UK Baby Names

A contemporary spelling of a vintage nickname, Maizie ensures that it would get pronounced MAYZ-ee over MAYS-ee. While some may find it too reminiscent of "maize", as in the corn plant, this may be part of the appeal for others, giving it a subtle nature link.
 
A once popular choice in England and Wales, peaking in 2010 when it ranked in the Top 250, Maizie made its debut in the US charts in 2025 when it climbed 138 places up the charts. Given to 295 girls, Maisie was chosen for more than four times as many girls in the same year, when it was chosen for 1328 babies.

Maizie

Foster is one commonly heard last name that makes a fine first. The word foster means "to nourish" — as in "fostering hope", or "fostering a relationship". The only problem with Foster might be its association with "foster child."
 There are numerous notable last-named Fosters, including composer Stephen, actresses Jodie and Sutton, architect Norman, and comic strip artist Hal, creator of "Prince Valiant."

Foster

Likely borrowed from Kale or Cale, both short forms of the Biblical Caleb, Kael may also be used as an Anglicization of the Irish Cáel or as a Spanish form of the Breton Gaël. As such, it could mean "dog" or "whole heart" via Caleb, "slender" via Cáel, and "Gaelic" via Gaël,
 
 It was a fast rising choice in the US in 2025 when it jumped 536 places up the charts to re-enter the Top 1000, having been absent for several years.

Kael

Macho to the max.  But with the rise of x as a fashionable letter anywhere it appears in a name, ala Jaxson or Maxon, we may be hearing more of Axton.

Axton

A sweet, slightly old-school nickname name with a cheerful image, Scottie was originally used as a petname for someone from Scotland, or who spoke Scottish Gaelic. Stylish for boys in the 70s and 80s when the solid Scott was enjoying its US heyday, it has since shifted into a predominantly feminine name.
 
One of the fastest rising names for girls in the 2020s, it is used as a feminine name 90% of the time according to the latest US stats, however, it has seen renewed interest as a masculine name. It more than doubled in usage for boys in 2024, when it was chosen for 173 babies compared to 65 the year before, while a more recent count saw this number rise to 262

Scottie

Bennett, with its 'ett' ending, has a softer feel compared to some other Ben- names, and with celebrity style Benny and Beni catching attention, this variation of Benedict with its gentle meaning has seen more use for girls in recent years. Alternate spellings include Bennette and Bennet — the latter which may appeal to any Jane Austen fans.

Bennett's unisex appeal was highlighted when NFL player Jason Kelce and his wife, Kylie, chose Bennett Llewellyn for their daughter in 2023. Meanwhile, influencer Jaci Marie Smith named her daughter Benny in 2024, suggesting Ben- names might just catch on for girls.
 
In fact, in a recent year, Bennett was given to 234 girls in the US compared to 5095 boys. While that does mean just over four percent of all Bennetts born were girls, it's not an insubstantial number — especially when you consider it was given to 146 girls the year before. As such, it sat within the US Top 1100, alongside Agnes, Jovi, Casey, and Cordelia. 
 
 Bennett with its modern feel and links to Pride and Prejudice (with the Bennet spelling) might appeal more to some parents than Bernadette or Benjamina — plus you've got the nickname options of Benni, Betty, Etta, Betsy, and Nettie too.

Bennett

The popular single-named alternative singer (born Bek) has given this cool nature-meets-surname name a new lease of life. Another notable bearer is Beck Weathers, a Texan pathologist who survived the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, which was covered in the book and film Into Thin Air.

 Outdoorsy yet refined, Beck still sits below the radar but could follow brother Beckett up the charts.

Beck

A contemporary spin on Hailey, Bailey, and Kailey, using the stylish letter Z and the double -ee ending, Zaylee ticks the boxes as trendy choice for a modern baby. It joined the US Top 1000 back in 2015 and at least 350 girls received the name in a recent year.
 
While it can be considered a modern invention, Zaylee might also seen as a short form of the floral Azalea or as a spin on the popular French name, Zélie (ZEH-lee), meaning "noble", for those seeking to ground the name somewhere. 
 
Alongside Zaylee, spelling alternative Zaylie is receiving more attention, and was given to around 50 girls in a recent year. The similar Zayla has also ranked in the US charts.
 
Content creator Aubree Jones has a daughter called Zaylee Ruth.

Zaylee

Emmeline is an Emma relative and Emily cousin that is destined for greater use in the wake of the megapopularity of those two names. A recommended Nameberry fave, Emmeline hopped onto the US Top 1000 in 2014 for the first time ever. While it is genuinely an old name, it was rarely used a century ago; only 17 baby girls were named Emmeline in 1915, the same number as were named Ernie!
 A popular medieval name, Emmeline was introduced to Britain by the Normans. It appeared as a character in Uncle Tom's Cabin, and is famous in Britain as the name of the illustrious suffragette, Emmeline Pankhurst. Way back in 1980, it was the name of young Brooke Shields's innocent character in The Blue Lagoon. More recently, Emmeline Vance was a witch in the Harry Potter series.
 Christian Bale has a daughter named Emmeline.

