy as Dash, Colt, and Nash. It could work as a quirky, rough-and-tumble alternative to the more familiar nicknames Seb or Baz, or, for those looking for something unexpected and adventurous, it could be a stand alone choice.
 
Beyond its ties to Sebastian, Bash could also be considered a word name. This gives it a number of meanings, including: to strike or thump someone; a party or gathering; an endeavor, or to have a go. These meanings might put some off using Bash on the birth certificate, though for others, it could give it an energetic and confident vibe.
 
Associated for some with the long-running comic strip The Bash Street Kids from the British comic, The Beano, Bash has also featured in the Thomas the Tank Engine Franchise and in the American comedy Franklin and Bash.
 
Quietly used since 2014, Bash was given to 21 babies in 2022, though more recently, it has been declining in the US, given to just 10 boys in a recent count.

Bash

An upbeat and friendly nickname, Bud is more often reserved as a term of endearment, though it was once a Top 500 choice in the US and remained in the charts right up until the 60s. While long-form Buddy may feel more wearable, it does have the vintage yet energetic feel of Teddy, Kit, or Scout.
 
Now meaning "friend" or "companion", the terms "Bud" and "Buddy" likely emerged from children's mispronunciation of the word "brother". This form also coincides with the botanical word, used to the growths on plants that turn into a leaves or flowers, and as such, it is connected wit growth and promise too. 
 
While short form Buddy made the England and Wales Top 7000 in a recent year, Bud has yet to appear in the stats as a stand-alone name, while in the US, nearly 30 boys were called Buddy and 13 were called Bud.

Buxton

English names that start with the letter B for boys and girls, including Brook, Burton, Bayley, Bryana, Brenner, Braylen, Blue, Brazil, Brandi, Byrdie, Blaze, Braylin, Bill, Breeze, Britton, Becklynn, Blu, Bash, Bud, and Buxton. (Page 6)

English Names that Start With B

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