English Names that Start With C

A pretty and almost unique word name to add to the galaxy of astral appellations. More distinctive than the better-known Celeste, it was given fewer than ten baby girls in the US last year. While rare in English-speaking countries, Celestial is a Top 100 name for baby girls in France.
 
Celestial is also the title of several band albums, and is heard in the video game and comics worlds. For those wanting a literary tie, Celestial is a main character in Tayari Jones's popular novel, An American Marriage, her full name being Celestial Gloriana, after her mother, Gloria Celeste.

Celestial

Time was, even C-starting Catherines who called themselves Kate spelled it with a K, but Cate Blanchett changed all.  Cate is now as acceptable as (but not as well used as) Kate. Cait might be short for Caitlin.

Cate

An intriguing way to honor a Nicholas, an alternative to Colton, Colby, or Callum, and a rare last-name style choice, Coley may be one to consider. Country singer Cooper Alan and his wife Hally chose Coley Frances Cooper for their daughter in 2025. 
 
As a last name, Coley and its alternative spelling Colley, may stem from the given name Nicholas (or Nicola, Nicole, and Nicolette) meaning "people of victory", and could equally be used as a diminutive for any of those names. Another source however is the Irish Kelly (from Ceallach) meaning "bright headed" or "war, strife".
 
Other sources for the name include the Old Norse koli meaning "dark, black, coal" or the phrase colly bird, usually used to refer to blackbirds (as in the song, The Twelve Days of Christmas in which four colly birds are gifted).
 
Colley and Collie are alternative spellings.

Coley

Cady is one of those names that sounds popular but is actually rare in this form, given to only a few dozen baby girls in the US last year.

Its origins are unclear, and as many possible meanings and origins are cited as there are sources on the web. It may relate to male names Cade, which means round or barrel, or Caden, meaning battle. The similar Caddie is an antiquated nickname for Caroline.

One disadvantage is that Cady will forever be misunderstood as Katie. Advantage: It can be used, perhaps in the middle place, to honor women's rights leader Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

Cady

Part Cameron, part Amber, Camber may be a new name but it feels right for our times. As a word, camber means a slightly arched surface.

Camber

Cathleen

Either an alternative feminization to Christina, an elaboration of the French diminutive Christelle , or a compound name, blending the element Christ- with either Stella or Ella. In the case of the latter, it could give you a rather powerful meaning. 

Christella

Christina who decided, at the last minute, she'd rather be Kristen.

Christen

Associated with havoc, disaster, and trouble, this bold moniker is unlikely to be many parents' first choice, but it has nevertheless been appearing in the US charts since 2006. It may appeal to those who like Danger, Wild, and Rowdy, or associate Chaos with rebellion, mythology, or physics.
 
Derived from the Greek khaos, the word originally meant "abyss, vast, empty", and in Greek creation myths, Chaos was the first being to exist, out of which Erebus and Nyx (darkness and night) were born. In some versions of the myth, Gaia, Tartarus, and Eros were also born out of Chaos. 
 
Given to more than 140 babies since the mid-2000s, Chaos had its (current) peak in 2021 when 22 boys received the name. Nickname Ossie (or Ozzie) might just help ground it, though you could consider Chaol, a modern literary name inspired by the word.

Chaos

Carlisle may be a male name in Twilight (he's vampire hero Edward's adoptive father), but in the real baby naming world, it's used about a quarter of the time for girls. Unusual now, we think Carlisle (or Carlyle) has the potential to be the next Carter.

Carlisle

Clove is a spice name that is a tad more piquant than Saffron or Cinnamon. It might get more attention now as a member of The Hunger Games family of names.

Clove

Cydney

Breezy, beachy and cool, Coastal made its US debut in 2023 when it was given to 5 boys, while a more recent year saw it chosen for 6. It joins the ranks of wild nature names such as Summit, Canyon, and Cove, and of descriptive word names, like Wilder, Chosen, Rowdy, and Golden. While most parents will likely prefer the one-syllable Coast, this version may appeal to those who like the nature name, but also more "conventionally name-y" choices, like Pascal, Michael, and Connall. 


Coastal

How can a strong simple name like Cera remain so uncommon? Only five baby girls were named Cera in the US last year.

Cera is a respelling of Sera, which might be short for the angel name Seraphina or another spin on Sarah.

Saint Cera was a seventh century Irish abbyess.

Cera

Long before the current place-name craze, a pair of the more daring pop singers of the Age of Aquarius picked this name for their daughters. Jefferson Airplane's Grace Slick used the conventional spelling, the Mamas and the Papas's Michelle Phillips went further afield with Chynna (of the group Wilson Phillips). 
 The name has been associated with some very glamorous women--China (born Noelie and pronounced Cheena) Machado was one of the first supermodels and a muse for Richard Avedon, and the contemporary actress and model China Chow.

China

Claribel improves on its mother name Clarabelle by distancing itself from the clown and the cow.

Claribel

Camira is one of those rare names that feels at once familiar and unique. A handful of baby girls were named Camira in the US last year.

Camira

With its C spelling, Cayley is softer than its more popular counterpart, Kayley. It's never ranked in the US Top 1000 and at this point probably never will, now that the -aylee, -ayley, and -aylie names are starting to dip.

Cayley

All names bella have been popular in recent years, and though Clarabella suffers from its association with Clarabelle clown and cow, it may rise as those negative images fade.

Clarabella

A surname stye choice that could also work as a nickname, Coley may appeal to those who like Callie, Colby, and Carey, or anyone looking for an interesting way to honor a Nicole or a Nicholas. Country singer Cooper Alan and his wife Hally chose Coley Frances Cooper for their daughter in 2025. 
 
As a last name, Coley and its alternative spelling Colley, may stem from the given name Nicholas (or Nicola, Nicole, and Nicolette) meaning "people of victory", and could equally be used as a diminutive for any of those names. Alternatively, it may come from the Old Norse koli meaning "dark, black, coal" or from the related Collier, referring to someone who works with charcoal. 
 
Other possibilities are its borrowed from the phrase colly bird, usually used to refer to blackbirds (as in the song, The Twelve Days of Christmas in which four colly birds are gifted), though it could also blend koli with -ley offering the meaning "dark clearing".

English names that start with the letter C for boys and girls, including Celestial, Cate, Coley, Cady, Camber, Cathleen, Christella, Christen, Chaos, Carlisle, Clove, Cydney, Coastal, Cera, China, Claribel, Camira, Cayley, Clarabella, and Coley. (Page 7)