UK Boy Names

Cool, solid, and often spiritual, Creed derives from the Latin word credo meaning "I believe". It appeared sporadically in the US Top 1000 back in the late 19th century, but remained only quietly used the 2000s. By 2016 it was back in the charts, and in a recent year more than 460 boys were given the name, placing it in the Top 700.
 
Referring to any set of beliefs and principles that someone follows, the word Creed is often associated with religion, specifically with a formal declaration of Christian belief. It could therefore be considered a modern Christian baby name, joining the likes of Messiah, Saint, Psalm, Chosen and Cruz - though it could easily be secular too.
 
Creed likely got a bump up the charts from the seventh movie in the Rocky series, called simply Creed, while others may be familiar with it thanks to Creed Bratton on the popular television show The Office.

Creed

Wilson is a substantive presidential choice far less prevalent than Taylor or Tyler, and with the advantage of being a new route to friendly nickname Will. We see Wilson growing in popularity as an alternative to William; and as a patronymic, it would make a conceivable (if possibly confusing) choice for a son of William.
 Being the tenth most common surname in the U.S., Wilson has countless possible last-named namesakes in every field, from politics to show biz. Those with Wilson as a first name are harder to find, beyond soul singer-songwriter Wilson Pickett and Wilson Rawls, author of the beloved book Where the Red Fern Grows. Wilson is also the name of Tom Hank's friend, the volleyball, in the movie Castaway.

Wilson

Trevor, a British standard, took a long time to cross the Atlantic, but finally began its rise here in the 1980s. It is now a thoroughly naturalized citizen, though it still retains a touch of Anglo class. 

Trevor

Peyton is the most-used spelling of this popular name, thanks to football star Peyton Manning. It rose to fame in the 90s and was solidly - or statistically - unisex in the early 2000s, however, the 2010s saw it shift to a more feminine leaning option. Nevertheless, with its surname-style and gentle sounds, Peyton could still fit in with the likes of Grayson, Everett, and Cameron.
 
Derived from an English place name, Peyton means "Pæga's town" or "fighting man's estate", though other sources associate it with Patton and Patrick, giving it the meaning "nobleman's town". Given to a not-insubstantial 500 boys each year, Peyton ranked at 604 in the US charts in 2023. 
 
Besides Peyton Manning, there are a number of other sport stars with the name, including footballers Peyton Hillis, Peyton Thompson, and Peyton Siva. Actors Peyton Meyer and Peyton Clark are other notable bearers, while historically, the name was borne by Founding Father, Peyton Randolph.

Peyton

Taylor was much more popular throughout the 1990s for both genders than it is today. Close to the Top 50 <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys' names</a> in the mid-1990s, Taylor recently fell out of the Top 500 for boys and out of the Top 100 for girls, and is predicted to continue on a downward trajectory for both genders. Similar but more stylish <a href="https://nameberry.com">baby names</a> today include Sawyer, Sayer and Thayer.

Taylor

Donald has been used for centuries in Scotland, where the Macdonald clan is one of the most ancient and where there have been six early Scottish kings by that name. Donald was a Top 20 name throughout most of the early twentieth century. 
 
But first there was the quacking Donald Duck, introduced in 1934, to affect its image, and then there was The Donald Trump, leaving it drained of much baby appeal. Trump's runs to presidency didn't save Donald's decline on the baby name charts: over the last decade it has fallen around 200 places in the US, and a recent year saw it rank at #672 when it was given to around 400 boys. 
 
Across the pond, it is now out of favor in Scotland too and the latest count revealed just 16 boys were called Donald in England and Wales. Nicknames Donnie and Donny preferred, given to around 60 boys collectively, with the -ie spelling in the Top 1000, distant enough from the Trump association to work there. 
 Aside from Donald Sutherland, most contemporary real and fictive Donalds go by nicknames — as in Donny Osmond, Donnie Wahlberg, Don Rickles and Don Draper. More promising and more authentically Celtic sounding is Donal, which is quite commonly used in Ireland, or surname cousins Donnelly or Donovan.

