British Baby Names

Eco-Sleek Names

 

 

Eco-Sleeks are names that reflect the natural world whilst having a slick contemporary sound. Bell tones, strong vowels and clear consonants mean they fit in well with current fashion (think Ava, Noah, Theo) and bonus points if they have a high scrabble value or link to the ancient world. 

Some of the names are obviously from the natural world (Fox, Ivy, Sienna) while others have nature meanings in other languages (Seren "star", Layla "night"). Then there are those that fit this style with less obvious links like Freya (a fertility goddess) and Rudy (from Rudolph meaning "famous wolf". Others are sleek forms of botanical names, like Nola for Magnolia, Zelie or Azalea. Some -- like Axel and Maeve or Maeva -- have no etymological links to nature at all other than, through homophony, they bring to mind English words connected to nature, forestry or the seasons. 

 

Alba April Aria Autumn Ayda Briar Calla Coco Cora Eden Eira Ember Everly Fern Fiadh Flora Freya Harlow Hebe Indie

Iris Ivy Juniper Juno Lark Layla Lila Lumi Luna Lux Lyra Maeva Maeve Maya Meadow Naia Nola Nova Olive Posy

Raven Rosa Savannah Sela Seren Sienna Stella Suvi Sylvie Tallulah Tara Terra Twyla Una Violet Willow Winter Wren Zara Zelie

Acer Aidan Alban Archer Arlo Asher Atlas August Aydan Bay Bear Beckett Blaise Blake Bowie Caleb Callum Elio Emmett Ethan

Everett Finn Flynn Fox Gray Harley Huxley Ivo Jasper Knox Koa Lake Lance Lando Leo Leon Luca Marley Milo Nash

Oakley Parker Phoenix Rafe Rio River Robin Rocco Roscoe Rowan Rudy Silas Sol Sonny Wesley Wilder Wolf Woody Zane Zephyr

 

 

Fresh Feminines

Fresh feminines are names that are elegant, melodic and ethereal that feel contemporary and avant-garde, even if they are rooted in centuries of history. Flowing syllables are key here with an uplifting appeal. They are not as weighty or antique as Henrietta or Gwendolyn nor as class-defining as Camilla or Antigone. 

Alaia Adelaide Adeline Alayna Aleena Alessia Amabel Amalia Amara Amaya Amelia Amelie Anastasia

Anaya Annabella Annabelle Arabella Ariana Ariella Athena Aurelia Aurora Azalea Beatrix Cecily Clementine

Coralie Delilah Dolcie Elaina Eleni Eliana Elodie Eloise Elora Elowen Emilia Emmeline Evangeline

Evelina Evelyn Felicity Francesca Genevieve Isabelle Isabella Leilani Liliana Lydia Natalia Olivia Ophelia

Ottilie Penelope Persephone Romilly Rosalie Seraphina Sophia Sylvie Talia Valentina Verity Vienna Vivienne

What fresh feminines would you add to this list?

Funky-Clunky Names

 

Funky-Clunky perfectly sums up those quirky, borderline names that straddle a divide between "old-fashioned" and "uber-cool". These names certainly are not soft, light or particularly "cute" sounding. Their bold, and somewhat heavy sound, and stuffy image, is precisely what makes them intriguing. Funky-clunkies are like the posh family silver, covered in dust in a box and forgotten about by many people -- but, taken out, polished up, and placed in a new setting they can look remarkably striking. 

Celebrities that have used funky-clunkies include Lily Allen (Ethel), Billie Piper (Winston & Eugene), David Mitchell & Victoria Coren Mitchell (Barabara), and Paul Bettany & Jennifer Connelly (Agnes). 

These names are not modern or popular as you could describe Maddison or Mason; neither are they long-standing vintage choices such as Sophie or Joshua, nor recent turn-of-the-century revivals such as Stanley or Ivy. They do, however, have the distinction of having bundles of history and weight behind them, giving them a distinguished and dignified charm. They are familiar, but not popular; and with some of their former contemporaries, who sat alongside them in their heyday, sitting at the top of the ranks, these funky-clunkies do have potential to be future hits in decades to come. Daring but trend-setting choices. 

This post has been significantly updated in 2022 to reflect the change in fashions. All the names below are below the contemporary top 400 in England and Wales. 

