Beautiful English names and their meanings. Our new book "The Energy of Surnames"


List of popular and rare English names for girls.

Nowadays, many new parents are coming up with various and interesting names. Along with ancient Russian names, foreign ones are gaining popularity. Their popularization is associated with foreign films and TV series.

What are the most popular, beautiful, rare, unusual, short English names for girls: ranking of the best with meaning

Now in our country there are quite a lot of girls with foreign names. We offer you a rating.

Foreign names and their decoding:

  • Abigail. Translated, it means “Father’s Joy.” Most often, girls grow up to be very positive and in a good mood.
  • Elinor. In translation it stands for “shepherdess”. Usually girls are quite simple and comfortable in communication.
  • Eveline. The girl is very independent and leaves her parents' nest early. Translated it means “free bird”.
  • Avalon. Translated it means “Apple”. Girls grow up to be very powerful and responsible. In America, this is what girls are called in winter.
  • Holly. Girls are very sensual and faithful. They never betray. Translated it means “sister”.
  • Anabelle. The girls are very unconventional and different from the majority. They have a subtle mental organization that not everyone likes. Translated it means “gracefully beautiful.”
  • Andrea. Means "warlike". This is a fighter girl who is not afraid of difficulties. She is always ahead and very brave.
  • Doris. These girls are very cheerful and cheerful. Translated it means “funny”.

Short beautiful English female names for girls and girls: list, meanings

Popular short names because of its brevity.

List:

  • Laura. Such girls can predict the future. They are endowed with good intuition. Translated it means “seer”.
  • Chloe. The girl is very strong spiritually and will not stop at any obstacles. Translated as “mighty.”
  • Chris. A very popular name in the USA. There is a legend dedicated to this name. The girl is very brave and courageous.
  • Lisa. A friendly girl who has many friends. Loves to communicate. Translated, the name means “friendship.”
  • Easy. The girl is very emotional and sensual. Translated it means “sensual”.
  • Audrey. This name has English origin, but gained popularity in America. Translated it means “light”.
  • Neli. A popular name that means "emerging". Such a girl can be unexpected and spontaneous.
  • Katie. Very gifted and active. Means "girl".


The most popular English female names: list, meanings

There are also a lot of foreign names that I most often call girls.

List:

  • Agatha. The girl is very good and responsive. Means “kind”, “bright”.
  • April. The girl is very emotional and can evoke a response from many men. Translated it means “spring”.
  • Audrey. A well-known and common name in the states. Means “light, radiant.”
  • Cecilia. This girl is fire. Very passionate and emotional. Means "changeable".
  • Emily. The girl knows what she wants and is constantly on the move. Means "rival".
  • Amanda. A girl with bright and good energy, always positive. Means "pleasant".


The rarest English female names: list, meanings

As in our country, in foreign countries there are names that girls are called the least often.

WITH squeak:

  • Rebecca. This is a very sociable representative of the fair sex. She gets along well with others, as her name means “friendly.”
  • Mabel. An unusual representative of the fair sex. She has a calm disposition and finds a way out of any life situations. Translated it means “pearl”.
  • Candles. A girl with that name is very modest and shy. She rarely causes much fuss because her name translates to “virgin.”
  • Madeline. A representative of the fair sex with this name is very calm and responsible. Since childhood, she can be assigned a variety of tasks. Translated, it means “obedient daughter.”
  • Nellie. In our country the name is also not particularly popular, as in the countries of Europe and America. Translated it means “appearing”.
  • Laura. It's never boring with such a girl; she will always find something to do. Translated it means “toy”.


A girl with a rare name Rebecca

The most unusual English female names: list, meanings

There are names that are quite rare and unusual.

