UK Baby Names

Charming Dickensian route to Nick.

One occupational name unlikely to find a single taker.

Two completely different images come from its national pronunciations -- BOY-err or boy-AY -- the latter giving it an effete French accent.

Unusual twist -- but everyone will hear it as Justin -- or jester.

Wrecker is a new entry to the newly trendy group of badass baby names -- names mostly for boys that sound wild (or Wilder) and summon the kind of kid that races around (Racer), breaking things (Breaker), and yeah, why not, being a Wrecker while he's at it. Actor Cam Gigandet introduced this one, with a more phonetic spelling, when he named his son Rekker.

Brock plus.

Drover, an ancient occupational surname, is right in step with today's styles and would make a distinctive choice. Drover and brothers are fresh updates of such now-widely-used names as Carter and Cooper.

A new entry is the fashionable new occupational name category -- and a jolly job it must be -- with the added attraction of relating to the great early 20th century American artist James Abbott McNeill Whistler, of "Whistler's Mother" fame.

This trendy spelling of Emily may be benefiting from the rise of Emery.

All the names ending in-lyn seem sadly dated.

A nice beachy name, but one that would require constant explanation.

A rowdy name nobody ever heard of, till Nick Nolte gave it to his son.

Has a fresh occupational name feel, combined with old-fashioned Currier & Ives charm.

A Robert nickname out of use for hundreds of years, but now sounds cooler than Bob or Rob for a modern boy.

Unless it was your grandmother's maiden name, and you're using it in the middle place, we don't think so. Could be confused with Hazelden, a leading rehab facility.

Latter-day Ashley that comes in a range of spelling variations. Ansley and Ainsley have both hit the Top 1000 in recent years.

Palin has suddenly become a hot new surname-name given usually to girls. The inspiration can only be former Alaska governor Sarah, though the name Palin is her husband's -- her original surname is Heath. Palin herself is no stranger to the adventurous baby name, as the mother of daughters Bristol, Piper, and Willow, and sons Track and Trig.

The surname of the influential early Scottish inventor of logarithms could make an inspiring middle name choice for a mathematically inclined family.

 As a surname, it's most familiar as Hearst -- publishing magnate William Randolph and kidnapped granddaughter Patty. Few would use it if it wasn't their own family name.

Both Madisyn and Madison have lost ground in recent years.