Abraham Alban Algernon Alvin Ambrose Amos Archibald Arnold Augustine Augustus Basil Bernard Bertram Boris Bryn Cecil Cedric Clarence Clark Clayton Claude Clement Clifford Clinton Clive Colin Cornelius Cuthbert Cyril Cyrus Digby Donald Dorian Ebenezer Edgar

Edwin Emrys Eugene Eustace Ferdinand Fergus Florian Franklyn Geoffrey Gerald Gideon Gilbert Giles Godfrey Godwin Gregory Harold Herbert Herman Horace Howard Hubert Humphrey Ivor Jeremy Kenneth Leopold Leslie Lester Lionel Llewelyn Lloyd Lyle Malcolm Marvin

Maurice Melvin Montague Montgomery Nelson Neville Nigel Noel Norman Octavian Oswald Percival Randolph Raymond Roderick Roland Roger Ronald Roy Rudolf Septimus Simeon Sylvester Terrence Theophilus Trevor Quentin Valentine Vernon Virgil Wallace Walter Wilbert Wilbur  Winston

Agatha Agnes Augusta Araminta Avis Barbara Beryl Bessie Bernadette Betty Blanche Blythe Celia Cecile Christine Clarice Clotilde Cornelia Delia Delyth Dilys Dinah Dorcas Dora Dorothea Dorothy  Edna Eileen Elspeth Enid Essie Ethel  Eudora Eugenie Euphemia Fanny

Freda Gertrude Gloria Glynis Greta Gwendolyn Hester Hetty Hilda Honoria Ida Irene Isadora Iva Jacqueline Joyce Judith Kathleen Lavinia Leonora Loretta Lucille Magdalene Marcie Marian Marjorie  Mathilde Maude / Maud Mavis Mercy Millicent Minerva Muriel Myrtle Opal Patience

Patricia Pauline Peggy Phyllida Phyllis Philomena Priscilla Prudence Queenie Rhoda Rita Rosanna Rosemary Rosetta Rosina Rowena Sally Shirley Sybil Sylvia Temperance Theodora Thomasina Thirza Thora Tilda Ursula Valerie Vera Veronica Wendy Wilhelmina Winifred Zelda Zilla  Zipporah

 

Roaring Twenties Names: Flappers, Sheiks and Clubmen

 

Footloose and fancy-free flappers were the young women of the 1920s who did away with convention and threw out the rule book. They bobbed their hair, wore short skirts (or even trousers!) and danced at jazz clubs. 

Did you know that the male equivalent to a flapper is a sheik? Thank the wildly popular 1919 novel The Sheik by E.M. Hull which was turned into a wildly popular film starring heartthrob Rudolph Valentino. These men had slicked-back hair parted down the middle, listened to jazz and danced the fox-trot. 

There were also clubmen who defined the 1920s. Literally the men who were wealthy enough to belong to gentlemen clubs. These were typified by top hats, canes, black silk lapels of a jacket over a white silk waistcoat and white gloves. 

Below is a list of the most popular and most fashionable names in 1920s Britain:

Alan   Albert   Alec   Alexander   Alfred   Allan   Andrew   Anthony   Arnold   Arthur   Barrie   Barry   Basil   Benjamin   Bernard   Brian   Bryan   Cecil   Charles   Christopher   Clifford   Clive   Colin   Cyril   Daniel   David   Denis   Dennis   Derek   Derrick

Desmond Donald Douglas Dudley Edgar Edmund Edward Edward Edwin Eric Ernest Francis Frank Fred Frederick Geoffrey George Gerald Gilbert Gordon Graham Harold Harold Harry Henry Herbert Horace Howard Hubert Hugh

Ian Isaac Ivan Ivor Jack James Jeffrey John Joseph Keith Kenneth Laurence Lawrence Leonard Leslie Lewis Lionel Malcolm Martin Maurice Michael Neil Neville Noel Norman Owen Patrick Paul Percival Percy

Peter Philip Ralph Raymond Reginald Richard Robert Robin Rodney Roger Roland Ronald Roy Royston Samuel Sidney Stanley Stephen Sydney Terence Thomas Trevor Victor Vincent Walter Wilfred William