WITH squeak:

  • Annik. A girl with that name tries to be useful. After all, when translated, her name means “useful.”
  • Christie. The girl is very devout, as her name means “follower of Christ.”
  • Dusty. The character of the fair sex is strong and strong-willed, as translated it means “Thor’s stone.”
  • Stanley. A young lady with that name strives for harmony in everything. Translated it means “cleansing”.
  • Manley. The young lady always strives for clarity and certainty. Perhaps due to the fact that the name means “clarifying” in translation.
  • Baz. A somewhat non-standard name, which is very reminiscent of a man's name. Translated it means “Grass”.
  • Ogden. The girl is very persistent and strong in spirit. She does not lose heart and always goes ahead, because her name means “oak grove.”
  • Kevin. Both girls and men are called this name. Translated it means “dear, beloved.”
  • Clare. The name can often be found in films, but it is not popular. Translated it means “glorifying.”
  • Filip. This name can also be considered both male and female. Translated it sounds like “horse lover.”


A girl with an unusual name Dusty.

Despite the popularization of foreign names, girls in our country are still rarely called with English names. More often, names are used that have gained popularity both here and in Europe.

So much is told about the culture or traditions of England, but it is quite rare to learn about english names . And the topic, by the way, is very interesting. After all, the naming system is globally different from what we are used to.

If we have goes the name and surname, then in England it is somewhat different. They have a first name, a middle name and a last name. In addition, in England it is considered normal to give diminutives name. For example, even in formal negotiations a person may be called Tony, although he full name sounds like Anthony. If desired, the child can be immediately registered with a diminutive name and the state will not object. Moreover, you can take almost any word or name as a name - for example, the name Brooklyn. But if they tried to name their son, for example, Novosibirsk, they would hardly give permission.

System of English given names and surnames

Each of us is already accustomed to the fact that he is the bearer of a surname, name and patronymic. But for the English this scheme is not suitable; their system of names is absolutely unusual and therefore curious. The main difference between our systems is the absence of a middle name. Instead, they have a surname, first name and middle name. Moreover, as either of these two names, an Englishman can bear the surnames of some stars or even his ancestors. Although there is no strict requirement that a person have only these three points. Any Englishman can give a child a name from several names or surnames. For example, if you want to name it after an entire football team at once.

This tradition of giving a person a surname as a first name has survived to this day from noble families. Although the history of the English name system developed quite actively, borrowings were made from various countries, and names were also mixed from the Angles, Celtic tribes, and Franco-Normans. Since the Anglo-Saxons initially had only one name, they tried to give it special meaning. Therefore, in ancient names one could find words such as wealth or health. Old English female names were most often formed using adjectives, the most common variation being Leof (dear, beloved). And after the Norman invasion of England, a surname was gradually added to the name, making it already close to the system of names existing today. The old Anglo-Saxon names gradually began to disappear and due to the influence Christian religion, Christian schools that opened everywhere actively stimulated the registration of newborns who received a name at baptism, so the names changed slightly: from Mary to Mary, from Jeanne to Joanna.

English first and last name generator

GENERATOR OF ENGLISH NAMES AND SURNAMES
(including Anglo-Irish and Anglo-Scottish surnames)

Male name Female name

Here are the most common ones British names. For convenience, they are divided into parts of the country, because in each corner some individual names are most popular. Some of them are the same, some are different. The names are ranked by popularity.

England

Men's

  1. Harry– Harry (diminutive of Henry – rich, powerful)
  2. Oliver– Oliver (from ancient German – army)
  3. Jack– Jack (diminutive of John, from Hebrew – Yahweh is merciful)
  4. Charlie– Charlie (from ancient German – man, husband)
  5. Thomas– Thomas (from ancient Greek – twin)
  6. Jacob– Jacob (simplified version of the name James)
  7. Alfie– Alfie (from Old English – advice)
  8. Riley– Riley (from Irish – courageous)
  9. William– William (from ancient German – desire, will)
  10. James– James (from Hebrew – “heel-holding”)

