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44 English names

Names of English origin

Names made in English itself: Anglo-Saxon names, English surnames and English words used as first names.

Names

  1. AlfieBoyAL-fee · Old EnglishMeans “elf counsel”Alfie is a short, friendly form of Alfred, an Old English name made of words for “elf” and “advice”. Alfred the Great was a famous Anglo-Saxon king of the 9th century. Alfie is now often given as a full name and has been one of the most popular boys’ names in England in recent years.
  2. AmberGirlAM-bur · EnglishMeans “amber, a golden fossil resin”Amber is the English word for the golden-brown stone made from very old tree resin; the word itself came into English from Arabic through French. It started to be used as a first name in the late 19th century, together with other gem names. The 1944 novel Forever Amber made it much more popular.
  3. AshleyGirlASH-lee · Old EnglishMeans “ash tree clearing”Ashley was first an English place name and then a surname, made of Old English words for an ash tree and a clearing in a wood. It was mainly a boys’ name at first, like Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind. In the US it became a very common girls’ name in the 1980s and 1990s.
  4. AshtonUnisexASH-tuhn · Old EnglishMeans “ash tree town”Ashton was first an English surname, taken from the many places called Ashton, meaning a settlement near ash trees. It became a first name in the 20th century. It is mostly given to boys, and only sometimes to girls.
  5. AudreyGirlAW-dree · Old EnglishMeans “noble strength”Audrey is a later form of the Old English name Æthelthryth, which was borne by a 7th-century princess and saint who founded a church at Ely. Cheap lace sold at her fair was called “St Audrey’s lace”, which gave English the word “tawdry”. The actress Audrey Hepburn made the name feel elegant again in the 20th century.
  6. AveryUnisexAY-vuh-ree · Old EnglishMeans “elf counsel”Avery comes from an English surname that grew out of a Norman French form of the Old English name Alfred, which joins words for “elf” and “advice”. It was used mainly for boys at first. Today in the US it is given to girls much more often than to boys.
  7. BaileyUnisexBAY-lee · EnglishMeans “bailiff”Bailey is an English surname for a bailiff, an officer who looked after land or the law; it can also come from the “bailey”, the outer wall of a castle. As a first name it is more common for boys in the UK but given to girls more often in the US.
  8. BlakeUnisexBLAYK · Old EnglishMeans “dark; or pale, shining”Blake comes from an English surname with two possible sources: the Old English word for “black, dark” or a similar word for “pale, shining”. Nobody can be sure which one applies, so the name has two opposite meanings. It is mostly a boy’s name, but it is also used for girls.
  9. CarterBoyKAR-ter · EnglishMeans “cart driver”Carter began as an English surname for a person who drove a cart to carry goods. Like many surnames, it later came into use as a first name. It has become popular in the US in the 21st century.
  10. DaisyGirlDAY-zee · EnglishMeans “daisy, day’s eye”Daisy is the name of the small white flower; the word comes from Old English and described how the flower opens in the morning and closes at night. It began as a pet name for Margaret, because the French word marguerite means daisy. Today it is used as a name of its own and is well liked in Britain.
  11. EdwardBoyED-werd · Old EnglishMeans “rich guardian”Edward is an Anglo-Saxon name made of the Old English words for “wealth” and “guard”. It was the name of the English king Edward the Confessor, and it survived the Norman Conquest because people respected him. England and Britain have had eight kings called Edward.
  12. EdwinBoyED-win · Old EnglishMeans “rich friend”Edwin is an Anglo-Saxon name made of the Old English words for “wealth” and “friend”. It was the name of a 7th-century king of Northumbria in northern England. After the Norman Conquest it became rare, but it came back into use in the 19th century.
  13. FaithGirlFAYTH · EnglishMeans “faith, trust”Faith is the English word for belief and trust, especially trust in God. English Puritans began to use virtue words like this as names in the 17th century. It is still used, especially in the US.
