Top 100 English baby names for boys and girls

If you're looking for old or traditional English names then there are a wealth of options too. Many English names date back to the Norman Conquest, and some even further back in history still. If you're looking for baby boy name inspiration, check out The Top 200 Korean boy names for some unique options.
You can also explore names from other cultures, including French baby boy names and their meanings and the Top 200 Greek baby boy names.

We've got some beautiful unique and unusual English names if you're looking for something cute and charming but more off the beaten track. We've also rounded up the most common names with English origins according to the popular baby name lists for boys and girls from The Office for National Statistics.

Here's our list of the top English names for boys and girls to help inspire you...

English boy names | English girl names | Traditional English names | Common English names | Unique English names

English boy names

If you want a name steeped in English tradition for your baby boy then you're in luck, there are a wealth of beautiful English boy names to choose from. From names like Aubrey that have roots all the way back to the Norman Conquest, to Tanner, which derives from an Old English occupation. Most names on this list have occupational meanings, but there are also themes of strength and nature present too.

1. Aubrey

• Origin: English; from the Norman Conquest
• Meaning: king of the Elves

2. Bradley

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: clearing

3. Burn

• Origin: Middle English
• Meaning: stream; brook

4. Carlton

• Origin: Middle English
• Meaning: free peasant settlement

5. Carver

• Origin: English
• Meaning: wood carver

6. Chad

• Origin: modernised form of Old English name Ceadda
• Meaning: protector; defender

7. Clayton

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: clay settlement

8. Clifford

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: ford by a cliff

9. Colton

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: coal town

10. Darnell

• Origin: English
• Meaning: hidden corner

11. Darwin

• Origin: an English surname, taken from the Old English deorwine
• Meaning: dear friend

12. Denton

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: a valley

13. Lincoln

• Origin: Old English; from the city of Lincoln
• Meaning: settlement by water

14. Oswald

• Origin: from Old English words Os and ƿeald
• Meaning: divine power

15. Sheldon

• Origin: combination of Old English word scelf and place name haddon
• Meaning: steeped valley

16. Spencer

• Origin: English
• Meaning: dispenser of provisions

17. Stanley

• Origin: from Old English words stan and leah
• Meaning: stone clearing

18. Tanner

• Origin: Old English; occupational name
• Meaning: leather maker

19. Todd

• Origin: Middle English
• Meaning: fox

20. Tyler

• Origin: Old English; occupational name
• Meaning: cloth washer

English girl names

From charming vintage options with roots in Old England, to names that you might be surprised to learn have English origins, you can find the perfect name for your little English rose in this selection of beautiful English girl names. The English girl names on our list have brilliant meanings to match too, they include themes of strength, friendship, love and nature.

21. Aldith

• Origin: Old English; modern version of Ealdgyth
• Meaning: seasoned warrior; old battle

22. Alvina

• Origin: English feminine form of Alvin, which derives from the Old English name Ælfwine
• Meaning: elf friend; amicable

23. Audrey

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: noble strength

24. Averil

• Origin: English
• Meaning: boar battle

25. Beverley

• Origin: Old English, combining befer and leah
• Meaning: from the beaver stream
• Also: Beverly

26. Brynlee

• Origin: Old English and Welsh
• Meaning: burned clearing

27. Clover

• Origin: from the plant; derived from the Old English word clāfre
• Meaning: meadow flower

28. Darla

• Origin: English
• Meaning: darling; beloved

29. Darlene

• Origin: English; from the 19th century
• Meaning: based on the term of endearment darling

30. Deanna

• Origin: English
• Meaning: divine

31. Dimity

• Origin: English
• Meaning: type of cotton cloth

32. Haley

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: hay meadow

33. Hazel

• Origin: from the Old English word hæsel
• Meaning: from the type of tree/colour

34. Hope

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: virtue of hope

35. Juliet

• Origin: English form of the Italian name Giulietta
• Meaning: youthful

36. Kelsey

• Origin: from the Old English name Ceolsige
• Meaning: victory ship

37. Kimberley

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: 'from the meadow of the royal fortress'

38. Marigold

• Origin: Middle English
• Meaning: golden flower

39. Mildred

• Origin: Anglo-Saxon name of Old English origin
• Meaning: gentle strength

40. Posy

• Origin: English
• Meaning: small flower bouquet
• Also: Posey

Traditional English names

If you're a fan of tradition, or are looking for something to reflect your English heritage, our next list will really help to inspire you. The following names are beautiful classic options for both boys and girls, with many unisex options too. Many of the names in our selection have Old English roots, with most having meanings that originate in nature and the English countryside. Despite the long heritage of these vintage picks, they will be perfect for your baby boy or girl today.

