Old English Baby Names

627 names

Before French and Latin flooded the language after the Norman Conquest, the people of England spoke Old English, and a surprising number of today's favorite baby names grew out of it. Most of them started as surnames describing where a family lived or what its members did. A hunter, a hill, a town by a river or a clearing in the woods could all become a family name, and centuries later parents began choosing those surnames as first names for sons and daughters alike.

That history gives the list its distinctive texture. Boys' names such as Wyatt, Hunter and Tyler feel sturdy and occupational, while place-based names like Landon, Colton and Easton end in the familiar sound that often comes from an Old English word for a settlement or enclosure. Names like Avery, Riley and Hayden have moved freely between boys and girls, and Hailey, Ashley and Audrey have long been firmly on the girls' side.

When you browse, pay attention to the endings. A name that ends like Brandon or Easton will pair differently with your surname than one ending in a soft vowel, as in Peyton or Riley. Many of these names also have several spellings, so decide early which one feels right to write on every form.

Most popular right now

Avery Unisex

AY-vur-ee

“from Alfred, elf counsel” · English

#37

Wyatt Boy

WY-uht

“brave in war” · English

#38

Riley Unisex

RY-lee

“rye clearing” · English

#48

Landon Boy

LAN-duhn

“long hill” · English

#127

Hunter Boy

HUHN-tur

“hunter” · English

#130

Tyler Boy

TY-lur

“tile maker” · English

#220

Brandon Boy

BRAN-duhn

“broom-covered hill” · Old English

#261

Peyton Unisex

PAY-tuhn

“Pacca's town” · English

#199

Colton Boy

KOHL-tuhn

“from an English place name” · English

#103

Hailey Girl

HAY-lee

“hay clearing” · English

#104

Top 300 of 627 names

Sorted by current popularity. US rank uses 2025 data for the name's most common sex; the trend compares births with five years earlier. Tap a column heading to re-sort.

