It is customary to give names to children after birth, but parents come up with them long before the babies are born. When choosing a name for a future daughter, parents consider various aspects: the combination of letters, euphoniousness, the meaning of the name and even its influence on the fate of a person. Each couple tries to come up with something special and unique.
Research by various historians has revealed 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 semantic load, but his nickname.
The situation with names changed dramatically after the Norman conquest of England. There was a rapid replacement of English names with Norman ones. Today, only a small fraction of the British have true English names.
It is also noteworthy that there are very few old native English names. They have hardly survived to this day. The overwhelming 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, old English female names, mentioned in the Old and New Testaments, were quite common. Among them are the following:
- Mary is a derivative of the Hebrew name Mary. This ancient name has a very beautiful meaning - "serene";
- Anna is named after the mother of the prophet Samuel. Translated as "grace";
- Marianne - the combined names Mary and Anna;
- Sarah is named after Abraham's wife. The meaning of this name is "mistress".
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 a rare female name as Sylvia, Ophelia, Stella, Jessica, Vanessa, Julia, Juliet, Jessica and Viola appeared in the English language.
Among other things, literary works have 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 whole list.
Popular English female names
The fashion for names, like many other aspects of life, comes and goes. Some are quickly forgotten, and forever, while others come back from time to time - usually in their original form, but sometimes in a new interpretation.
Olivia, Emma and Sophie have become the most popular names in recent years, according to UK National Statistics data. A list of 30 other popular English female names is presented below:
- Olivia
- Sofia
- Isabel
- Charlotte
- Emily
- Harper
- Abigail
- Madison
- Avery
- Margaret
- Evelyn
- Edison
- Grace
- Amelie
- Natalie
- Elizabeth
- Scarlet
- Victoria
Successful names and not so
It has long been known that the name of a person largely determines his fate. Psychologists from all over the world are actively working on this issue, conducting various studies, observations and polls. As a result, the success rate of individuals named by this or that name also has a strong influence on the popularity of the name itself.
So, one of the polls conducted in the UK showed which British names are recognized by the inhabitants 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 out of the popularity rating, being the least used. Some of the so-called "outsider names" include:
- Annik - benefit, grace
- Allin is a bird
- Amabel is attractive
- Bernays - bringing victory
- Bambi - child
- Bekkai - the one that lures into the trap
- Betts is my vow
- Willow - willow
- Gabby - power from God
- Dominic is the property of the lord
- Jojo - multiplying
- Delores - longing
- Juel is a gem
- Georgina is a peasant
- Iline is a bird
- Kiva - beautiful
- Kelly - blonde
- Lukinda - light
- Lalaj - babbling
- Morgan - sea circle
- Gauze is a favorite
- Melisa is a bee
- Mackenzie is a beauty
- Mindy is a black snake
- Megan - pearl
- Penelope - the cunning weaver
- Poppy - poppy
- Rosaulin - a gentle mare
- Totti is a girl
- Phyllis - crown of a tree
- Heather - Heather
- Edvena is a wealthy friend
The most beautiful female English names
The beauty of the name and its euphony is very important 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, then it can annoy another. However, there is a ranking of the names that most people think seem 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 |
| Kristina | Christine |
| Olivia | Olivia |
| Cecilia | Cecil |
| Cheryl | Cheril |
| Charlotte | Sharlotte |
| Eleanor | Eleanor |
| Elizabeth | Elizabeth |
| Emily | Emily |
| Esther | Ester |
| Evelina | Eveline |
Unusual female English names
Ordinary people rarely have unusual names. After all, many parents, when choosing a name for a child, are guided not only by their own preferences, but also think that their child does not become a subject of ridicule among children. But celebrities have their own view on this matter, they choose strange female and male names, guided only by their imagination and the desire to attract as much attention to themselves as possible.
Scout Larue and Tallupa Bell - that's how Bruce Willis named his youngest daughters. And these are no less than the names of your favorite horses that won at the races.
Gwyneth Paltrow named her daughter Apple, this is how the name Apple is translated into Russian.
Marquis named his son Rapper 50 Cent, ignoring male English names.
Singer David Bowie ignored all the famous English names for boys and called his little son Zoey, simply considering the combination of Zoey Bowie funny.
