UK Baby Names

Doe is a soft and gentle-eyed middle name possibility and, like Fawn, one of the few animal names open to girls.

See WYNTON.

A short form that could be used independently, a la the singer Joss Stone.

Best left at the Jersey Shore.

Nature surname with an aristocratic edge. Spelling it DeForest distances it from deforestation.

Loyal is one of the few virtue names suitable for boys, an honorable and principled Boy Scout-esque appellation with a surprisingly long and distinguished history.

Clint with a glint; used for flinty characters in old TV westerns and soap operas.

Soft and mellifluous nature-surname name, situated miles away from the dated Marshall.

This occupational surname could find new life with those wishing to honor someone in their heritage who was connected to the tough-as-nails breed that was the pre-modern coal miner. Coll and Collie are some sweet nickname options to tone down the formality of this name.

No low self-esteem for this kid, or so his parents hope.

One of the first reality show-inspired names (he was a Texas hunk on an early season of "Survivor"); hugely trendy for boys but just starting for girls.

Rugged and straightforward brand-new name, though you might not like the idea of branding your son.

If Dayton, like Trenton and Camden, is finding favor with parents, it's more because of its popular two-syllable surname feel and -on ending than the industrial city in Ohio.

Is Merrin a real name or a melodic invention? Singer Bo Bice brought this merry name to the public's attention when he chose it for his daughter, but most reliable baby name sources don't list it. But there is a Cornish saint's name Merryn, thought to be a variation of the Irish names for girls Mirin and Mirren, and so we're going to call Merrin another twist on that ancient group of names.

If you use this for a boy, it had better be a family name, hidden away in the middle.

Though Embry became famous as the name of a boy werewolf in Twilight, we think its Em- beginning and -y ending make it perfectly appropriate for a girl. You might consider it as an alternative to Emma, Emily, or Aubrey. Embry or Embury is an established English surname. 

With Tillie a new favorite of avant-garde parents, the British music-hall Tessie might conceivably follow.

The name of the mother of Aethelred the Unready was once common among the Anglo-Saxon nobility, and was briefly revived during the 19th century, only to be lost once again to history.

A word name with an appealing and illuminating meaning.