Donald

A name that crosses cultures, Idris was virtually unknown in the US before the emergence of the charismatic actor Idris Elba, first on The Wire and then for depicting Nelson Mandela. Since then, the name has grown with the actor and is a popular choice in the UK and Belgium, and a familiar one in The Netherlands, France, and the US. 
 
From its Arabic origins, Idris means "to learn or study" and is often linked to being either studious, or to interpretation, as Idris is the name of a prophet mentioned in the Quran, and the equivalent of the Biblical Enoch. As such, it has long been popular among Islamic families, and is a familiar choice across Nigeria, Turkey, and India.

Idris is also a Welsh name, however, with completely different roots and origins, Meaning "ardent lord", it appears in Welsh mythology, where it is borne by Idris Hawr, a legendary seventh-century Welsh giant and magician who gave his name to a well-known mountain, Idris's Fort.

Versatile and magical, Idris makes a wonderful, multicultural choice, pronounced as eed-REES (rhyming with "creed" and "lease") in Arabic and IHD-rihs (rhyming with "did" and "miss") in Welsh. In a recent year, it ranked just outside the UK Top 150, while in the US, it was in the Top 800, given to around 350 boys.

Idris

While John Wayne and Duke Ellington are worthy role models, the reason Duke is currently enjoying a revival and returned to the Top 1000 in 2013 as one of the year's fastest-rising <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ names</a> is more likely due to the name given to high-profile TV couple Giuliana and Bill Rancic. Christened Edward Duke, he has always been called by his middle name, just as Edward Duke Ellington was. Duke is just one of several aristocratic titles being increasingly used by ordinary citizens.

Duke

In Ireland and Scotland, Mac and Mc mean "son of"; here, Mac is a generic fella, or a short form cooler than either Matt or Max. Mac can be a nickname of any longer Mac or Mc starting name such as McCoy or Macalister. If you want to make it feel more complete, you can always spell it Mack.

Evander is a name that could build on the popularity of shorter form Evan, and could work and play well with schoolmates like Zander and Xander.
 Evander was prominent in Greek and Roman mythology: in classical lore Evander was a wise Arcadian hero who founded the city in Italy that preceded Rome, appearing in Virgil's Aeneid.
 Evander also derives from a Norse name meaning bow warrior.
 In modern times, the name has been associated with boxing champ Evander Holyfield.
 Evander could make a more distinctive aternative to Alexander.

Evander

Marvin has been neglected for so long that it's hard to believe that it has windswept Welsh roots. It also has some strong namesakes going for it -- singer Marvin Gaye, composer Marvin Hamlisch and boxer Marvin Hagler. It's the real name of both Neil Simon and Meatloaf. And let's not forget mention Marvin Gardens on Monopoly. 
 Marvin has made appearances on The Simpsons, Weeds and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- and was more recently bestowed on the baby in How I Met Your Mother.

Marvin

A recent addition to the Most Popular list, Bridger has the trendy two-syllables and 'er' ending, and a historical reference to Jim Bridger, a foremost nineteenth-century frontiersman, explorer, trapper, scout, and teller of tall tales. 
 Bridger might be a nice name for a baby whose heritage bridges two cultures.

Bridger

Gentle but solid, as much of a word as it is a name, Robin is a rising star in the US, and a favorite in Belgium, France, Czechia and Switzerland. With memorable namesakes like Robin Hood, Robin Williams, Christopher Robin, and Robin the Boy Wonder, a recent year saw Robin feature as a gender neutral choice in the US, ranking at #703 for boys and #704 for girls.

Traditionally used as a Medieval English diminutive of Robert, Robin is just as likely to bring to mind the bird, and it was likely this that led to its usage as a unisex choice. In the US, its high point for both genders was in the 1950s when it ranked in the Top 150 for boys and the Top 30 for girls.
 
