UK Baby Names
- Armel
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"bear prince"Description:
This Welsh name, also used in France, is the name of a 6th century saint who went to Brittany and established abbeys. Armel has a pleasant and familiar sound, making it easily used outside of Wales and France.
- Gentry
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"aristocracy"Description:
A distinctive surname that, despite its meaning, has a cowboy swagger, a la Autry.
- Slater
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"maker of slates"Description:
Slater has a more genial, friendly feel than most trade names. Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance used it for one of their twins.
- Rockwell
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"rock spring"Description:
This would be an intriguing choice for an illustrator's child, thanks to Norman Rockwell and Rockwell Kent.
- Gypsy
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"wanderer"Description:
Gypsy, long associated with the intellectual stripper Gypsy Rose Lee and the musical that was made about her life, was used by Drea de Matteo and Shooter Jennings as the middle name of their daughter Alabama. Be aware, however, that the word gypsy is now considered an ethnic slur when used for the Romani, or Roma, people.
- Whimsy
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"whimsical or fanciful"Description:
Whimsy is a new entry to the ever-expanding word name lexicon, sister for Pixie and Bliss. While it has an undeniable offbeat English aristocratic charm (maybe we're thinking of Dorothy Sayers' fictional detective Lord Peter Wimsey, whose middle name was Death?), we see this as more fitting for a middle than a first name.
- Lester
Origin:
English place-name; phonetic form of LeicesterDescription:
Lester is one of the British surname names that were popular in the US in the early decades of the twentieth century: it was in the Top 100 through 1931, reaching a high of Number 52 in 1906. But dropping of the list in the late 1990s, along with Hester and Sylvester, we don't see much hope for a return visit.
- Merryn
Origin:
Cornish variation of Mirin, Irish and Scottish, meaning unknownDescription:
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.
- Tawny
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"golden brown"Description:
Y-ending color adjectives like Tawny and Rusty are nowhere near as stylish as the more sophisticated Lilacs and Violets.
- Deanna
Origin:
English variation of DianaMeaning:
"divine"Description:
Though still being used, Deanna peaked many decades ago.
- Destry
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"war horse"Description:
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.
- Eleri
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"greatly bitter"Description:
Striking name of a legendary princess and a Welsh river that feels both moody and modern.
- Bob
Origin:
English, diminutive of RobertMeaning:
"bright fame"Description:
Kids love Bob the Builder, but do they want to be Bob the Builder? Bob and Bobby have been out of style since the 1960s, but as vintage nickname-names -- Fred, Archie -- come back into vogue, Bob may tag along. Charlie Sheen used it for one of his twin sons.
- Heulfryn
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"Sunny hill"Description:
This Welsh name presents some pronunciation/spelling challenges but has a lovely sound and meaning. The name has been used in the South Korean multiplayer game Mabinogi for one of the human healer characters.
- Brinley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"burnt meadow"Description:
Brinley was a surprise entrant to the girls’ names list in 2009, coming in at Number 778; it has since risen to Number 337. We've also seen it spelled Brinlee, Brinlea and Brinleigh.
- Audrina
Origin:
Variation of AudreyMeaning:
"noble strength"Description:
Audrina is a name that owes its fame to overnight reality TV sensation Audrina Partridge, one of the original cast of the MTV reality series The Hills.
- Anniston
Origin:
English surname and American place nameMeaning:
"Anis' town"Description:
Actor couple Chyler Leigh and Nathan West added this one to the lexicon when they adapted the surname of actress Jennifer Aniston as their daughter's first name. Aniston, which theoretically might mean "Anis' town," (Anis is a medieval form of Agnes) was actually Anglicized from the Greek Anastasopoulos. With its similarity to both Addison and Anna and its relationship to the attractive star, Anniston is taking off a la Jolie.
- Granger
Origin:
English and French surnameMeaning:
"worker of the granary"Description:
If you're seeking a solid last-name-first occupational name with a warm, friendly sound, one that's not overused, this could be it.
- Ellington
Origin:
English place-name and surnameMeaning:
"Ellis's town"Description:
Ellington is a swinging musical name, evoking the jazzy and elegant persona of the Duke (born Edward Kennedy Ellington). While that reference may seem to make Ellington a male name, it is also occasionally used for girls.
- Edan
Origin:
Irish and HebrewMeaning:
"little fire; era"Description:
A pleasingly simple alternate spelling of Aidan - but likely to get confused with Eden. In Hebrew, it means "era", and it's a Top 100 name in Israel.