Women's

  1. Amelia– Amelia (from ancient German – labor, work)
  2. Olivia– Olivia (from Latin – olive tree)
  3. Jessica– Jessica (the exact meaning is unknown, perhaps the name comes from the biblical name Jescha)
  4. Emily– Emily ( female uniform male name Emil – rival)
  5. Lily– Lily (from English name lily flower)
  6. Ava– Ava (variant of the medieval English name Evelyn)
  7. Heather– Heather (from English – heather)
  8. Sophie– Sophie (from ancient Greek – wisdom)
  9. Mia– Mia
  10. Isabella– Isabella (Provençal version of the name Elizabeth)

Northern Ireland

Men's

  1. Jack– Jack
  2. James– James
  3. Daniel– Daniel
  4. Harry– Harry
  5. Charlie– Charlie
  6. Ethan– Ethan
  7. Matthew– Matthew (from Hebrew – gift of Yahweh)
  8. Ryan– Ryan
  9. Riley– Riley
  10. Noah– Noah

Women's

  1. Sophie– Sophie
  2. Emily– Emily
  3. Grace– Grace (from English – grace, elegance)
  4. Amelia– Amelia
  5. Jessica– Jessica
  6. Lucy– Lucy (from the male Roman name Lucius - light)
  7. Sophia– Sofia (variant of the name Sophie)
  8. Katie– Katie (from Greek – pure, purebred)
  9. Eva– Eve (from Hebrew – breathe, live)
  10. Aoife– Ifa (from Irish – beauty)

Wales

Men's

  1. Jacob– Jacob
  2. Oliver– Oliver
  3. Riley– Riley
  4. Jack– Jack
  5. Alfie– Alfie
  6. Harry– Harry
  7. Charlie– Charlie
  8. Dylan– Dylan (according to Welsh mythology, this was the name of the God of the Sea)
  9. William– William
  10. Mason– Mason (from a similar surname meaning “stone carving”)

Women's

  1. Amelia– Amelia
  2. Ava– Ava
  3. Mia– Mia
  4. Lily– Lily
  5. Olivia– Olivia
  6. Ruby– Ruby (from English – ruby)
  7. Seren– Seren (from Latin – clear)
  8. Evie– Evie (from English surname Evelyn)
  9. Ella– Ella (from ancient German – all, everything)
  10. Emily– Emily

Modern English names

In English names, it is very common to use endearing and diminutive forms as a formal name. In our country, this form is allowed only in personal, close communication. For example, take people familiar to everyone - Bill Clinton or Tony Blair. They are called by such names even at world negotiations, and this is absolutely acceptable. Although in fact Bill's full name is William, and Tony is Anthony. The British are allowed to register a newborn child by giving him diminutive name as first or second. Although there are no special prohibitions on choosing a name in English speaking countries there is no such thing, you can give the child a name in honor of the city or region. For example, this is what the star couple Beckham did: Victoria and David gave their son the name Brooklyn - it was in this area of ​​New York that he was born.

Gradually, fashion began to change and names in English-speaking countries began to be often borrowed from different languages. Since the 19th century, many female names have appeared, such as Ruby, Daisy, Beryl, Amber and others. Names originally from Spain or France were readily used - Michelle, Angelina, Jacqueline. But the tendency of some people to give their children unusual names has not disappeared anywhere. Bill Simser, vice president of Microsoft, named his daughter Vista Avalon. The first part of the name is in honor of Windows Vista, and the second part is in honor of the codename of the Avalon system. But director Kevin Smith decided to name his daughter Harley Quinn - that was the name of the girl from the Batman comics.

By the way, not every owner likes such unusual names. Many children are embarrassed by this and eagerly wait until they reach adulthood to officially change their name. Little Pixie Geldof, who is the daughter of musician Bob Geldof, was very embarrassed by the prefix “little” at the beginning of her name and adult life preferred to call herself simply Pixie. But it’s hard to even imagine what a resident of New Zealand, whose name is Bus No. 16, will do with his name. One can only envy his parents’ imagination.

