Adelaide is now heading straight uphill on the coattails of such newly popular sisters as Ava, Ada, and Audrey, and in the company of Adeline and Amelia. It was chosen by actress Katherine Heigl for the name of her second daughter.
 Adelaide gained fame as the noble German princess who married the British King William IV in 1830 and became known as "Good Queen Adelaide," inspiring the name of the Australian city and a craze for her name. Earlier, St. Adelaide was married to Otto the Great and became Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, described as "a marvel of beauty and goodness."
 When Aussie actress Rachel Griffiths (also mother of son Banjo) chose Adelaide for her daughter, she said she'd been inspired by the city, Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, and the Disney character in The Aristocats. Adelaide can also be found in works by Thomas Hardy and Agatha Christie.

Adelaide

Alice is a classic literary name that's both strong and sweet, ranking in the US Top 100 and popular throughout the western world. Alice is derived from the Old French name Aalis, a diminutive of Adelais that itself came from the Germanic name Adalhaidis, which is composed of the Proto-Germanic elements aþala, meaning "noble," and haidu, "kind, appearance, type." 
 Alice is quite distinct among traditional <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ names</a>—more feminine and dainty than Mary and Helen, more substantive than Ann or Jane, yet with more lightness and innocent charm than Margaret or Katharine. 
 
Alice has been riding a fresh wave of popularity, not only in the US and other English-speaking countries but in places as diverse as Italy, France, Brazil, and Sweden. That makes Alice a remarkably international choice.
 Alice is a darling of literature, from the immortal heroine in Alice in Wonderland to an unusual number of fine modern writers like Alices Munro, Walker, Sebold, Hoffman, McDermott, Adams, and Elliott Dark. In other fields, there were First Daughter Alice Roosevelt, painter Alice Neel, food innovator Alice Waters, and literary figure Alice B. Toklas, to name a few.
 As a British royal, Alice was Queen Victoria's second daughter, the princess who shocked her Victorian mother by breastfeeding her baby. More recently, Tina Fey helped popularize the name when she chose it for her daughter.

Alice

Anna has become the dominant form of the Ann family, offering a touch of the international to English speakers and a bit more style than the oversimplified Ann or Anne.
 Anna is the Latin form of Hannah, a Hebrew name that derived from root chanan, meaning "grace." European Christians embraced the name for its associations with the Virgin Mary’s mother, Saint Anna — known in English as Saint Anne.
Anna has been used for generations throughout Europe, from Russia to Italy, Spain to The Netherlands. While Hannah and Anna are the most common forms of the name, variations including Annie, Annalise, Anya, Anika, Nancy, and Anais also rank in the US Top 1000.
 
Classic and simple, Anna would be an excellent choice for parents in search of a name that will bridge two different cultures, say Jewish and Italian.
 
In literature, Anna is associated with Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. The name was given some fresh life when it was used for the adorable younger sister voiced by Kristen Bell in the animated film Frozen. Three current bearers are actresses Anna Kendrick, Anna Friel, and Anna Paquin.
 
Anya takes it more into international territory, and Anja, even further. Read more about Anna and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Anna

Annabel is a spirited name that embodies quirky British gentility. Appearing in Scotland as early as the twelfth century, where it was a royal name, it also recalls the romantic Edgar Allan Poe poem Annabel Lee, written upon the death of his young wife, Virginia.
 In the Swinging Sixties, Annabel was in the thick of things as the name of London's trendiest disco and nightclub, named for the wife of the owner. The Annabel spelling is preferable today to Annabelle, too closely associated with the eponymous horror movie doll.

Annabel

This is a charming name that rose steeply along with other-belle names, such as Isabelle, until the horror film Annabelle and its sequels knocked it out of favor. Made famous by the Edgar Allen Poe poem Annabel Lee. Annabelle is saucy and stylish, a tad upscale, has a sense of humor, is melodious and lively, but is unfortunately off its peak.
 Annabelle was well used in the early twentieth century, took a long rest, then resurfaced in 1995.

Annabelle

Araminta is an enchanting eighteenth-century invention familiar in Britain and just beginning to be discovered here. It was used in 1693 by William Congreve in his comedy The Old Bachelor, and in 1705 by the versatile Sir John Vanbrugh, architect of Blenheim Palace as well as a playwright, for his comedy The Confederacy.
 In the Enid Bagnold novel National Velvet, Araminta is the name of the central character's mother.