41. Ashley

• Origin: derived from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) words æsc and lēah
• Meaning: dweller by the ash tree meadow
• Unisex

42. Ashton

• Origin: English; derived from a surname
• Meaning: ash tree town
• Unisex

43. Blake

• Origin: English; from the Old English word blæc
• Meaning: black; dark
• Unisex

44. Braxton

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Brock's town; badger
• Unisex

45. Chelsea

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: chalk wharf
• Unisex

46. Dawn

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: daybreak
• Girl

47. Devon

• Origin: English
• Meaning: the English county
• Unisex

48. Edith

• Origin: from the Old English words ēad and gȳð
• Meaning: prosperity; wealth and strife
• Girl

49. Edmund

• Origin: from the Old English elements ēad and mund
• Meaning: prosperity and protector
• Boy

50. Edwina

• Origin: English
• Meaning: prosperous
• Girl

51. Ethel

• Origin: English
• Meaning: prosperous
• Girl

52. Fern

• Origin: English; from the Anglo-Saxon word fearn
• Meaning: plant name
• Girl

53. Heather

• Origin: derived from the Middle English word hather
• Meaning: named after the plant
• Girl

54. Hugh

• Origin: English-language variant of Hughes
• Meaning: heart; mind; soul
• Boy

55. Hunter

• Origin: English
• Meaning: pursuer
• Unisex

56. Lee

• Origin: English
• Meaning: shelter; protection
• Unisex

57. Madison

• Origin: English
• Meaning: son of Matthew/son of Maude
• Unisex

58. Raleigh

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: deer's meadow
• Unisex

59. Riley

• Origin: from Old English words ryge and lēah
• Meaning: wood clearing
• Unisex

60. Sawyer

• Origin: English occupational name
• Meaning: woodcutter
• Boy

Common English names

Unsurprisingly, English names feature heavily in the most popular names for boys and girls in the UK, according to the Office for National Statistics. Here, we've rounded up the most common names with English origins from both the boys' and the girls' popular name lists.

61. Alfie

• Origin: short form of Alfred; from the Old English Aelfraed
• Meaning: elf counsel
• Boy

62. Arlo

• Origin: Old English (Anglo-Saxon)
• Meaning: from the hill fort
• Boy

63. Daisy

• Origin: from the Old English word dægeseage
• Meaning: day's eye
• Girl

64. Edward

• Origin: derived from the Old English Anglo-Saxon name Ēadweard
• Meaning: wealthy guard
• Boy

65. Hallie

• Origin: English hypocorism of Harriet; variant of Hayley
• Meaning: dweller at the meadow
• Girl

66. Harper

• Origin: English, Scottish and Irish occupational name
• Meaning: one who plays the harp
• Unisex

67. Harrison

• Origin: English
• Meaning: son of Harry
• Boy

68. Harry

• Origin: Medieval English form of Henry
• Meaning: ruler
• Boy

69. Hudson

• Origin: English
• Meaning: son of Hudd
• Boy

70. Ivy

• Origin: English/Latin; derived from the Old English word for the ivy plant, ifig
• Meaning: vine
• Girl

71. Jack

• Origin: Middle English
• Meaning: God is gracious
• Boy, sometimes unisex

72. Jaxon

• Origin: English
• Meaning: son of Jack
• Boy

73. Nancy

• Origin: originally a diminutive form of Annis, a medieval English form of Agnes
• Meaning: grace; favoured
• Girl

74. Olive

• Origin: English
• Meaning: olive tree
• Girl

75. Oliver

• Origin: English and Old French
• Meaning: elf warrior
• Boy

76. Oscar

• Origin: English and Irish
• Meaning: friend of deer/God's spear
• Boy

77. Poppy

• Origin: from the Old English word popæg
• Meaning: poppy flower
• Girl

78. Rosie

• Origin: English diminutive form of Rose
• Meaning: rose flower
• Girl

79. Scarlett

• Origin: English
• Meaning: red
• Girl

80. Willow

• Origin: from the Old English word welig
• Meaning: willow tree
• Girl

Unique English names

Traditionally, English names are extremely popular in the UK but if you're looking for something a bit more unusual there are some hidden gems that are very rare too. Here, we've picked our favourite unique English names — including boy, girl and unisex options. Many date back centuries, some even have Anglo-Saxon origins, but they're all beautiful English names that will help inspire you.

81. Alger

• Origin: English; from the Anglo-Saxon name Ælfgar
• Meaning: elf spear
• Boy

82. Amery

• Origin: English
• Meaning: immortal; unfading
• Boy

83. Anslie

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: woodland; hermitage field
• Unisex

84. Arly

• Origin: English
• Meaning: hare meadow
• Unisex

85. Ashlan

• Origin: English
• Meaning: ash meadow
• Girl, sometimes unisex

86. Audra

• Origin: English; modern variant of name Audrey
• Meaning: noble strength
• Girl

87. Baxley

• Origin: English
• Meaning: baker's meadow
• Boy

88. Chaise

• Origin: English
• Meaning: hunter
• Boy

89. Corley

• Origin: English; variant of Old English name Corliss
• Meaning: carefree; benevolent
• Unisex

90. Edlin

• Origin: from the Middle English name Edeline
• Meaning: small noble one
• Also: Edlyn
• Girl, sometimes unisex

91. Elswyth

• Origin: English; Anglo-Saxon
• Meaning: strong temple
• Girl

92. Ensley

• Origin: English; variation of Ainsley
• Meaning: one's own meadow
• Unisex

93. Fernlea

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: fern meadow
• Unisex

94. Harwin

• Origin: English
• Meaning: friend of the hare
• Unisex

95. Gilson

• Origin: English
• Meaning: son of Gill
• Boy

96. Malvie

• Origin: English
• Meaning: smooth brow
• Girl

97. Oswin

• Origin: English
• Meaning: God's friend
• Boy

98. Upton

• Origin: derived from the Old English for Upper Ton
• Meaning: upper settlement
• Boy

99. Willard

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: resolute; bold
• Boy

100. Winsome

• Origin: English
• Meaning: agreeable
• Girl, sometimes unisex

Pics: Getty

Read more:

• 150 African baby names
• 180 cool baby names for boys and girls
• 1000 top baby boy names
• 1000 top baby girl names