What [name_f]British[/name_f] names do you like? [name_f]My[/name_f] favorite are [name_f]Philippa[/name_f] and [name_f]Bryony[/name_f].
Elspeth/Elsbeth feel very British, though I think only Elspeth actually has British roots.
Imogen is one I quite like, but I actually learned earlier today that it was a misinterpretation of Shakespeareās Innogen.
Hermione is Greek, but I feel like itās largely associated with British names because of Harry Potter.
Bryony is one of my favourites, I prefer the Briony spelling, but I think Bryony is the original spelling.
Godiva is beautiful in my opinion, but at least in the States is definitely unusable because of the chocolates.
Avalon is gender-neutral I believe, and I prefer it on a boy, but itās super cute on a girl too.
Enid is one that Iāve only recently come around to, and due to the Wednesday series, might a bit unusable in the States.
These feel quintessentially [name_f]British[/name_f] to me, although not all are of [name_f]British[/name_f] origin:
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Cecily[/name_f] or [name_f]Cicely[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Thomasin[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Ishbel[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Beatrix[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Tabitha[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Jemima[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Romilly[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Constance[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Lucinda[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Isadora[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Marsaili[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Araminta[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Verity[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Claudia[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Mirren[/name_f] or [name_f]Merryn[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Kinvara[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Pandora[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Elspeth[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Ferelith[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Harriet[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Orlaith[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Kerensa[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Demelza[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Guinevere[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Rhiannon[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Helena[/name_f] (when pronounced HEL-en-ah)
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Fiona[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Maud[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Henrietta[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Georgiana[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Polly[/name_f]
Fave GB-associated names:
[name_f][/name_f]Yes, Byrony!
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Mary[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Jane[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Tabitha[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Imogen[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Phoebe[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Florence[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Hyacinth[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Beatrice[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Cecily[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Zara[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Polly[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Diana[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Pandora[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Elspeth[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Harriet[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Jemima[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Arabella[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Rosalind[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Cordelia[/name_f]
And then I love a lot of the diminutive names like [name_f]Honey[/name_f] & [name_f]Bunny[/name_f]!
Ones that āfeelā [name_f]British[/name_f] (not necessarily based on their actual roots)ā¦
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Cressida[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Harriet[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Imogen[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Elspeth[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Tilly[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Maisie[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Effie[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Edie[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Pippa[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Nancy[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Florence[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Morven[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Poppy[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Nell[/name_f]
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[name_f]Philippa[/name_f] and [name_f]Bryony[/name_f] are delightful! [name_f][/name_f] I love the unexpected floral names that have been historically popular there, like [name_f]Bryony[/name_f] and [name_f]Marigold[/name_f] and [name_f]Hyacinth[/name_f]. [name_f][/name_f] Also [name_f]Arabella[/name_f]! [name_f][/name_f] [name_f]Cressida[/name_f] and [name_f]Araminta[/name_f] are the height[name_f][/name_f] of [name_f]British[/name_f] girls names for meāidk if they truly are, but when I think of [name_f]British[/name_f] names I think of [name_f]Cressida[/name_f], [name_f]Araminta[/name_f], [name_m]Tarquin[/name_m], and [name_m]Torquil[/name_m] before anything else haha.
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I love:
Demelza
Lorna
Seren
Imogen
Ailsa
Elspeth
Fiona
Anwen
Tabitha
Arabella
Una
As a British person, one of the most British name categories in my opinion is nicknames as full names:
Katie, Millie, Tilly, Evie, Lottie, Lola, Ellie, Winnie, Edie, [name_f]Frankie[/name], Charley, Hallie, Rosie
Other names that feel more associated with British people to me:
Imogen, Bryony, Poppy, Freya, Ottilie, Florence, Pippa, Freya, Daisy, Matilda, Rhiannon, [name_f]Darcy[/name], Harriet, Esme / Esmee, Martha, Maisie, Megan, Gemma / Jemma, Bonnie, Molly
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This will mostly be echoing what others have said but might as well add my two cents (or tuppence!)
[name_f][/name_f]Thereās your stereotypical āposhā [name_f]British[/name_f] names like [name_f]Araminta[/name_f], [name_f]Arabella[/name_f], [name_f]Cressida[/name_f], [name_f]Pandora[/name_f], [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f]. I have met a smattering of these but truly posh people are more likely to be called classic names like [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], [name_f]Harriet[/name_f], [name_f]Felicity[/name_f], [name_f]Georgina[/name_f], or alternatively something slightly colonial sounding like [name_f]Zara[/name_f], [name_f]Saffron[/name_f], [name_f]Jasmine[/name_f], or [name_f]India[/name_f].