Araminta

The given name Athena was derived from the city name Athens, which is of uncertain origins. In Greek mythology, Athena is the name of the daughter of Zeus who was the goddess of wisdom, warfare, handicrafts, mathematics, and courage, among others. She was the great patroness-goddess of the city of Athens. In the Odyssey, Homer describes her as 'sparkling-eyed Athena.'
 Athena is a distinctive name that could appeal to enlightened parents who particularly prize intelligence. It's one of the most widely used of the ancient <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/433/goddess-baby-names">goddess names</a> that are finding such favor in the contemporary Western world.
 Athene is another version, and Athena's Roman counterpart is Minerva.
 In the Disney movie The Little Mermaid, Athena is the mother of Ariel.
 Tina Fey turned to her Greek heritage for both of her second daughter's names: Penelope Athena—and this has spurred interest in Athena, even though it's in middle place.

Athena

The name August is at its highest point since the 1890s, when it ranked among the Top 100 boy names in the US. And deservedly so, given its great meaning, historic roots, and cool nicknames.
THE celebrity baby name of the moment, August was chosen by both Princess Eugenie and Mandy Moore for their baby boys in early 2021. Before that, August had been heating up in Hollywood – used by Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann, Lena Olin, Dave Matthews and Jeanne Tripplehorn for their sons
August is the only truly popular month name for boys. The month of August was named after the Emperor Augustus.
 August has two august literary namesakes: the Swedish playwright August Strindberg (it has always been a popular name in Scandinavia), and August Wilson, as well as photographer August Sander.
 The French version is Auguste (ow-GOOST), as in Edgar Allan Poe's clever detective Auguste Dupin and famed sculptor Auguste Rodin.

August

Confessional memoirist Augusten Burroughs is the first literary notable to bear one of this family of names since the confessional saint. 

Augusten

In the past this was seen as a jokey Southern colonel name, but we have heard of some parents considering it as a path to the likeable Beau. 

Beauregard

"Girls Gone Child" blogger Rebecca Woolf made Boheme a first name when she gave it to one of her twin daughters (the other one's name is Reverie).  La Boheme -- "The Bohemian" -- is a Puccini opera that was transmogrified into the modern play Rent. Boheme means a literary or artistic person who lives outside conventional society.

Boheme

Bosworth

Caius is classical and serious but also has a simple, joyful quality. There was a third century pope named Caius, as well as an early Christian writer, several Shakespearean characters, and a Twilight vampire. We would pronounce the name to rhyme with eye-us though at Cambridge University in England, where it's the name of a college, it's pronounced keys. 
 Nickname Cai is a definite asset.

Caius

Cashel is one of the many appealing <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/168/irish-names">Irish names</a> that have not yet emigrated to the US. Cashel was chosen by actor Daniel Day-Lewis and his writer-director wife Rebecca Miller for their son. 
 In Ireland, Cashel refers to a circular stone fort. It is the name of a town in Tipperary and the protagonist of the George Bernard Shaw novel Cashel Byron's Profession.
 The Cash sound feels especially contemporary and appealing now, with Cashel joining such stylish brothers as Cassius, Cassian, and Cash.

Cashel

Rugged but gentle at the same time, Cassian is a saintly and stylish choice that was derived from the name Cassius. Before 2017, it was an obscure choice, given to a tiny handful of boys each year. As of 2023, however, it's become one of the top ten fastest-rising names in the US, more than doubling in usage since 2022 and edging closer towards the Top 500.
 There are a number of fourth and fifth century St. Cassians, one of whom is the patron saint of stenographers (though he must not get much work these days).John Cassian was a monk and ascetic writer who introduced Eastern monasticism into the West; Cassian Elwes is a British film producer, and Patrick Wilson used the alternate spelling Kassian for his son.
 It is unlikely however, that any of these can be credited for the rise of Cassian. Instead, we must turn to pop culture.
 In 2016, just before Cassian began to climb the charts, the Star Wars Franchise movie, Rogue One, was released and included a character called Cassian Andor, who then went on to feature as the lead in the television spinoff series, Andor. With the sounds of popular Julian, Jasper, and Adrian, like Casper but not too ghostly, Cassian caught people's attention, not just in the US, but in the UK, where it now ranks in the Top 600.
 
But what caused the even bigger leap up the charts in 2023? Again, we must look towards a fictional character. The popular romance-fantasy book series A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas features a Cassian, and the latest novel included a Cassian storyline that likely put the name on people's radar. "ACOTAR" as it gets called is popular on BookTok and BookTube so it's no wonder parents are taking inspiration from it. 
 Similar to Nameberry favorite Caspian with sounds that are both strong and soft, both ancient and right up to date, Cassian is a hot name right now, and was given to more than 550 babies in 2023.

