UK Baby Names

A short form for a whole variety of names, this short form has been used across Europe as a stand-alone since the 1920s. It spiked in popularity in the 1950s, owing to the fame of Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida but faded out of use in the 2000s. 
 
A sweet and sparky name akin to Nina and Mina, some parents in English speaking countries may be concerned about teasing potential , though it was still given to around 100 irls in the US in a recent year. Popular in Spain, it is borne by martial artist Gina Carano, and actresses Gina Gershon, Gina Rodriguez, Gina Torres, and Gina McKee. 
 
The name may be used as a sort form of: Eugenia ("well born"), Regina ("queen"), Georgina ("farmer"), Luigina ("famous in battle"), Virginia ("pure, virgin"), and Ginevra ("white wave"), among others.
 
Beyond this, the name has multicultural roots, and may be used as a Japanese name meaning "silver" and a Sanskrit name meaning "to live".

Gina

Kari and all her many sisters, from Carrie to Carey to Kerry and onward, originated for the most part as short forms of either Catherine Katherine or one of the Charles feminizations such as Carol or Caroline.

The Kari spelling may feel particularly contemporary and flexible in terms of its derivation.

Kari

Director Ridley Scott and actress Daisy Ridley made this surname-style name familiar, and with its outdoorsy meaning and rugged yet preppy sound, it could blend in with Oakley, Reid, Riley, and Ridge. Some parents might be put of by the first syllable (as in, "get rid of" or "horrid" or "riddles"), but since Scarlett (scar), Colton (cult), and Titus all rank in the Top 400, it could still work for those looking for a standout last-name first name. 
 
Given to a little under 100 boys each year, it is currently more popular for girls. But Ridley's usage has been climbing since the 2010s and would make for an attractice gender neutral pick.

Ridley

A sleek and stylish sounding surname, Stratton derived from a variety of places in England and Scotland. Referring to a town or yard with a paved street or highway, it was given to 71 boys and 7 girls in the US in a recent year, having been slowly climbing since the 2000s.

Stratton

Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin's daughter Ireland opened up the map for names like Scotland, and now that it's been chosen by Kourtney Kardashian for her daughter Penelope's middle name -- in honor of daddy Scott Disick -- Scotland is sure to appear on more birth certificates.  Can Scotlyn be far behind?

Scotland

Once a popular choice in for boys in the Middle Ages and again during the 19th century, Aubrey has mostly been used for girls in the US since the 1970's. With its arty, surname-y, and sophisticated feel, however, it is rising up the UK charts for both boys and girls. 
Derived from the Auberi, an Old French variant of Alberich, Aubrey means "elf ruler". Up until the 50's, it was relatively well known for boys in the US, but with the release of the song "Aubrey" by Bread in 1972, the scales tipped. 
Despite this, there are still memorable male bearers of the name, including rapper Drake, whose full name is Aubrey Drake Graham; the 19th century illustrator Aubrey Beardsley; and the central character of John Polidori's novel The Vampyre. 
Used on only a tiny handful of boys each year in the US, in the UK, Aubrey is currently in the Top 250 for girls, but also the Top 600 for boys. This means it is given to boys 5 times more often in the UK, than it is the US. 
Gentle, cool and handsome, Aubrey fits in with the recent interest in softer boys names and in surnames-as-given-names. Plus, with Ellis, Mckenzie, Hadley, Casey, and Oakley in use, Aubrey might see further gains.

Aubrey

One of the first generation of cool surname names, now largely used for girls in the US, but still popular for boys in its native Scotland. A prominent association for Brits is former prime minister Tony Blair, who was leader at the time of the Iraq War.

Blair

Name hovering near the bottom of the Top 1000 that may move higher with the fashion for two-syllable surnames.  You could do worse...but you probably could also do better.

Brenton

A common surname in Scotland, but a starchy first name choice. 

