UK Baby Names

One of the surname names used more in the last century, à la Milton and Morton.

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.

Rider is a rock-and-roll baby name, in every sense of the term, though usually spelled Ryder, as in the sons of Kate Hudson and John Leguizamo.

In 2014, fifteen newborns were named Whisper, all of them girls. We can see the attraction of the name but if you are in Australia be warned - Whisper is a well-known brand of sanitary products, so a teenaged Whisper will find life more embarrassing than usual.

There aren't many Glendas under forty.

Efficient feel.

Windsor may have male references, such as Britain's royal House of Windsor and a tie's windsor knot, but this name also has a definite feminine feel, as in Windsor Rose. That seems appropriate, as Windsor is used equally these days for boys and girls.

Twain can be thought of as a modernization (and possible namesake) of the dated Wayne, seasoned with the humor of Mark Twain, who adopted it from a river term.

Sometimes heard as a first name in Scotland, particularly among the Campbell clan.

Last name occasionally used as a first, can be seen as a Lance Armstrong athlete-hero name.

The spelling Pearce softens the name's sharper edges, though we prefer the original Piers. That "pear" snippet could confuse pronunciation, which is just like Pierce.

A blend of Mervyn and Marvin that is every bit as dated as either of the originals. That -erv sound is difficult no matter what. Mervin is still used today among Amish families.

If it's royalty you're after, stick with Earl or Prince -- this is too deified.

King Joffrey Baratheon, the petulant biological son of siblings Cersei and Jaime Lannisters, is perhaps the most notorious villain in the entire Game of Thrones canon. His name is practically a byword for sadism among fans of the show and George R.R. Martin's books. As such, we think it's probably a name best avoided IRL.

A lesser-used presidential choice, with a charming, buccaneering sound. Fictional bearers include the Marvel Comics character James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes, as well as the heroine of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby Daisy Buchanan.

An appellation that couldn't be more Ivy League or sound less Welsh. The name of the University is taken from the surname of college benefactor Elihu Yale. In the movie Manhattan, Yale Pollack is the name of Woody Allen's best friend. The Hebrew Yael is not related.

Appealingly boyish a decade ago, less so now.