A neutral choice in the Netherlands, it ranks either exclusively or more highly for boys in the UK, France, Switzerland, Estonia, and Belgium.

Robin

Similar to popular Riley and Ryan and the origin of Rylan, this Old English surname has been in the US Top 1000 since the early 2000s. While it has declined in recent years, it was still given to around 360 boys in 2024 — and to 30 girls.
 
Translating literally to "rye land", the name refers to a place where the crop was grown or to someone who lived there. It is full birth name of legendary musician Ry Cooder and the name of YouTuber Ryland Adam. Ryland Lynch meanwhile is a member of the band R5, comprised of himself and his siblings Riker, Rocky, Ross, and Rydel.

Ryland

Short and cool with rugged charm, Wes is a rising star in the US, climbing the charts along side Wesley and Weston and joining other one syllable options such as Mack, Jett, Tate, and Brooks. Filmmakers Wes Anderson and Wes Craven lend the name a stylish and creative air, but it also has Old Western undertones thanks to its literal meaning, "west".
 
Used quietly since the 1880s at least, Wes had a spike of popularity in the mid-20th-century, perhaps owing to jazz musician, Wes Montgomery. By the 70s, it was out of style, but the 2010s saw a revival of Wes, and over the last decade, it has almost tripled in use. 
 
Given to around 345 boys in the US in 2024, it is also in the Top 500 in the Netherlands.

Spelling Camden with a K makes it less of a place name—Camden is a downmarket city in New Jersey and an upmarket area of London—and more of a Kardashian-era confection, or maybe konfection. Both Kamden and Camden are in the Top 500 <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ names</a>.

Kamden

Nature names like Ocean and River are flowing back into favor, especially with nature lovers and green-oriented parents. In 2024, it was given to 483 boys and 325 girls, making this a unisex favorite in the US, while in the UK, it is considerably more popular for girls.
 Forest Whitaker, an inspired child namer (his other kids are called Sonnet and True), has a son named Ocean Alexander, while Amber Heard named one of her twins Ocean in 2025, brother to Agnes. 
 Variations include Oceanus, the name of the child who was born during the voyage of the Mayflower, and Oceane, a wildly popular girls' name in France.

Ocean

Bellamy is a surname name with an admirable meaning and upbeat rhythm, similar to jovial choices like Rafferty, Barnaby and Willoughby. 

 Bellamy is rising simultaneously for boys and girls at the moment, making it a truly gender-neutral choice. It entered the Top 1000 for girls for the first time in 2018, before dropping out in 2019 and entering for boys. Since 2020, Bellamy has finally been in the Top 1000 for both genders.

 Muse frontman Matt Bellamy and Bellamy Blake from The 100 are notable male namesakes.

Bellamy

Cannon sits amongst other weapon names like Colt, Pistol, Lance, and Remington. Definitely a name that offers bombast.

Cannon

A name that has a bit of a shouldn't-I-be-a-middle-name sound, though still in use as a first for both genders. Lee might be a good choice if you want something that sounds at once traditional yet modern, unisex but not newly-minted. And while it absolutely works as a first name, Lee is still one of the top <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/480/middle-names-for-boys">middle names for boys</a> as well as one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/top-last-names-in-the-us">most common last names in the US</a>.

UK names for baby boys originate from all the languages and cultures of the United Kingdom: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, along with Cornwall and the Isle of Man. UK boy names range from the top names for boys throughout the English-speaking world, such as Edward, Jack, and James, to thousands of unique boy names like Kelso, Mungo, and Rowley.

Browse this list of UK boy names that originate in the Nameberry database that originate in the English, Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish, Cornish and Manx languages and cultures. 

UK names for baby boys originate from all the languages and cultures of the United Kingdom: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, along with Cornwall and the Isle of Man. UK boy names range from the top names for boys throughout the English-speaking world, such as Edward, Jack, and James, to thousands of unique boy names like Kelso, Mungo, and Rowley.  (Page 10)