UK Boy Names

Tough, cool, and rugged, Ramsey is a Scottish and English surname that has plenty of potential as a given name. Similar in style to Murray, Murphy, and Rafferty, it was chosen for around 90 boys and 70 girls in the US in a recent year.
 
Also written as Ramsay, the surname comes from an Old English place name, meaning "garlic island", likely owing to the growth of wild garlic in the area. Today, it is perhaps best associated with chef Gordan Ramsey and actor Bella Ramsey, though other bearers include physicist Norman Foster Ramsey, radio personality Dave Ramsey, and footballer Aaron Ramsey, among many more. 
 
Villainous Ramsay Bolton in the series A Song of Ice and Fire and its adaptation Game of Thrones may however have tainted the name for some, and it should be noted that the Ramsay spelling is rarely used.

Ramsey

A modern choice with plenty of gravitas, Rexton blends regal Latin Rex with English suffix -ton. In tune with Kingston, Weston, Luxton, Ashton, Preston, Boston, and similar, it was a fast rising choice in 2025, given to 78 babies compared to 21 the year prior. 
 
Also the name of a hearing aid brand and a model of car, it may continue to rise in coming years thanks to its popular sounds and nickname Rex.

Rexton

Tyrell is kind of part Tyrone and Tyler, part Terrell, though it has never made the US Top 1000. As a form of Terrell it means "to pull", from the French tirel and from here, it gets the additional meaning "stubborn", Terrell being given to an obstinate. Alternatively, it may mean "land", from terre.

Tyrell

Strongly associated with the mega-popular single-named singer, who was actually the fourth Usher Raymond in his family. He could start a fad.
 
The Yiddish variation of Usher is commonly used in the Hasidic community.

Usher

This is a name that deserves more attention. Cordell is an occupational name that, through its similarity in sound to Cornell, Denzel, Dashiell,  Boswell and Maxwell, feels both on-trend and upmarket.

Cordell

Harper got its start as a celebrity baby name when Paul Simon chose it for his now-grown son. Since then, other famous parents have followed suit: musician Tim Finn and actor Cecilia Peck both have sons called Harper.

Other high-profile Harpers, like author (Nelle) Harper Lee and starbabies Harper Burtka-Harris and Harper Beckham, are female, but it makes a handsome choice for either sex (and is in the US Top 1000 for both boys and girls).

Harper

Comedian Roseanne Barr chose this macho nature name for her son. In the 18th century it was used to describe a dashing, fashionable dressed man. Buck fits in well alongside names like Beck, Jack and Huck. 

 The traditional name of the full moon in July, Buck Moon, relates to the fact that the antlers of male deer reach their peak growth around this time of year.

Buck

If it's an alternative to Luke or Lucas you're after, or new inspiration based on Paxton and Braxton, Luxton could make for an interesting option. Blending the cool letter X with a nod to some classics, Luxton was given to 75 boys in the US last year.
 
As a place a and a surname, Luxton comes from the Middle English Lugg, likely a colloquial form of Lucas, Lewis, or Luke used in the British county of Devon. Paired with the suffix -ton, you could elaborate the meaning into "town of the man form Luciana" or "town of the renowned warrior".
 
As a modern creation, Luxton could combine the rising name Lux, which means "light" in Latin, with the aforementioned -ton, to get the meaning "town of light".
 With nickname options including Lux, Lucky, or Lonnie, Luxton could continue to rise in coming years, having received more exposure thanks to content creator Dina Louann, who chose it for one of her sons.

Luxton

Former cool-boy name now in middle-aged limbo, but with a nice naturey meaning to endear it to modern parents.

Glen

Alfie is a Top 20 name throughout the British Isles, where retro nickname names are mega-popular, but it hasn't really been picked up in the US yet, given to around 70 boys in a recent year. Nevertheless, both Alfie and rising star Archie are spunky nickname possibilities with a bit of an English accent.
 Thanks to some louche fictional characters, Alfie has long had a lovable rogue image. First there was the Michael Caine character in the 1966 eponymous film, followed by a 2004 remake starring Jude Law. In Britain, the name was given a big boost by the Alfie Moon character in the long-running soap, EastEnders.

Alfie

Huntley was best known as Brinkley's fellow news anchor back in the 60s and 70s, while in the UK, it might still be linked to a high profile murder case. Nevertheless, this surname style choice feels tough, trendy, preppy, and outdoorsy at the same time and may fit in with the likes of Hunter, Wesley, and Bentley.
 
As of 2024, the name is a truly neutral choice, given to 102 girls and 98 boys.

Huntley

Evans is an historic Welsh patronymic surname, derived from Evan, which is a form of John.  With Evan's popularity in the U.S. and the U.K. -- it's a Top 50 names -- the stylish s-ending version may also be on the rise.

Evans

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

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

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

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 22)