Cassian

Time was, even C-starting Catherines who called themselves Kate spelled it with a K, but Cate Blanchett changed all.  Cate is now as acceptable as (but not as well used as) Kate. Cait might be short for Caitlin.

Cate

Clover is a charming, perky choice if you want to move beyond hothouse blooms like Rose and Lily, and it's recently become a new celeb favorite, chosen by both Neal McDonough and Natasha Gregson Wagner, who used it to honor her mother, Natalie Wood, one of whose most iconic films was Inside Daisy Clover. 
 Clover also has a long association with good luck, via the four-leaf clover, and through the shamrock symbol of Ireland. It first came to wide notice via a couple of soap opera characters.
 In the movie The Good Shepherd , Angelina Jolie's character is called Clover--but her birth name was actually Margaret.

Clover

Emmeline is an Emma relative and Emily cousin that is destined for greater use in the wake of the megapopularity of those two names. A recommended Nameberry fave, Emmeline hopped onto the US Top 1000 in 2014 for the first time ever. While it is genuinely an old name, it was rarely used a century ago; only 17 baby girls were named Emmeline in 1915, the same number as were named Ernie!
 A popular medieval name, Emmeline was introduced to Britain by the Normans. It appeared as a character in Uncle Tom's Cabin, and is famous in Britain as the name of the illustrious suffragette, Emmeline Pankhurst. Way back in 1980, it was the name of young Brooke Shields's innocent character in The Blue Lagoon. More recently, Emmeline Vance was a witch in the Harry Potter series.
 Christian Bale has a daughter named Emmeline.

Emmeline

Eugenia, a name scarcely used at all since the 1980's, is another that flourished a century ago and could be due for a revival.
 Eugenia has some interesting literary references, including the fascinating Baroness Eugenie Munster in Henry James's The Europeans and Eugenia Alabaster, a leading character in A. S. Byatt's Angels and Insects, and it was also the birth name of Skeeter in the book and film The Help.
 The third century St. Eugenia, an early Roman Christian martyr, is remembered for disguising herself as a man to escape persecution.
 Music lovers will be familiar with the name of renowned flute virtuoso Eugenia Zukerman.

Eugenia

Evangeline is a romantic old name enjoying a major comeback, thanks to its religious overtones, Eva's popularity, and the star of the TV megahit Lost, Evangeline Lilly. Evangelia and Evangelina — two variants of Evangeline — are sure to tag along for the ride.

 Evangeline was introduced to the English-speaking world by Longfellow in his hugely popular eponymous narrative poem, and can also be found in Uncle Tom's Cabin (it was Little Eva's full name), as well as two novels by Evelyn Waugh. More recently, there were Evangelines in the films Nanny McPhee and Disney's The Princess and the Frog.

Evangeline

Florence is back, returning to the US Top 1000 girl names in 2017 after a nearly 40 year absence. Other English-speaking countries have been quicker to welcome Florence back into fashion. 
 
The name has a lot going for it, both for its floral feel and as a place name connection to the lovely Italian city (after which Florence Nightingale was named—it was her birthplace). The association to the city seems to be helping Florence stir back to life, along with cousin Flora.
 The band Florence + the Machine, headlined by red-haired Florence Welch, has also helped to rejuvenate its image.
 Florence was most popular in the US at the turn of the last century and in the early decades of the twentieth—it was in the Top 10 from 1886 to 1906. 
 Florence has a diverse mixture of namesakes and references—a character in Dickens's Dombey & Sons, a US First Lady (Harding), one of the Supremes, the Brady Bunch's Henderson, track and field star Florence Griffith Joyner, and several TV characters.
 Florence has some particularly lively nicknames—Flo, Flossie, and Florrie.

Florence

Genevieve is derived from the Germanic medieval name Genovefa, or Kenowefa, which consists of the elements kuni, meaning "kin", and wefa, meaning "woman." The medieval saint Genevieve, patroness of Paris, defended the city against Attila the Hun through her rational thinking, courage and prayer. 
 
Genevieve is a perfect choice for anyone who wants to retain the gen sound but is tired of all the overused Jen names. It is both dainty and substantial and can be pronounced either GEN-uh-veev or the French zhahn-vee-EV. 
 
