UK Boy Names

A mystical word name, most often reserved for black cats, Midnight conjures up darkness and the liminal space between the end of one day and the beginning of the next. It has seen some use as a baby name however, and was chosen by celebs Nicole Richie and Joel Madden for their son's middle name in 2009, and then by social media star, Jasmine Chiswell for her son's first name in 2022.
 
The name first entered the US stats back in 2005 for girls, but 2022 saw it rank for boys for the first time when 5 babies were given the name.

Midnight

Chelsea for a boy?  Yes — and we've got two maleberry Chelseas to prove it (one of whom even wrote a blog for us about his experience)!  Boy Chelseas would more likely be named for the British football team than the old Joni Mitchell song sung by Judy Collins.

Chelsea

Preppy and contemporary in feel, Stratford is a surname and placename, most notably associated with Stratford-upon-Avon, the birth and burial place of William Shakespeare. It could make an unexpected choice for fans of the bard who also love modern and offbeat names like Stratton, Stetson, and Ford.


Stratford

Blending popular nickname Tommy with familiar middle name Lee, this hyphenated boy name follows the pattern of others in the charts: a short-form first with more classic, single-syllable second part.  A recent year saw it rank in the Top 500 in England and Wales, making it one of the most popular double-barrelled names for boys. 

Tommy-lee

A hyphenated name, blending UK fave Alfie with classic James. It was given to 16 boys in England and Wales in a recent year. 

Alfie-james

As an English word name, Gruff is rough round the outside with playful air, similar to Rowdy or Wilder, while as a Welsh nickname, it comes from the more stately Gruffudd meaning "strong lord". It would be said to rhyme with rough or bluff in the first instance and as GRIF in Welsh. 

Gruff

Tupelo, one of the common name for trees of the Nyssa genus, stems from the Creek words ito and opilwa, meaning "swamp tree". Also the name of a city in Mississippi, Tupelo trees are associated with adaptability, wood carving, and honey, making the name feel sweet, strong, and arty at the same time.
 
The actress, Riley Keough (the granddaughter of Elvis Presley), gave her daughter the name Tupelo in 2022, in honor of Elvis's birth city, while many may have been made more aware of the name thanks to Van Morrison's album, Tupelo Honey.

Tupelo

Also spelled as Piran, this Cornish saint's name is thought to have derived from the Irish Ciaran. Borne by a 5th-century monk who founded a monastery, it also appears as a place name in Cornwall, as part of Perranporth. This form can be pronounced as PEH-run, while Piran is said as PEER-un or PIH-run.
 
This name shouldn't be confused with the French Perrin (derived from Pierre and Peter) or Perun, a Slavic name meaning "thunder".

Perran

Wilmot has the sort of old-school bookish charm of other surname-sounding names like Beckett, Everett, Griffith and Weston. This could be a good choice for families wanting to honor that special William in a creative way, 

Wilmot

Right in between Hitch (as in the Will Smith movie) and Hudson, Hutchin is a surname and nickname name that has an outside chance of working as a first name for boys. If you're naming your son for an ancestral Hugh, Hutchin -- or Hutch -- can make a cute, original nickname.

Hutchin

Probably too odd and elven for mainstream success, but there are certainly circumstances in which this would make a nice boys' name. It might be a nice way to honor a William from your family tree, for instance.

With its S ending, Wilkins might make a more stylish choice. But make no mistake: Most boys with Wilkin or Wilkins as a full name will go by Will most of the time.

Wilkin

The son of Lancelot and Elaine in Arthurian legend, Galahad is the purest and most chivalrous of the Knights of the Round Table, and one of the three achievers of the Holy Grail. The derivation of his name is unclear. It may come from Welsh Gwalchafed (hawk of summer) or "gwalch" + "cad" (hawk of battle), or it may be an anglicization of the Biblical place name Gilead meaning "heap of witness". Certainly a bold and brave choice for a baby boy, though perhaps nickname Addy or Ads could ground it slightly. 

Galahad

Related to blackberry plants and more colloquially to any thorny shrub, Bramble has history as an English surname. Cozy in sound but spiky in feel, it could even get you nickname Bram.

Bramble

A beachy name, with a strong, certain sound. Perfect for a summer baby or for those who love a rugged shoreline. It's yer to rank in the US stats.

Shore

A wild word name, associated with risk taking, thrill, discovery, and exploration, Adventure has yet to appear in the US stats, though in a recent year, Venture was chosen for 16 boys and Quest for 70. Content creators Cory Worldd and Lea Charlotte named their son Adventure in 2025. 

Adventure

A rarely used nature name with a gentle sound, Aloe appears as a (masculine) name in Akwaeke Emezi's fantasy novel, Pet, and in its sequel Bitter. Reminiscent of Arlo and Milo, Aloe is associated with the soothing, healing qualities of Aloe Vera.
 
While Aloe has never been given to more than five boys in the US, in a recent year, it was chosen for eleven girls.

Aloe

Russet has a lot of potential. It's a rustic word name, associated with homespun cloth, apples, and an earthy shade of reddish-brown. At the same time, it's similar enough to the likes of Russell, Ross, Bennet and Emmett that it doesn't sound too out of place. Surprisingly, however, it has never featured in the US charts — perhaps held back by its link to potatoes?

Russet

Ynyr is still quietly used in Wales, though the alternative modern form of ancient Roman Honorius is the simple Honor. The name is used in the 1983 sci-fi movie, Krull, which follows the adventures of a Prince and companions as the attempt to rescue a princess; Ynyr is the film's narrator and a wise man. 
 
More historically, Ynyr Gwent was a 5th-century monarch of an ancient British kingdom.

Ynyr

An Anglicization of Amhlaidh, the Scottish Gaelic form of the Scandinavian Olaf, Aulay is uniquely popular in Scotland where a recent year saw it in the Top 300, ranking alongside Kit, Greyson, Wyatt, and Douglas. It may be more recognizable outside of Scotland in its surname form: Macaulay.


Aulay

A name that has been used in Wales for nearly a thousand years — a famous bearer was the medieval scholar Gerallt Gymro, or Gerald of Wales — but not the most intuitive spelling for non-Welsh speakers. By coincidence, ger allt in Welsh also means "near a hill".

Gerallt

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 78)