UK Boy Names

An uncommon surname name with that energetic -er ending. Might appeal especially to baseball fans.

If you want to go waaaaay beyond William, consider this Welsh form, which can also be spelled Gwilym, Gwilim, or Gwillym.

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.

Strongly associated with the mega-popular single-named singer, who was actually the fourth Usher Raymond in his family. He could start a fad.

The Welsh form of Tristan, and the name of a counselor to King Arthur.

William was such a popular name, thanks to the Conquerer, in early England that it gave rise to a range of nicknames, including the distinctly Scottish Wilkie. Heard mostly as a surname these days, it's the middle name of Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick's son James and the first name of writer Collins. While Wilkie could make an adorable short form for a little boy, we'd recommend a more substantial full name such as, well, William.

Boo as a first name first achieved notoriety as the name of the child-man in Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird. Arthur "Boo" Radley was meant to be frightening, but only in a simple, non-threatening way. More recently, Boo has been used as the middle name of one of chef Jamie Oliver's children and the nickname in the middle of television's Honey Boo Boo. Boo is also the name of the world's cutest dog and of the adorable little girl in Monsters Inc. In a more basic way, Boo is a term of endearment.

Peaked in the 1940s, but still an amiable classic, a la Joe and Tom -- though rarely used on its own.

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

An English family name used a few generations ago as an Anglicization of Moses, but hardly heard since th 1950s.

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

He can get it for you wholesale.

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.

This British last-name-first-name could make a more masculine alternative to Shelby.

An upper-crusty-sounding name with humble origins.

Sure, and we hope he has a good time playing with Buster and Buddy.

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.

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

A fresh Dale relative that finds place amongst similar names like Cullin and Hamelin as well as the more common Allen and Dylan.