It is customary to give names to children after birth, but parents come up with them long before their babies are born. When choosing a name for their future daughter, parents consider various aspects: the combination of letters, euphony, the meaning of the name and even its influence on a person’s fate. Each couple tries to come up with something special and unique.

The results of research conducted by various historians have revealed the fact that the very first English names were derived from words (nouns and adjectives) that existed in ancient times. English language. It was not the person’s name that carried a special meaning, but his nickname.

The situation with names changed dramatically after the conquest of England by the Normans. There was a rapid replacement of English names with Norman ones. Today, only a small part of the British have truly English names.

It is also noteworthy that there are very few old native English names. They have almost never reached our days. The vast majority of them were borrowed from cultures such as Hebrew, Ancient Greek, Celtic, Norman, etc. At that time, people received long and short names that praised the gods, the forces of nature and any human qualities.

In the 16th century in England, ancient English female names, mentioned in the Old and New Testaments. Among them are the following:

  • Mary is a derived form of Jewish name Maria. This ancient name has very beautiful meaning- “serene”;
  • Anna - named after the mother of the prophet Samuel. Translated as "grace";
  • Maryann - the combined names Mary and Anne;
  • Sarah is named after Abraham's wife. The meaning of this name is “mistress.”

The influence of literature on the formation of names

Writers also played a huge role in the emergence of new female names. It is thanks to literature that such rare female names as Sylvia, Ophelia, Stella, Jessica, Vanessa, Julia, Juliet, Jessica and Viola appeared in the English language.

Among other things, literary works contained many Old English names. Among the beautiful female names there are old names, borrowed from other languages. Names of similar origin include: Anita, Angelina, Jacqueline, Amber, Daisy, Michelle and Ruby. And this is not the entire list.

Popular English female names

Name fashions, like many other aspects of life, come and go. Some are quickly forgotten, forever, while others return from time to time - usually in their original form, but sometimes in a new interpretation.


According to data from the UK National Statistics Service, the most popular names V last years became Olivia, Emma and Sophie. A list of 30 other popular English girl names is given below:

  1. Olivia
  2. Sofia
  3. Isabel
  4. Charlotte
  5. Emily
  6. Harper
  7. Abigail
  8. Madison
  9. Avery
  10. Margaret
  11. Evelyn
  12. Edison
  13. Grace
  14. Amelie
  15. Natalie
  16. Elizabeth
  17. Scarlet
  18. Victoria

Successful names and not so successful ones

It has long been known that a person’s name largely determines his fate. Psychologists from all over the world are actively working on this issue, conducting various studies, observations and surveys. As a result, the success rate of individuals named by one name or another also has a strong impact on the popularity of the name itself.

Thus, one of the surveys conducted in Great Britain showed which British names were recognized by the residents of Foggy Albion as the most successful, and which, on the contrary. The survey results are shown in the table below.

Rare English female names and their meanings

There are many names that remain outside the popularity rankings, being the least used. The so-called “outsider names” include:

  • Annik - benefit, grace
  • Allin - bird
  • Amabel - attractive
  • Bernays - bringing victory
  • Bambi is a child
  • Bekkai - the one who lures into a trap
  • Bets is my oath
  • Willow - willow
  • Gabby - strength from God
  • Dominic is the lord's property
  • Jojo - multiplying
  • Delours - melancholy
  • Jewel - a precious stone
  • Georgina - peasant girl
  • Elayn - bird
  • Kiva - beautiful
  • Kelly - blonde
  • Lukinda - light
  • Lalaj - babbling
  • Morgan - sea circle
  • Marley - favorite
  • Melissa - bee
  • Mackenzie is a beauty
  • Mindy the black snake
  • Meagan - pearl
  • Penelope - the cunning weaver
  • Poppy - poppy
  • Rosaulin - a gentle mare
  • Totti - girl
  • Phyllis - tree crown
  • Heather - heather
  • Edwena - wealthy friend

The most beautiful female English names

The beauty of the name and its euphony have a very great importance for girls and women. All my life I will associate her with the name given to her by her parents. There is no dispute about tastes, and if one person likes the name Amelia or Elizabeth, another may be annoyed by it. However, there is a ranking of names that most people think are the most beautiful.

