1450+ English Names

Has a positive meaning and a nickname feel. Sealey was a feminine name in medieval times but would be equally stylish (and rare) for both sexes now.

Alvin, Melvin, Norvin -- most vin names, except maybe Kevin and Gavin -- are not vinners.

With the first two syllables pronounced Georgie, it has a stylish Masterpiece Theatre air.

Forster, a variation of Foster or potentially even Forester, is associated with British novelist E.M. Forster, author of A Passage to India, Howard's End, and A Room with a View. But if you choose Forster, you'd always have to force that 'r'.

Quintessentially, stylelessly preppy.

One of several trendy boys' names now being adopted for girls with feminized spellings.

Chelsea with dyslexia.

Despite two distinguished surname-bearers — the great British statesman William Pitt and heartthrob Brad, this would be a tough name to pull off in first place. William Thackeray used it for two generations of baronets in his novel Vanity Fair, the Sir Pitt Crawleys.

The final s turns a nature name into a Waspy surname.

Fleet is one of the uncountable number of new word name possibilities, and a particularly cool choice at that. Connoting speed, Fleet beats Rush any day. Might be short for Fleetwood, but we prefer it on its own.

Emily substitute, though it sounds like a child's mispronunciation of "enemy".

Famous as the name of the widow of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Somewhat dashing surname, but with serious teasing potential.

Mailer is one of the more unusual of the on-trend occupational surnames. Recommended for fans of the macho writer Norman Mailer.

Gerry was hep along with poodle skirts and banana splits.

A once-popular nickname for Albert and Bertram now being polished up by hip Brits, but still hibernating in the Land of Nerd over here.

Might Carlyle (or Carlisle) be the next Carly, which of course was the update on Carla? In 2015, 14 girls were given the Carlisle spelling (vs. 35 boys) but the Carlyle version did not make the SSA list for girls although it was registered for ten boys. But it's a name we think we'll hear more of for both genders.

This dignified Old English surname was brought into the modern consciousness by author Armistead Maupin, who wrote the San Francisco stories Tales of the City. There was also a Civil War general named Lewis Armistead.

Sounds like an authentic upper-crust family name -- not necessarily a bad thing.