UK Baby Names

Simplicity and pleasant associations give the word Bell real possibility as a first name -- but somehow it seems better for a girl, a la Belle.

Averill is an ancient name, most properly spelled Averil, that has a Boston Brahmin air – probably due to the image of statesman Averill Harriman. It's of the rare English surname names that originally derived from a female given name: Eoforhild (Everild), meaning "boar battle".

Formerly in style limbo, Edric has recently started to see more use by parents. It could be because it sounds medieval yet accessible - which George R. R. Martin took advantage of for several characters - or because it's an offbeat alternative to the more popular Ed-names.

The spelling Pearce softens the name's sharper edges, though we prefer the original Piers. That "pear" snippet could confuse pronunciation, which is just like Pierce.

A few boys have adopted fabrics like Denim and Suede; here's a singular one for the girls, with a distinctively silky sheen.

Minta is an eighteenth century short form of a literary beauty still used in England today, but yet to be discovered by American baby namers. It has a fresh and dainty feel.

Kelsey (ex-Frasier) Grammer is a famous male bearer, although most modern Kelseys are female. It derives from several English place names, possibly meaning "Cenel's island", from the Old English name Cenel "fierce".

Highly unusual but stylish-sounding occupational name, with a pleasant association with gardens.

Whether you pronounce it Mac-cleen or Mac-clayn, this is one of the crispest and most appealing of the Mac names. The Scottish clan Maclean is one of the oldest of the Highland Scottish clans. Trivia tidbit: Sir Fitzroy Maclean is said to have been an inspiration for the Ian Fleming James Bond character.

If Dayton, like Trenton and Camden, is finding favor with parents, it's more because of its popular two-syllable surname feel and -on ending than the industrial city in Ohio.

Hundreds of families have adopted this Scottish name, attracted by its trendy Ty beginning and upbeat second syllable. (Tyrell and Tyrese are also increasing in popularity. ) Tyree Glenn was a great jazz trombonist.

You won't win with Sherwin.

With the growing popularity of Celia and Cecilia, this vintage canasta-playing nickname name could be due for a comeback.

Some definite downsides: Massive, Messy.

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.

An old English redhead name -- one of the few that doesn't begin with the letter r -- with references both to a famous French knight and a magical horse. Civil Rights leader Bayard Rustin is a contemporary bearer of this unusual and evocative name.

Ancient martyr name that sounds totally modern, but perhaps too close to rumor.

Extremely common in Wales and England, Dafydd would likely leave some non-Welsh speakers confused at first. But we love the soft, lispy quality this variation offers.

A pleasant-sounding name that might be more popular were it not a brand of bottled water - something that is noted in the 1999 movie Superstar, which features a female Evian. The brand is named after the French spa town of Évian-les-Bains, which ultimately derives from aqua, the Latin word for water.

Romantic and mysterious, Eluned's beauty and intelligence were legendary in Welsh legend; she was the handmaiden of the Lady of the Fountain in a Welsh Arthurian romance, who had a magic ring that made the wearer invisible. Pronunciation is usually similar in emphasis to Eleanor, but with ned instead of nor at the end. However, it's sometimes also pronounced el-LIN-ed or even shortened to Luned, the sounce of Lynette, in Tennyson's Gareth and Lynette.