Crawford

A updated spelling of stylish boy name Knox, which could be considered superfluous and totally cool, depending on your perspective. More than 60 boys were given this name in a recent year in the US: the highest number on record. 

Knoxx

Variation of Adriana, with a dash of Audrey thrown in. While fewer than 100 baby girls are named Audriana in the US each year, it's part of a constellation of names including Aubrey, Aubriana, and Ariana that are used for thousands of girls and will make the name feel far more popular than the numbers indicate.

Audriana

An occupational name, associated with working in a bank or as a vote counter. There's also the more whimsical possibility of it linking to "storyteller". Fitting in with the likes of Banks, Baylor, Reeve, and Trace, Teller was given to around 30 boys in a recent year. 
 
Influencer Kenedy Brown Cradic named her son Teller in 2026, brother to Key and Kamp.

Teller

A twist on Biblical Ezra, Ezran is a modern invention with a trendy yet established sound. Given to around 70 boys in a recent year, it appeared in the show The Dragon Prince in 2018, which coincided with its first feature in the US stats.
 
You could interpret the name as meaning "help" as Ezra does, while Ezren and Ezryn are alternative forms.

Ezran

This spelling variation of the popular girls' nickname ranks behind the more traditional form—Allie (Number 255). This spelling could be hurt by the word name ally, which bears a different pronunciation.

Ally

As Ashley becomes one of today's "mom names" thanks to its popularity amongst millennial-borns, Ashton is a fresh alternative. This particular spelling is nearly completely equally split between girls and boys in 2024.

Ashtyn

Originally a feminine of John, Jean was popular in Scotland long before it found favor elsewhere, and had its most shining moment here in the era of Jean Harlow (born Harlean), ultimate symbol of silver screen glamour. Now, though there are many grandmas and even moms with the name, it doesn't seem all that baby-friendly. Though that could change, and Jean could join Jane.
 A perennial on the popularity list until it finally dropped off in 1994, Jean was in the Top 20 from 1922 to 1936 and ranks among the 100 most <a href="/list/653/100-most-common-names-for-girls">common names for girls</a> of the past century. It was extremely well-used as a middle name, as in Michael Jackson's song "Billie Jean" and tennis champ Billie Jean King, not to mention Hermione Jean Granger from Harry Potter/. It was also the actual first name of Scout Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird. Maggie Smith shone in the 1969 film The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, and nickname Jeanie was commemorated in the Stephen Foster classic song "I Dream of Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair," as well as in the early sitcom, I Dream of Jeannie.

Jean

This spelling variation of Crystal rose all the way up to #53 in the US in 1985.

Krystal

Hayes is a stylish surname name, reminiscent of vintage Hazel, contemporary Collins, nature-inspired Forest and Rivers, and older unisex favorites like Hayden, Reese, and Casey. While it has seen increased use for girls in recent years, it is predominantly used for boys.
 
Derived from an English surname meaning "hedged area", or possibly from the Irish Ó hAodha ("descendent of Aodh, descendent of the fiery one"), it was chosen for 70 girls in a recent year. By comparison, more than 2240 boys also received the name, meaning just three percent of all babies called Hayes were girls.

Hayes

Adair has flair, the grace of a Fred Astaire, and a daring, spirited vibe. It's usually considered a Scottish surname, derived from the name Edgar, though other possibilities are that it derives from the place name, Adare, meaning "ford of oak trees" or from the Irish Darragh meaning "oak tree". In any of these cases, it is pronounced uh-DEHR.
 
Alternatively, it may be used as a Portuguese name, likely as a twist on Ademar. Pronounced with three syllables ("a-du-EER"), it would mean "wealth and fame". 
 
A unisex choice, Adair does lean masculine, with 59 boys and 22 girls given the name in the US in a recent year.

Adair

To Americans, a quintessential British name, introduced to the U.S. public by suave journalist/PBS Masterpiece Theater host Alastair Cook. Sometimes used in the U.S. by parents with Scottish heritage.

Alastair

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 45)