Name	Sex	Meaning	Origin	US rank 2025	5-yr trend
Avery	Unisex	from Alfred, elf counsel	English	37	↓ -22%
Wyatt	Boy	brave in war	English	38	↓ -21%
Riley	Unisex	rye clearing	English	48	↓ -17%
Landon	Boy	long hill	English	127	↓ -41%
Hunter	Boy	hunter	English	130	↓ -42%
Tyler	Boy	tile maker	English	220	↓ -42%
Brandon	Boy	broom-covered hill	Old English	261	↓ -43%
Peyton	Unisex	Pacca's town	English	199	↓ -43%
Colton	Boy	from an English place name	English	103	↓ -32%
Hailey	Girl	hay clearing	English	104	↓ -19%
Hayden	Unisex	hay valley	English	161	↑ +5%
Audrey	Girl	noble strength	English	86	↓ -22%
Ashley	Girl	ash tree clearing	English	164	→ +1%
Blake	Boy	black or pale	English	316	↓ -40%
Easton	Boy	east town	English	110	↓ -31%
Hazel	Girl	hazel tree	English	21	↑ +14%
Wesley	Boy	west meadow	Old English	52	↑ +50%
Ryder	Boy	horseman, rider	English	133	↓ -20%
Ashton	Boy	ash-tree town	Old English	197	↓ -34%
Bentley	Boy	clearing with bent grass	Old English	215	↓ -36%
Weston	Boy	western town	Old English	55	↑ +60%
Sydney	Girl	from an English surname and place name	Old English	348	↓ -30%
Kimberly	Girl	from an English place name	Old English	303	↓ -35%
Braxton	Boy	Bracca's town	Old English	172	↓ -24%
Camden	Boy	enclosed valley	Old English	205	↓ -26%
Brooke	Girl	small stream	English	313	↓ -23%
Payton	Girl	from an English place name	Old English	440	↓ -47%
Kinsley	Girl	from an English place name	English	93	↓ -29%
Waylon	Boy	form of Wayland, the legendary smith	English	56	↑ +51%
Preston	Boy	priest's town	English	299	↓ -31%
Edward	Boy	wealthy guardian	English	224	↓ -18%
Kingston	Boy	king's town	English	204	↓ -46%
Hadley	Girl	heather clearing	English	121	↓ -7%
Everly	Girl	from an English place name	English	91	↓ -42%
Daisy	Girl	day's eye	English	75	↑ +69%
Summer	Girl	the season of summer	English	152	↑ +9%
Dean	Boy	valley; church official	English	125	↑ +33%
Bradley	Boy	broad clearing	English	403	↓ -36%
Rylan	Boy	from Ryland, 'land where rye grew'	English	416	↓ -24%
Walker	Boy	cloth fuller	English	78	↑ +126%
Eduardo	Boy	wealthy guardian	Spanish	410	↓ -22%
Tatum	Unisex	Tata's homestead	English	189	↑ +84%
Marley	Girl	pleasant wood or clearing	English	322	↓ -31%
Presley	Girl	priest's clearing	English	225	→ +0%
Haley	Girl	hay clearing	English	861	↓ -46%
Remington	Unisex	from an English place name	English	307	↓ -32%
Edwin	Boy	rich friend	Old English	398	↓ -14%
Clayton	Boy	clay settlement	Old English	300	→ -4%
Paxton	Boy	from an English place name	Old English	338	↓ -24%
Harley	Unisex	hare meadow	Old English	418	↓ -33%
Edgar	Boy	rich spear	Old English	486	↓ -22%
Holden	Boy	hollow valley	Old English	297	↓ -31%
Oakley	Unisex	oak clearing	English	156	↑ +71%
Knox	Boy	round hill	Scottish	196	↑ +20%
Reid	Boy	red, red-haired	Scottish	293	↑ +10%
Colt	Boy	young horse	English	285	↓ -30%
Haven	Girl	safe place, harbor	English	190	↑ +59%
Dalton	Boy	valley town	Old English	448	↑ +10%
Trenton	Boy	Trent's town	English	1,042	↓ -51%
Landen	Boy	long hill	English	1,045	↓ -55%
Everleigh	Girl	boar clearing; variant of Everly	American (modern coinage)	194	↓ -43%
Aspen	Girl	aspen tree	English	266	↓ -10%
Ember	Girl	glowing coal	English	154	↑ +27%
Beckham	Boy	from an English place name	English	168	↑ +55%
Blakely	Girl	dark clearing	English	191	→ -4%
Kelsey	Girl	from an English place name; ship island	English	814	↓ -42%