Ada Agnes Alice Alma Amy Angela Ann/e Annie Audrey Avis Barbara Beatrice Beryl Betty Brenda Bridget Catherine Christine Constance Cynthia Daisy Daphne Diana Dora Doreen Doris Dorothy Edith Edna Eileen

Eleanor Elizabeth Ellen Elsie Emily Ena Enid Ethel Eunice Eva Evelyn Florence Frances Freda Gertrude Gillian Gladys Gloria Grace Gwendoline Gwynneth Hannah Hazel Heather Helen Hilda Ida Irene Iris Ivy

Jacqueline Jane Janet Jean Jennifer Jessie Joan Josephine Joy Joyce Judith June Kathleen Lilian Lily Lorna Lucy Mabel Margaret Maria Marie Marion Marjorie Marlene Mary Maureen Mavis May Mildred Molly

Monica Muriel Myrtle Nancy Nellie Nora/h Norma Olive Pamela Patricia Pauline Peggy Phyllis Rita Rose Rosemary Ruby Ruth Sarah Sheila Stella Sybil Sylvia Thelma Vera Veronica Violet Wendy Winifred Yvonne

 

The Shortest Names in Britain: August 2018 Edition

 

 

This list is a compilation of the shortest names (2 letter and 3 letter) names recorded in the 2016 England and Wales data, the 2017 Scotland data and the 2017 Northern Ireland data. 

The names come from a wide range of cultures: Chinese, Arabic, Hebrew, Vietnamese, Turkish, as well as indigenous Welsh names and "English" diminutives. 

Curiously, a few one letter names were recorded, but these could be administrative errors. A, C, L, J, S and T are recorded for boys and M is recorded for girls. 

Abd Abe Abu Ace Adi Aed Ai AJ Al Alf Ali Alp Amr An Anh Anu Ara Ari Aro Art Asa Ash Ata Aum Aun Avi Aws Axl Ayo Bai Bao Bay Ben Blu

Bo Bob Boe Cai Cal Can Cem Che Chi CJ  Dan Dax De Deo Dev Dex Don Dov Dre Dru Ed Edi Edy Efe Ege Eid El Eli Ely Esa Fin Fox Gad Geo

Gil Gio Gus Guy Hal Han Hao Het Hew Ho Hue Huw Huy Ian Ike Ino Ion Ira Isa Iva Ivo Jac Jad Jae Jai Jak Jan Jaq Jax Jay JD Jed Jem Jet

Jhy Jia Jim Jin JJ Jo Joe Jon Jos Joy Jud Jun Ka Kai Kal Kei Kel Kev Kia Kie Kip Kit Koa Koi Kol Kyd Kye Lee Lei Leo Lev Lex Lin Lio

Lir LJ  Lou Lua Luc Lui Lux Mac Mak Max Md Mel Mio Mir Mo Moi Mu Nam Nao Ned Neo Nii Nik Noa Noe Nuh Nur Nye Oak Obi Ole Oli Om Omi

Ot Owi Pa Pak Pat Pau Pip Poj Pol Raf Rai Raj Ram Rao Ray Rea Red Reg Rei Ren Reo Rew Rex Rey Rhu Rio Rob Ron Ros Roy Rua Rue Rui Rye

Ryo Ryu Sai Sam San Se Seb Sem Sid Sim Sky Sol Sri Sun Syd Tai Tam Tao Tay Ted Tej Teo Tey Tim TJ Tom Tor Tre Twm Ty Tye Tyr Uel Uyi

Van Ved Vir Wan Wei Wen Wil Ya Yad Yan Yat Yaw Yi Yik Yu Yug Yun Zac Zai Zak Ze Zeb Zed Zen Zev Zhe Zhi Zi Zia Zvi

Abi Ada Adn Aia Aja Al Ama Ami Amy An Ana Anh Ani Ann Anu Ara Ari Ava Awa Aya Bay Bea Bee Bel Bia Blu  Bo Boe Bow Chi Cia Dea Dia  Dua

Ece Eda Efa Ela Eli Ema Emi Emy Ena Eos Era Eva Eve Evy Ewa Fae Fay Fia Flo Gia Gul Han Hiu HUI  Iba Ida Ide Iga Ila Ina Io Ira Iva Ivy

