English Names that Start With C

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, it did.

Chabely

Wait, you named me after a wine, but then you were too drunk to spell it right?

Chabelly

Did you really mean to name your child Channel, as in the body of water?  Like, you know, the English Channel?  Or were you going for the last name of the French designer Chanel, with a soft "sh" sound at the beginning and the emphasis on the last syllable?  If so, we recommend sticking with the Chanel spelling.

Channel

More popularly spelled as Carey, this succinct unisex option was popular in the 1960s and -70s, predominantly for boys, though it did appear in the charts for girls in the 60s through to the early 90s. Similar in sound (or style) to Carrie, Kerry, and Cassie, it ultimately comes from the Irish element ciar meaning "dare, black".

Cary

One of many variants of Cameron, though it is currently rarely used on any gender.
 Deriving from a Scottish surname made up of the Gaelic elements cam and sròn, Cameron and its variants mean "crooked nose". This likely originated as a nickname, but if you were hoping for a different meaning, there is also the theory that the second part of the name may have come from the Gaelic abhainn meaning "river" or the Welsh bryn meaning "hill".

Camrin

Charlesena is one of those awkward feminizations that, like Richardine or Davette, we don't recommend. And why when you have the lovely Charlotte or the gender-neutral Charlie?

Charlesena

This variation of the popular unisex name has been used nearly exclusively on boys in recent years, while Camryn and Kamryn are preferred on girls. Camron did see quiet used for girls in the 2000s when it was in the Top 1000 for boys.
 Deriving from a Scottish surname made up of the Gaelic elements cam and sròn, Cameron and its variants mean "crooked nose". This likely originated as a nickname, but if you were hoping for a different meaning, there is also the theory that the second part of the name may have come from the Gaelic abhainn meaning "river" or the Welsh bryn meaning "hill".

Camron

The late tennis great Arthur Ashe (whose wife was a photographer) pioneered word names when he used this for his daughter. It would make an interesting first or middle name possibility for parents involved with photography.

Camera

If you love Calliope and Callista, you'll love Calanthe, which combines the trendiness of the Greek 'cal' names with the equally fashionable "the" ending (like Xanthe and Evanthe) and a connection to the beautiful Christmas Orchid. Color Calantha one of the more unusual and captivating <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/412/christmas-baby-names">names for Christmas babies</a>.

Calanthe

A Charlotte nickname heard much more often in Britain than here — American parents might prefer Charlie or Lottie.

Charty

One of the original so-weird-it's-cruel <a href="https://nameberry.com/fameberry">celebrity baby names</a> doesn't sound quite so impossible with the resurgence of virtue names. But be charitable and choose Charity instead.

Chastity

This spelling of Caitlin is closely associated with Game of Thrones matriarch Catelyn Stark, whose name is pronounced CAT-lin on the show.

Catelyn

Cay is a rare respelling of the retro nickname Kay, but one that may gain ground as a name that's both simple and unique. Like Kay, it can be a diminutive for any of the hundreds of Catherine variations that start with a C or of more modern names such as Caylee or Cadence. Or it can stand on its own as a sleek contemporary nickname-name.

Crusoe, as in castaway hero Robinson, is a literary invention by author Daniel Defoe. In the novel, the character says his name is an Anglicization of the German Kreutznaer, which may be a place name or refer to a crossing of the river Nahe. Alternatively, it may translate to "dweller by the cross", from Kreuzbewohner.
 
Short form Cru was given to over 100 boys in the US in a recent year, while Crue was chosen for around 440. Crusoe, however, has only ranked occaionally, most recently in 2021 when it was given to 10 boys.

Crusoe

Chris is one of the longest-running and still most appealing unisex short forms, still used nearly equally for boys and girls.  Though no longer fashionable, Chris still feels crisp and appropriate for both sexes.

Chris

Cheever has a nice, cheery sound, literary ties to novelist and short writer John Cheever and also, sideways, to the Edward Arlington Robinson narrative poem "Miniver Cheevy," as well as a subliminal association with the desirable word achiever: all strong pluses.

Cheever

What's Cia short for? Cynthia or most any other C-name. Stylish in its sleek Mia-Nia minimalist feel, but may remind some of the Central Intelligence Agency.

English names that start with the letter C for boys and girls, including Chabely, Chabelly, Channel, Cary, Camrin, Charlesena, Camron, Camera, Calanthe, Charty, Chastity, Catelyn, Cay, Crusoe, Chris, Cheever, and Cia. (Page 13)