1450+ English Names

Very occasionally given to boys born on that day; Noel is a more common name for Christmas babies.

See ST.

Old English name as outmoded as the use of the word maid for a young girl.

More user-friendly than the original.

Although it connotes a sense of well-being, not likely to be a popular choice.

A diminutive diminutive, too tease-worthy.

With Yale and Brown in the mainstream, why not this upscale college name and surname as well.

Severe surname choice.

Blakeley is one of the many -ley ending surnames that is being adopted as a first name, updating the 80s darlings Blake and Ashley.

Heard in a sixties spy movie, The Quiller Memorandum, this uncommon occupational name has an offbeat charm.

Huntley was best known as Brinkley's news partner several decades ago. With the new genre of girls' names that are unusual surnames ending with the lee sound -- think Mosley, Yardley -- Huntley or Huntlea or Huntleigh might rise for girls.

Made famous by actress Idina Menzel, of "Rent" and "Wicked" fame.

This old short form might be seen as a little dubious by some, though it could make for a fun pet name or an update on Roger.

Feels like a hybrid. Better go for Edith or Evelyn.

Used as a first name for a handful of girls every year, Joplin could be seen as a distant cousin of other -lin names, like Caitlin, Brooklyn and Braelynn. We think it works even better as a musical middle name possibility for fans of Janis... or Scott. Both great connections — albeit very different from one another.

Téa Leoni and David Duchovny named their kid Kyd in 2002, but he usually goes by his middle name, Miller. Probably a wise choice, given the homonym.

Much more upscale and modern for a girl than a boy.

Selby, a rarely heard British surname, feels sleeker and more distinctive than Shelby. Todd Selby, known primarily by his last name, is a hip photographer of interiors.

If you're looking for a Nicholas substitute or namesake, Nicholson would make a more distinctive path to the likable nickname Nick, fitting in with other newer patronymics like Anderson and Harrison. Unusual but not outlandish, it is associated with writer Nicholson Baker, library advocate and author of Vox. And as a surname, of course, with Jack.

Part Cameron, part Amber, Camber may be a new name but it feels right for our times. As a word, camber means a slightly arched surface.