Names in Russian Names in English
Agatha Agata
Agnes Agnes
Adelaide Adelaida
Alice Alice
Amanda Amanda
Amelia Amelia
Anastasia Anastasia
Angelina Angelina
Anna Ann
Ariel Ariel
Barabara Barbara
Beatrice Beatrice
Bridget Bridget
Britney Britney
Gloria Gloria
Deborah Debra
Diana Diana
Dorothy Dorothy
Camila Camilla
Caroline Caroline
Cassandra Cassandra
Catherine Katherine
Constance Constance
Christina Christine
Olivia Olivia
Cecilia Cecil
Cheryl Cheril
Charlotte Charlotte
Eleanor Eleanor
Elizabeth Elizabeth
Emily Emily
Esther Ester
Evelina Eveline

Unusual female English names

Ordinary people rarely have unusual names. After all, when choosing a name for a child, many parents are guided not only by their own preferences, but also think about ensuring that their child does not become an object of ridicule among children. But celebrities have their own opinion on this matter; they choose strange female and male names, guided only by their imagination and the desire to attract as much attention as possible.

Scout-Larue and Tallupa-Bell - that's what Bruce Willis called his younger daughters. And these are no less than the nicknames of your favorite horses that won at the races.

Gwyneth Paltrow named her daughter Apple, which is how the name Apple is translated into Russian.

Rapper 50 Cent named his son Marquise, ignoring male English names.

Singer David Bowie ignored all the famous English names for boys and named his son Zoe, simply thinking the combination Zoe Bowie was funny.

Beyoncé and her husband Jay-Z named their daughter Blue Ivy, which means “blue ivy.”

Actress Milla Jovovich's daughter's name is Ever Gabo. The second part of the name is the first syllables of the names of Mila’s parents - Galina and Bogdan.

The name of the daughter of American rock musician Frank Zappa is Moon Unit, which means “Moon Satellite”.

Summer Rain is the name singer Christina Aguilera came up with for her daughter. Translated from English it means “Summer Rain”.

Some people, immersed in the world of their favorite films and TV series, and cannot imagine their life without them, name their children not only in honor of their favorite heroes and actors, but also use ordinary words that are not proper names.

This is how a completely new female name appeared - Khaleesi, a word from popular series"Game of Thrones", which meant the title of one of the heroines, synonymous with queen or queen. Today, there are already 53 girls in the world with this name.

Human imagination knows no bounds, so new male and female names will appear in the world again and again. Some of them will catch on and become popular, while others will be heard a little and be forgotten.

There has always been a fashion for foreign names, the list of women's names is especially rich. In modern society there is a popularization of English names.

Scientists have conducted research to determine the origin of the name and its meaning. Originally in English main role played a person's nickname, reflecting character traits or abilities. Formation in such a case came from nouns or adjectives.

The conquest of Britain by the Vikings led to a change in the situation: there was a sharp change from the original English variants to the Norman ones. In modern society, a small part of the inhabitants of Foggy Albion bear old English names.

Throughout the 16th century, in the wake of the spread religious movement, names taken from the Bible began to become popular.

Among them:

  • Mary, which is a derivative of Mary;
  • Anna, translated as “grace,” which belonged to the wife of the prophet Samuel;
  • Maryann, formed from the merger of Anne and Mary;
  • Sarah or mistress. That was the name of Abraham's wife.

The next revolution that led to the emergence of innovations in the naming of children in English society was the appearance of printed materials. Some mothers began to choose idols for girls among the heroines of works by masters of literature.

Thus, the following came into use: Jessica, Sylvia, Ophelia, Stella, Julia, Juliet, Jessica, Viola.

