UK Baby Names

A variation of Landon, this form has a slightly softer look to it, but it is the less favored of the two. The name itself comes from a surname and a place name meaning "long hill", which likely refers to a ridge in the landscape. 
 
The Landen spelling entered the US Top 1000 back in the late '90s, nearly 40 years after Landon appeared in the charts for the first time. It peaked back in 2008, when it reached #199, but has since declined to the latter end of the rankings. Given to 302 boys in a recent year, for every one Landen, there are 12 boys named Landon. 
 
Landen recently came in Number 1 on a list of names of voters that tilt the most red. According to voter registration figures, over 80 percent of the voters named Landen vote Republican.

Landen

Yesterday's sensation that rose with the popularity of Whitney Houston. Whitney may have lost some of its style value, but it still sounds like one of the quintessential <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/501/english-names-for-girls">English names for girls</a>. Today, you might want to shorten it to cool nickname Whit.

Whitney

This surname has a modern yet old New England feel, perhaps because of the association with the transcendental teacher and reformer Bronson (born Amos Bronson) Alcott, father of Louisa May. (One-time sitcom star Bronson Pinchot's full name is Bronson Alcott Pinchot.)  A more muscular image comes via tough guy Charles Bronson.

Bronson

Straightforward single-syllable name, though children named Lyle may get tired of hearing "Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile". Lyle was at the height of fashion in the 1920s, which makes him due for a comeback right about now. The double L certainly gives it a fashionable sound.

Lyle

Ralph has two diametrically different images: there's the suave Ralph Fiennes-type Brit (often pronounced Rafe), and then there's the Jackie Gleason blue-collar, bowling blowhard Ralph Kramden bus driver. It's all in the eye of the beholder, though its hip factor did rise when it was chosen for his son by cool U.K. actor Matthew Macfadyen.
 Ralph is a name that's been around for a thousand years, was in the Top 30 from the 1870s to the 1920s, and just could make a comeback. It's already in the UK Top 100.
 Ralph has a number of notable namesakes, from Ralph Waldo Emerson to Ralph Abernathy to Ralph Lauren. In literature, Ralph is a Shakespearean name, appearing in Henry IV, is a pivotal figure in Henry James's The Portrait of a Lady and Ralph was one of the three main boys in Lord of the Flies. And let's not forget Ralphie in A Christmas Story.
 Or you might prefer the French version--Raoul.

Ralph

Many parents seeking a return to more basic values and a simpler lifestyle are turning to such virtuous girls' names as Grace, Faith, and Hope, but there are a handful that work just as well on boys, including True. While more popular (for both sexes) in the Tru spelling, True entered the US Top 1000 for boys in 2023.

True

As this long-term Age of Jordans, both male and female, begins to wind down, the neglected Scottish favorite Gordon, with its more distinguished history, could come back as a distinctive alternative. Gordon is one of the most classic authentically <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/473/scottish-names-for-boys">Scottish names for boys</a>. 
Originally a surname, it was used in honor of nineteenth century general Charles George Gordon, killed defending the city of Khartoum. Conservative but not stodgy, Gordon was a Top 100 name from 1911 to 1943 and is showing some new signs of life. It fell off the charts in 2009 and reentered in 2014.
 A contemporary political headliner is former Prime Minister Gordon Brown (born James Gordon), and other distinguished bearers of the name have been photographer and film director Parks, Scottish celebrity chef Ramsay, and the beloved "Sesame Street" character Gordon Robinson. We won't even mention that symbol of corporate greed from the 80's movie Wall Street.

Gordon

Evoking the image of a shady glen, Slade could make a distinctive middle name. It entered the Top 1000 in 2007, and has been seen as a character name on the TV show "Smallville."  It's also a name that pops up in comic books and video games.

Slade

More popular in its Layton spelling, Leighton is rising in popularity in the US for both sexes simultaneously, although this spelling remains more popular for girls for now – no doubt helped by actress Leighton Meester. Lleyton – as in Australian tennis star Lleyton Hewitt – is another, even more complicated, variant spelling.

Leighton

Ollie is the versatile go-to nickname for the hugely popular Oliver, though the large majority of parents prefer to have the more formal name on the birth certificate. Even in the UK where nickname names are especially in vogue (and Ollie does rank in the Top 150), long-form Oliver is still used more than seven times more frequently. 
 
Derived from Latin to mean "olive tree", friendly Ollie was in the US Top 300 in the early half of the 20th-century, however, you may be surprised to learn it actually ranked higher for girls until the 50s. Currently out of the Top 1000 entirely, a recent year saw it given to 207 boys and 80 girls.

