Best British Girl Names
by Emma Waterhouse Do British baby girl names have a distinct style? You bet, and often the style of English names is a step or two ahead of the style of American names. Along with longtime top name Amelia, girl names that rank among Britain's Top 100 include Poppy, Freya, Phoebe, Elsie, Imogen, Harriet, Nancy, and Florence. Olivia, Sophia, and Charlotte are popular in both the UK and the US. Along with Sophia and Charlotte, other British girl names in the US Top 1000 include Alice, Annabel, Clementine, Esme, Gracie, Matilda, Ruby, and Zara. British parents are more likely to use nicknames as proper names for their daughters, with names like Evie, Hattie, Millie, and Rosie widely used on their own for girls in England and Wales. Here, some of the most intriguing British baby names for girls. You might also want to consult our master list of English names for girls.
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Ailsa
Ailsa is a traditional Scottish name for girls related to a rocky island in the Firth of Clyde called Ailsa Craig. It might... Read More
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Alice
Alice was derived from the Old French name Aalis, a diminutive of Adelais that itself came from the Germanic name Adalhaidis. Adalhaidis, from which the name Adelaide is also derived, is composed... Read More
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Amelia
Amelia is derived from the German name Amalia, which in turn is a variation of Amalberga. The root, amal, is a Germanic word meaning “work,” and in the context of female given names suggests... Read More
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Annabel
Annabel is a spirited name that embodies quirky British gentility, and is gaining increading favor in the U.S. in the wake of the mega-popular Isabel. Appearing in Scotland as early as the twelfth... Read More
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Anwen
Anwen is one of the simplest and best of the classic Welsh girls' names, more unusual than Bronwen but with the same serene feel. Read More
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Arabella
Arabella was used as a given name beginning in the 12th century with the birth of Arabella de Leuchars, granddaughter of William the Lion, King of Scotland. It is derived from the Latin... Read More
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Araminta
Araminta is an enchanting eighteenth-century invention familiar in Britain and just beginning to be discovered here. It was used in 1693 by William Congreve in his comedy The Old... Read More
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Beatrix
Beatrix, has a solid history of its own apart from Beatrice, with that final x adding a playful, animated note to the name's imposing history. It has been largely associated with Beatrix (born... Read More
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Bronwen
Bronwen is widespread in Wales, but still rare enough here to sound somewhat exotic--we think Bronwen is a real winner. (Note: the Bronwyn spelling is strictly for males in its native land.)... Read More
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Bryony
Bryony is an unusually strong plant name --the bryony is a wild climbing vine with green flowers --that caught on in the U.K. before sprouting here. The name of the young character in the Ian... Read More