Tate	Boy	from an Old English personal name	English	194	↑ +107%
Cade	Boy	from an English surname; round, lumpy	English	248	↑ +69%
Chelsea	Girl	chalk landing place	English	851	↓ -29%
Drake	Boy	dragon	English	827	↓ -43%
Sutton	Unisex	south town	English	181	↑ +77%
Heaven	Girl	heaven, the sky	English	543	↓ -23%
Leighton	Unisex	leek enclosure or herb garden	English	342	↑ +15%
Reed	Boy	red-haired	English	419	↑ +16%
Ainsley	Girl	from an English place name	English	483	↓ -29%
Leland	Boy	fallow land	English	494	→ -4%
Haylee	Girl	hay clearing	English	1,419	↓ -56%
Harlow	Girl	from an English place name, 'army hill'	English	309	→ +2%
Wren	Girl	wren, a small songbird	English	231	↑ +54%
Holly	Girl	the holly tree	English	416	↑ +18%
Brock	Boy	badger	English	810	↓ -18%
Raven	Girl	raven, the black bird	English	404	→ +3%
Wade	Boy	at the river ford	Old English	344	→ +0%
Kolton	Boy	from Cola's settlement	English	594	↓ -27%
Winter	Girl	winter	English	426	↓ -28%
Keaton	Boy	from an English place name	English	771	↓ -10%
Landyn	Boy	variant of Landon, 'long hill'	American (modern coinage)	1,126	↓ -56%
Kamden	Boy	enclosed valley	English	718	↓ -40%
Lindsey	Girl	from Lindsey, 'island of Lincoln'	English	1,369	↓ -34%
Hayley	Girl	hay clearing	English	1,251	↓ -58%
Winston	Boy	from an English place name	English	382	↑ +14%
Dexter	Boy	dyer	English	693	↓ -22%
Bristol	Girl	place by the bridge	English	728	↓ -38%
Ryland	Boy	rye land	English	706	↓ -31%
Alfredo	Boy	elf counsel	Italian	820	↓ -7%
Meadow	Girl	grassy field	English	286	↑ +67%
Edith	Girl	prosperous in war	Old English	499	↓ -8%
Denver	Unisex	from an English surname and place	Old English	518	↑ +7%
Sidney	Unisex	wide island	English	1,878	↓ -26%
Eddie	Boy	short for Edward; rich guardian	English	861	↓ -17%
Layton	Boy	leek town	Old English	714	↓ -14%
Alvin	Boy	elf friend	Old English	838	↓ -22%
Colter	Boy	colt herder; from an English surname	English	157	↑ +965%
Byron	Boy	at the cattle sheds	Old English	981	↓ -21%
Audrina	Girl	modern elaboration of Audrey	American (modern coinage)	2,329	↓ -54%
Whitney	Girl	white island	Old English	1,046	↓ -13%
Wilder	Boy	wild, untamed	English	431	↑ +7%
Baker	Boy	one who bakes bread	English	217	↑ +202%
Henley	Girl	high wood or clearing	English	1,001	↓ -50%
Lee	Boy	wood, clearing, meadow	English	727	↑ +17%
Alden	Boy	old friend	English	598	↑ +24%
Kingsley	Unisex	king's wood	Old English	1,096	↓ -54%
Rodney	Boy	Hroda's island	English	1,093	↓ -25%
Clay	Boy	clay	English	573	↑ +24%
Ansley	Girl	hermitage clearing	English	1,309	↓ -37%
Kenley	Girl	from an English place name	Old English	1,638	↓ -27%
Stanley	Boy	stony clearing	Old English	863	↓ -17%
Dayton	Boy	from an English place name	English	1,099	↓ -11%
Ford	Boy	river crossing	English	474	→ -1%
Chad	Boy	uncertain; possibly 'battle'	Old English	1,701	↓ -36%
Wayne	Boy	wagon maker, carter	English	655	↑ +38%
Harlee	Girl	hare meadow; variant of Harley	American (modern coinage)	1,048	↓ -35%
Westin	Boy	west town	English	689	↑ +30%
Camdyn	Unisex	from an English place name; valley	American (modern coinage)	1,889	↓ -49%
Wells	Boy	springs, wells	English	347	↑ +81%
Ridge	Boy	ridge	English	530	↑ +32%
Harlan	Boy	from an English place name	English	617	↑ +23%
Langston	Boy	long stone	English	1,000	↓ -38%
Grey	Boy	grey, the color	English	1,014	↓ -26%
Kamdyn	Unisex	variant of Camden, a place name	American (modern coinage)	1,568	↓ -52%
