British Baby Names: Choices With Charm and Class

Every few months, about as often as I allow myself to relish a hot caramel sundae and with about the same amount of delicious anticipation, I dip into thebirth announcements to see what the upper-crusty British baby namers are up to.
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.

Every few months, about as often as I allow myself to relish a hot caramel sundae and with about the same amount of delicious anticipation, I dip into the London Telegraph birth announcements to see what the upper-crusty British baby namers are up to.

And as with that sundae, the results rarely disappoint. There are always plenty of eccentric three-name combinations, lots of charming sibsets, and a collection of names not often heard in my neighborhood of New Jersey.

One trend asserting itself in this collection: R names, with a raft of children (far beyond those mentioned here) called Rory, Rufus, Rupert, Rex, and Rowley, and on the girls' side, Ruby, Rose, Rosemary, Rosalind (and Rosalyn) and Romilly. R is a letter that's seemed dowdy for quite some time -- blame all those Baby Boom Roberts and Richards -- and is due for a resurgence.

The best of the recent British baby names are, for girls:

  • Clementine Annabel Emily, sister for Rupert
  • Daphne Olga Amelie, sister for Henry and Beatrice
  • Eliza Miranda Rosemary, sister for William
  • Ella Persephone, sister for Charlie and Evie
  • Freya Audrey Barbara, sister for Hugh
  • Grais Bridget, sister for Liam
  • Harper Rose Bluebell, sister for Arnold and Madame Cholet
  • Henrietta Daphne Mabel, sister for Harry, Digby, and Rowley
  • Hermine Halcyon Margaret Isabel
  • Isabella Allegra Jessica and Jemima Alice India (twins)
  • Loveday Celestine Primrose Kennedy
  • Luella Helen Willa
  • Marie-Sixtine Alice Verity, sister for Max
  • Matilda Daisy Margery, sister for Charlie
  • Natsumi Emilia Kashima, sister for Jolyon
  • Orla Eleanor Veronica
  • Ottilie Ruby, sister for twins Lettice and Edith
  • Poppy Angela, sister for Martha, Molly, and AgathAgatha
  • Rosalyn Mairead, sister for Fintan

And for boys:

  • Alasdair Lorne Leonardo
  • Albert Thomas Harry, brother to Anna and Fred
  • Algernon Frederick Hanson
  • Augustus George Barden, brother for Hugo
  • Ezra Martin, brother for Dolly, Albertine, and Lilac
  • Hugo Rupert William, brother for Francesca
  • Ignatius Mungo, brother for Atticus Monty, Octavius Kit, and Ptolemy Ned
  • John Innes Archie
  • Leo Michaelis Brocas
  • Rex Patrick Wood
  • Rory Sinclair Willasey
  • Rufus Alexander, brother for Daisy
  • Rupert Thor Hastings
  • St John Michael Nicholas
  • Tancred Thomas Granville (Ruskie), brother for Inca Skye, Inigo Somerset, and Francis Doune
  • Thomas Maximilian Neame, brother for Flora
  • Wilfred Rocky Otto

Popular in the Community

Close

HuffPost Shopping’s Best Finds

MORE IN LIFE