Beyoncé and her husband Jay-Z named their daughter Blue Ivy, which means blue ivy.
The daughter of actress Mila Jovovich is called Ever Gabo. The second part of the name is the first syllables of Mila's parents' names - Galina and Bogdan.
The name of the daughter of American rock musician Frank Zappa is Moon Unit, which means "Moon Sputnik".
Summer Rain is the name that singer Christina Aguilera came up with for her daughter. Translated from English, this 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 after their favorite heroes and actors, but also use ordinary words that are not proper names.
So a completely new female name appeared - Khaleesi, a word from the popular TV series "Game of Thrones", which meant the title of one of the heroines, a synonym for queen or queen. Today in the world already 53 girls bear this name.
Human fantasy knows no boundaries, so new names for men and women in the world will appear over and over again. Some of them will take root, become popular, while others will stay a little heard and be forgotten.
Nowadays, parents have the opportunity to choose a name that they like - modern or traditional, popular or rare, and necessarily beautiful. Of course, you shouldn't forget about common sense.
The names that came to us from the United States have spread throughout the world, thanks to the Americanization of modern culture.
In this article, we will look at the history of American female names, find out which of the rare names are suitable for our time, and find out their interpretation.
How to choose a beautiful, unusual and interesting option?
Many American names have English roots. However, immigrants who came to the United States of America from all over the world played a significant role in the name dialect. People, coming from all over the world, wrote down their names in English letters. As a result, the names began to change in pronunciation.
In the modern world, rare, unusual and interesting female names are gaining popularity in the USA, which are obtained by abbreviating the names of historical places, the surnames of famous people, and there are also several names that are combined into one long. For example, the reality TV star Kim Kardashian named her daughter after one of the American cities - Chicago.
Today, only eight percent of the old names that are of Anglo-Saxon origin remain in the American nomenclature. They are given to girls quite rarely, usually giving preference to new names, the roots of which can be found all over the world.
However, it cannot be said that old American names are not used at all in the noun dialect. For example, according to statistics, quite a few parents decided to name their daughter Froda or Meredith. Such female names were popular in the seventeenth century, when the development of America took place. Today they sound rather strange, but, nevertheless, they emphasize the uniqueness of their owner, which is very much appreciated in American culture.
List of options in Russian and their meaning
American names, like American culture, are increasingly penetrating our lives. The world is getting closer, and contacts between countries are closer. Therefore, choosing a name for your daughter that came from the United States, you will not only endow her with unique features, but also help to establish contacts with representatives of the whole world.
- Bath- "god of good." The life of a girl with this name will be inextricably linked with creativity.
- Velari- "strong". Likes to spend time with his family, a good hostess.
- Velma- "helmet". She grows purposeful, not afraid to overcome life obstacles.
- Verity- "true". Since childhood, she is wise beyond her years, she is always ready to give good advice to friends.
- Verna- "alder grove". All her affairs argue, in difficult situations, luck is on her side.
- Visdom- "wisdom". They say about such a girl: "patience and work will grind everything." Thanks to its pressure, it achieves its goals.
- Whitney- "white island". She likes to spend time in noisy companies, she is hospitable.
- Wren- "wren". She is close to nature and loves pets and takes care of them with pleasure.
- Long ago- "dawn". Since childhood, he loves family gatherings, it is hard to part with his parental home.
- Daisy- "day eye (daisy)". She constantly experiments with appearance, is fickle in relationships, but at the same time she is kind and generous.
- Dakota- "ally". A woman with this name can be safely called an inexhaustible source of energy, it seems that she has time for absolutely everything.
- Damia- "taming, subduing". Since childhood, he prefers to spend time with a book, rather than playing with peers. Calm, smart girl.
- Darian- “possessing many, rich”. Calm, loves to spend time in a narrow circle of close people, avoids noisy companies.
- Debbie- "bee". With her energy, she is ready to charge everyone who is next to her, she has a wonderful sense of humor.
- Devan- "parishioner". A girl with this name is distinguished by softness, femininity, love for the family.
- Delice- "delightful". He does not like to waste his time on trifles, he lives by the principle "all or nothing".
- Jakki- "displacing". He is growing up as a real leader, will achieve great heights in his career.
- Jairry- "the ruler of the spear." Possesses enviable erudition, from childhood prefers encyclopedias to fairy tales.