Berkley	Girl	birch wood	English	888	↓ -9%
Axton	Boy	from an English place name	English	906	↓ -42%
Harold	Boy	army ruler	Old English	993	→ -3%
Fisher	Boy	fisherman	English	791	↑ +30%
Ashtyn	Unisex	variant of Ashton, 'ash tree town'	American (modern coinage)	2,121	↓ -32%
Brent	Boy	hill	English	1,509	↓ -20%
Huxley	Boy	from Huxley, an English place name	Old English	736	↓ -32%
Kinslee	Girl	from an English place name	Old English	956	↓ -30%
Alfred	Boy	elf counsel	Old English	840	↑ +17%
Darwin	Boy	dear friend	English	961	→ -3%
Whitley	Girl	white clearing	Old English	677	↑ +55%
Vance	Boy	marsh, fen	English	1,080	↓ -10%
Hollis	Unisex	near the holly trees	English	894	↑ +30%
Heath	Boy	heath, open land with heather	English	932	↑ +18%
Bentlee	Boy	clearing of bent grass	Old English	1,730	↓ -63%
Bridger	Boy	one who lived by a bridge	English	701	↑ +60%
Hadlee	Girl	heather clearing	Old English	931	↓ -10%
Haylie	Girl	hay clearing	English	3,935	↓ -53%
Ever	Unisex	always, at all times	English	1,196	↑ +9%
Osvaldo	Boy	divine power	Spanish	1,408	↑ +6%
Brixton	Boy	Beorhtsige's stone	English	744	↓ -21%
Marlowe	Girl	remnant of a lake	English	523	↑ +106%
Haiden	Unisex	heather hill or hay valley	Old English	1,306	↑ +49%
Westley	Boy	west meadow	English	619	↑ +39%
Haleigh	Girl	hay clearing	English	4,391	↓ -60%
Ashlee	Girl	ash tree clearing	English	3,838	↓ -26%
Tinsley	Girl	Tynni's mound	English	1,112	↓ -45%
Perry	Unisex	pear tree	English	1,373	↓ -8%
Branden	Boy	broom hill	Old English	3,320	↓ -56%
Maxton	Boy	Maccus's town	English	1,180	↓ -19%
Kelsie	Girl	Cenel's island	English	2,248	↓ -21%
Hadleigh	Girl	heather clearing	English	1,171	↓ -25%
Brighton	Unisex	Beorhthelm's town	English	1,872	↓ -12%
Harleigh	Girl	hare clearing	English	1,534	↓ -46%
Raleigh	Unisex	red or roe deer clearing	English	1,894	↓ -29%
Waverly	Girl	quaking aspen meadow	English	1,028	↓ -34%
Ramsey	Unisex	wild garlic island	English	1,970	↓ -37%
Slade	Boy	valley	English	1,055	↑ +11%
Kinsey	Girl	royal victory	English	3,086	↓ -51%
Shirley	Girl	bright clearing	English	1,586	→ -3%
Benton	Boy	bent-grass town	Old English	1,623	↓ -41%
Clinton	Boy	from an English place name	English	1,732	↓ -27%
Marlie	Girl	form of Marley; from a place name	English	1,422	→ -2%
Dale	Boy	valley	English	1,410	→ -2%
Merritt	Unisex	boundary gate	English	703	↑ +188%
Bexley	Girl	box tree clearing	English	963	↓ -18%
Wes	Boy	short form of Wesley; west meadow	English	716	↑ +74%
Elmer	Boy	noble and famous	Old English	1,223	↑ +20%
Hailie	Girl	form of Hailey; hay clearing	Old English	1,658	↑ +40%
Beverly	Girl	beaver stream	Old English	1,018	↑ +39%
Preslee	Girl	form of Presley; priest's meadow	American (modern coinage)	1,509	↓ -18%
Milton	Boy	mill town	Old English	1,440	↓ -13%
Hayleigh	Girl	form of Hayley; hay clearing	Old English	4,803	↓ -57%
Norman	Boy	northman	Germanic	1,200	→ -3%
Ripley	Unisex	strip-shaped clearing	English	1,032	↑ +42%
Westyn	Boy	west town (variant of Weston)	English	724	↑ +167%
Audra	Girl	form of Audrey; noble strength	English	2,003	↓ -28%
Brenton	Boy	from an English place name	Old English	2,096	↓ -26%
Gray	Boy	gray; gray-haired	English	1,418	↓ -15%
Edmund	Boy	wealthy protector	Old English	1,082	↑ +63%
Audrianna	Girl	modern blend of Audrey and Anna	American (modern coinage)	4,078	↓ -62%
