UK Baby Names

A choice reserved for Arsenal Football Club superfans, Lanesra is like the better known Nevaeh in that it's a word spelled backwards and transformed into something that sounds more conventionally name-like. Surprisingly similar to Larissa, Lana, Vanessa, and Lorenza, Lanesra might pass as a rare name unless anyone is paying close attention to the letters. 
 
Used since at least 2009 (according to <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-35244969">this article</a>), it made the England and Wales stats for the first time in 2022, while in a more recent year, it was given to 7 girls. Typically pronounced luh-NEZ-ruh, the softer luh-NES-ruh could work too.
 
The popular London-based football team is named in honor of its origins: the club, in its earliest form, can be traced back to a group of workers from the Woolwich Arsenal Armament Factory, who started a football team in 1886.

Lanesra

A frilly, Romantasy-esque name, Lyrisia feels ready to appear in a novel — though it might equally appeal to parents looking for something rare and fanciful with a touch of familiarity about it too. The name could be considered an elaboration of the Greek Lyra, a form of the floral Portuguese Liria, a twist on the Greek and Russian Larisa, or an elongation of the Albanian Liri. 
 
Alternatively, you could consider it a blend of Lyra and Alisia ("noble lyre") or Lyra and Elysia ("lyre of Elysium"), or another compound of similar names.

Lyrisia

Bold word names are on the rise, and this one fits in with declarative choices like Prosper, Chosen, and Brave. With the Th- of Theo and the strong "i" sound of Kai, Levi, and Silas, Thrive could be an alternative way to honor a Clive. Yet to enter the US stats, has appeared in social media birth announcements.

Thrive

A striking botanical choice for those who want something edgy and flowery at the same time, Banskia is the name of a variety of Australian wildflowers, known for their cones and flower spikes. They take their name from one of their first collectors, naturalist Sir Joseph Banks, so you could say this is, in a way, a feminized form of the trending Banks.
 
Also used as a place name in Australia, it would certainly make an unexpected option.

Banksia

For fans of Scottlyn, Suttyn, and Stratton, Stratlyn blends the strat element (from the Latin strata) with the popular suffix -lyn. As such, it could have various meanings including "street by the lake", "land with paved streets", or "pretty street".

Stratlyn

You've heard of Joy and Sunny; you might have heard of Happy and Lucky being used as names too, but how about this upbeat option? Traditionally a nickname for someone with a smile ever on their face, it may also be considered a surname meaning "small clearing".
 
Used quietly and occasionally for boys in the 20th-century, it entered the US stats for girls for the first time in 2025 when 6 girls (and no boys) were called Smiley. Similar to Miley but perhaps a tricky name to wear on down days, it nevertheless fits in with modern word choices.

Smiley

A cosy Medieval diminutive of the classic Thomas, Tomlin might just work for those honoring a Thomas but don't enjoy Tamsin or Thomasina. Typically, albeit rarely, used as a masculine name, it has never featured in the US charts, though TV personality Nick Viall and his wife Natalie Joy chose Tomlin as a middle name for one of their twin daughters, Dove Tomlin, born in 2026.


Tomlin

A fairy-tale-esque diminutive of Pash and Paschal, Pashkin is a Medieval name with spark and sweetness. Ultimately derived from Hebrew, it means "Easter" or "born at Easter".

Pashkin

Playful with a hint of poetry, Pashkin is a Medieval diminutive of Pash or Paschal, ultimately derived from Hebrew to mean "Easter" or "Passover". Used as a unisex choice, it could make an interesting character name for a something slightly fantastical.

Succinct, simple, and approachable, Pash is a Medieval English name, relating to Paschal and Pascal. Derived from Hebrew via Latin, it means "Easter" or "Passover" and was occasionally used for babies born on Easter Sunday. Occasionally used as slang for passion or passionate, it may also be used as a nickname for Pascal, Pavel, or Pavlo and as a diminutive of the Armenian Pasha (used originally as the title of a high ranking Ottoman military officer). 
 
Occasionally used in India too, it may derive from names such as Tapash ("meditation, austerity") or Vipashyin ("seeing clearly, understanding").

Pash

Simple, sweet, and breezy, Pash is a Medieval English name which was occasionally given to babies born at Easter. A relation of Paschal and Pascal, it may also be used as 'slang' for passion or passionate.
 
Once used as a stand alone, today it could also be a nickname for Praskovya, Pascale, or Patricia, or used as a variation on Sanskrit and Indian names such as Vipashyana ("seeing clearly, understanding") and Rupashi ("beautiful"), along with the Persian Pashmina ("cashmere") and Pashtun (an Iranian ethnic group).

A surname style name, Poston may have been adapted from "Boston" meaning "Botwulf's stone", or more figuratively, "stone of the improved wolf". This spelling may have emerged due an error when recording it or owing to varying dialects. 
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Other theories, however, are that it refers to a town near a post or a back gate (borrowed from the French posterne) and that it's an Old English place name meaning "Possa's town" or "Possa's Thorn".
 
A rare choice for those looking for alternatives to Peyton, Boston, Paxton, and Ashton, it may feel too close to "post on" in an age of social media.