Also, the spread of literary masterpieces revived ancient beautiful names: Anita, Jacqueline, Amber, Angelina, Daisy, Michelle and Ruby.

Top modern English names

In modern society, it is accepted that a child can be named so that it sounds euphonious. It is not at all necessary that the prototype be a character or a historical figure.

Some are formed in such a way that the girl could acquire individual traits or the name would begin to determine her future fate.

Most Popular English options with the meaning are given in the table:

Name Designation
Crystal Meaning – ICE, A girl hiding a piece of coldness in herself
Kate Meaning: PURE. The girl will be ready for a serious relationship - love or friendship
Camellia The girl will look like the plant of the same name, remaining young and blooming
Jasmine A representative of the fair sex, named “jasmine” will delight others
Ginny Meaning: VIRGO. A girl named this way will be chaste and discreet
Destiny Meaning – DESTINY. Man will be the creator of his own destiny
Gloria Meaning – GLORY. People are simply born for achievements, victories, success in business
Wendy Meaning – FRIEND. The girl will be the life of the party, she will be surrounded by friends
Annabelle Meaning: GRACEFUL BEAUTY. A name that can leave an imprint on the owner, who will be distinguished by her cuteness, beauty, and a large number of romantics in love with her
Liana Designation – SUN. Blinding others with intelligence, beauty, wit
Lorraine Meaning – lands of the LOTAR people. It originates from the French province of Lorraine.
Christabel Meaning: BELIEVER. More often than not, girls so named are distinguished by trust and modesty.
Maggie Meaning – PEARL. Short form Margaret. The girl will be meek, pliable and beautiful
Miranda Meaning – WORTH ADMIRATION. Translated from Latin, first used by Shakespeare. The girl will attract attention, causing admiration
Roxana Meaning – DAWN. With each passing year, the girl will only become prettier and blossom.
Suzanne Meaning: LILY. A girl so named will be beautiful and soft, like the flower of the same name
Terra Meaning – EARTH. Reliability, calmness, equanimity, thoroughness - these are the main character traits of a girl
Cherry Meaning: CHERRY. Plump and beautiful, the girl will attract the admiring glances of young men
Erika Meaning: RULER. Powerful, subduing and subjugating - these are the main traits that will be inherent in the bride In a similar way girl
Esther Meaning: STAR. The beauty of a girl will attract attention, but her love will go only to the most worthy

Origins in modern times

The fashion for unusual and interesting names is akin to the fashion for clothes. She is changeable. During different periods There is a change in popular female or male names.

Both the original form and a modern interpretation are used. Today, according to statistics provided by the UK National Statistics Service, the top three are occupied by Olivia, Emma and Sophie.

It is not only literature that influences popularity. Modern society tends to create idols, which become heroes of popular films or TV series.

Among the names that were popular in 2014, Arya, the title character of the cult series “Game of Thrones,” was in 24th place in the compiled ranking. Gradually, other modern versions appeared that came from this series - Sansa, Brienne, Catelyn, Daenerys.

Another literary work, which turned into a cult serial film - this is Twilight. Since 2008, Bella or Isabella have been on the list of the most popular on the shores of Foggy Albion.

You can't ignore Potter. Old English names included Hermione in their list, which again gained popularity after the release of not a book, but a series of films about a young wizard.

But not only works can influence popularity. Also on the number of uses specific option may influence the success of the living host. In England at one time it was very popular to name girls Margaret, as the Prime Minister.

Cute and unusual, short and lengthy - history knows many different names. Some show business stars prefer to stand out from the crowd and name their children very unusual.

Bruce Willis named his children after his favorite horses, Gwyneth Paltrow named her daughter Apple, which means “apple.” No one can deny the fact that a name can have an impact on character. It’s not for nothing that Captain Vrungel said, “Whatever you call the yacht, that’s how it will sail.”

