125 Beautiful 'Old English' Names for Your Little Boy or Girl
Not everyone parents the same way, in much the same way that not everyone's taste is the same. And that starts with what you name your baby boy or girl. While there are plenty of popular baby names for a reason, maybe some new parents-to-be would rather choose a different, less trendy—but still exciting—path to choose their little one's name. Where else is better to look for a classic moniker than English names? First, you can go the gender neutral name route. Not only are they considered somewhat trendy—even if they're coming from Ye 'Ole England—but they are androgynous, and maybe you like that aspect. And more power to you! Choosing your baby's name is your decision, and not the world's, after all.Another take would be to choose a grandma or grandpa chic name for your little bundle. You can't deny that if you've ever met a baby named Wilfred or Eustace, it seemed just a tad comical! Not to worry, though, those adorable little old man names will grow with your baby beautifully.So, whether you want a gender-neutral name or you want something old-fashioned, Old English baby names are a great choice. There are plenty of popular names today that are adaptations of those used during 5th-century Britain. So if you're looking for a style of name to choose that's a bit on the older side, our list of 125 beautiful Old will surely have one you'll love.Related:
Best Old English Baby Names
Alden — Meaning "wise protector."
Stanford — Originally a surname for those living near a stony river, it later became a given name and means "from the stony ford."
Gawain — Of Celtic origin, this Welsh name means either "white hawk" or "white falcon."
Bennet — Also spelled Bennett, this name means "blessed" or "one who is blessed."
Alric — Meaning "noble ruler" or "ruler of all," Alric is derived from the Old English elements æl, meaning "elf," and ric, meaning "ruler" or "power."
Gerard — With roots in Old English, French and German, Gerard means "brave spear" or "spear ruler."
Ashley — Coming from the Old English words meaning "ash tree clearing," Ashley was originally used for both genders.
Darwin — This name means "dear friend" or "beloved friend."
Flint — Meaning "hard, grey stone" or "stream," Flint is associated with strength, resilience, and a connection to nature.
Crispin — Of Latin origins, this name means "curly-haired."
Blair — Having Scottish roots, this Old English name means "field" or "plain."
Ayers — With Old French and Latin roots, Ayers means "heir."
Brandon — This name means "hill covered with broom" or "gorse-covered hill."
Ellis — Originally a Welsh surname, Ellis has since become a popular given name, and means "benevolent."
Ulric — With connotations of strength, leadership and power, Ulric has Old English and German roots and means "wolf ruler" or "noble ruler."
Basil — Originating from the Greek word basileus, this name means "king" or "royal."
Godwin — This Old English name means "good friend" or "friend of God."
Bede — Meaning "prayer" or "supplication," this name can be gender neutral but was primarily a male name. It is associated with the Venerable Bede, a prominent English monk and scholar of the 7th and 8th centuries.
Aetheric — Stemming from the Greek name Aether, this name means "pure air" or "heaven" and refers to the pure, bright air that the gods breathed.
Geoffrey — With Germanic origins, this name means "God's peace." It was introduced to England during the Norman Conquest and includes other spellings such as Jeffrey.
Harper — Originally a surname for someone who played the harp, it is now a given first name and is considered gender neutral.
Byron — Largely a surname until the popularity of the poet Lord Byron made it acceptable as a given name, Byron means "by the barn."
Emmet — With an Old English origin, this name can mean "ant," which stands for industriousness, or "home."
Avery — Derived from an Old English name that meant "ruler of the elves."
Ripley — Combining the elements of rippel, meaning "grove" or "thicket," and leah, meaning "clearing" or "meadow," Ripley means "strip of clearing in the woods" or "striped meadow."
Dexter — Originating from the Old English word deagstre, which indicated someone who dyed cloth, Dexter means "dyer."
Finley — An Old English name derived from Finn's meadow, it is now commonly used for either gender.
Whitney— This name means "white island" or "dweller by the white island" and is considered a gender neutral name.
Casey — Having Gaelic origins, this name means "vigilant" or "watchful."
Devon — This name evolved from the Old English term Defenas, which means "men of Devon."
