UK Baby Names

Sean and Robin Wright Penn chose this name for their son to honor their friend Dennis Hopper; others might associate it with the painter Edward. Couldn't be more spirited.

Possibly started life as a short form of Rhonwen, but most likely derives from the name of the Hebridean island Rona, which means "rough island".

Upper-class surname in England that might be prime for adoption here.

One of the rare English surname names originally derived from a female given name: Eoforhild (Everild), meaning "boar battle". Also spelled Averill, it's an extremely rare choice today, but shares sounds with fashionable Ava and Avery.

A pleasant-sounding name that might be more popular were it not a brand of bottled water - something that is noted in the 1999 movie Superstar, which features a female Evian. The brand is named after the French spa town of Évian-les-Bains, which ultimately derives from aqua, the Latin word for water.

Thompson is not as popular as Jackson or Harrison, but a novel way to circumvent Junior for the son of a Thomas.

Name hovering near the bottom of the Top 1000 that may move higher with the fashion for two-syllable surnames. You could do worse...but you probably could also do better.

Acker is a surname name that has not seen much use to date, but given it's lush nature meaning (and the fact that it also means "friend" in Somerset slang) this could be a cute choice for parents looking for something fresh. An added bonus its link to English "Master of the Clarinet" Acker Bilk. The Dutch version, Akker, is also an option.

Hip new middle-name choice, conjuring up the gothic tales of Edgar Allan, and current single-named pop singer Poe.

Cameron is still more popular as a boy's name than a girls and this simple, snappy short form works well for either sex.

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

While it may sound a little dated, Lamar is a name that has never been outside the US Top 1000, but it is in danger of falling off the list.

Although the single-named singer is male, this might be a girl's nickname name or a sleek nature name that's perfect in the middle.

This variation without the A is one of the patronymics – names that mean 'son of – that have been widely adopted for girls.

A diminutive of the (male) name Dafydd, the Welsh form of David. In the US, it's strongly associated with the candy.

Kyle is a Scottish male name while Kylie is an Aboriginal name meaning boomerang. Kyleigh might be seen as a feminine spin on Kyle or a spelling update of Kylie. A trendy choice longer on style than substance.

Chadwick Boseman, the late charismatic star of Marvel's blockbuster Black Panther, brought this name to the spotlight for the first time. Though we long considered it an overwrought way to get to the nickname Chad, his celebrity gives it new luster, and we wouldn't be surprised to see it grow in popularity going forward.

Best left at the Jersey Shore.

Merrill, once fairly common for males, is rarely used for girls (or boys either, for that matter) with this spelling. Chef Emeril Lagasse dropped the initial E from his name and called his daughter Meril.

This is one surname-name that may swing decidedly to the male side, thanks to highly-visible young actor Alden Ehrenreich.