  14. GraceGirlGRAYS · EnglishMeans “grace, God’s favour”Grace is the English word for elegance and for God’s kindness, which came into English from Latin gratia. Puritans began using it as a name in the 17th century, along with other virtues. The actress Grace Kelly, who became Princess of Monaco, made it glamorous, and it is still very popular.
  15. HarleyUnisexHAR-lee · Old EnglishMeans “hare clearing”Harley comes from an English surname based on a place name, probably from Old English words for “hare” and “wood, clearing”. Many people also link it with the motorbike brand. It is more common for boys in the UK, while in the US it is given to both genders.
  16. HaroldBoyHARR-uld · Old EnglishMeans “army ruler”Harold comes from Old English words for “army” and “power”; the Old Norse name Haraldr has the same parts. King Harold II was the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, and he died at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The name was rare for centuries but came back in the 19th century.
  17. HarperGirlHAR-pur · Old EnglishMeans “harp player”Harper is an English surname for someone who played the harp. It became known as a first name through Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird. In the 2010s it quickly became one of the most popular girls’ names in the US.
  18. HaydenUnisexHAY-duhn · Old EnglishMeans “hay valley”Hayden is an English surname from place names, usually explained as “hay valley” in Old English. It became a first name in the late 20th century. It is mostly given to boys, but it is also used for girls.
  19. HazelGirlHAY-zul · EnglishMeans “hazel tree”Hazel is the name of a small tree that gives hazelnuts, from an Old English word, and also of a light brown eye colour. It was first used as a first name in the late 19th century, when nature names were fashionable. After a long quiet period, it is popular again in the US.
  20. HollyGirlHOL-ee · EnglishMeans “holly tree”Holly is the evergreen plant with shiny leaves and red berries, from an Old English word. Because people use it to decorate homes at Christmas, the name is often given to girls born in December. It became common in Britain and the US in the 20th century.
  21. HopeGirlHOHP · EnglishMeans “hope”Hope is the English word for wanting and expecting something good to happen, from Old English. It is one of the virtue names used by Puritans in the 17th century. It is often used today as a middle name as well as a first name.
  22. HudsonBoyHUD-sun · EnglishMeans “son of Hudde”Hudson began as an English surname meaning “son of Hudde”, a medieval pet form of Hugh or Richard. The explorer Henry Hudson gave his name to the Hudson River and Hudson Bay. It has become a popular first name in the US in the 21st century.
  23. HunterBoyHUN-ter · EnglishMeans “hunter”Hunter began as an English and Scottish surname for a person who hunted animals. Like many surnames, it came into use as a first name, especially in the US. It became common there from the late 20th century.
  24. IvyGirlEYE-vee · EnglishMeans “ivy plant”Ivy is the evergreen climbing plant, from an Old English word, and has long been a symbol of loyalty and lasting love. It became a first name in the late 19th century with other plant names. It is very popular again in the UK and US in the 2020s.
  25. JacksonBoyJAK-sun · EnglishMeans “son of Jack”Jackson began as an English surname meaning “son of Jack”. It came into use as a first name in the US, partly in honour of President Andrew Jackson. It has been popular there in the 21st century.
  26. JadeGirlJAYD · EnglishMeans “jade stone”Jade is a green stone used for jewellery and art. The word comes from Spanish piedra de la ijada, “stone of the side”, because people believed it could cure pain in the side of the body. It became a common first name in Britain from the 1970s.
  27. JoyGirlJOY · EnglishMeans “joy, great happiness”Joy is the English word for great happiness, which came from Old French joie. It has been used as a name since the Middle Ages, but it became more common in the 20th century. It is a popular middle name too.
  28. KendallUnisexKEN-duhl · EnglishMeans “valley of the river Kent”Kendall is an English surname taken from the town of Kendal in Cumbria, which lies in the valley of the river Kent. It was used for boys first. Today it is given more often to girls, especially in the US.
  29. LeeUnisexLEE · Old EnglishMeans “clearing, meadow”Lee comes from an English surname based on the Old English word for an open space in a wood. It became popular as a first name in the 20th century. It is more common for boys, while girls often use the spelling Leigh.