Ollie

A fresher spin on Jaxon, with built-in cool nickname Nix, and a great way to honor an ancestral Nick. But the association with disgraced former president Richard Nixon remains strong, which might explain why this otherwise bang-on-trend surname name has remained under the radar, peaking at #482 in 2017.

Nixon

An medieval English form of Helen, the sensitive but clear-eyed Ellen has swung in and out of style for centuries, often alternating with the parent name. Ellen was the more common in medieval England, until after the Renaissance, when Helen overtook her. In Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence, set at the end of the nineteenth century, one character wonders why another has not changed her "ugly" given name to something prettier, like Elaine—a statement few would make today.
 Ellen has been the name of two First Ladies—Arthur and Wilson—and is Scarlett O'Hara's mother in Gone with the Wind. These days, it's most strongly associated in the US with comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.

Ellen

Updates Allison—which everyone will misunderstand it as. But it's definitely a fresh spin on the Ellie names, and a rising surname name choice for girls. 
 
Ellison made its first appearance on the US Top 1000 for girls in 2013 and has been drifting slightly upwards ever since. About 75 percent of the babies named Ellison are girls.
 Ralph Ellison was the author of Invisible Man, which won the National Book Award in 1953.

Ellison

A popular mid-century choice in America, Ronnie might feel a little dated now, having been in decline since the 80s and dipping in and out of the Top 1000 since the 2020s. In England and Wales, however, Ronnie presents a totally different image: retro but cool, edgy but old-fashioned, a recent year saw it appear in the Top 50, perfectly at home with Teddy, Reggie, Sonny, and Archie..
 
Usually considered a nickname for Ronald, a Scottish form of the Old Norse name Ragnvaldr, meaning "ruler's counsel", Ronnie may break the name away from the Ronald McDonald and presidential connections.

Ronnie

Cute kid with freckles, bouncing a Spalding ball. Cool couple Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton put the name Billy Burton on their son's birth certificate. While the classic William, name of the future king of England, may in fact be German, the nickname Billy along with such other classic short forms as Jim and Joe are authentically <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/502/english-names-for-boys">English names for boys</a>.

Billy

Like other "ee" names, Bailee is starting to lose its shine, slowly slipping down the charts.

Bailee

Aniya is a a cross-cultural choice with a bright, fresh sound. While alternative spelling Aniyah is in the US and UK Top 1000, Aniya dropped out of the charts in 2021, and is now given to around 250 girls each year.
 
As an Arabic name, Aniya means "caring" or "one who helps others", an aspirational meaning connoting both strength and gentleness. As a modern invention, it likely draws inspiration from Anya and Anna, which could give it the meaning "grace".
 
Writer of popular novel Queenie, Candice Carty-Williams has used the name in her first YA book, Empress and Aniya.

Aniya

Harriet has long been considered a stylish, upscale name in England, but it's still waiting to be revived in the US—though some parents seeking a solid, serious semi-classic are beginning to consider it. 
 Distinguished namesakes include Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of the influential Uncle Tom's Cabin; Harriet Tubman (born Araminta), the famed abolitionist; and in pop culture, Harriet Hilliard Nelson, of Ozzie & Harriet TV fame. Many will associate it with the protagonist of the childhood classic Harriet the Spy. Harriet has appeared in other books ranging from Jane Austen's Emma to Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. 
 Harriet, a Top 100 name at the turn of the last century, hasn't appeared on the list since 1970. On the other hand, it is currently Number 61 in England and Wales.
 Cutesy nicknames for Harriet include Hattie, Hetty, and Hatsy. A related idea: Henrietta.

Harriet

When Gary cracked the Top 10 in 1950, it was one of the first nonclassic <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ names</a> to do so, largely due to Gary (born Frank) Cooper, who was renamed after Gary, Indiana, his agent's hometown. Now, a 65 years later, Gary isn't particularly high in the charts, and has lost any glitter it had. May we suggest the fuller name Gareth?

Gary

Ann, the name of the sainted mother of the Virgin Mary, was among the top <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ names</a> for centuries, in both the original English Ann spelling and the French Anne. Both left the Top 100 around 1970 and show no signs of returning, with Anne is the middle of the US Top 1000 and Ann dropped out of sight. 

Once a go-to middle name, Ann has lost its stature in that position as well. Still, it's one of the most <a href="/list/653/100-most-common-names-for-girls">common names for girls</a> of the 20th century.
 Some more popular related names today include Hannah, Anna, and Annabelle.

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 28)