Poston

A rare alternative perhaps for Boston, Paxton, Ashton, and Preston, Poston is a surname style name that is as yet undiscovered. Too similar perhaps to the phrase "post on" in an age of social media, it has appeared on social media baby announcements.
 
The name may have derived from "Boston", meaning "Botwulf's stone", or more figuratively, "stone of the improved wolf". The Poston spelling may have emerged due an error when recording it or owing to varying dialects. < 
Alternatively, it may refer to a town near a post or back gate or be an Old English place name, meaning "Possa's town" or "Possa's thorn".

An extremely rare name, used predominantly in the town of Bury in North Western England, Richmal is most notably borne by writer Richmal Crompton, known for her Just William novels. 
 
The exact origins of the name are unknown but one theory is that it's a blend of Richard and Mary (via the Medieval diminutive Malle), giving it meanings such as "dominant and beloved ruler". Alternatively, it could be a mix of Richard and Amalia ("vigorous ruler") or Richard and Michael ("dominant ruler who is like God").

Richmal

Similar in sound to Avon, Avery, Aidan, Eirian, and Teifion, this Welsh name is the source of an area in the north-west of Wales called Eifionydd (ay-vyawn-ith). An ancient Welsh name, the exact meaning is unknown, but notable bearers include rugby player Eifion Lewis-Roberts and footballer Eifion Williams.

Eifion

A fragrant and melodic name, Neroli is usually associated with an essential oil made from the blossom of the bitter orange tree. Less floral than orange blossom water, Neroli gets its name from the Italian region of Nerola, after the scent was popularized by its 17th-century princess, Anne Marie Orsini.
 
While you could take it to mean "orange blossom oil", if you go by the meaning of Nerola, Neroli additionally means "strong, vigorous", derived as it is from the Sabine name Nero. 
 
Sharing the flow of names like Amelie, Emily, Romilly, and Waverly, Neroli is a rare option, but one you might occasionally hear in Australia. It is most notably borne by sports journalist and TV presenter, Neroli Meadow (who has brothers called Ian and Ross). 
 
The presenter pronounces her name as NEHR-uh-lee, but the oil can also be said as NEER-uh-lee in British English or sometimes as NEH-ro-lee in American English.

Neroli

Two popular botanical names hyphenated together, Willow-Ivy is rarer than Ivy-Rose or Lily-Rose, but gives a similar feel. Appearing in the England and Wales stats since 2017, a recent year saw it given to 8 girls.

Willow-ivy

A surname-style choice, Foxley has a similar feel to the popular Wrenley, that is, it blends that popular -ley suffix with an animal name. Given to 4 boys in 2025 in England and Wales having made its debut back in 2017, Foxley may sound too much like foxy for some, but not too wordy for others. 

Foxley

Vaughn meets Charlie in this rare surname-style name, which, despite its fashionable sounds, has never made it to the US charts. Capturing that ar sound of Arlo, Marlow, and Harvey, the ley of Bailey, Finley, and Westley, and the sharp V of Levi and Oliver, it has its roots in English and Irish.
 
As an English name, it likely originated as a name for someone from Verly or Vrély in the north of France, two places that take their name from the Latin virilius meaning "manly".
 
As an Irish name, it is an Anglicization of <en>Mac Bhearshúiligh or just the given name, Berach, meaning "sharp, pointed" or more figuratively, "sharp-eyed one".

Varley

Solomon and Sol meet Selwyn and Edwin in this rare and summery name. While it could be considered a variation of Selwyn (meaning "manor friend"), it could also be viewed as a combination of several different elements, including the Latin and Old Norsesol, the Old English wine, and the Welsh gywn.
 
As such, it could mean "sun friend" (from Old Norse and English) or perhaps "sun blessed" (from Old Norse and Welsh), both providing the name with a hint of poetry. Alternatively, it could be inspired by Solomon ("peace") or Solange (via sollemnia "religious, solemn"), giving the further meanings "peaceful friend", "solemn friend" or "peaceful and blessed".

Solwyn

Baby names from the UK include names with origins from through the United Kingdom: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, along with Manx and Cornish names from those corners of the kingdom. UK baby names encompass a wide range of styles, from some of the most popular names throughout the English-speaking world, such as Jennifer and Mason, to such unique baby names as Nolwenn, Pembroke, and Sholto. There are hundreds more UK names that are just as unusual.

They along with all the names in the Nameberry database that originate in the English, Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish, Cornish and Manx languages and cultures appear on this master list of UK baby names. The top names below rank among the current US Top 1000 Baby Names and are ordered by popularity. Unique names rank below the Top 1000 and are listed alphabetically.

Baby names from the UK include names with origins from through the United Kingdom: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, along with Manx and Cornish names from those corners of the kingdom. UK baby names encompass a wide range of styles, from some of the most popular names throughout the English-speaking world, such as Jennifer and Mason, to such unique baby names as Nolwenn, Pembroke, and Sholto. There are hundreds more UK names that are just as unusual. They along with all the names in the Nameberry database that originate in the English, Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish, Cornish and Manx languages and cultures appear on this master list of UK baby names. The top names below rank among the current US Top 1000 Baby Names and are ordered by popularity. Unique names rank below the Top 1000 and are listed alphabetically. (Page 116)