English names for girls. Beautiful English names in the USA English names meaning and origin


Choosing a name for a girl is doubly difficult for the British, since British names girls consist of two names: first name and middle name. The important thing, of course, is the first name, since it is a personal name. It should be noted that the fashion for British girls' names changes every year, as there is an active mixing of several cultures, which did not happen in past centuries.

In the 18th century in Britain, the most popular female names were Elizabeth, Mary and Anna. Almost every third newborn was named either Mary or Anna. At the same time, such British female names as Mary and Anna hardly lose their popularity. Even now they are often used. But when choosing a girl’s name, parents must understand that by doing so they determine her fate. If you want to have a girl with a warlike character, then we advise you to name her Alexa or Alexandrea, that is, the defender of humanity. And the names Gabby and Brill have a meaning - strong from God. The British name Claribel means bright and beautiful. When choosing a name, do not forget to take into account the consonance with the surname, and the name should be light and pleasant. Parents often make this mistake when naming their children complex names. As a result, the child difficult fate or difficult character. Our list of British girl names will help you choose.


British girl names:

Aion - island

Loris - sadness

Aleta is true

Lu - famous warrior

Alexa - defender of humanity

Maybelline - attractive

Aliz - noble look

Misi - pearl, honey bee

Amaranth - not disappearing

Madonna is my lady

Allin - bird

Margot - pearl

Annis - chaste, holy

Martha - lady

Alexandrea - protector of humanity

Mackenzie - pretty

Anetta - benefit, grace

Morain - lover

Adrina - from Hadria

Makey - a gift from God

Alberta - bright nobility

Meidlin - from Magdala

Annali - graceful meadow

Merrilin - sweetheart, lake

Azalea - dry

Monat - little noblewoman

Blanda - care

Modi - Mighty in Battle

Brianna - strength

Melloni - black, dark

Brill - strong from God

Melissa - honey bee

Bailey - Deputy Sheriff

Monta - a sharp hill

Bekkai - trapper

Nicolet - victory of the people

Beth is god is my oath

Nevaeh - heaven

Brooklyn - stream, stream

Natil - birthday

Bessie - God is my oath

Omega - the last child

Briar - thorny bush

Prunella - small plum

Britney - Little Britain

Prudence - careful

Belind is a beautiful snake

Paisley - church

Blondie - blonde

Petunia - petunia

Belita - a little beauty

Rona - wise ruler

Vega - fallen, attacking

Roxanne - dawn

Wilma - helmet

Romei - rosemary (herb)

