UK Baby Names

Though we usually think a name's image in contemporary culture supersedes its ancient meaning, this is a case where the definition could undermine a child's self-esteem.

Better for an Air Force base than a baby.

Sudsy name that could be a new character on "Days of Our Lives."

Like so many names starting with Dar- (e.g. Darcy, Darius, and Darbey) this name feels so suave and aristocratic. British musician Darnell Bristol went by nickname Dee.

A common surname in Scotland, but a starchy first name choice.

Longfellow is the first name of the eponymous hero of the classic 1936 film Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, later remade with Adam Sandler. But it's hard to imagine a modern parent using it except as a middle name to honor the poet.

This Welsh surname might be an interesting alternative to the popular Evan, though that Bev beginning conjures up a fifty-five-year-old woman named Beverly.

Unfashionable surname, best left in the forest with Robin Hood and his Merry Men.

Moore is recommended as a rich and satisfying middle name choice, whether it relates to your own family history or not. Of the numerous outstanding Moore-surnamed namesakes, count sculptor Henry, writers Clement, Marianne and Brian, entertainers Demi, Dudley, Garry, Roger, Julianne, Melba and Mary Tyler, and provocateur Michael.

The legendary St. Non was the mother of St. David, the patron saint of Wales. David was raised in a convent by his mother and went on to become a great teacher and bishop. Non is also known as Nonna and Nonita, and is associated with Cornwall and Brittany along with Wales. While the name Non is well-used in Wales, it is largely unknown in the US and maybe be heard as the negative word "none" or prefix "non".

This name has a nicely fragrant woodsy feel, bringing it into the nature-tree name category. Its only well-known bearer, folk singer and Oscar-winning actor Burl Ives, had the full birth certificate name of Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives — nothing compared to his two siblings named Argola and Lillburn.

Divine seems more proper a name with the rise of Heaven and its turned-around twin Nevaeh. Though superlative names like Divine -- Unique, say, or Precious -- sometimes seems as if they're trying to hard and protesting too much.

A rising surname name for girls — it's overwhelmingly feminine, despite the association with Kenny Chesney.

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

Surname name with feminine final ley. The Welsh name Bryn, though also unisex and veering toward the girl world, is far more attractive.

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.

Used quietly on boys in the US since the early 20th century, Mckenzie was abruptly overtaken by the Mackenzie spelling back in 1973 when actress Mackenzie Phillips introduced the name as a possibility for girls. While Mckenzie has never matched its sibling spelling in popularity, it nevertheless climbed the charts in its wake, peaking in 2000 at #133.

Stuffy surname.

A two-syllable surname feel puts this name of an important English saint in the running -- though it could sound like a confused cross between Duncan and Dustin.