The 100+ Poshest Names in Britain

Updated Mon Jan 13 2025

So-called posh British names are famed for their characteristic quirk and charm. Delightfully extravagant combinations such as Arabella Clementine Athena and Sebastian Claud Spencer pepper the birth announcement pages of the London-based Telegraph newspaper.

(To generate your very own Telegraph-worthy name combination, take our fun quiz: What's Your Posh Name?)

Posh Names

Of course, the poshest people in Britain arguably have the most ordinary names: Charles, William, Catherine, George, Charlotte. But the controversial term “posh” encompasses far more than just status or lineage.

Love it or loathe it – and we tend to come down on the latter side – it’s a very popular shorthand for a very particular style: rare, rarefied, refined… and yes, maybe a little bit pompous or pretentious.

So, what are the posh names of the moment? The choices that exemplify that oh-so-British blend of elegance and eccentricity?

We analyzed the Telegraph announcements from the past year to reveal what’s hot and what’s not among the British upper classes.

Posh British Girl Names

The most popular first names for girls provide a perfect snapshot of how different the Telegraph rankings are from the official popular British names charts.

Ottilie (Number 69 nationally) was the top first name for Telegraph parents last year, used five times in a population on 151 baby girls. It was followed by Eliza (Number 60), used four times, then a tie between Amelia (#2), Beatrice (#121), Charlotte (#23), Daisy (#17), Flora (#230), and Poppy (#11), each given to three girls.

The most popular middle name for girls was Rose, which was used in a middle position 13 times, yet never as a first name. Nationally, Rose ranks at Number 55 as a first name. In second place was Mary, bestowed on 10 girls as a middle name, but none as a first.

Here are more elegant British girl names that were used multiple times by Telegraph parents in the first or middle slot, yet rank below the national Top 100.

Posh British Boy Names

The most popular Telegraph first names for boys also include several choices absent from the national Top 100, but the very top picks remain the classics.

The top first name this year was royal classic George, used nine times (plus seven times as a middle name) in a population of 166 baby boys. George ranked at Number 4 in England and Wales in 2023.

It was followed by more regal names: in second place, Charles was used seven times as a first name, and 11 as a middle name — although it is Number 121 nationally. Unlike Telegraph readers, most Brits prefer to use the nickname Charlie in its own right. Tying for third place were Frederick (#63), Louis (#45) and William (#29), each given to five boys as a first name, and several as a middle.

The most popular middle name for boys was Charles, followed by a three-way tie between David, James, and Peter. Each of these was given to nine boys as a middle name, but only Peter was used as a first name, for one boy.

Here are other distinguished British boy names below the national Top 100, but used multiple times by Telegraph parents in first or middle position. They represent a mixture of classics that have fallen out of fashion, like Mark and Timothy, climbers that are poised to enter the Top 100 soon, like Miles and Wilfred, and less common names with an air of high social status about them, like Wilbur and Orlando.

Unique British Girl Names

Even more enticing are the unique British names which appeared in just one birth announcement from the past year and also rank below the Top 1000 baby names in England and Wales.

An impressive 89 girl names appeared just once in the Telegraph birth announcements this year.

These rarities range from ancient names like Alienor, Dido and Pandora, to sweet and quirky nicknames as given names, like Bessie, Kiki and Mimi.

Also making the list are neglected classics in style limbo, like Anne and Patricia, names hailing from the British Isles such as Eirlys and Fenella, and gems from elsewhere in the world, like Biondina and Nkechinyere.

There are also family surnames, and James given as a middle name, as well as vibrant modern-style names like Solitaire, Vesper, Viva, and Zena.

Many of these lovely choices are ideal for parents looking for truly unique girl names with a long and legitimate history.

Unique British Boy Names

A whopping 101 boy names featured just once in the Telegraph birth announcements in 2024.

They featured a whole host of dashing family surnames given as middle names – a tradition amongst the British upper classes. Some of our favorite examples include Beaumont, Fitzwilliam, Hartley and Kemp – all bold but wearable, even in the first name slot.

There were saintly names like Clement, Ignatius, and Sylvester, and the lovely Hope as a middle name.

Also on the list were names from the Celtic-speaking regions of the British Isles, such as Cormac, Eoin, and Mungo, and from around the world, including Ludwig, Mikhail, and the Icelandic name Nökkvi.

Here are more rare-yet-classy Telegraph-approved boy names.

Read next:

— British Names: the Ultimate Guide

About the Author

Clare Green

Clare Green has been writing for Nameberry since 2015, covering everything from names peaking right now to feminist baby names, and keeping up-to-date with international baby name rankings. Her work has featured in publications such as The Independent and HuffPost. Clare has a background in linguistics and librarianship, and recently completed an MA dissertation researching names in multilingual families. She lives in England with her husband and son. You can reach her at clare@nameberry.com

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