Vinny - sacred agreed

Rebeccann - trapper

Valerie is strong

Rhona - wise ruler

Willow - willow

Rena - born again

Vanessa - revealed

Roni - brings victory

Vendaya - friend

Rose - booster

Ghislaine - pledge

Ruby - contemplative

Gaea - earth

Rinna is a maiden

Gabby - strong from God

Sarahjin - princess

Johnel - good god

Sam - listening to God

Dorinda is a gift

Sabina - sweet

Destiny - fate, welfare

Scarlet - scarlet

Jessa - God knows

Sammaya - God listened

Jewell - gemstone

Starla is a star

Demi - earth mother

Steph - crown

Divina - like a goddess

Sage - sage

Devan - parishioner

Sayanna - being old

Jazmine - jasmine flower

Celeste - heavenly

Jonah - good god

Sunday - on Sunday

Desiree - desired

Titania - of the Titans

Justis - justice

Thea is a gift from God

Joanne - good god

Tessie the reaper

Gilbertine - bail

Twila - twilight

Jorja - peasant woman

Trisha - noblewoman

Dalinda - noble snake

Terry the Reaper

Dolores - sadness

Teresa - the reaper

Josie - multiplier

Temple - temples

Georgina - peasant girl

Tessa the reaper

Desira - desirable

Tiler - roof

Erline - noblewoman, princess

Teri - the reaper

Janine - good god

Tibby - gazelle and brave

Zavannah - savannah

Tamsen is a twin

Ilana - tree

Tresha - noblewoman

Indy - land of the Hindus

Unag - hunger

Yvon - yew tree

Fern - fern

Elayn - bird

Flower - flower

Zella - zealous

Felicia is lucky

Coretta - maiden or gorge

Flossie - flower

Kiseli - blind

Haven - shelter, refuge

Kaylin is a girl

Hortens - garden

Kitty - immaculate, chaste

Hannah - kind, merciful

Claribel - bright and beautiful

Cherry - cherry

Karon - to love

Chelsea - landing site

Kayleigh is weird

Chantail - stone place

Katya - immaculate, chaste

Cherise - cherry

Kerry - Ciara people

Cheryl - darling

Connie is resilient

Shanna - lily

Kapukain - nasturtium

Sha - hawk-like

Kelly is blonde

Shavon - good god

Curry is a man

Shari - favorite

Colleen is a girl

Sharron - plain

Corrie is a maiden

Shevoun - good god

Courtney - short nose

Chanel - good god

Keita - forest

Shena - good god

Kira - like the sun

Eivise - bird

Keilich is strange

Ethel - noble

Catelynn - virgin

Eldreda - ancient meeting

Cameron - crooked nose

Erma - whole

Lolly - babbling

Ezelinda - noble snake

Lillay - lily

Emmaya - whole, whole

Fox - God - my oath

Aimee - much loved

Latisha - happiness

Elanor - star light

Lukinda - light

Ashley - Ash Grove

Lakeshia - cinnamon tree

Edwena - rich friend

Leontyne - lion-like

Eugenia - Well Born

Lola - sadness

Yula - polite

Letty - happiness

Yunis - good win

In the variety of English names you can find an option for every taste. In this article, we will look at the main English girl names and their meanings, and you can safely choose your favorite.

The choice of a name has long been taken seriously. It was believed that the meaning of a name could largely determine a person’s fate and the qualities of his character. But even today, great attention is paid to the meaning of the name and its origin.

Meaning of the name

Before choosing a name for a child, many people want to know what the origin of the names are and what they meant in their original form.

Let's analyze popular female English names with translation. There may be different versions about their origin and meaning, and it is not always possible to unambiguously establish the translation - we will give the most established meanings.

  • Melanie: comes from Greek and means “dark”
  • Florence: Latin for “blooming”
  • Agatha: Greek for "good"
  • Zoe: Greek for "life"
  • Rebecca (Rebecca): originates in Hebrew and means “to bind, to fasten”
  • Ruth (Ruth): translated from Hebrew as “friend”
  • Barbara (Barbara): from Greek - “stranger”
  • Amanda (Amanda): derived from the Latin amandus - “worthy of love”
  • Victoria (Victoria): translated from Latin as “victory”
  • Irene (Irene): in Greek - “peace, tranquility”
  • Miranda: from the Latin word mirandus (“wonderful”)
  • Bridget: an Irish name that was originally Brighid, meaning "exalted, enthusiastic"
  • Sophia (Sophia): translated from Greek as “wisdom”
  • Margaret: from the Greek word for "pearl"
  • Katherine: Greek name, most common version of the meaning is "pure"
  • Deborah (Deborah): translated from Hebrew as “bee”
  • Vivian: Derived from Latin vivus "living"
  • Emma (Emma): from Germanic names meaning “whole”

Some girls' names in English have transparent origins. Ruby is similar to the word ruby ​​and is of Latin origin meaning “red”. And the name Harper, which the famous American writer Harper Lee (Harper Lee), originally served as a surname and referred to harpists (harp - harp).

It's even easier to guess the meaning of names like Daisy and April. The first repeats the word daisy (daisy), and the second - April, which, in turn, is related to the Latin verb aperire "to open." Both of these names did not come into active use in English until the 19th century.

Choosing names for girls English language, we pay attention to the meaning; it is not always possible to recognize it. And it’s not just that it’s difficult to establish the history of a word: the meaning may simply be missing. like this interesting story has a female name Vanessa (Vanessa). It was invented by Jonathan Swift for the poem "Cadenus and Vanessa", combining the first letters of his friend's name.

