Popular English Boy Names
English names for boys — that is, names that originate in the English language — are used around the world. Many of the top boy names in the US today are of English origin.
These popular English boy names include occupational names such as Hunter and Mason and last names for boys such as Auden and Colton, as well as English word names such as the newly trendy Bear.
Along with Mason and Colton, other English names for boys in the US Top 100 include Maverick, Austin, Everett, Grayson, William, Julian, Easton, and Cooper. Some classics such as James and Edward are English, as are many common nicknames such as Joe, Jim, and Mike.
Here are the most popular English names for boys around the world, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.
RELATED:
- Silas
Origin:
Aramaic, Latin, GreekMeaning:
"of the forest; or prayed for"Description:
Silas is both a mythological and Biblical name, hitting its highest popularity point ever in the US last year. Now ranking firmly in the Top 100, Silas is a longstanding favorite with Nameberry visitors.
- James
Origin:
English variation of Jacob, HebrewMeaning:
"supplanter"Description:
James is one of the classic Anglo-Saxon names, a stalwart through the ages that is more popular—and yes, stylish—than ever today. It recently came out Number 1 in a poll of America's favorite boys' baby names, and is the most common male name, counting people of all ages, in the US.
- Ellis
Origin:
English surname derived from Elijah or Elias or WelshMeaning:
"benevolent"Description:
Ellis is a former Old Man Name turned gender-neutral choice for the 21st century. It's one of the less used names in the currently popular El-family.
- Miles
Origin:
English form of MiloMeaning:
"soldier or merciful"Description:
Miles, which has a permanent veneer of cool thanks to jazz great Miles Davis, is a confident and polished boys' name that's an American classic. Always ranking in the US Top 1000, it's been drifting up the charts for the past half century but has never been TOO popular.
- Everett
Origin:
English variation of the German EberhardMeaning:
"brave as a wild boar"Description:
Everett is a statesmanlike, wintry New England name whose recent leap in popularity can be credited to its similarity to trendy girls’ names such as Eva and Ava. Its high point was about a century ago, when Everett was a Top 100 name.
- Graham
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"gravelly homestead"Description:
Well used in England and Scotland since the fifties, the smooth and sophisticated Graham is catching on here.
- Royal
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"royal"Description:
Even less subtle than Duke or Earl, this name shot up the popularity charts in 2013, the same year young Prince George was born and the craze for all things royal (and Royal) began. Today, it's a leading boys' name on Nameberry's own popularity charts.
- William
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"resolute protection"Description:
William is one of the most enduring of classic names for boys. It's also among the most popular boys' names, as American parents see it as being ideally conservative yet contemporary, and hands-down the most popular baby name beginning with W of all time.
- Archer
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"bowman"Description:
Archer is an Anglo-Saxon surname that feels more modern than most because of its on-target occupational and Hunger Games associations. And it's a nice way to bypass the clunky Archibald to get to the cool nickname Archie.
- Jack
Origin:
English, diminutive of JohnMeaning:
"God is gracious"Description:
Jack is a derivative of John that originated in medieval England. The name went from John to Johnkin to Jankin to Jackin to Jack. The name was so common in the Middle Ages that Jack became a generic term for a man.
- Wyatt
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"brave in war"Description:
Wyatt was derived from the Medieval English name Wyot, itself a form of the given name Wigheard, with wig meaning "war" and heard, "brave." Wyot, along with variations Wiot and Gyot, were also used by the Normans as nicknames for names such as William. Wyatt became a patronymic surname later in the Middle Ages.
- Emmett
Origin:
English masculine variation of Emma, GermanMeaning:
"universal"Description:
Emmett, honest and sincere, laid-back and creative, is on the rise as a male cognate of the megapopular Emma and Emily, not to mention being a character in the popular Twilight series.
- Julian
Origin:
English from Latin, variation of JuliusMeaning:
"youthful, downy-bearded, or sky father"Description:
Julian was derived from Iulianus, which in turn came from Julius, a Roman family name. Its origin is shrouded in history, but possible roots include Latin iuvenis, meaning "youthfu"; Greek ioulos, meaning "downy-bearded"; or Jovis, a form of Jupiter, which means "sky father".
- Beckett
Origin:
English and IrishMeaning:
"bee hive, little brook or bee cottage"Description:
Beckett is one of the big baby name hits of the decade.
- Sawyer
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"woodcutter"Description:
Sawyer is a surname with a more relaxed and friendly feel than many others, and is one of the hottest occupational names right now, with the Nameberry seal of approval. Sawyer is becoming one of the top unisex names. Both Sara Gilbert and Diane Farr used Sawyer for their daughters, while it was given a boost as a boys' name by the character Sawyer on Lost, an alias for the character really named James Ford.
- 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.
- Bennett
Origin:
English, medieval form of BenedictMeaning:
"blessed"Description:
Bennett is Ben with a bow tie, kind of a cross between Benjamin and Beckett. It's been trending up on the popularity charts in recent years, and its choice by The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's Jane Krakowski could shoot it even higher.
- Hudson
Origin:
English place-name and surnameMeaning:
"Hugh's son"Description:
Hudson has risen quickly up the charts over the past 30 years, getting a lot of its style value from New York's Hudson River. That makes it a nature name and a place name that's also got the fashion gloss of New York City.
- Cole
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"swarthy, coal black"Description:
Cole -- a short name that embodies a lot of richness and depth -- has long been associated with the great songwriter Cole Porter. It's quite popular in Scotland.
- Hayes
Origin:
English surname and nature nameMeaning:
"hedged area"Description:
One of those simple, straightforward English surnames -- and with a presidential pedigree -- that's easy to translate into a first. It was recently chosen by both Kevin Costner and Jessica Alba for their sons, which can likely be credited for its spike in popularity in the past few years. Surname names and nature names like Hayes, which qualifies on both counts, along with occupational names all make up the new generation of stylish English names for boys that go far beyond Harry and Edward.