[name_f][/name_f]We are a nation of nicknamers (across the class spectrum) so Iād also say things like [name_f]Tilly[/name_f], [name_f]Pippa[/name_f], [name_f]Polly[/name_f], [name_f]Kitty[/name_f], [name_f]Winnie[/name_f], [name_f]Hattie[/name_f], [name_f]Elsie[/name_f], [name_f]Bella[/name_f]. This can get sillier with things like [name_f]Bunty[/name_f], [name_f]Bindi[/name_f], [name_f]Fifi[/name_f], [name_f]Lulu[/name_f] but that tends to be the posher end again.
[name_f][/name_f]Others that seem more established here than elsewhere might be [name_f]Imogen[/name_f], [name_f]Ottilie[/name_f], [name_f]Matilda[/name_f], [name_f]Clementine[/name_f], [name_f]Poppy[/name_f], [name_f]Jemima[/name_f], [name_f]Saskia[/name_f].
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Names I would consider āBritishā names (as an American):
[name_f][/name_f]- [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Lavinia[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Pippa[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Millie[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Isla[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Lottie[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Ada[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Virginia[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Orla[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Lucinda[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Pandora[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Euphemia[/name_f] āEffieā [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Cleo[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Harriet[/name_f] āHattieā [name_f][/name_f]
- Georgina/Georgiana [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Davina[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Tillie[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Polly[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Elora[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- Flora/Florence [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Cassie[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Francesca[/name_f] āFrankieā [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Deborah[/name_f] āDebbieā (at least on younger generations) [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Poppy[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Fern[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Ivy[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Rebecca[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_f]Chelsea[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]
- [name_m]Darcy[/name_m] [name_f][/name_f]
I like old clunky English-seeming names like [name_f]Agnes[/name_f], [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f], [name_m]Fergus[/name_m], [name_m]Rupert[/name_m], [name_m]Angus[/name_m], [name_m]Edgar[/name_m], [name_m]Edmond[/name_m], [name_m]Edward[/name_m], [name_m]Acton[/name_m], Currer, [name_m]Barnaby[/name_m], etc. Others include [name_m]Oliver[/name_m], [name_m]Hugh[/name_m], [name_m]Walter[/name_m], [name_m]Frederick[/name_m], [name_m]Wilfred[/name_m], [name_f]Alice[/name_f], [name_f]Briar[/name_f], [name_m]Wren[/name_m], [name_m]Tolliver[/name_m], [name_f]Marnie[/name_f], [name_f]Matilda[/name_f], [name_f]Ottilie[/name_f], [name_m]Otto[/name_m], [name_f]Daphne[/name_f], [name_m]Darcy[/name_m], [name_f]Olive[/name_f], [name_f]Connie[/name_f], etc.
Came back to add [name_f]Elodie[/name_f]! No.55 in [name_m]England[/name_m] but only 370 in the US.
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I find it hard to talk about āBritish namesā as a concept because there are so many different demographics and areas and different definitions of Britishness. Should I include Scottish and Welsh names, for example? [name_f]Or[/name_f] is that inappropriate because not all Scottish and Welsh people want to be considered as [name_f]British[/name_f]? (And what about Islamic names? [name_m]Muhammad[/name_m] is the most popular name in [name_m]England[/name_m] and [name_m]Wales[/name_m] after all.) Also there is just a lot of overlap between names common in [name_m]Britain[/name_m], names common in [name_f]Ireland[/name_f], names common in the USA etc.
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Good point. I automatically assumed [name_m]English[/name_m] lmao (I think because most users on here seem to be from the US), But actually, āBritish namesā seems like it would be multi-cultural as well also including names within cultures split by the class divide in [name_m]Britain[/name_m]. Then, as you say, thereās [name_m]Great[/name_m] [name_m]Britain[/name_m] which includes [name_f]Scotland[/name_f], [name_m]Wales[/name_m], and [name_m]Northern[/name_m] [name_f]Ireland[/name_f]. [name_m]Great[/name_m] point out.
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@ricepud True. And Northern Ireland is an even more complicated matter since about about half of the people living there absolutely do not want to be considered as British, and would perhaps even be offended by the insinuation that common Irish names are āBritishā. In Ireland and the UK, British is a very political label.
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[name_m]Alban[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Britannia[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Clarence[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Demelza[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Ernest[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Gareth[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f]Gemma/Jemma
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Ivor[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Jacquetta[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Marmaduke[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Nichola[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Philippa[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]St[/name_m]. [name_m]John[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Tennyson[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Thatcher[/name_m]
Imogen Daisy āMimiā, one of my name combos feels (and is) very British but Iām obsessed with it.
Other options:
- Felicity
- Penelope
- Phoebe
- Harriet
- Victoria
- Philippa
- Isadora
- Isla
- Esme
- Verity
- Winifred
- Arabella
- Lucy
- Annabelle