Royal names

If we are talking about Great Britain, then for many the first association with it is the royal family. Although politics has historically been a man's business, women have also had their influence. What beautiful female names in English do we find at the royal court?

Perhaps one of the main women in British history and the most famous queen is Queen Victoria. She ruled the country for more than 60 years until 1901. Victoria is her first name. At birth she was also given the middle name Alexandrina. But the main one was Victoria, and it was this that was entrenched in history: the era of her reign is called Victorian. Many geographic areas are named after the queen, such as a city in Canada and a state in Australia. The name Victoria remains popular today.

The current Queen of Great Britain is Elizabeth II. Her full name sounds like Elizabeth Alexandra Mary. Every element in it is a tribute to other members royal family. She received the name Elizabeth in honor of her mother, Alexandra in honor of her great-grandmother, and Mary in honor of her grandmother. Elizabeth II ascended the throne in 1952 and has already surpassed her famous predecessor Queen Victoria in terms of the length of her reign.

The name Diana is very popular in England. In the royal family, it was worn by Princess Diana, the first wife of Prince Charles. Often her name was shortened and called simply Lady Di.

In politics, influential English women are not just the royal family. One of the most significant politicians was Margaret Thatcher. She became the first woman in Europe to hold the post of prime minister.

Name options

We must not forget that English names often have abbreviated versions, which are very popular. As the example of Lady Di shows, abbreviations are used even in relation to government officials.

It often happens that abbreviated versions become fixed in the language and become independent names. For example:

  • Sandra (Sandra): shortened version of Alexandra (Alexandra)
  • Stacy: short for Anastasia

In this case, the original version may be completely lost. For example, the form Alice (Alice / Alice) is derived from Adelaide (Adelaide), and in its original form the name sounded like Adalheidis.

Some names have different variants writing. This is probably best seen in the forms Katherine / Catharine / Catherine / Catherina / Katharine / Katherina. Added to this variety are abbreviations that can be used as a full name: Cat / Cathy / Kat / Kate / Kathie / Kathy / Katie / Kitty / Cate.

Male-female

In the English language, it is quite common to find names that can refer to both women and men, without differing in any way in form.

  • Ash
  • Cameron
  • Kerry (Kerry)
  • Kim (Kim)
  • Morgan (Morgan)
  • Parker

This situation is often typical for abbreviated versions. Therefore, beautiful English female names can also be obtained from shortening the male form.

  • Alex (Alex): short for the male name Alexander (Alexander) and the female name Alexandra (Alexandra)
  • Billie: short for Bill and the feminine form of William - Wilhelmina
  • Chris: can be derived from Christopher, Christian or Christine
  • Frankie (Frankie): from the male Frank (Frank) or the female Frances (Francis)
  • Jackie (Jackie): from Jack (Jack) or Jacqueline (Jacqueline)
  • Nat (Nat): variant of the forms Nathan (Nathan), Nathaniel (Nathaniel), Natalie (Natalie)
  • Robbie: abbreviation for the masculine Robert or feminine Roberta.
  • Ronnie (Ronnie): can be derived from Ronald (Ronald) or Veronica (Veronica)
  • Sam: abbreviation of male Samuel, Samson or female Samantha.
  • Steph (Steph): a variant of the forms Stephen (Stephen) or Stephanie (Stephanie)
  • Terry (Terry): derived from the male Terence (Terence) or the female Theresa / Teresa (Teresa)

English names in Russian

Already in the given examples of English female names you can find ones for which it is easy to find Russian analogues. They have a single source of origin (for example, Greek or Biblical) and have long been entrenched in the Russian language.

