UK Boy Names

When Matthew McConaughey and wife Camila Alves chose the old English surname and place name Livingston for their third child, they elevated it from half of a Stanley & Livingston joke to a modern possibility. Kind of. The only other well-known bearer of the name in the contemporary world is singer Livingston Taylor, brother of James, who is called Liv. Given that little Livingston McConaughey's older brother is named Levi, that uplifting nickname may be too close, though his parents apparently like its sound. An original choice.

Too close to the name of a bodily fluid.

The name Parson might have seemed ridiculous even a few years ago, but when Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe named their son Deacon, they opened up a whole new field of ecclesiastical cool. Bishop, Priest, and Pastor are other possibilities.

No competition for Jackson.

This pleasant single-syllable surname might be especially appealing to someone involved with the internet (and who isn't?)--even if some others might see it as a drawback.

Welsh heritage choice that's rare today even in its native land.

A noble surname from northern England that has occasionally been used as a first name.

Place names for boys are few and far between; this one would make a singular choice. Prince William of Wales uses this as a surname when required, as in his military life; Jimmy Wales is the entrepreneur behind Wikipedia, Clint Eastwood played the eponymous character Josey (!) Wales in the 1976 The Outlaw Josey Wales.

Lincoln, Tyler, Taylor, Jackson, Jefferson, Harrison, McKinley, Grant, Kennedy, Carter -- yes. Washington -- probably not.

All varieties of Hob are antiquated nicknames for Robert, though this one is saddled with the "Calvin and Hobbes" cartoon association.

Stark is an ancient surname derived from the Old English word stearc, meaning firm and unyielding. In modern parlance, stark means severe or plain. But Stark's use as a first name -- 15 boys were named Stark in the US in 2017 -- stems from its prominence in Game of Thrones, which has inspired so many new baby names. House Stark is a ruling family on GoT; its motto is fittingly "Winter is coming," so Stark and other names from the show might make creative names for winter babies.

Ancient Irish saint's name that's unlikely, because of its similarity to "ninny," to join cousin Finian in popularity.

A variation of Jameson. Both names have climbed in popularity in recent years, though Jameson remains the preferred spelling.

A rarely-used place name (probably because of the last three letters), Essex was the ancient kingdom of the East Saxons and is now a county in England. The singer David Essex used it as his stage surname, and reality TV couple JP and Ashley Rosenbaum used it for their daughter's name, though few have followed suit.

Despite the presidential pedigree, it's still hard to shake the image of the cartoon cat (named after his creator Jim Davis's grandfather). However, there are other Garfields, such as Barbadian cricket player Sir Garfield Sobers, who carries it with gravitas.

St Cadoc was an early Welsh churchman, who gave his name to several villages in Wales, and according to his Life knew King Arthur. Less popular than other C__C names like Cormac and Cedric, Cadoc would be an almost unique, but easy-to-pronouce choice.

The connection to a knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend gives this name a hint of nobility. Geraint Thomas was a Welsh cyclist who competed in the 2008 Olympics.

CEO name.

Named after Isaac. Or Wayne.

A distinguished sounding place and surname borne by religious leader Brigham Young, second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.