- Jetta- "coal, black". Grows up jealous, does not like to give in and share with other children.
- Gypsy - “fortune-telling and nomadic life”. A real adventurer, it is difficult to keep her at home.
- Zhdun- "life force". She is characterized by isolation, life in her own world. He does not like noisy parties, instead of them he spends his free time with a book in a cozy cafe.
- Zelma- "god's protector". Loyalty, the desire to build a strong and prosperous family are characteristic.
- Xena- "hospitable". A child with this name will become a real gold for parents. The girl will be kind, obedient, loving to learn.
- Yves- "live". Loves to talk about everything in the world, intellectual.
- Yen- "well-born." She grows bright and talented, loves to perform on stage.
- Calanz- "beautiful flower". She is not ready to put up with injustice, most likely, she will devote her life to defending the rights of homeless animals and people in difficult situations.
- Keita- "forest". She is inclined to self-reflection, likes to think carefully about every life situation.
- Cressida- "gold". The main weapon in the life of this woman will be beauty.
L-M-N-O-P-R:
- Sabella- "God is my oath." Characterized by a heightened sense of justice and a desire to take under the protection of the weak.
- Cinderella- "small ash". A girl with this name is characterized by a desire to build a successful career in "male" professions, for example, construction.
- Phyllis- "foliage". Loves animals, in the future, most likely, will become a veterinarian.
- Hadley- "heather field". For a girl with such a name, there are characteristic sudden changes in mood, but the extraordinary energy attracts people to her.
- Chasiti - "purity". She grows extremely sociable, easily finds a common language with both adults and her peers.
- Cheryl- "beloved". She is always ready to help in a difficult situation.
- Elaine- "torch, moon or secretly escape." He never seeks to take a leadership position, but acts as a gray cardinal.
An American name for a girl is a great way to introduce her to modern world culture from birth. Such a name will reward her with the best traits and talents, which loving parents will help to reveal.
In the variety of English names, you can find an option for every taste. In this article we will take a look at the main English female 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 can largely determine the fate of a person and the qualities of his character. But even today, much attention is paid to the meaning of the name and its origin.
Meaning of the name
Before choosing a name for a child, many want to know what the origin of the names has and what they meant in their original form.
Let's look at popular female English names with translation. There may be different versions of their origin and meaning, and it is not always possible to unambiguously establish a translation - we will give the most established meanings.
- Melanie (Melanie): comes from the Greek language and means "dark"
- Florence (Florence): in Latin means "blooming"
- Agatha (Agatha): in Greek meant "good"
- Zoe: in Greek meant "life"
- Rebecca (Rebecca): originates in Hebrew and means "to bind, to fasten"
- Ruth (Ruth): from Hebrew is translated as "friend"
- Barbara (Barbara): from the Greek - "stranger"
- Amanda (Amanda): formed from the Latin amandus - "worthy of love"
- Victoria (Victoria): from Latin translates as "victory"
- Irene (Irene): in Greek - "peace, tranquility"
- Miranda (Miranda): from the Latin word mirandus ("wonderful")
- Bridget: An Irish name that originally had a Brighid appearance meaning "sublime, enthusiastic"
- Sophia (Sophia): translated from Greek as "wisdom"
- Margaret (Margaret): from the Greek word for "pearl"
- Katherine (Katherine): Greek name, the most common version of the meaning is "pure"
- Deborah (Deborah): from Hebrew is translated as "bee"
- Vivian (Vivian): comes from the Latin vivus "alive"
- Emma (Emma): from Germanic names with the meaning "whole"
Some girls' names in English have transparent origins. Ruby (Ruby) is consonant with the word ruby \u200b\u200b(ruby) and has a Latin origin with the meaning "red". And the name Harper (Harper), which was borne by the famous American writer Harper Lee (Harper Lee), originally served as a surname and referred to harpers (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 (April), which, in turn, is associated with the Latin verb aperire "to open." Both of these names were not actively used in English until the 19th century.
