Gentle but grandiose and beloved by British novelists including Evelyn Waugh and P. G. Wodehouse, Ambrose was a fast rising name in 2022. Entering the UK Top 1000 for the first time and proving popular among Nameberry users, its elegance, softness, and vintage style means it fits in with popular Theodore, Sebastian, and Jeremiah. 
 With an air of blooming well-being, Ambrose feels a bit upper-class, a little posh, but not too stuffy. It comes from the same Greek root as 'ambrosia', the food of the gods, said to confer immortality.
 Ambrose was the name of one of the important doctors of the early Christian church, the fourth century St. Ambrose. It also belonged to one of the four great Latin teachers of Christianity, who also developed the use of music in church services. TV fanatics might be interested to know that in 1961, Ambrose was designated the patron saint of educational television by Pope John XXII.
 One thing that might given some parents pause is the problem of finding a nickname for the stately Ambrose. Ami? Bro? Amby? They might work for some, but other options include the stylish Bo, the literary Bram, the sweet Ro, or even the unexpected and unisex Rose.

Ambrose

Audrey is one of the girls' names that have been rising due to their connection to Old Hollywood glamour—in this case the eternally chic and radiant Audrey Hepburn. Audrey has another very different appeal as one of the elite group of <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/96/girl-names-that-mean-brave-or-powerful">girl names that mean strong, brave, or powerful</a>.
 
Audrey is derived from the Anglo-Saxon Aethelthryth, the name that later evolved into Etheldred or Etheldreda. St. Audrey was a seventh century saint who was particularly revered in the Middle Ages. Her name led to the term tawdry, as cheap lace necklaces were sold at the St. Audrey fair. Shakespeare bestowed her name on a character in As You Like It. 
 
Celebrities who have chosen Audrey include Greg Kinnear, Steve Zahn, and Faith Hill & Tim McGraw.
 A current representative is the French actress Audrey Tautou—who made her mark in Amelie, The Da Vinci Code, and as Coco Chanel—and who shares some of the charm of Audrey Hepburn.

Audrey

Basie is a fabulous jazz name to honor the Count, whose birth name was William, the influential pianist, organist, bandleader and composer who led his band for almost fifty years.
 There are lots of other jazzy names you might want to consider, including Ellington, Miles, Quincy, Dexter, Mercer, and Bix. Woody Allen named his two daughters after jazz musicians--Bechet for clarinetist Sidney Bechet and Manzie for Manzie Johnson, the drummer in Bechet's band.

Basie

Benny

It's been shown that notable political figures often impact the use of their names, and the same can — sort of — be said about Bernie Sanders. His name increased in use by 47% between 2015 and 2016 (albeit, to a peak of only 21 baby boys given the name). By 2017, Bernie has decreased in usage by almost 60%.

Bernie

Cute kid with freckles, bouncing a Spalding ball. Cool couple Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton put the name Billy Burton on their son's birth certificate. While the classic William, name of the future king of England, may in fact be German, the nickname Billy along with such other classic short forms as Jim and Joe are authentically <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/502/english-names-for-boys">English names for boys</a>.

Billy

Bram has an unusual measure of character and charm for a one-syllable name; it started as a hipper-than-Abe diminutive of the biblical Abraham, but is also an independent Irish and Dutch name, made famous by Irish-born Dracula creator Bram (nee Abraham) Stoker. Bram is currently Number 16 in the Netherlands; Bram Howard was a character on The West Wing.
 Another route to Bram is Bramwell, as in early actor Bramwell Fletcher, who &mdash; speaking of horror movies &mdash; was noted for his mad scenes in the 1932 film The Mummy.

Bram

Brother for Biff and Bud.   McFly rocker Tom Fletcher transformed this from midcentury short form to modern cool name when he used it for his newborn son.

Buzz

Calloway is one of those irresistibly jaunty, animated three-syllable surnames, like Sullivan and Finnegan — but this one has the added attraction of jazzy ties to the immortal "Dean of American Jive," Cab Calloway.
 There was a 1951 comedy spoof called "Calloway Went Thataway."