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Until the eleventh century, English names served as the only source of personal identification; the English did not have patronymics. People were distinguished simply by name, and three old Anglo-Saxon names from that period - Edith, Edward and Edmund - have survived to this day.

Foreign names in England

Most of the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) names that have come down to us are two-base: Æðelgar - æðele (noble) + gār (spear), Eadgifu - eād (wealth, prosperity, luck, happiness) + gifu, gyfu (gift, gift), Eadweard - eād (wealth, prosperity, luck, happiness) + weard (guardian, guardian).

Old English names were given to newborns at a baptism ceremony. Ancient names were given to children depending on social status families. The Norman nobility bore Germanic names - Geoffrey, Henry, Ralph, Richard, Roger, Odo, Walter, William and from Brittany - Alan (Alan) and Brian (Brian).

The Normans proposed the idea of ​​forming Old English female names from male ones.- Patrick, Patricia, Paul, which are used in England to this day. Between 1150 and 1300 the number of names used began to decline rapidly. Towards the end of the fourteenth century most of The male population had one of five names: Henry, John, Richard, Robert, William.

Women's names in the fourteenth century were also not very diverse: Alice, Anne, Elizabeth, Jane and Rose. Since a personal name could no longer individualize one or another member of society, the use of hereditary surnames began, for example, Richard, son of John. This process in London proceeded very slowly, moving down the social ladder from wealthy aristocrats to the poor. In the north of England, even at the end of the sixteenth century, many residents still did not have their own surnames.

Came into fashion in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries biblical names New Testament:

  • Andrew
  • John
  • Luke.
  • Mark.
  • Matthew.
  • Peter (Peter).
  • Agnes.
  • Anne.
  • Catherine.
  • Elizabeth.
  • Jane.
  • Mary

Common names in the 18th century in England were John, William and Thomas, and for women - Mary, Elizabeth and Anne. In the 19th century, male names were John, William and James, and female names were Mary, Helen and Anne. In the 20th century english fashion names changed significantly every ten years.

Popular English names of the last 500 years

The UK Office for National Statistics conducted an unusual English experiment in the field of family history. She examined more than 34 million British and Irish birth records from 1530 to 2005 and identified the 100 most popular male and female names.

English male names:

  • John
  • William.
  • Thomas.
  • George.
  • James

English female names:

  • Mary
  • Elizabeth.
  • Sarah.
  • Margaret.
  • Anna (Ann).

Rare and unusual names

Unusual English names were identified using data from the Office for National Statistics in England. Each name on the list below was identified in 2016 from child registration records in England. The rare case of the name being used, since it was given to no more than three newborns, confirms the high degree of uniqueness across the entire country.

The rarest English girl names:

  • Adalie. Meaning: “God is my refuge, noble one.”
  • Agape. Meaning: "Love" in ancient Greek.
  • Birdie. Meaning: "Bird".
  • Noam. Meaning: "Pleasantness."
  • Onyx. Meaning: "Claw or nail" in ancient Greek. Black gem.

The rarest English boy names:

  • Ajax. Meaning: "Eagle" in ancient times Greek mythology.
  • Dougal. Meaning: "Dark Stranger" in Gaelic.
  • Henderson. Meaning: Traditional English surname.
  • Jools. Meaning: "Descended from Jupiter."
  • Marvelous. Meaning: wonderful, beautiful, wonderful. More traditionally, it is a Nigerian girl's name.

Modern tendencies

Fashion trends in names are always in dynamic motion. New names were born, old ones returned from the distant past, regaining forgotten popularity, and sometimes the British simply borrowed names from other peoples. England has its own characteristics - the fashion for names is also dictated by the royal family. Member names royal family Harry, William, Elizabeth, George are especially popular among the people. In 2017, the UK National Statistical Service ONS published an annual report containing data on the names of newborns in 2016.

The boy's name Oliver leads the list, and the female name Amelia leads the list.. This is such a championship star couple occupies since 2013. Although in fact, many believe that in London the male name Muhammad is in first place. If you take a closer look at the list of the best baby names in England and Wales, this opinion seems to be true.