Genevieve is undergoing a real revival—it's currently enjoying its highest popularity ranking since the 1930s.

Genevieve

The girls have Violet and Scarlet and Ruby and Rose, but for the boys there's a much more limited palette of color names. Grey/Gray is one exception, which could make for a soft and evocative—if slightly somber—choice, especially in the middle. Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney named their son Leo Grey. 
 A common surname, Grey/Gray is still an unusual first name choice (it entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2013), while longer forms Grayson and Greyson are climbing rapidly. Grey is a color associated with the sign of Virgo, so Grey, Gray, and Grayson are perfect <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/zodiac-baby-names-ideas-for-your-virgo-babe">names for Virgo babies</a>.
 The best known bearer of the name, former Governor Gray Davis of California, was born Joseph Graham Davis, Jr, and others with Grey/Gray names include Graydon Carter, editor of Vanity Fair, and Grayer, the child in The Nanny Diaries.
 It's worth noting the connection to Christian Grey, of E. L. James's Fifty Shades of Grey. Do with that what you will.

Grey

In the USA, Hattie is one of those nicknames that is now more popular than its parent name, Harriet. In England, however, Harriet is still by far more popular than Hattie, while in Australia, Harriet is highly popular while no data exists on Hattie. In the US, we’d like to see Harriet get more usage but we’re happy to see Hattie again.
 Hattie was popular at the end of the nineteenth century, in the Top 50 from 1880 to 1900, along with other similar nickname names like Lottie and Letty. It fell off the list in 1969, to return in 2011, the year of Hattie McDermott's birth.
 Hattie McDaniel was the first African-American to be awarded an Academy Award, in 1940, for her role in Gone With the Wind. Hattie was the name of the sweet, simple protagonist in Woody Allen's 1999 film Sweet and Lowdown; Hattie (born Henriette) Carnegie was a well-known twentieth century fashion designer.

Hattie

The great American novelist sets this above many other surnames (and <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/329/nature-baby-names">nature names</a>, for that matter), but it's still an imposing and adventurous choice. Do nicknames Hawk or Thorne make it more approachable? The timid should stick with Nathaniel.

Hawthorne

Hugo, the Latin form of Hugh, has more heft and energy than the original -- and of course we love names that end (or begin, for that matter) with an o. This one is especially appealing because it's backed up by lots of solid history and European style.
 Hugo is one of those names that misses by a single year ranking in the Top 1000 for its entire history. It fell off the list in 1948, the height of post-WWII pro-American fervor, before heading back up.
 Hugh has held steady in the middle of the US Top 1000 for more than 40 years now, but we predict might be headed for the kind of popularity it enjoys in the rest of the English-speaking world and many European countries.
 Hugo ranks in or near the Top 100 in countries and cultures as diverse as Sweden and Spain, France and Finland. It's also a favorite boys' name on Nameberry, usually a harbinger of future success in the US as a whole.
 In the seventh Harry Potter novel, Ron and Hermione bestow the name Hugo on their son. Hugo Strange, meanwhile, is a longtime adversary of Batman. 
 Real-life Hugos include Hugo Chavez, the late president of Venezuela, and the fashion world's Hugo Boss. In the more distant past there was the distinguished Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black.
 Trivia tidbit: The annual awards for sci-fi writing are called the Hugos, honoring early genre writer Hugo Gernsback.

Hugo

Ignatius? Good gracious! This is a name making a truly surprising return, sparked by its selection by not one but two celebrities--Cate Blanchett and Julianne Nicholson. Ignatius, the name of several saints including the founder of the Catholic Jesuit order, was considered more apt to be borne by churches and schools than babies in the recent past, though it was not unusual from the late nineteenth century to 1930; it ranked as high as Number 602 in 1913.
 The nickname IGGY definitely brings Ignatius down to earth. But if you find Ignatius appealing yet can't quite go all the way, you might want to consider Inigo. 
 Ignatius is the middle name of Percy Weasley in the Harry Potter books, and is a major character in John Kennedy Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces.

Ignatius

Inigo, almost unknown in the U.S., is an intriguing choice, with its strong beat, creative and evocative sound, and associations with the great early British architect and stage designer Inigo Jones. The sixteenth-seventeenth century Jones shared his name with his father, a London clockmaker, who received it when <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/496/spanish-names-for-boys">Spanish names for boys</a> were fashionable in England, especially among devout Roman Catholics.
 Inigo Montoya is a character in The Princess Bride, played by Mandy Patinkin.
 The pronunciation is with short i's and a hard g: IN-ih-go.