Calloway

Calvin is a slightly quirky but cozy name that has a fashion edge thanks to Calvin Klein. It has been steadily on the popularity list since records were kept, never lower than Number 250, peaking in the 1920s, the era of the Calvin (originally John Calvin ) Coolidge presidency. 
 The name came into use as a first name in honor of John Calvin--born Jehan Cauvin-- the seventeenth century French Protestant reformer whose strict doctrines became the basis of Calvinism, and the name was taken up as a tribute to him.
 Other associations include the above-mentioned Calvin Klein (and his famous 'Calvins' ads), humorous writer Calvin Trillin, the comic strip "Calvin & Hobbes" --and it's also the birth name of Snoop Dog. Calvin O'Keefe is one of the main characters in Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time.

Calvin

Casey is a name with a big wide grin, Irish, friendly, and open, and associated with several American folk heroes--Casey Jones, the engine driver of the Cannonball Express who gave his life to save his passengers, and the legendary Casey at the Bat.
 Casey was at its height of popularity in the 1980s bur recently has started climbing the charts again in the US, maybe because some of the Caseys born in the 1980s have become famous in the 2020s.

Casey

Cedric was invented by Sir Walter Scott for the noble character of the hero's father in Ivanhoe, presumed to be an altered form of the Saxon name Cerdic. The name was later also given to Little Lord Fauntleroy, the long-haired, velvet-suited, and lace-collared boy hero of the Frances Hodgson Burnett book, who became an unwitting symbol of the pampered mama's boy.
 Since then that stereotype has been broken principally by the handsome Harry Potter character Cedric Diggory, played by the teen-aged pre-Twilight Robert Pattinson, and it, like cousin Cecil, is at the point of being rediscovered by cutting-edge namers.
 Actor and comedian Cedric the Entertainer has propelled this name into the spotlight in recent years.
 Cedric has been on and off the charts the last few years, but is currently back in the Top 1000 in 2022.

Cedric

This Roman Emperor's name has long been considered too grand for an American boy. But in this era of children named Augustine and Atticus, it just may be prime for an unlikely comeback. 
 Constantine the Great was the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity and issued the Edict of Milan, which proclaimed religious tolerance throughout the empire. Constantine was also the name of three medieval Scottish kings.
 A modern bearer is Constantine Maroulis, singer and actor and American Idol finalist. The 2005 horror film Constantine featured a hero by that surname.
 Advice: Find a nickname other than Connie.

Constantine

This courtly old Southern name has several cool male bearers: NFL player Courtney Brown, British jazz musician Courtney Pine, and Barbados-born economist Courtney Blackman, to name but a few. 

Courtney

Dylan still feels poetic and romantic after years of popularity. It still ranks highly on the charts, among the top <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/boys-names/d">boy names starting with D</a>, so if you choose it, be aware that yours may not be the only Dylan in his class. 
 <br/
Dylan was derived of the Welsh components dy and llanw, meaning "sea." In Welsh mythology, Dylan was a legendary sea god who prompted all the waters of Britain and Ireland to weep when he died. The name came to prominence via the great Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, whose name Bob Dylan adopted in tribute.
 >Several celebrities have sons named Dylan, including Welsh-born Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas, Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds and Nadia Comaneci.
 The name Dylan was given to about 500 baby girls last year, but 6700 baby boys so it doesn't quite qualify as unisex. 
 Dillon is another popular spelling, though the Dillon spelling is used only about 5 percent of the time.

Dylan

Ellis is a former Old Man Name turned gender-neutral choice for the 21st century. It's one of the less used names in the currently popular El-family. 
 