When choosing names for girls in English, we pay attention to the meaning, it is not always possible to recognize it. And the point is not only that it is difficult to establish the history of a word: the meaning may simply be absent. The female name Vanessa (Vanessa) has such an interesting story. 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. While politics has historically been a matter for men, women have had an impact. What beautiful female names in English do we meet 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 over 60 years until 1901. Victoria is her first name. At birth, she was also given a middle name Alexandrina (Alexandrina). But Victoria was the main one, and it was it that was fixed 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 (Elizabeth II). Her full name sounds like Elizabeth Alexandra Mary (Elizabeth Alexandra Maria). Each element in it is a tribute to the other members of the 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 by the length of her reign has already bypassed her famous predecessor Queen Victoria.
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 (Lady Di).
In politics, influential English women are not just royalty. One of the most significant politicians was Margaret Thatcher (Margaret Thatcher). She became the first woman in Europe to take over as prime minister.
Name variations
Do not forget that English names often have abbreviated versions that are very popular. As Lady Di's example shows, abbreviations are used even in relation to government officials.
It often happens that abbreviated versions are fixed in the language and become independent names. For example:
- Sandra (Sandra): abridged version of Alexandra (Alexandra)
- Stacy (Stacy): short for Anastasia (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 spellings. This is probably best seen in the Katherine / Catharine / Catherine / Catherina / Katharine / Katherina forms. 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 English, you can often find names that can refer to both women and men, without differing in form.
- Ash
- Cameron (Cameron)
- Kerry (Kerry)
- Kim (Kim)
- Morgan (Morgan)
- Parker
This is often the case for abbreviated versions. Therefore, beautiful English female names can also be obtained from the reduction of the male form.
- Alex (Alex): short for the male name Alexander (Alexander) and the female name Alexandra (Alexandra)
- Billie (Billy): short for Bill (Bill) and the feminine form of the name William - Wilhelmina (Wilhelmina)
- Chris (Chris): can be derived from Christopher (Christopher), Christian (Christian) or Christine (Christine / Christina)
- Frankie (Frankie): from male Frank (Frank) or female Frances (Frances)
- Jackie (Jackie): from Jack (Jack) or Jacqueline (Jacqueline)
- Nat (Nat): variant of the forms Nathan (Nathan), Nathaniel (Nathaniel), Natalie (Natalie)
- Robbie: abbreviation of male Robert (Robert) or female Roberta (Robert)
- Ronnie (Ronnie): can be formed from Ronald (Ronald) or Veronica (Veronica)
- Sam: abbreviation of male Samuel (Samuel), Samson (Samson) or female Samantha (Samantha)
- Steph: A variation of the Stephen or Stephanie forms
- Terry: derived from male Terence or female Theresa / Teresa
English names in Russian
Already in the above examples of English female names, one can find those for which it is easy to find Russian counterparts. 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 - Sophia
- Katherine / Catherine - Catherine
- Victoria - Victoria
- Alexandra - Alexandra
- Eva - Eve
- 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 ear in our society, pay attention to the following options:
- Emma - Emma
- Sabrina - Sabrina
- Camilla - Camilla
- Laura - Laura / Laura
- Irene - Irene
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 name system globally differs from the one we are used to.
If we have a first and last name, then in England it is a little different. They have a first name, middle name and last name. In addition, in England it is considered normal to give diminutive forms of the name. For example, even in formal negotiations, a person can be called Tony, although his full name sounds like Anthony. If desired, the child can be immediately recorded 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 have given permission for this.
System of English names and surnames
Each of us is already accustomed to the fact that he is the bearer of the surname, name and patronymic. But for the British, such a scheme is not suitable, their naming system is absolutely unusual and therefore curious. The main difference between our systems is the absence of a middle name y. Instead, they have a surname, first name and middle name. Moreover, as any of these two names, an Englishman can wear the names of some stars or even his ancestors. Although there is no strict requirement for a person to have only three of these points. Any Englishman can give a child a name from several names or surnames. For example, if you want to name it after a whole football team at once.
This tradition - to give a person a surname as a first name - has come down to our days from noble families. Although the history of the system of English names developed quite actively, borrowings were made from various countries, and names were also mixed from the Angles, Celtic tribes, Franco-Normans. Since the Anglo-Saxons initially had only one name, they tried to give it special meaning. Therefore, in the composition of ancient names, one could find such words as wealth or health. Old English female names were most often composed using adjectives, the most common variation being Leof (dear, beloved). And after the invasion of the Normans in 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 of the Christian religion, the 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 John.