Inigo

Jonquil is an unusual flower name that is less outlandish than Daffodil and less common than Daisy. It just might appeal to parents seeking a singular botanical option. 
Unlike most flower names, Jonquil wasn't introduced until the 1940s, and saw some usage in the U.K. during the forties and fifties.

Jonquil

Juniper is a fresh-feeling nature name -- it's a small evergreen shrub -- with lots of energy. A new favorite of fashionable parents, Juniper joins such other tree and shrub names as Hazel, Acacia, and Willow. 
 
Juniper has an interesting variety of associations -- it's mentioned in the Old Testament, was used in Renaissance paintings to represent chastity, has berries used to flavor gin, and Juniper is the Saint of Comedy. A male St. Juniper was a follower of St. Francis of Assisi. 
 Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny author Margaret Wise Brown sometimes used the pen name of Juniper Sage. And in the Junie P. Jones kids' books, Junie's full name is Juniper Beatrice. There also have been Junipers is cartoon series (The Life and Times of Juniper Lee) and comic strips as well.
 
The name got something of a hippieish vibe via the 1969 hit Donovan song, 'Jennifer Juniper.'
 
Juniper entered the U.S. Top 1000 for the first time in 2011 and has risen to the Top 150.

Juniper

Lachlan is as Scottish as haggis and tartan plaid kilts—a favorite used throughout England, Scotland, Australia, and New Zealand—and just beginning to be noticed in the US: it reached the Top 1000 for the first time in 2013. An ancient name, Lachlan was originally used to describe the Viking invaders of Scotland, those from the land of the lochs.
 Americans and Australians tend to pronounce the first syllable of the name like Lock, but the genuine Scottish pronunciation sounds more like Lack.
 In Ireland, the name was Anglicized as Laughlin; in Scotland the pet forms are Lach, Lachie, or Lockie.
 Lachlan has been a top name in Australia for at least a decade. It has been in the headlines recently via the eldest son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch.
 Somewhat surprisingly, Lachlan has US presidential cred, as the son of tenth president John Tyler, whose other children included Lyon, Letitia, Tazewell, and Pearl.

Lachlan

Magnolia, a sweet-smelling Southern belle of a name made famous via the iconic Edna Ferber novel and musical Showboat, is one of the latest wave of botanical names, along with unexpected blossoms Azalea and Zinnia. It is named for French botanist Pierre Magnol.
 Magnolia has been chosen for his daughter by Adrian Young of No Doubt—which happens to be a fabulous baby-naming consortium as well as a great musical group.
 In Showboat, the Magnolia character goes by nicknames Noa, Nollie, and Maggie.
 Magnolia charted on the popularity list almost every year from 1880 to 1940, topping at Number 420 in 1909—but it's now making a comeback.
 Magnolia Breeland is a character on the TV show Hart of Dixie, who happens to have a sister named Lemon and a father named Brick.
 Maminydjama Magnolia Maymuru is an Indigenous Australian model.

Magnolia

An underused classic that has proved surprisingly unisex over the last few decades, being given to roughly the same number of baby girls and boys in the US from the 1970s to the 2000s. For a girl, Marion has a sturdy old-fashioned charm.

 The meaning of Marie is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).

Marion

Mythological spirit of the waters; spelled Undine, she was an Edith Wharton heroine. 

Ondine

Osias has a Latinate and biblical feel without making an appearance in the Bible. The related Ozias, on the other hand, is a form of Uzziah, found in the Greek and Latin Old Testament, and could make a distinctive path to the nickname Oz or Ozzie--both far cooler, in our opinion, than Oswald.  

Osias

Clad in armor. But while this name may have been forbiddingly antiquated not that long ago, the connection to the trendy nickname Os or Oz makes it a real possibility. 

Osric

Jaunty and raffish, Rafferty is one of the most engaging of the Irish surnames, used by Jude Law and Sadie Frost for their son. Fortunately, it doesn't still go by its original form: O'Raighbheartaigh.
 Raff and Rafe are two equally great nicknames.

Rafferty

From India, but feels like an Irish surname (and can in fact be a variation of Rowan), so a possible cross-cultural choice. 

