1450+ English Names (with Meanings & Popularity)

  1. Audie
    • Origin:

      Short form of Auden or variation on Edward
    • Description:

      Audie as a boys' name was made famous by Audie Murphy, the most decorated hero of World War II. Murphy was born one of ten children of a poor Texas sharecropper's family and the origins of his unusual first name are unknown. But there were 29 boys named Audie in 2013, more than twice the number of girls given the name, which can be a diminutive of Audrey.
  2. Calder
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "rocky water"
    • Description:

      One art name that sounds distinctly more masculine. Unless you're a big mobile fan, keep thinking.
  3. Kamden
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Camden
    • Meaning:

      "winding valley"
    • Description:

      Spelling Camden with a K makes it less of a place name—Camden is a downmarket city in New Jersey and an upmarket area of London—and more of a Kardashian-era confection, or maybe konfection. Both Kamden and Camden are in the Top 500 boys’ names.
  4. Esmond
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "graceful protection"
    • Description:

      Though slightly haughtier and less accessible than cousin Edmond, Esmond could appeal to some parents seeing a distinguished appellation. It began being used (albeit sparingly) in England in the nineteenth century, possibly influenced by William Makepeace Thackeray's novel The History of Henry Esmond.
  5. Arledge
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "dweller at the rabbit lake"
    • Description:

      Stiff and formal surname. Try Roone instead.
  6. Winthrop
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "friend's village"
    • Description:

      Proper Bostonian.
  7. Kelby
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "dweller at the farm by the stream"
    • Description:

      This British last-name-first-name could make a more masculine alternative to Shelby.
  8. Corliss
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "carefree person"
    • Description:

      Corliss, eccentric yet well-established, has an independent and artistic air.
  9. Burton
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "fortified enclosure"
    • Description:

      Prissy, no matter how you spell it.
  10. Swan
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "swan"
    • Description:

      Obsolete Swanhild gives way to oh-so-modern Swan, joining the flock of newly fashionable bird names such as Wren and Lark. In France, the Swann spelling is fashionable for both sexes. But Swan carries an image of grace, though perhaps also a bit of languor. It's a lovely and original name, right for our times.
  11. Quince
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "applelike fruit"
    • Description:

      'Q' names are hot, and this is an intriguing fruit name that could be used for a girl or boy. The quince often appears in Greek myth, in tales of Aphrodite, Paris and Atalanta. Can also be a nickname for Quincy.
  12. Talcott
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "cottage near the lake"
    • Description:

      Similar in style or sound to Prescott, Maverick and Beckett, this far rarer name feels formal and strong. Notably borne by socialist Talcott Parsons, nicknames Tal or Otto might soften it a little. Alcott is a similar option with a literary ties.
  13. Elvin
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "noble friend"
    • Description:

      Elvin had his peak in the 1920s — which was when jazz musician Elvin Jones was born — but parents are still using it for over 100 boys a year. That's less than Kelvin, but more than Delvin.
  14. Rudyard
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "red enclosure"
    • Description:

      Often thought of as a one-peson name because of Jungle Book writer Kipling, this was actually his middle name. He was middle-named for Rudyard Lake in Staffordshire, the beauty of which inspired his parents to reference it in their first child's name. Trivia tidbit: Actress Kim Raver gave her son Leo the middle name of Kipling.
  15. Bede
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "prayer"
    • Description:

      A famous seventh-century saint and church historian whose name has not survived as well as his works. Known as the Venerable Bede, this Benedictine monk is considered the first known writer of English prose, and highly influential via his The History of the English Church and People.
  16. Finch
    • Origin:

      English word and nature name
    • Meaning:

      "to swindle"
    • Description:

      Bird name possibility, rarer than Lark and Wren but with the same short, punchy feel.
  17. Loren
    • Origin:

      English spelling variation of Lauren, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "from Laurentum or bay laurel"
    • Description:

      The spelling Loren turns Lauren or its male form Laurence into a gender-neutral name. Last year 75 baby girls were named Loren in the US vs. 60 baby boys, making this name a good nonbinary choice.
  18. Pike
    • Origin:

      American animal name
    • Meaning:

      "pike, a fish"
    • Description:

      The field of nature names is constantly expanding to include all species of flowers and trees and animals and birds and even fish. In addition to its appeal for anglers, Pike recalls Zebulon Pike, the explorer who discovered and gave his name to Pike's Peak.
  19. Moe
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Moses
    • Meaning:

      "delivered"
    • Description:

      If Gus and Max have made it, why not Moe? Can it be the lingering Three Stooges effect? We think that Moe, like Joe, is one of the friendliest and most open of regular guy nickname names and should get a little more attention.
  20. Kingsley
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "king's meadow"
    • Description:

      Regal Kingsley seems like an all-boy name, but a growing number of parents have bestowed this name on a girl. Credit the ever-trendier -ley suffix.