Shepard	Boy	shepherd	English	892	↑ +10%
Clifford	Boy	ford by a cliff	English	1,352	→ +4%
Rayleigh	Girl	roe deer clearing	English	1,451	↓ -16%
Leigha	Girl	form of Leigh; meadow	English	3,951	↓ -56%
Eddy	Boy	pet form of Edward or Edmund	English	1,605	↑ +6%
Kensington	Girl	from the London district	English	2,839	↓ -56%
Sheldon	Boy	from an English place name	English	2,788	↓ -42%
Ashleigh	Girl	form of Ashley; ash-tree clearing	Old English	6,876	↓ -54%
Eamon	Boy	wealthy protector (form of Edmund)	Irish	1,646	↓ -16%
Winifred	Girl	blessed reconciliation; friend of peace	Welsh	923	↑ +28%
Alton	Boy	old town	English	1,602	↑ +15%
Chelsey	Girl	from Chelsea; chalk landing place	English	6,370	↓ -60%
Elvin	Boy	elf friend	Old English	1,647	→ -3%
Harlie	Girl	hare clearing (variant of Harley)	English	2,520	↓ -44%
Lyndon	Boy	linden tree hill	Old English	2,199	↓ -32%
Auden	Unisex	old friend	Old English	1,794	↓ -31%
Kenton	Boy	from an English place name	Old English	1,758	↓ -20%
Ridley	Unisex	reed clearing	Old English	2,013	↓ -6%
Aston	Boy	east settlement	Old English	1,852	↓ -30%
Arrow	Unisex	arrow, the weapon	English	1,976	↓ -50%
Leyton	Boy	variant of Leighton, leek farm	English	2,436	↓ -32%
Hartley	Girl	stag clearing	English	1,453	↑ +50%
Bently	Boy	variant of Bentley, bent grass clearing	English	5,060	↓ -58%
Ash	Boy	ash tree	English	1,177	→ -4%
Everley	Girl	boar clearing	English	1,246	↓ -22%
Blythe	Girl	cheerful, carefree	English	2,052	↑ +6%
Smith	Boy	metalworker	English	1,483	→ -2%
Braxtyn	Boy	variant of Braxton; Bracca's town	American (modern coinage)	1,906	↓ -36%
Marlow	Unisex	remnant of a lake	English	1,167	↑ +116%
Kinsleigh	Girl	king's meadow	English	1,587	↓ -18%
Peighton	Girl	variant of Payton; Paega's town	American (modern coinage)	5,666	↓ -66%
Audree	Girl	variant of Audrey; noble strength	American (modern coinage)	3,989	↓ -67%
Clifton	Boy	settlement by a cliff	English	1,907	↓ -27%
Earl	Boy	nobleman, warrior	English	2,236	↓ -7%
Honey	Girl	honey; a term of endearment	English	846	↑ +235%
Lester	Boy	from the English city of Leicester	English	1,641	↓ -6%
Blayke	Unisex	dark or pale	English	2,080	↓ -43%
Wynn	Unisex	fair, blessed; also 'joy'	Welsh	1,726	↑ +51%
Lake	Unisex	lake	English	2,068	↓ -9%
Steele	Boy	steel, or a steelworker	English	1,185	↑ +64%
Clint	Boy	short form of Clinton	English	2,364	↓ -56%
Oswaldo	Boy	god and rule; Spanish form of Oswald	Spanish	3,027	↓ -20%
Edie	Girl	prosperous in war	English	2,069	↓ -29%
Brook	Girl	small stream	English	4,373	↓ -24%
Link	Boy	ridge, rising ground; also a chain link	English	1,579	↓ -37%
Kelsi	Girl	from an English surname	English	3,948	↓ -47%
Truth	Unisex	truth	English	1,662	↓ -16%
Braedon	Boy	variant of Braden; broad valley or salmon	Irish	6,861	↓ -50%
Brigham	Boy	village by the bridge	English	1,888	↓ -12%
Dawn	Girl	daybreak	English	2,174	→ +2%
Berkeley	Girl	birch wood	English	2,490	↓ -29%
Landin	Boy	long hill	English	5,133	↓ -46%
Presleigh	Girl	priest's clearing	Old English	2,273	↓ -23%
Eastyn	Unisex	modern variant of Easton, 'east town'	American (modern coinage)	2,189	↓ -6%
Lexington	Unisex	from an English place name	English	7,712	↓ -76%
Hampton	Boy	home farm, settlement	Old English	1,444	↑ +35%
Klayton	Boy	settlement on clay	Old English	1,800	↑ +22%
Carrington	Unisex	from an English place name	English	6,592	↓ -50%
