English Names with International Style
English names have traveled to non-English speaking cultures in recent years, moving up the popularity lists in several European countries including France, Germany, and Sweden. Note that when we say English names, we may include names that technically have their origins in other cultures but that have enjoyed widespread use in the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, and other English-speaking locales for decades. The traditional English names enjoying new international popularity and style include the following selections.
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Adam
Adam -- a primal Old Testament name -- was revived as a 1960s cowboy name. Adam is not as popular as it once was and feels ready for a respite, replaced by newer A names like Aidan/Aiden, Avery... Read More
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Alexander
Alexander has been in the Top 25 since 1991. The noble Alexander has led to the popularity of so many spinoffs, such as Alex, Zander, Xan and Zan -- not to mention all the female versions -- that... Read More
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Alfred
Alfred is up off his recliner! If you're looking for a path to Fred, you can go directly to Frederick or take the long way around with the so-out-it's-in-again Alfred. Alfred is quite popular in... Read More
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Alice
Alice is a classic literary name that's both strong and sweet, which got a big bounce via Tina Fey's choice of the name for her daughter. Alice has experienced a recent surge in popularity along... Read More
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Anna
Anna is the Latin form of Hannah, a Hebrew name that derived from root chanan, meaning “grace.” European Christians embraced the name for its associations with the Virgin Mary’s mother,... Read More
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Ben
Ben, the diminutive of Benjamin or Benedict, can easily stand on its own as a simple, strong, nice-guy choice, though it's somewhat attenuated. Ben is this generation's Bob or Bill. Read More
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Benjamin
Benjamin is a biblical name that has enjoyed widespread favor for decades -- and is attractive and strong enough for it to break into the top 10 for the first time ever in 2015. It has stayed near... Read More
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Charlie
Charlie is one of the friendliest names on the planet, and Good-time Charlie is back. More and more parents (of babies of both genders) these days are opting to put the friendly, genial Charlie... Read More
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Charlotte
Charlotte is the feminine form of the male given name Charles. It derived from Charlot, a French diminutive of Charles meaning “little Charles,” and the name of Charlemagne’s son in French... Read More
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Clara
Long relegated to an Olde World backwater, the European-flavored Clara has been speeding up the charts on sleeker sister Claire's coattails for the past few decades. Now, many would say the... Read More