Muhammad is an Arabic name and has several spellings, so the name Muhammad appears several times in the statistics provided. Muhammad ranked 8th, Mohammed ranked 31st, Mohammad ranked 68th, with a total of 7,084. And the name Oliver was given to 6,623 newborns, so Mohammed has an obvious advantage over Oliver. ONS representatives attribute this popularity to Muslim name in England with social changes in the country.

Ahead of ONS, the English website for parents BabyCentr released its official version of the 100 best names for children in 2017. The lists are compiled from a survey of more than 94,665 parents of newborns (51,073 boys and 43,592 girls). Olivia again took first place in the female names category. This year, the name Muhammad confidently surpassed the name Oliver, taking the leading position. The site also notes that in England they have begun to give more gender-neutral names, for example, the name Harley is called almost the same for male and female children.

Best English female names of 2017:

Best English male names of 2017:

Meanings of English names

Numerous life stories, research and theory suggest that names help shape a person's personality. Names are certainly not the only force in life that causes a person to develop in a certain way and become a person, but the importance of a name was noticed in ancient times.

English male names and their meanings

Meanings of English female names

  1. Olivia. The name is in Latin oliva, meaning "olive".
  2. Sofia (Sophia). The legends about her probably originated from the medieval "Hagia Sophia", meaning "Holy Wisdom".
  3. Amelia. A mixture of the medieval names Emilia and Amalia. In Latin it means "industry" and "endeavor." Its Teutonic meaning is "protector".
  4. Lily. In English, the meaning of Lily is: the lily flower is a symbol of innocence, purity and beauty.
  5. Emily. Emily is a feminine given name, derived from the Roman feminine given name Aemilia. The Latin name Aemilia, in turn, may come from the Latin word aemulus (or from the same root as aemulus) - it means "rival".
  6. Ava. Possibly from the Latin avis, meaning "bird". It may also be a short form of Chava ("life" or "living"), the Hebrew form of Eve.
  7. Isla. The traditional usage is primarily Scottish, derived from Islay, which is the name of an island off the west coast of Scotland. It is also the name of two Scottish rivers.
  8. Isabella. Variant of Elizabeth meaning "dedicated to God" in Hebrew.
  9. Mia. In Latin, the meaning of the name Mia is: desired child.
  10. Isabelle. The Hebrew meaning of the name Isabel is: dedicated to God.
  11. Ella. Meaning in English: Abbreviation of Eleanor and Ellen - beautiful fairy.
  12. Poppy. This is a feminine name from the name of the poppy flower, derived from Old English popæg and referring to various types Papaver. The name is gaining popularity in the UK.
  13. Freya. In Scandinavia, the meaning of the name is lady. Derived from the name Freya, the Scandinavian goddess of love and fertility and the mythological wife of Odin.
  14. Grace. The English meaning of the word is "grace", derived from the Latin gratia, which means blessing of God.
  15. Sophie. In Greek the meaning of the name Sophie is wisdom, wise.
  16. Evie in Hebrew the meaning of the name Evie is life, living.
  17. Charlotte. Charlotte is a feminine given name, the feminine form of the masculine name Charlot, a diminutive of Charles. Is of French origin meaning " free man" or "small".
  18. Aria. Italian - "air". In music, an aria is usually a solo in an opera. In Hebrew it comes from Ariel, meaning lion of God, and its Teutonic origins are related to the bird.
  19. Evelyn. In French: From a surname derived from the French Aveline, meaning hazelnut.
  20. Phoebe. Feminine form of Greek phoibe (bright), which comes from phoibo (bright). Phoebe appears in Greek mythology as the name of Artemis, the goddess of the Moon. In poetry, Phoebe represents the moon.

Each of us received a name at birth. However, when we look at our lives, we wonder who we would be if our names were different.