UK Baby Names

Haitian-born rap superstar and humanitarian Wyclef ("Fugees") Jean has lent this name a powerful musical beat.

Short, but still kind of a mouthful.

Proper Bostonian.

Most will see this as a refreshing middle name possibility, but Bristol Palin baby daddy Levi Johnston used it as a first name for his new daughter, Breeze Beretta.

An early unisex nature name that has been surpassed by others, Dale is still a simple, sylvan and serene option.

Name long associated with eloquent Black Panther activist Eldridge Cleaver and jazz great Roy Eldridge.

Though Collins makes the Top 1000 for girls, it sounds strong and handsome for boys too, kind of like the newly-stylish Brooks. The final s updates it from the 80s-ish Colin or the Twilightish Cullen. Might make an innovative honorific for a grandpa Nick.

This name of a town in Scotland, one of the earliest recorded surnames in the whole British Isles, has more vitality than Kelsey.

Morrison is one of the more uncommon patronymics; it could be used to honor an ancestral Morris, or one of the well-known surnamed Morrisons: Toni, Jim or Van.

"Help Me, Rhonda. sang the Beach Boys -- help me convince my parents not to give me this sixties name.

Especially if you have Welsh roots, this prominent saint's name could be an interesting and more masculine alternative to Taylor.

Actor Farley Granger set it in motion, now could be a gentler alternative to Harley.

Taken from a Scottish town, a Scots surname, and the name of an intricately patterned fabric, Paisley means "church" or "cemetery." It ranks highly for girls and is in US Top 100. It may feel a little swirly to ever catch on for boys, but with gentle names like Rowan, Teddy, Casey, Emery, and Trace rising in the US, and Hadley, Oakley, McKenzie, and Presley ranking in the UK, Paisley might one day be considered for any gender. Paisley Currah, a political scientist, professor, author and advocate for transgender rights, is a notable bearer of the name.

The tree, not the charred bit of soot in the fireplace, usually used for boys, but, as a short form of Ashley, works for girls too.

Less than ten percent of the babies named Rhys are girls, whereas Reese is given five times more often to girls than to boys, thanks to Ms. Witherspoon. It's a sleek and attractive name, but one that benefits from two accepted spellings that help clarify its gender identity.

Yet another noble name to join King, Prince, Princess, et al. The name Empress was given to over 100 baby girls in the US last year.

Fane, used as a nickname in the Middle Ages for someone with a cheerful disposition, is one of the more offbeat members of the Zane-Kane family.

Demi and Bruce made waves when they named their now-grown firstborn after novelist Rumer Godden; a possible downside is its connection with the word rumor. English author Godden was actually born Margaret, with Rumer (a family surname) as her middle name

Very popular in Wales, this perfectly nice name's only problem is its similarity to the dated Beth Ann.

Vintage nickname for Roberta or Barbara, most famously borne by Roberta "Bobbie" in Edith Nesbit's classic The Railway Children.