 A popular Welsh name in its own right, sometimes spelled Elis, Ellis is also an English surname derived from Elijah, by way of the Greek Elias.
 Ellis Bell was the male pseudonym of Emily Bronte when she wrote Wuthering Heights. Ellis Marsalis is the paterfamilias of the noted jazz family, father of Wynton, Branford and others, and some might associate the name with Ellis Island, through which millions of immigrants entered the United States.
 There have been a number of Ellises on the big and small screen -- in The Wire, Grey's Anatomy and No Country for Old Men, among others. As a surname, it's associated with designer Perry, writer Bret Easton and psychologist Havelock.
 At one point all-male, Ellis is now a popular name for both boys and girls. Currently there are two baby boys named Ellis for every girl.

Ellis

Dashing and suave, with a hint of poetry and gentleness, Emilio is an appealing and international choice. A solid favorite in Italy, it is also on the rise in the US, France, Austria, and the UK. 
 
Derived from the Roman family name, Aemilius, Emilio is part of the Emil, Emiliano, Emily and Emilia family, all with the meaning "rival". 
 
While Emilio isn't quite as popular as its feminine counterparts yet, it has received more attention in recent years. With other -o names such as Matteo, Arlo, and Leo all trending for boys, it broke into the US Top 200 for the first time in 2022 and is now given to over 2000 babies every year.

Actor Emilio Estevez has brought notable attention to the name, while Italian fashion designers Emilio Pucci and Emilio Cavallini give it an air of style. Other recent namesakes include footballer Emilio Nsue, actor Emilio Sakraya, and influencer Emilio Martinez.

Emilio

Eve, the oldest name in the Book, is now coming back into style, having the virtues of simplicity and purity, yet with more strength and resonance than other single-syllable names like Ann. British actor Clive Owen chose Eve for his daughter, as did Jessica Capshaw. 
 
While Eve is compromised by its similarity to trendy sisters Ava, Eva, Avery, Evelyn, Evie, ad infinitum, it still has them all beat with its streamlined classic style.
 The rapper born Eve Jihan Jeffers goes by the mononame Eve.
 Fictional Eves have figured prominently in the films All About Eve, Three Faces of Eve, and WALL·E, and on TV in Angel and Xena: Warrior Princess.
 Eve is the anglicized form of the Gaelic Aoife.

A great uncommon English-Arabic crossover choice, easily pronounceable internationally.

Faris

It’s been more than three decades since Ferris Bueller took his famous day off in the cult classic 1986 teen comedy movie, but we think the time for this name could and should be now! Especially with the recent rise of the hero's girlfriend, Sloane, up the baby name rankings. Half preppy, half rugged, it boasts that stylish S ending and has a cozy, retro feel.

 The surname Ferris can derive either from the Irish name Fergus, meaning "strong man", or from the English surname Ferrers, referring to a blacksmith or ironworker.

Ferris

Frances, a soft and gentle classic last popular a hundred years ago, is trending again. The cool nickname Frankie is one reason for the revival of Frances, adding lightness and sass to a serious name.
Frances is the feminine form of Francis, the English variation of the Latin name Franciscus. Franciscus, meaning "Frenchman," was taken from the Germanic tribe the Franks, which got its name from the francisca, the axe they used in battle. Until the seventeenth century, the spellings Frances and Francis were used interchangeably for both sexes.
 
More recently, Frances started receiving new attention when it was chosen in the early 90s by Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love for their only child. It's been by such stylish parents as Jimmy Fallon and Amanda Peet (who nicknamed her daughter Frankie).
 
Frances was a favorite of the Tudor aristocracy after being given to Henry VII's granddaughter. St. Frances (Mother) Cabrini was the first American citizen to be canonized.
 
