1450+ English Names (with Meanings & Popularity)

Pretty and distinctive choice for poetry lovers.

Darnel, the plant from which this name derives, is an intoxicating plant, which used to be grown to make medicines and poisons.

Of the names derived from titles, this is one of the least obvious (unless you are of German extraction). Chancellor also has the attraction of offering the exciting - and very on-trend - nickname Chance.

Peg is a nostalgic turn-of-the-last-century nickname, sociable but slight. Like near-identical twin Peggy, Peg is in mothballs.

An English combination of George and Anne or a feminization of George, more familiar in the elegant Georgiana form.

Could be difficult to grasp: Hoss. The "Bonanza" cowboy.

Sadler is another new entrant in the trendy occupational surname category, one particularly prime for a horse lover.

As seen on SNL, Pat is the ultimate androgynous name. Stick with long form Patrick, and make sure everyone calls him Patrick.

Kind of a combination of scoot and fleet, brought into public domain by actor Skeet (born Brian) Ulrich. We would recommend looking into the unsavory slang meaning of this name before choosing it for your child.

What child wouldn't like a name that was a synonym for cool?

Underused literary name (as in the poet John) with a -den ending that's very much in style.

Quirky and cute.

Eastman is a solid, old-style Atlantic seaboard surname. But as a first name, we think Easton works better.

Patterson is an upscale name worth considering if you're looking to continue a line of Peters, but soundalike Paterson is a downscale city in New Jersey.

It's a hat, it's a race, and it's even been known to be a name. In Britain, it would be pronounced darby.

Unusual and simple nature name worthy of further consideration.

Eaton's similarity to Eton gives it an upscale Old School feel, though in the U.S. a name that sound like eatin' could have teasin' potential. Eaton could also sound like the much-more-familiar Ethan with a tough-guy accent.

English surname that's very rarely found as a first name. The Colorado city was named after Horace Greeley, the nineteenth-century congressman and founder of the New-York Tribune.

Pelham, a place-name surname, could work well as a first, despite its slightly arrogant air. It's what the P in P.G. Wodehouse stands for.

Averill is an ancient name, most properly spelled Averil, that has a Boston Brahmin air – probably due to the image of statesman Averill Harriman. It's of the rare English surname names that originally derived from a female given name: Eoforhild (Everild), meaning "boar battle".