Emmeline

One of the few remaining unrestored vintage gems, with a choice of two winning nicknames--the girlish Winnie and the tomboyish Freddie. Winifred, the name of a legendary Welsh saint, was a Top 200 name into the mid-1920's.
 Winifred was one of the Forsytes in The Forsyte Saga, Winifred Foster was the heroine of Tuck Everlasting, and another appeared in Joss Wheden's Angel; in Once Upon a Mattress, Princess Winnifred (two n's) sings the song 'A Girl Named Fred'. The Disney folks seem to have been fond of the name--they used it in Jungle Book, Mary Poppins and Hocus Pocus. 
 Actress Jacqueline Bisset was born a Winifred and notable Winnies include Mrs. Mandela and the young girlfriend on The Wonder Years. Formerly considered old and fusty, Winifred is back in and was featured in the US Top 1000 in 2023.

Winifred

Brittany first arrived on the US popularity list in 1971, and rapidly zoomed up the charts, in the Top 100 a decade later. By 1986 it had entered the Top 10, becoming the third most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ name</a> in the country by 1989. 

After such immense popularity, there has been a steep decline, but it remains a name evocative of one of the most beautiful and culturally interesting areas of France -- and much preferable to the contracted Britney.

Brittany evolved as a modern coinage from the ancient French duchy Bretagne. Celtic Bretons emigrated from France to become the Bretons of English; later the name Britain came to signify the country.

Brittany

The most popular spelling in a family of names including Darien and Darion, Darian has nonetheless been on the decline since it peaked in the 1990s. 

Darian

Thanks to the surprise hit revival of Etta James' song At Last and because of recent interest in vintage style nicknames, Etta has established herself as a possible successor to Emma and Ella. While it is currently in the latter end of the US charts, the smart, snappy name is a rising choice in the UK, where it features in the Top 150. 

Once a short form of Henrietta, Etta has long been used on its own, and like Nora it feels perfectly substantial as a standalone. It could however also be a nickname for Loretta, Annetta, Violet, Juliet - or, for the brave, Jamesetta, which was Etta James' real first name.
 
Once a Top 100 name in the last decades of the 19th century, it slid down the US popularity charts, as nickname-y choices were ditched in favor of putting a full name on the birth certificate. It has made appearances on the US charts since 2017, and with its vintage vibes and sharp-but-sweet sounds, it may well be here to stay this time. 
 
The name was recently been picked by a celeb, Carson Daly, who is said to have been inspired by soul singer Etta James. Meanwhile, Henrietta "Etta" Bishop was a character on the TV show Fringe and might have shone a new light on the name.
 
Given to around 260 girls in a recent year, Etta joins Ruthie and Winifred as vintage-revival names to re-enter the US charts. 
 
A bit of trivia: Etta is an anagram name, which can be rearranged to make Tate.

Etta

Rugged and outdoorsy, Heath was an obscure choice until the 1960s when it was used in the television series, The Big Valley for character Heath Barkley. It peaked in the 70s when it reached the US Top 200, but it has since fallen to the latter end of the Top 1000.
 
Australian actor Heath Ledger was a notable bearer of the name, whose tragic death in 2008 led to a brief spike in popularity in the US. 
 Heath is the name of a popular toffee candy bar by Hershey's.

Heath

One of the many, many ways to spell Aliya. The "leia" component gives Aleia an extra pronunciation option, like Leia with an extra syllable.

Aleia

Judson remained in the US Top 1000 every year until it dropped off in 1987. In 2014, the named rejoined the list. With Hudson gaining in popularity, Judson—a possible alternative to Justin—could follow its path. 

Judson

Kallie is usually used as a nickname for more unusual names like Calliope, Kalliope, and Calendula. We also think this is a fresher alternative to Kelly.

Kallie

A rising surname, perhaps inspired by legendary Dallas Cowboys football coach Tom Landry, this name is historically associated with St. Landry, a 7th-century bishop of Paris and founder of the city's first hospital. Derived from the Germanic Landric, giving it a strong and distinctive meaning, it was used as a masculine choice in France during the latter half of the 20th-century, while in the US, it is a gender neutral option. 
 
Landry first entered the Top 1000 for girls in 2014, four years after it had started appearing for boys, though it had been used sparingly since the 80s. It dropped out of the charts in 2022, but a more recent year saw it become one of the fastest rising gender neutral choices of the year, re-entering the Top 1000 for both sexes. 
 . 
Given to 229 boys and 279 girls, parents may now be less concerned with it being confused with laundry — though in an age of Denim, Corduroy, Suede, and Linen, maybe that isn't such a big deal.

Landry

Alianna barely wedged its way into US Top 1000 in 2015, and almost fell off with a Number 998 finish in 2016. The second n doesn't add much, so Aliana or even Eliana might be better options.

Alianna

Borrowed from the term of endearment darling, Darla (and the related Darlene) have been in use long enough that they now sound more name-y than cutesy and twee. It might help too that it rhymes with the likes of Carla and Arla. 
 
Darla was at its peak in the US back in the 1960s when it ranked at #165 in the US, possibly thanks to actress Darla Hood, who appeared in the show Our Gang in the 1930s and 40s, and it has also appeared in the shows The Bold and the Beautiful and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
 
Appearing in the Top 1000 in England and Wales since the mid-2010s, it made a return to the US charts in 2025 after a 40 year absence, alongside other retro choices like Arlette, Andie, Honey, and Ruthie.

Darla

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. 

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.  (Page 25)