Iya Iza Jay Jia Joy Kai Kay Ke Kia Kim Kit Koa Kya Kye Kym La Le Lea Li Lia Lin Liv Liz Loa Lok Lua Lux Lya Mae Mai May Mea Meg Mei

Mi Mia My Mya Naz Nea Nel Nes Ngo Nhi Nia Noa Noi Non Nur Nya Ola Ona Ora Pia Pru Rae Ray Rea Rei Ren Rey Ria Rio Roo Rua Rue Rut Rya

Sai Shi Si Sia Sky Sol Sri Su Tea Tia Ula Uma Umm Una Vy Wan Wei Xi Xin Ya Yaa Yan Yen Yi Yu Zhi Zi Zia Zoe

 

No Frills Feminine: Rateable -'r' Endings

 

Names ending in '-r' (or -re with an 'r' sound) are an interesting mix of medieval heritage choices, nature names, surnames and exotic global picks. 

All have a common thread of being quite strong and fuss-free choices with a ladylike steel running through them. 


Familiar Top 1000 Choices:

Amber Claire Eleanor Elinor Esther

Fleur Harper Heather Honor

Jennifer Mahnoor Noor Piper

River Sapphire Skylar  Skyler

Star Summer Taylor Winter

Nature/Word/Surname Inspired:

Amor Aster Astor Blair Briar Bryher

Cedar Clover Demeter Dior Easter Eilir

Ember Ever Fflur Flower Ginger Greer

Harbor Hesper Hester Juniper Lavender Miller

Parker Pepper Rumer Silver Vesper Zennor

Exotic:

Aallotar Abrar Annemor Annvor Aurore Avnoor Azar Azenor Bahar Brittvor

Cessair Cher Dagmar Dottir Eimear Eir Eistir Elvire Flore Gaynor

Gerdur Golbahar Golzar Guinevere Hagar Hiranur Icíar Inger Isamar Isaure

Ishtar Itziar Jesminder Laure Leonor Lidvor Lillemor Lior Majvor Melyor

Niloufar Pilar Pinar Rigmor Safir Solvor Sahar Tamar Tündér Victoire

N.B. This is not an exhaustive list of every name that ends in a -r.

No Frills Feminine: Flawless -'f/v' Endings

This third installment of the No Frills Feminine series focuses on names ending with a -v or -f sound.

These are gentle, timeless sounding names with an exotic twist. They are fuss-free but delicately feminine.

Not a large list of the type, but a style that is perfectly formed I feel. 

 

Aviv Dove Elif Ellisif Eve Fauve

Genève Genevieve Haf Ingeleiv Josèphe Liv

Love Lyubov Madelief Maeve Mariève Mauve

Merve Minerve Neve Niamh Oliff Olive

Rahaf Seraph Silkisif Siv Viv Yudif

N.B. This is not an exhaustive list of every name that ends in a 'f'/'v' sound. 

No Frills Feminine: Dauntless -'d/t' Endings

 

Following from the -S ending names, here is the next installment: names ending with a -d or -t sound.

These are names which are perfectly feminine, but with a bit of bite and backbone. Take ladylike Charlotte and Claudette or warrior women Margaret and Maud. Soft yet strong; dramatic yet demure. 


Familiar Top 1000 Choices:

Adelaide Astrid Avneet Ayat

Bridget Celeste Charlotte Harriet

Jade Jannat Juliet Juliette

Kate Margaret Millicent Rosalind

Scarlett Sinead Violet Winifred

Old Timers:

Angharad Annette Antoinette Babette Bernadette Bette Claudette Clotilde Colette

Corisande Cosette Dorritt Eluned Enid Ermentrude Georgette Gertrude Henriette

Ingrid Iseult Isolde Janet Jeanette Josette Lisette Luned Lynette

Mairead Marged Marguerite Mariette Marigold Mathilde Maud/e Melisande Mildred

Minette Nanette Nicolette Odette Paulette Rosamund Sioned Suzette Yvette

Exotic:

Amethyst Amoret Amrit Anest Aniet Annabritt Arlette Ayelet Berit Blanaid

Britt Cariad Caridad Danette Dulcet Elisent Elysand Emeraud Eseld Estrid

Estrild Evolet Fleurette Garnet Irmelind Itzel Jochebed Jood Leorit Lisabet

Mansirat Mared Margalit Maybritt Meraud Montserrat Orchid Parneet Poet Preet

Scout Seerat Sigrid Simrit Sonnet Suad Vardit Velvet Zeenat Zehavit

N.B. This is not an exhaustive list of every name that ends in a 'd'/'t' sound. 