Huntley	Unisex	hunter's clearing; English place name	English	2,065	↑ +6%
Audrie	Girl	noble strength	Old English	4,774	↓ -35%
Tye	Boy	from an English surname, 'enclosure'	English	3,306	↓ -26%
Ozzie	Boy	pet form of Oswald or Osborn	English	1,455	↑ +43%
Graeme	Boy	gravelly homestead	Scottish	3,980	↓ -58%
Mildred	Girl	gentle strength	Old English	1,973	→ +2%
Carlton	Boy	settlement of free men	Old English	2,893	↓ -30%
Brad	Boy	short form of Bradley, 'broad clearing'	English	4,267	↓ -42%
Landan	Boy	variant of Landon, 'long hill'	American (modern coinage)	4,328	↓ -33%
Haden	Boy	heather hill or hay valley	Old English	3,687	↑ +7%
Eowyn	Girl	horse joy	Old English	1,471	↑ +80%
Stuart	Boy	steward	Scottish	2,534	↓ -10%
Bradlee	Unisex	variant of Bradley, broad meadow	English	4,268	↓ -52%
Sunday	Girl	the day of the sun	English	947	↑ +229%
Kinzlee	Girl	variant of Kinsley, king's meadow	American (modern coinage)	2,473	↓ -24%
Dutton	Boy	from an English place name	Old English	779	↑ +1111%
Ellington	Unisex	from an English place name, Ella's farm	English	2,868	→ -2%
Edmond	Boy	French form of Edmund, wealthy protector	French	2,011	↑ +21%
Hamilton	Boy	Scottish surname from an English place, bare hill	Scottish	3,152	↓ -32%
Winslow	Unisex	Wine's hill; English place name	Old English	1,169	↑ +276%
Avary	Girl	variant of Avery, elf counsel	American (modern coinage)	5,940	↓ -51%
Wrenleigh	Girl	wren with the -leigh ending	English	685	↑ +1236%
Radley	Boy	red meadow; English surname	Old English	1,834	↑ +28%
Elton	Boy	surname, Ella's town	Old English	2,313	↓ -33%
Rhyder	Boy	variant of Ryder, horseman	American (modern coinage)	3,298	↓ -46%
Brayton	Boy	surname, broad farmstead	English	3,964	↓ -47%
Alder	Boy	alder tree	Old English	1,402	↑ +48%
Rockwell	Boy	rook spring; English surname	Old English	1,940	↓ -22%
Bradford	Boy	broad ford	Old English	3,522	↓ -36%
Holt	Boy	wood, thicket	Old English	1,924	↑ +12%
Deisy	Girl	Spanish spelling of Daisy	Spanish	4,094	↓ -39%
Linley	Girl	flax field; English surname	Old English	3,192	↓ -23%
Kelsea	Girl	variant of Kelsey	English	3,869	↓ -48%
Clive	Boy	cliff, slope	Old English	2,398	→ +4%
Woodrow	Boy	row of houses by a wood	Old English	1,653	↑ +12%
Rylei	Girl	variant of Riley: rye clearing	American (modern coinage)	4,532	↓ -53%
Graydon	Boy	grey hill; English surname	Old English	5,464	↓ -58%
Chelsie	Girl	variant of Chelsea, chalk landing place	English	6,371	↓ -18%
Berklee	Girl	variant of Berkeley: birch clearing	American (modern coinage)	3,135	↓ -46%
Atlee	Unisex	surname meaning at the meadow	English	3,786	↓ -50%
Kynzlee	Girl	variant of Kinsley, king's meadow	American (modern coinage)	4,503	↓ -69%
Lynden	Unisex	linden hill; English surname	Old English	4,136	↓ -33%
Wednesday	Girl	Woden's day	English	3,970	↓ -51%
Haily	Girl	variant of Hailey: hay clearing	English	6,638	↓ -15%
Eldon	Boy	from an English place name, Ella's hill	English	2,311	→ 0%
Ashten	Boy	variant of Ashton: ash tree town	American (modern coinage)	3,665	↓ -17%
Flint	Boy	flint stone	English	2,293	↓ -18%
Havyn	Girl	respelling of Haven	American (modern coinage)	2,789	↑ +30%
Anslee	Girl	variant of Ainsley, one's own meadow	Scottish	3,837	↓ -16%
Blakeley	Girl	surname meaning dark meadow	English	2,547	↑ +11%
Ashtin	Boy	variant of Ashton: ash tree town	American (modern coinage)	4,555	↓ -29%

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