  • Anna - Anna
  • Maria / Mary - Maria
  • Sophia - Sofia
  • Katherine / Catherine - Catherine
  • Victoria - Victoria
  • Alexandra - Alexandra
  • Eva - Eva
  • Diana - Diana
  • Anastasia - Anastasia
  • Veronica - Veronica

Other names, although not typical for Russian-speaking people, are borrowed into Russian. Therefore, if you want to find beautiful English female names that sound unusual, but at the same time do not hurt the ears in our society, pay attention to these options:

  • Emma - Emma
  • Sabrina - Sabrina
  • Camilla - Camilla
  • Laura - Laura / Laura
  • Irene - Irene

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 for 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 names men's:

  • 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. The names of the royal family members Harry, William, Elizabeth, George, are especially popular among the people. The UK National Statistical Service ONS published an annual report in 2017, which provides 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 - Arabic name and has several spellings, so in the statistics given the name Muhammad appears several times. 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 100 best names for children. 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 (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 girl's name female uniform male name Charlot, 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.

There has always been a fashion for foreign names, the list of women's ones 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.

During the 16th century, in the wake of the spread of the religious movement, names taken from the Bible became 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 shaped in such a way that a girl could acquire personality traits or the name would begin to determine 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, big amount 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 named this way are distinguished by trust and modesty.
Maggie Meaning – PEARL. Short form of 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 a girl named in this way.
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

Fashion for unusual and interesting names akin to clothing fashion. 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 the 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 others appeared modern options who came from this series - Sansa, Brienne, Catelyn, Daenerys.

Another literary work that has turned into a cult serial film 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, the number of uses of a particular variant may be influenced by 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 unusually.

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.”

    Related Posts

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: combination of letters, euphony, meaning of the name and even its influence on a person’s fate. Each couple tries to come up with something special and unique.

Research conducted by various historians has revealed the fact that the earliest English names were derived from words (nouns and adjectives) that existed in Old English. 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, praising the gods, the forces of nature and any human qualities.

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

  • Mary is a derived form of the Hebrew name Mary. This ancient name has a very beautiful meaning- “serene”;
  • Anna - named after the mother of the prophet Samuel. Translated as "grace";
  • Maryann is a combined name of 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.

Besides everything else literary works kept 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 is a 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
AgathaAgata
AgnesAgnes
AdelaideAdelaida
AliceAlice
AmandaAmanda
AmeliaAmelia
AnastasiaAnastasia
AngelinaAngelina
AnnaAnn
ArielAriel
BarabaraBarbara
BeatriceBeatrice
BridgetBridget
BritneyBritney
GloriaGloria
DeborahDebra
DianaDiana
DorothyDorothy
CamilaCamilla
CarolineCaroline
CassandraCassandra
CatherineKatherine
ConstanceConstance
ChristinaChristine
OliviaOlivia
CeciliaCecil
CherylCheril
CharlotteCharlotte
EleanorEleanor
ElizabethElizabeth
EmilyEmily
EstherEster
EvelinaEveline

Unusual female English names

Ordinary people rarely wear 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.

Editor's Choice
In 1948, Father Theodosius of the Caucasus died in Mineralnye Vody. The life and death of this man was associated with many miracles...

God's and Spiritual Authority What is authority? Where did she come from? Is all power from God? If yes, then why are there so many evil people in the world...

God's and Spiritual Authority What is authority? Where did she come from? Is all power from God? If yes, then why are there so many evil people in the world...

God's and Spiritual Authority What is authority? Where did she come from? Is all power from God? If yes, then why are there so many evil people in the world...
“The Tsar is coming...” (St. Athanasius (Sedentary) in Kharkov /51/). Venerable Anatoly (Potapov): “The fate of the Tsar is the fate of Russia. He will rejoice...
- The Bible says: “There is no authority except from God.” The existing powers were created by God.” How to correctly understand this phrase in context...
“The Tsar is coming...” (St. Athanasius (Sedentary) in Kharkov /51/). Venerable Anatoly (Potapov): “The fate of the Tsar is the fate of Russia. He will rejoice...
Perhaps the word “mayonnaise” comes from the French word “moyeu” (one of the meanings is yolk), or maybe from the name of the city of Mahon, the capital...