Generator of English names and surnames
GENERATOR OF ENGLISH NAMES AND SURNAMES
(including Anglo-Irish and Anglo-Scottish surnames)
Male name Female name |
But the most common british names... For convenience, they are divided into parts of the country, because in each corner some separate names are most popular. Some of them are the same, some are different. The names are ranked by popularity.
England
Mens
- Harry - Harry (diminutive of Henry - rich, powerful)
- Oliver - Oliver (from ancient Germanic - army)
- Jack - Jack (diminutive of John, from Hebrew - Yahweh is merciful)
- Charlie - Charlie (from ancient Germanic - man, husband)
- Thomas - Thomas (from ancient Greek - twin)
- Jacob - Jacob (simplified version of the name James)
- Alfie - Holly (from Old English - advice)
- Riley - Riley (from Irish - courageous)
- William - William (from ancient Germanic - desire, will)
- James - James (Hebrew for "holding the heel")
Womens
- Amelia - Amelia (from ancient Germanic - work, work)
- Olivia - Olivia (from Latin - olive tree)
- Jessica - Jessica (the exact meaning is unknown, perhaps the name comes from the biblical name Jescha)
- Emily - Emily (female form of male name Emil - rival)
- Lily - Lily (from the English name for the lily flower)
- Ava - Ava (a variant of the medieval English name Evelyn)
- Heather - Heather (from English - heather)
- Sophie - Sophie (from ancient Greek - wisdom)
- Mia - Mia
- Isabella - Isabella (Provencal version of the name Elizabeth)
Northern Ireland
Mens
- Jack - Jack
- James - James
- Daniel - Daniel
- Harry - Harry
- Charlie - Charlie
- Ethan - Ethan
- Matthew - Matthew (from Hebrew - the gift of Yahweh)
- Ryen - Ryan
- Riley - Riley
- Noah - Noah
Womens
- Sophie - Sophie
- Emily - Emily
- Grace - Grace (from English - grace, grace)
- Amelia - Amelia
- Jessica - Jessica
- Lucy - Lucy (from the male Roman name Lucius - light)
- Sophia - Sophia (variant of the name Sophie)
- Katie - Katie (from Greek - pure, purebred)
- Eva - Eve (from Hebrew - breathe, live)
- Aoife - Ifa (from Irish - beauty)
Wales
Mens
- Jacob - Jacob
- Oliver - Oliver
- Riley - Riley
- Jack - Jack
- Alfie - Holly
- Harry - Harry
- Charlie - Charlie
- Dylan - Dylan (according to Welsh mythology, that was the name of the Sea God)
- William - William
- Mason - Mason (from a similar surname meaning “stone carving”)
Womens
- Amelia - Amelia
- Ava - Ava
- Mia - Mia
- Lily - Lily
- Olivia - Olivia
- Ruby - Ruby (from English - ruby)
- Seren - Seren (from Latin - clear)
- Evie - Evie (from the English surname Evelyn)
- Ella - Ella (from ancient Germanic - all, everything)
- Emily - Emily
Modern English names
In English names, petting and diminutive forms are very common as an official name. In our country, this form is allowed only with personal, close communication. For example, take at least someone familiar to everyone - Bill Clinton or Tony Blair. They are called by such names even in world negotiations, and this is absolutely acceptable. Although Bill's full name is actually William and Tony is Anthony. The British are allowed to register a newborn child by giving him a diminutive name as the first or second. Although there are no special prohibitions on choosing a name in English-speaking countries as such, you can give a child a name in honor of a city or region. So, for example, the star couple Beckham did, Victoria and David gave their son the name Brooklyn - it was in this area of \u200b\u200bNew York that he was born.
Gradually, fashion began to change and names in English-speaking countries were often borrowed from different languages. Since the 19th century, many such female names have appeared, such as Ruby, Daisy, Beryl, Amber and others. Names 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 after Windows Vista, and the second part is after the codename for 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 are looking forward to coming of age to officially change their name. Little Pixie Geldof, who is the daughter of musician Bob Geldof, was very shy about the prefix "little" at the beginning of her name and in her adult life chose to call herself simply Pixie. But what a resident of New Zealand, whose name is Bus number 16, will do with his name, it is even difficult to imagine. Fantasies of his parents can only be envied.