UK Baby Names

Despite the possibility of gender confusion, the Hero in Greek myth was a woman. Myleene Klass got that when she chose Hero for her daughter, and Sam Taylor-Wood and Aaron Johnson used it as their daughter's middle--and we wouldn't be surprised to see more girls with this heroic name.

St. Merryn, the name of a Cornish town derived from Mirin, a 6th century Irish saint important in Scottish history often as Mirren, is sometimes used in modern times as a girl's name. Lovely, sleek, shimmery feel though many will assume it's invented until you enlighten them on its long history. Also spelled Meryn.

The Welsh version of William is almost unheard-of across, but it's fairly straightforward and could make a good heritage choice or alternative honor name.

This somewhat snobby-sounding surname popped onto the name map when Mariel Hemingway used it for one of her daughters.

Kingsley is a sophisticated Harry Potter name that entered the US Top 1000 in 2013.

Take away the Mac and what do you have? Rather than "son of Kenneth," the meaning becomes simply Kenneth, which in itself means son of fire or handsome.

Reese Witherspoon's Deacon has opened this churchy direction for occupational names. It reentered the US Top 1000 in 2015.

Everybody knows Huckleberry Finn, the Mark Twain character named, Twain said, for the 19th century slang term for "humble." A few modern parents have put it on a birth certificate, including "Man Vs. Wild" star Bear Grylls, who, like many parents, will call the boy the much more manageable Huck. It was also the name of a child on TV's West Wing,

An upscale surname with a nice modern design connection to the creators of the Eames chair and other midcentury furniture classics, Charles and Ray Eames.

Has an upscale aura, perhaps due to the luxury James Bond Aston Martin car.

Wisecracking waitress name stuck in the luncheonette. Started as nickname for girls named Regina -- queen in Latin -- now mostly a canine choice.

This shimmery Age of Aquarius unisex flower child name is making a comeback, along with metal and gem names like Steel, Jade, and Ruby.

Excellent candidate for use as an undiscovered surname name. Niven is the Anglicized spelling of the Irish name Naomhan, a diminutive of the word naomh which means saint. This handsome but unusual name was given to only six boys in the US last year. Your parents may be familiar with actor David Niven.

Striking name of a legendary princess and a Welsh river that feels both moody and modern.

Destry rides again, this time as a Western flavored baby name. Derived from the French surname Destrier, from an Anglo-Norman word meaning "warhorse", this rugged name was popularized by the 1930 novel Destry Rides Again by Max Brand, subsequently adapted for the big screen.

Brighton has long been known as a holiday resort town on the south coast of England. A cheery unisex name, it was used for his daughter by Jon Favreau, but was a boy on the TV show The Nanny.

One of the surname names for boys on its way to becoming unisex, this name broke into the Top 1000 for the first time in 2013 for girls. While it sounds masculine to us, because of its two-syllable er-ending sound so trendy with boys’ names, many parents apparently disagree.

Kimberly is a variation of the South African (and Australian) place name Kimberley, named after John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley. The name comes from a Norfolk earldom (first spelled Chineburlai) and references the meadow or woodland clearing of a medieval Lady called Cyneburga.

A modern Welsh name that will be misunderstood as Irene.

Made famous by former child star Macaulay Culkin, one of the more popular Mac names.