Some of the best known pop culture bearers of the name were known by diminutives—the Franny of J.D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey, Francie in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Frankie in A Member of the Wedding, Baby in Dirty Dancing, and Gidget in Gidget. Traditional nickname Fran feels a bit bland and Fanny, though possessing some eighteenth century charm, is unusable in Britain and Australia where it is slang for female genitalia.
 Frances is the endearing badger in the childhood favorite Bedtime for Frances and other Frances books.
 Among well known bearers are Frances Perkins, Secretary of Labor in the Roosevelt era; actresses McDormand, Dee, Farmer, and Fisher; journalist Fitzgerald; and writers Burney and Hodgson Burnett.
 Frances was the abandoned first name of Judy Garland, Dinah Shore, and Dale Evans.
 Some attractive foreign versions are the increasingly popular Francesca, Francoise, Franca, Fanya, and Francine.
 Frances began trending upward before Pope Francis was named in 2013, but that helped propel it up further than this somewhat sedate classic name might have gone on its own.

Frances

Since this was the name chosen by the current Roman Catholic pope, Francis has come into the spotlight.
 The name, which was in the Top 10 at the turn of the last century, has been pretty much confined to Irish and Italian Catholics -- think F. (Francis) Scott Fitzgerald, Francis Albert Sinatra, Francis Ford Coppola -- for decades, and still has a somewhat starchy feel. But with its similarity to the increasingly popular female Frances, and its recent newsworthiness, we can see it making a possible comeback beyond those worlds. And in fact, the name has risen a bit in the charts since its all-time low of 680 in 2009.
 Animal-loving parents might be inspired by the connection to Saint Francis of Assisi (born Giovanni), who was said to be able to communicate with animals and was made the patron saint of ecology. Another Francis, Saint Francis de Sales, is the patron saint of writers and editors.

Francis

Dropping the final "k" of Frederick definitely makes it a more user-friendly classic <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys' name</a>. It streamlines it and also hints at Frederic's status as a French variation of the Germanic Frederick. Either way, this is a strong classic to consider if you're not afraid of a little dusty residue.

Frederic

Just as Seamus/Seumus is Irish for James, Hamish is the Scottish form &mdash; one that's not often used here, but still redolent of Olde Scotland. If you're ready to go further than Duncan and Malcolm, out to Laird and Ewan territory, this may be worth consideration. It also sounds just like the Yiddish word for homey.
 In Scotland, where it became popular in the second half of the nineteenth century, Hamish is a nickname for a Highlander, and it's a high-ranking name in South Australia, where it's currently in the Top 50.
 Some people may have become familiar with Hamish via one of the grooms in Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Hamish

Jago is a dashing alternative to overused favorite Jacob. 

Jago

King David's father turned 1980s cowboy, Jesse is now down in popularity. The name is associated with a wide variety of bearers, from outlaw Jesse James to Olympic athlete Jesse Owens to activist Jesse Jackson to current actors Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Jesse Eisenberg. The spelling Jesse is more usual as a <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys' name</a> while Jessie is more traditional for girls.

Jesse

Joe is still the ultimate good-guy name, not at all diminished by its longevity or popularity or its everyman rep as Regular Joe, Cowboy Joe, G.I. Joe, Joe Exotic, Joe Blow, Joe Millionaire, Average Joe — and now President Joe (Biden). 
 There are millions of Josephs who have gone primarily by the nickname Joe; just a few of the more prominent Joes are Biden, Namath, Torre, Di Maggio, Lieberman, Montana, and Jonas.
 Several celebrities have chosen Joe as a full name for their sons, including Kate Winslet, Kevin Costner, Sting, and Stephen King.
 While Joe and long-form Joseph have always been among the most common male names in the US, there was never a President Joe until Biden.

An Old World name that might have a chance to rise again with other ancient and worldly forms. Be sure to say yo-HAHN-es.

Johannes

Kingsley is a sophisticated Harry Potter name that entered the US Top 1000 in 2013.
 Writer Kingsley Amis is its most famous bearer. Cousin Kingston is also rising in popularity, thanks to Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale's little boy.

Kingsley

A feminine form in France, this boyish choice could make a fresh alternative to Lauren or Laura -- or be an inventive way to honor Grandpa Larry. 