Rohan

Thatcher is an open and friendly freckle-faced surname, fresher sounding than Tyler or Taylor, that dates back to the days of thatched-roof cottages. It is catching on with modern parents—it reached the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2013.
 Britberries in particular may have strong associations to Prime Minister Margaret, but the surname has other notable bearers as well, such as Becky Thatcher, the object of Tom's affections in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Thatcher Grey is the protagonist's father on Grey's Anatomy, and a young Heath Ledger played William Thatcher in 2001's A Knight's Tale.
 TV celebrity chef Cat Cora has a son named Thatcher Julius.

Thatcher

In an epic poem, the personification of truth, beauty, and unity; this ancient name is popular in several European countries but less common in the US. The Oona spelling is slightly more popular but Una sleeker.

Violet is soft and sweet, yet with a vivacious edge. 
The violet is a delicate, sweet-smelling spring flower, associated with faithfulness and modesty, and also the seventh color of the rainbow, named after the flower’s vivid purple hue. 
Today, Violet is the top flower name for girls, outranking Lily and Iris in the Top 100, and the second most popular color name for girls after Scarlett. 
A name that dozed quietly for decades, Violet was popular a hundred years ago, then began its steep descent, bottoming out in the early 1980s. But it started rising again in the late 1990s and climbed even more sharply after Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck chose it for their daughter in 2005. 
It is now well-used by celebrity parents, including the daughters of Christina Milian, Emily Strayer, Nathan Followill, Dave Grohl, and Emily Blunt. 
In children’s literature, Violet Beauregarde in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory does it no favors, but Violet Baudelaire in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events</em, and Violet Parr in the animated film The Incredibles, have helped to redeem it for today’s parents. 
Violet is also the first name of Dowager Bridgerton, the matricarch in the show Bridgerton, a reminder of the name’s genteel, vintage side. 
International variations of Violet include Viola, as in the heroine of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, French Violette, and snappy Violeta and Violetta.

Violet

Reminiscent of the Old West, with rugged charm and a gentle, easy-going feel, Wesley has long been a staple on the US charts. 
Its popularity may have peaked in the 1970s when it reached #66, but Wesley has never really gone out of style. It’s always remained inside the US Top 200, making it a modern classic, solid and familiar but not too overused. 
Now, Wesley is receiving renewed interest, joining Wyatt, Waylon, Maverick, Weston and Beau in the Top 100, as parents turn towards surnames-as-given-names and to names that feel both preppy and cowboyish. 
Derived from an English surname – which likely came from an English place name – Wesley means “western meadow” or “western clearing.” It was first used as a given name in the 1700’s, when parents chose it in honor of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. 
Wesley’s popularity has spread since then and it’s no longer tied to these religious associations. Instead, it has a number of other noteworthy bearers, including: the military general and politician, Wesley Clark; the actor, Wesley Snipes; the film directors, Wes Anderson and Wes Craven; the jazz guitarist, Wes Montgomery; and TV personality, Wes Nelson. 
The name might also be remembered by the fans of several TV classics, including “Star Trek: The Next Generation”, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, and “Last of the Summer Wine,” all of which have featured a fictional Wesley. 
Despite these notable namesakes, Wesley is currently only popular in the US. Though it has seen some usage in England, Wales, and France in recent years, it has yet to move into the spotlight. 
Handsome and charming, Wesley is given to more than 4000 boys each year in the US, and following its recent trajectory, it could well move further up the charts. If you’re wanting to avoid a popular choice but love Wesley, the similar Westley ranks much lower. You could also consider Casey, Halston, Dempsey, or Layton.

Wesley

This variation of Wesley moved into the Top 1000 among <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys' names</a> in the US in 2016, perhaps because it makes the name less like Lesley and more Western, with the cowboy nickname West.

Westley

Wren, a lilting songbird name, could be the next Robin. Wren entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2012 and is among the new wave of popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/501/english-names-for-girls">English names for girls</a>.
 Wren makes a particularly pleasing middle name choice, as does her newly discovered cousin Lark. But it's more popular as a middle name than you might think, the quirkier cousin of Rose.
 This petite bird was regarded in Ireland as the "magician of the birds" and the Druids considered it a bird of prophecy. Thanks to an early fable, it has also been known as King of the Birds.
 For architects there's the link to the great Sir Christopher Wren, the celebrated eighteenth century designer of London's St. Paul's Cathedral.

Wren

This unusual and alluring choice was used by David Mamet for his daughter, who is now grown and an actress on the hit show Girls.

Zosia

Goodkarmavt's list "Vintage, quirky, clunky, lovely names." of 45 great name ideas: Adelaide - Zosia!