No Frills Feminine: Seamless -'s' Endings

 

So much of our female nomenclature is dominated by either traditional latinate -a endings or the sweet 'ee' sound endings of y/ie. The current top 10 is made up solely of these names:

But there are several girls' names with less garnish -- more tailored and svelt. These are, for me, the No Frills Feminine names. They come in all shapes and sizes, but this edition will simply look at the wide variety of -'s' sound ending names. 

Looking at the most common and enduring -s names one begins to see a style image forming. Grace, Alice, Florence, Rose... all are elegant in a simple and gentle way. Neat and trim without the fuss. 


Familiar Top 1000 Choices:

Agnes Alexis Alice Alys Anais

Annalise Beatrice Carys Cerys Constance

Elise Eloise Florence Frances Grace

Ines Iris Lois Louise Paris

Primrose Rose  Tess

Old Timers:

Adelais Amice Annis Ardis Avis Berenice Bernice Bess Betrys

Blanche Clarice Clarisse Clemence Denise Dilys Dolores Dorcas Doris

Ellis Eunice Glenys Glynis Hawys Heloise Hortense Janice Joyce

Lettice Lilias Maris Mavis Nerys Patience Patrice Peace Persis

Phyllis Prudence Rohais Temperance Therese Tuppence Wallis

Exotic:

Adelise Alanis Almas Amaris Amaryllis Amitis Aravis Artemis Athenais Blaise Bliss Briseis

Cadence Candice Caritas Cerise Charis Chryseis Clematis Daenerys Damaris Eirlys Eirys Enas

Enfys Ennis Eos Eris Felice Francoise Eris Felice Genesis Gervaise Hatice Herdis

Isis Katniss Lamis Laurence Llinos Loris Lourdes Lucrèce Maelys Maylis Melis Mercedes

Merrilees Myrtis Narcisse Nieves Parmis Praxedis Praxis Thais Thordis Venus

Vibrant Russian

This name list was inspired by a Name Help post where mum Isolde was looking for a "unique and vibrant" name for her daughter, and dad Constantine liked Slavic names to honour his Russian heritage. 
Thus, a "vibrant Russian" category was born, and Minnie liked it so much, that she requested this name list. 

In my mind, vibrant Russian names are choices which translate well for English-speakers yet still feel exotic and intriguing. 

Some are traditional Russian staples where others are taken from vocabulary or things associated with Russian. This isn't a reflection on names used by Russians or traditional Russian names, more an attempt to find exotic, mellifluous, Russian-inspired choices.

 

Alexei Ardalion Arkady Artem Attik Avit Demyan Efrem Feofan Gleb Gratsian Ilia Ivan Kassian Kazimir Khariton Kiprian Kirion

Kirsan Konstantin Korvin Larion Lazar Leonid Lev Luka Makari Maksim Milan Miron Morfey Naum Nazar Nestor Nikodim Nikolai

Radomir Rodion Rolan Rufin Rurik Ruslan Rustem Ruvim Spartak Vadim Valentin Varlam Volk Voron Zakhar Zakhey Zefir Ziven

Aelita Agnessa Alesya Aliona Anastasia Annushka Arisha Avdotya Azaliya Dalida Danica Daria Dasha Dinara Ekaterina Elizaveta Evgenia Feba

Fenya Feya Ilaria Ilyena Inessa Izida Kassiopeya Ksenia Larissa Lelya Lilia Loreleya Malenkaya Marenka Marisha Milaya Molinya Nadezhda

Natalya Oksana Olenka Olesia Raisa Roksana Sova Tatiana Varvara Varenka Verusha Zaria Zhanna Zhenya Zima Zinaida Zinovia Zoya

 

As a point of interest, Isolde and Constantine chose the gorgeous name Rosalind Zima Larissa "Rose" for their daughter.