English names
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Most popular English names in official statistics
United States, 2025
Source: Social Security Administration.
Australia (New South Wales), 2025
Source: NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
Australia (Victoria), 2025
Source: Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria.
Canada (Ontario), 2024
Source: Government of Ontario (Office of the Registrar General, ServiceOntario).
England and Wales, 2025
Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS).
New Zealand, 2025
Source: Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), Births, Deaths and Marriages.
Northern Ireland, 2025
Source: Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).
Featured in baby name books
Abraham
Abraham is a Hebrew name meaning “father of many” or “father of nations,” with forms like Abe, Avram, and the Arabic Ibrahim. The biblical Abraham, first called Abram, is regarded as a forefather of both the Jewish and Arab peoples through his sons Isaac and Ishmael.
Alexander
Alexander is a Greek name meaning “defender of men” or “protector,” with countless forms worldwide, including Alessandro, Alejandro, Alistair, and Sasha. Alexander the Great made the name a byword for strength and leadership, and it has never been more popular; other famous bearers include Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.
Alice
Alice is a Germanic name meaning “noble” or “nobility,” originally a form of Adelaide, with variants such as Alys and Alyce. Alice is also linked to a Greek word for “truthful.”
Andrew
Andrew comes from Greek and means “manly,” “strong,” or “warrior,” with Andy and Drew as nicknames and forms like Andreas and Anders. Andrew was a fisherman who, with his brother Simon Peter, became one of Jesus’s first apostles, and as a saint he is a patron of fishermen.
Ariel
Ariel is a Hebrew name meaning “lion of God” or “lioness of God,” used for boys and girls, with Arielle and Ariella as feminine spellings. In the Bible Ariel is a symbolic name for Jerusalem in Isaiah and the name of a leader sent by Ezra to find Levites.
Arthur
Arthur is a Celtic name usually traced to artos, “bear,” and glossed as “bear-hero” or “rock,” with Arturo and Artur as other forms. The legendary King Arthur made the name famous, and the Duke of Wellington and Tennyson’s Idylls of the King boosted it; it was in the U.S. top fifteen around 1900.
Bartholomew
Bartholomew means “son of the farmer” or “son of the furrows,” and some link it to “son of Ptolemy” or “Talmai’s son.” Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles, sometimes identified with Nathaniel, and tradition says he carried the gospel to India.
Daniel
Daniel is a Hebrew name meaning “God is my judge,” with Dan and Danny as nicknames. The biblical Daniel was an exiled Israelite who rose in Babylon by interpreting dreams and survived a night in the lion's den.
David
David is a Hebrew name meaning “beloved,” “cherished,” or “darling.” The biblical David was a shepherd boy who slew Goliath, wrote psalms and music, and became a mighty king of Israel.
Edward
Edward is an Old English royal name meaning “wealthy guardian” or “prosperous protector.” Edward is also glossed as “guardian of property,” and bearers include playwright Edward Albee, painter Edward Hopper, and actor Edward Norton.
Elijah
Elijah is a Hebrew name meaning “the Lord is my God,” with Elias, Ellis and Eli among its forms. Elijah was one of the great Old Testament prophets, who fought idol worship, worked miracles, and was carried to heaven in a fiery chariot.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth is a Hebrew name meaning “God is my oath,” “pledged to God,” or “God’s promise.” Elizabeth has more spin-offs than almost any name, from Beth, Betsy and Liz to Elsa and Isabel, and it has stayed near the top of U.S. charts for well over a century.
Eric
Eric is a Norse name meaning “eternal ruler” or “ruler of the people.” Erik the Red and several Scandinavian kings bore the name, and it peaked in the 1970s helped by Eric Clapton and speedskater Eric Heiden.
Faith
Faith is a virtue name meaning “trust,” “strong belief,” or “belief in God.” A favorite of the Puritans, Faith is one of the few virtue names still widely used, and Fay or Faye make lighter alternatives.
George
George is a Greek name meaning “farmer” or “one who works the earth.” Despite its humble meaning, George is a proud, royal name, carried by many kings and by Saint George, the dragon slayer and patron saint of England.
Grace
Grace comes from the Latin gratia and means “grace,” “favor,” or “pleasing,” with Gracie as a beloved pet form. A virtue name loved by the Puritans and frequent in the Bible, Grace was seen as dowdy in the 1970s but is now as popular as in the late 1800s; it also recalls the mythological Graces.
Harper
Harper is an English occupational surname for a harp player or minstrel. Used for both sexes but mostly girls, Harper has a Southern, literary air and no negative connotations.
Hector
Hector is a Greek name meaning “steadfast,” “holding fast,” or “restraint.” In The Iliad Hector was the brave, honorable prince of Troy who led its army and was killed by Achilles; in Arthurian legend, a Hector raised the young Arthur.
Iris
Iris is Greek for “rainbow,” and is also a flower name. In Greek myth Iris was the rainbow goddess who carried messages between heaven and earth; the stylized iris is the fleur-de-lis of France.
James
James is a form of Jacob and shares its meaning, “supplanter” or “he who replaces.” James grew out of Jacob through Latin and Greek forms; in the New Testament two disciples bore it, chief among them James son of Zebedee, part of Jesus’s inner circle.
Jane
Jane is the feminine form of John and means “God is gracious” or “God’s grace.” Jane was the dependable everygirl from the 1920s to the ’50s, faded in the sixties, and now sits mid-pack, suited to literature lovers (Jane Eyre, Jane Austen) and Anglophiles alike.
John
John is a Hebrew name meaning “God is gracious” or “God is good,” with forms across Europe such as Juan, Jean, Johann, and Sean. John was a top-five name for centuries until 1980; it remains sturdy and authoritative, evoking leaders like John Kennedy and John Adams as well as artists like John Lennon.
Jordan
Jordan is a Hebrew name meaning “to descend” or “flowing down,” after the River Jordan where Jesus was baptized. Jordan caught on during the Crusades, when soldiers brought Jordan River water home to baptize their children.
Joseph
Joseph is a Hebrew name meaning “God will add” or “God will increase.” In the Bible, Joseph was Jacob’s favorite son, sold into slavery in Egypt, and another Joseph was the carpenter husband of Mary.
Joshua
Joshua is a Hebrew name meaning “God is my salvation” or “Jehovah saves,” with Made Easy offering “may God help.” Joshua succeeded Moses and led the Israelites into the Promised Land; the name Jesus derives from its Hebrew form, Yeshua.
Joyce
Joyce is usually read as “joyous,” from Latin or French. Joyce originally meant “lord,” from a Breton name that became an Anglo-Norman surname borne by one of the Galway “tribes.”
Mary
Mary is linked to the sea, read as “drop of the sea” and later “star of the sea,” from Latin stella maris. Mary also traces to the Hebrew Miriam, meaning “bitter” or “sea of bitterness.”
Matthew
Matthew comes from Hebrew and is understood as “gift of God” or “gift of the Lord.” Matthew was one of the twelve apostles, a tax collector who followed Jesus when called and is credited with a gospel.
Michael
Michael is a Hebrew name posing the question “who is like God,” and is the name of an archangel. Michael is the archangel who protects Israel in Daniel and leads heaven’s angels against the devil in Revelation; he is also patron saint of soldiers and appears in the Koran.
Nancy
Nancy grew out of Ann and Anna and shares their Hebrew meaning, “grace.” Nancy was a top-ten name in the U.S. around 1935 to 1955, has been fading since, and has a cheerful girl-next-door feel.
These lists are only intended to give you name ideas. Make sure to further research each name, as some may have negative connotations.