115 British Boy Names
British boy names popular in England and beyond include Felix, Leo, Duncan, Ellis, Harvey, Jasper, Lewis, Luca, Rex, and Trevor. Other, more unique British names for boys include Barnaby, Crispin, Giles, and Tarquin.
Names that are among the most widely-used in Great Britain are not necessary English in origin. Popular British names for boys include the Hebrew Noah, the Arabic Muhammad, and the Irish Finley.
If you're looking for distinctly British names for your baby boy, consider the following distinctive selection.
You might also want to check out our complete list of English boy names or our curated list of British girl names.
- Felix
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"happy, fortunate"Description:
Felix was originally a Roman surname but was adopted as a nickname by the ancient Roman Sulla, who believed that he was especially blessed with luck by the gods. It is the name of four popes and sixty-seven saints; in the Bible, Felix is a Roman procurator of Judea.
- Hugo
Origin:
Latinized form of HughMeaning:
"mind, intellect"Description:
Hugo, the Latin form of Hugh, has more heft and energy than the original -- and of course we love names that end (or begin, for that matter) with an o. This one is especially appealing because it's backed up by lots of solid history and European style.
- Caspian
Origin:
Place nameMeaning:
"white"Description:
One of the most romantic of appellations, as well as being a geographical name of the large salty sea between Asia and Europe that probably inspired C.S. Lewis to use it for the name of the hero of his children's novel, Prince Caspian, part of the Chronicles of Narnia series.
- Otto
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"wealthy"Description:
Cutting-edge parents have revived this German name a la Oscar.
- Finn
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"fair or white"Description:
Finn is a name with enormous energy and charm, that of the greatest hero of Irish mythology, Finn MacCool (aka Fionn mac Cuumhaill), an intrepid warrior with mystical supernatural powers, noted as well for his wisdom and generosity.
- Cassian
Origin:
Latin, variation of CassiusMeaning:
"hollow"Description:
Cassian is a saints' and Latin clan name, related to Cassius, that is virtually unused and waiting to be discovered.
- Jasper
Origin:
PersianMeaning:
"bringer of treasure"Description:
Jasper originated as a variation of the Latin Gaspar, which ultimately derived from the Persian word ganzabara, meaning "bringer of treasure." As a given name, Jasper’s etymology is unrelated to that of the gemstone, which comes from a Semitic word meaning "speckled stone." Jasper is the usual English form for one of the Three Wise Men who brought gifts to the infant Christ according to medieval tradition and appears in the Bible as a reference to the stone itself in Revelations 4:3.
- Archie
Origin:
Diminutive of Archibald, TeutonicMeaning:
"truly brave"Description:
Archie made global news as the surprise first name of the newborn royal baby, son of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex aka Harry and Meghan. Archie has now officially transcended Archie Bunker and Riverdale's Archie to take the, um, throne as the quintessential retro nickname name.
- Ellis
Origin:
English surname derived from Elijah or Elias or WelshMeaning:
"benevolent"Description:
Ellis is one of the less used names in the currently popular El-family. It is a popular Welsh name in its own right, sometimes spelled Elis, and also an English surname derived Elijah, by way of the Greek Elias.
- Rory
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"red king"Description:
This spirited Gaelic classic, which became popular in Ireland via the illustrious twelfth century king Rory O'Connor, makes a highly energetic choice, now used for either sex. Rory's gender split is still trending boyward; it's one of the coolest boys' names starting with R.
- Lachlan
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"from the fjord-land"Description:
Lachlan is as Scottish as haggis and tartan plaid kilts—a favorite used throughout England, Scotland, Australia, and New Zealand—and just beginning to be noticed in the US: it reached the Top 1000 for the first time in 2013. An ancient name, Lachlan was originally used to describe the Viking invaders of Scotland, those from the land of the lochs.
- Rhys
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"ardor"Description:
There's Rhys and there's Reese (now more popular for girls) and there's Reece, and we particularly like the traditional Welsh spelling, which entered the list in 2004, possibly influenced by Jonathan Rhys Meyers, of The Tudors, and Welsh-born actor Rhys Ifans.
- Rhys
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"ardor"Description:
There's Rhys and there's Reese (now more popular for girls) and there's Reece, and we particularly like the traditional Welsh spelling, which entered the list in 2004, possibly influenced by Jonathan Rhys Meyers, of The Tudors, and Welsh-born actor Rhys Ifans.
- Cillian
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"war strife or church"Description:
This classic Irish name , which is better known in this country by its Anglicized form Killian, is one of several newer recommended Gaelic choices that have entered the American name pool. Killian now stands at Number 516 in the US, while Cillian is 22 in its Irish homeland.
- Nico
Origin:
Italian diminutive of Nicholas, GreekMeaning:
"people of victory"Description:
Nico is one of the great nickname names, full of charm, energy and effortless cool -- a neo Nick.
- Harvey
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"battle worthy"Description:
Harvey, which was brought to England by the Normans and is a version of the French name Herve, is a genial, old-timey name that has been much more popular across the pond. It has been a Top 100 choice in England & Wales since 1997.
- Kit
Origin:
English, diminutive of ChristopherDescription:
Actor Kit Harington, aka the dreamy Jon Snow on Game of Thrones, has given this nickname-name new style and appeal for boys. Actress Jodie Foster used it for her son. For girls, it's an updated diminutive of Katherine. Kit is a fashionable gender-neutral name that is fairly evenly distributed between boys and girls, with just over 100 babies of each gender named Kit in the US in 2021.
- Callum
Origin:
Scottish form of Columba, LatinMeaning:
"dove"Description:
Callum was derived from Latin Columba, a unisex given name meaning "dove." Callum was popular among early Christians because the dove was a symbol of purity, peace and the Holy Spirit. St. Columba was one of the most influential of the early Celtic saints.
- Harrison
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Harry"Description:
Harrison, a name made viable by Harrison Ford, is increasingly popular with parents who want an H name that's more formal than Harry or Hank but doesn't veer into the stiff Huntington-Harrington territory.
- Rafferty
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"floodtide, abundance, prosperity"Description:
Jaunty and raffish, Rafferty is one of the most engaging of the Irish surnames, used by Jude Law and Sadie Frost for their son. Fortunately, it doesn't still go by its original form: O'Raighbheartaigh.