Laurence

Langford

Leon

Magnus is a Latin name, literally meaning "greatest," that has a Scandinavian feel. It dates back to Charlemagne being called Carolus Magnus, or Charles the Great. Norwegian king Magnus I, named after Charlemagne, introduced it to his culture, and thus Magnus was the name of six early kings of Norway and four of Sweden. It is still a highly popular name in Denmark and Norway.
 
Magnus, a powerful name with a commanding presence, is one of the newly unearthed ancient artifacts. It was picked for their sons by Will Ferrell (whose wife Viveca Paulin is Swedish), Kristy Swanson, and Elizabeth Banks—likely credited for this name's jump into the Top 1000 for the first time in 2013, as one of the year's fastest-rising names. Its fashionable s ending may keep it in popular use.
 
Magnus has made appearances as a vampire in Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles and as a character in Roald Dahl's Matilda. And for an extra ego boost, in Charles Dickens's The Pickwick Papers, there's the following dialogue: 
 "'Magnus is my name. It's rather a good name, I think, sir.'
 'A very good name, indeed,' said Mr. Pickwick."

Magnus

Manny

To some, Nancy is a sweet, sparkly, vintage choice with plenty of energy and style. For it strays too much into '"old-lady" territory to be cool again yet. It's out of fashion in France, New Zealand, and Canada; it lingers towards to bottom of the US charts. In the UK however, Nancy has been a Top 100 name for nearly a decade where it fits right in with Evie, Mabel, and Pippa.
 
Nancy originated as a contraction of "mine Ancy", with Ancy being a nickname for name Annis, a Medieval English variant of Agnes. Later, in the 18th century, it began to be used as a nickname for Ann too, but also as a name within its own right. This could give it the possibly meanings of "my pure and holy one" or "my grace". 
 It is also a French place name, though in this case, the name is likely derived from Nanciao, a Ghaulish personal name, which came from nanto, meaning "river or valley" in Proto-Celtic.
 
As a name in its own right, it has always been in the US Top 1000, peaking between 1931 and 1962 when it remained in the Top 20. In 1940 alone, Nancy was given to about 20,000 baby girls. In recent years, however it has been on a downward trend, and as of 2023, it was given to 280 girls, holding on to just a small fraction of the sway in held in the mid-century. 
 
Today, it might feel like a distinctly British choice then, nickname-y and old-fashioned, but pleasing to say and easy to spell. It also has a couple of interesting variations itself, such as Nan, Nance, Nanette, Nanny, Nansi, and Nanou.
 

Nancy is a major character in Oliver Twist and is fondly remembered by some as Nancy Drew, girl detective, while contemporary kids are enjoying the Fancy Nancy series. Frank Sinatra paid tribute to his daughter with the song "Nancy with the Laughing Face." Nancy also has political ties, via the mother of Abraham Lincoln, the wife of Ronald Reagan (born Anne), and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Nancy

Most people will assoicate it with the well-known children's singer. 

Rafi

Raphael is a romantic archangel name that sounds both artistic and powerful. Raphael is also a great cross-cultural choice, with significance for people with both Latinate and Jewish roots, plus plenty of grounding in the English-speaking world.
 Raphael was one of the seven archangels (called by Milton "the affable archangel") who attended the throne of God and, as the angel of healing, is the patron of doctors as well as of travelers, science and healing. Another worthy namesake is the great Renaissance painter Raphael (born Raffaello Sanzio). Several celebs have chosen the name, including Robert De Niro, Ana Ortiz and Melissa George.
Rafael is the Spanish spelling, as represented by Spanish tennis champ Rafael Nadal. Rafi is the familiar Hebrew nickname.

Raphael

Remy is one of the hottest names today for both boys and girls, sometimes spelled Remi. . It entered the popularity list in 2009 and has quickly become one of the fastest-rising names on the list.
 Remy came into the spotlight via the 2007 Disney film Ratatouille, starring an ambitious chef named Remy—who happened to be a rat. The name has also been borne by a variety of human characters in The Da Vinci Code, House, New Girl, and The Fairly Oddparents.
 The name of a fifth century saint and one of a new generation of <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/162/french-names">French names</a> being discovered in the US, Remy is one of those ancient names that sounds particularly modern and attractive. 
 Remy de Gourmont was a French Symbolist poet, and Remy Charlip is a children's book author and illustrator.