  30. LilyGirlLIL-ee · EnglishMeans “lily flower”Lily is the name of a tall white flower, from Latin lilium, which is a symbol of purity. It was also an old pet form of Elizabeth. It has been one of the most popular girls’ names in England and the US in recent years.
  31. MadisonGirlMAD-ih-sun · EnglishMeans “son of Maud”Madison is an English surname that meant “son of Maud”, Maud being a medieval form of Matilda. It was rare as a girls’ name until the 1984 film Splash, in which a mermaid names herself after Madison Avenue in New York. It then became one of the most popular girls’ names in the US.
  32. MasonBoyMAY-sun · EnglishMeans “stone worker”Mason began as an English surname for a person who built with stone, from an Old French word. Like many job surnames, it later became a first name. It has been one of the most popular boys’ names in the US in the 21st century.
  33. ParkerUnisexPAR-ker · EnglishMeans “park keeper”Parker is an English surname for a person who looked after a park, a large area of land where animals were kept for hunting. It is mostly given to boys in the US. A smaller number of girls are also named Parker.
  34. PeytonUnisexPAY-tuhn · Old EnglishMeans “Pæga’s town”Peyton comes from an English surname based on a place name meaning the settlement of a man called Pæga. It is used for both genders in the US. In recent years it has been given more often to girls than to boys.
  35. PoppyGirlPOP-ee · EnglishMeans “poppy flower”Poppy is the bright red flower, from an Old English word. After the First World War, the poppy became the symbol for remembering soldiers who died, and people in Britain wear paper poppies in November. As a first name it has been very popular in England since the 2000s.
  36. RiverUnisexRIV-er · EnglishMeans “river”River is simply the English word for a large stream of water, used as a name since the late 20th century. It suggests calm, flowing nature. It is given to both genders, a little more often to boys.
  37. RubyGirlROO-bee · EnglishMeans “ruby, a red gem”Ruby is a precious red stone; the word comes from Latin ruber, meaning red. It was first used as a name in the late 19th century, together with other gem names. It has been one of the most popular girls’ names in England in recent decades.
  38. SageUnisexSAYJ · EnglishMeans “wise; the herb sage”Sage is an English word for a wise person and also for a herb used in cooking. Both words come from Latin, through French. It is used for both genders, and somewhat more often for girls.
  39. ScarlettGirlSKAR-lut · EnglishMeans “scarlet, bright red”Scarlett is an English surname for someone who made or sold scarlet, a bright red cloth. It became a girls’ name thanks to Scarlett O’Hara, the heroine of Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 novel Gone with the Wind. It is very popular in the US and UK in the 2020s.
  40. SydneyUnisexSID-nee · Old EnglishMeans “wide island”Sydney comes from the English surname Sidney, usually explained as an Old English place name meaning “wide island”; an old idea that it comes from the French Saint-Denis is not supported. It was once mainly a boy’s name. Today the spelling Sydney is mostly given to girls, while Sidney stays more common for boys.
  41. TaylorUnisexTAY-ler · EnglishMeans “tailor”Taylor is an English surname for a person who made clothes, from an old French word meaning “to cut”. It became a first name in the 20th century. It was used for boys first, but in the US it is now mostly given to girls.
  42. VioletGirlVY-uh-lut · EnglishMeans “violet flower”Violet is the name of a small purple flower and of its colour, from Old French violete and Latin viola. It became popular in Victorian times, when flower names were fashionable. It is very popular again in the US and UK in the 2020s.
  43. WillowGirlWIL-oh · EnglishMeans “willow tree”Willow is a tree with long thin branches that often grows near water, from an Old English word. It became a first name in the 20th century as part of the trend for nature names. It is now popular in both Britain and the US.
  44. WyattBoyWY-ut · Old EnglishMeans “brave in war”Wyatt began as an English surname that came from the medieval name Wyot, from the Old English Wigheard, made of words for “war” and “brave, hardy”. It is linked to the American Old West through the lawman Wyatt Earp. It has become popular in the US in recent years.