Remy

Rough-and-tumble surname with some degree of charm. 

Rowley

Rudy has a bit of style currency, thanks to the fact that Jude Law used it for his son. It has been consistently in the Top 1000 for as long as Social Security records have been tallied, as opposed to parent name Rudolph, which, perhaps due to the reindeer, hasn't been heard from in some time.
 Some people still remember Rudy as a young girl character on The Cosby Show; it appeared again on The Practice, where Judge Rudy Fox was a female.
 The titular protagonist of the 1993 film Rudy was a male.

Rudy

One of the old-school nicknames -- think Ray, Vince, Frank -- that's on the brink of coming back into style.  Name him Stanislav or Constantine and he'll have a groovier long form to fall back on.

Stan

Trueman

For a girl, we'd say Val-en-teen, though many would insist on pronouncing it like the holiday.  

Valentine

Valentine is an attractive Shakespearean name with romantic associations, but those very ties to the saint and the sentimental holiday have sent it into a decline, one which we think may be about to turn around.
The name's best known bearer is the third century martyr St. Valentine, whose feast day of February 14 coincided with the pagan fertility festival of the goddess Juno, all of which led to the modern Valentine's Day. This makes Valentine one of the most perfect <a href="https:///list/630/70-lovely-names-for-february-babies">names for February babies</a>.
There are two Shakespearean characters named Valentine: one in Twelfth Night, and the other belonging to one of the two gentlemen in Two Gentlemen of Verona. 
Valentine was the name of the father of James Bond-creator Ian Fleming, the young Humphrey Bogart played a dashing con artist named Valentine Corliss in an early film, The Bad Sister, and Kevin Bacon was Valentine McKee in the 1990 sci fi movie Tremors. Valentine Michael Smith is a major character in Robert Heinlein's classic, Stranger in a Strange Land.
Though Valentine hasn't been in the U.S. Top 1000 for over half a century, it's currently in the Top 100 in France and Belgium.
Ricky Martin chose the even more romantic Latin Valentino for one of his twins, and the feminine Valentina was given to the daughters of Salma Hayek, Adriana Lima and Lolita Davidovich. And trivia tidbit: Valentine was the middle name of writer Henry Miller.

Long associated with the Churchill family and common in the West Indies, the distinguished Winston has tended to be neglected here. The exception was during the World War II period, when Winston Churchill was a towering figure and his name reached Number 234. It's now enjoying something of a renaissance.
 Winston Smith is the main character in George Orwell's 1984, is a presence in Pulp Fiction, is the name of a character in the best-selling book and film How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and was the middle name of both John Lennon and John Howard, long-serving Australian Prime Minister.
Billie Piper and Laurence Fox named their son Winston in 2008. 
 With the current trend towards using hero names, we can see this upstanding Anglo-Saxon example making a return.
 The nickname Winnie came into the public consciousness with the Winnie-the-Pooh books, but is now almost exclusively feminine--though you can shorten it further to the winning Win.
 Minor irritant: Connection to the cigarette brand.

Winston

While Woodrow is too forbidding, its nickname Woody is a bit cartoonish, as in Woody Woodpecker and the animated cowboy character in Toy Story. Woody Allen was born Allen. 

Woody

On paper, with its stylish ties to fashion legend Yves Saint-Laurent (born Henri), Yves looks great, but the pronunciation--EVE-- could lead to gender confusion. German variation Ivo might be cooler and clear up the issue.

Yves

Zusman

Appealingly gentle and romantic French classic--with a lot more charm than Steve. 

Étienne

patdatstack's list "Bebe Printemps 2020" of 49 great name ideas: Ambrose - Étienne!

Bebe Printemps 2020

A collection of my favourite names in 2019 for my spring baby due April 2020