Blake — Stemming from the Old English words blæc, meaning "black, dark" and blac meaning "pale, white," Blake would be great for someone with dark hair and a pale complexion.
Emerson — This name means "son of Emery" or "Emery's son," and while it was originally more masculine, it is now considered gender neutral.
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Old English Girl Names
Bryn — A name from the Welsh word meaning "mound" or "hill."
Isolda — Meaning "fair" in Old English. Variants include Isolde and Eseld, which is Cornish.
Aldith — Combined from the Old English elements eald, meaning "old" and gūþ, meaning "battle."
Mildred — This name was popular in medieval England and during the Victorian era and means "gentle strength."
Emma — Of Germanic roots, Emma means "universal" or "whole."
Gytha — From the Old English words gyth, meaning "strife," and guthr meaning "war," this name means "warring" or "warlike."
Wilona — Meaning "desired" or "longed-for," this name is the combination of the names Will and Leona. Will suggests "helmet" or "protection," and Leona means "lion."
Hilda — With connotations of strength, resilience and a warrior spirit, Hilda is derived from the Old Norse name Hildr, which is associated with the Valkyrie carrying fallen warriors to Valhalla.
Morwen — This name stems from the Cornish word for "maiden."
Godiva — Spelled either Godgifu or Godgyfu in Old English, this name means "God's gift."
Brook - Meaning "stream," this name would be perfect for nature lovers.
Guinevere — Of Welsh origins and from Arthurian legends, Guinevere can mean "white ghost," "white phantom," or "fair one."
Edith — Associated with strength, nobility, and wisdom, Edith means "rich war" or "prosperous in battle."
Alison — A common girl's name meaning "son of the noble."
Winifred — With Welsh and English origins, this name means "blessed peacemaking" or "friend of peace."
Jocelin — Containing roots in Old English and French, Jocelin means "joyful."
Leigh — Meaning "glade" or "small meadow." This name can also be spelled Lee.
Eithne — Of Irish origins, Eithne means "kernel" or "grain." It can also mean "little fire" and is associated with passion and grace.
Farrah - A baby girl's name meaning "beautiful."
Meriel — With Old English—specifically Scottish origins—this name means "sea nymph" or "bright sea," and is derived from the Gaelic name Muirgheal or Muriel, meaning "sparkling sea."
Bliss — From the Old English word blīths, this name means "supreme happiness" or "perfect joy."
Linnet — Of French origins and associated with happiness and freedom, Linnet means "small bird" as it is also a type of finch.
Alfrieda — Combining the Old English words ælf, meaning "elf," and ræda, meaning "counsel or advice," Alfrieda means "elf counsel" or "elf strength."
Golda — In Old English, this word means "to shine."
Berta — Meaning "bright" or "famous," this name is of German origin and is more commonly known as Bertha.
Aldreda — Associated with leadership, resilience and distinguished character, Aldreda means "noble strength" or "powerful ruler."
Ravenel — More commonly used for girls, this unisex name means "raven."
Freda — Stemming from Germanic roots, Freda means "peaceful."
Blythe — From the Old English word bliþe, Blythe means "joyful," "merry" or "cheerful."
Ethel — Means either "noble" or "regal."
Matilda — Of Germanic origins, this name means "mighty in battle" or "strength in battle."
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Old English Boy Names
Godric — An Anglo-Saxon name meaning "God's ruler."
Egbert (also spelled Ecgberht) — A name that derives from old Germanic words that mean "bright edge."
Acton — This name means "town in the oak trees."
Caldwell — Meaning "cold spring," this name would be great for families who are fans of the spring season.
Oswald — Of Germanic origin, Oswald means "diving power" or "God's rule."
Athelstan — Meaning "noble stone," this name is associated with Anglo-Saxon nobility and is famously linked to King Athelstan, the first king of England.
Bors — Associated with bravery and chivalry, Bors has German, Dutch, and Hungarian origins and is connected with the words for "bear" and "pepper."
Broderick — Means "from the broad ridge" in Old English.
Hereward — Linked to Hereward the Wake, a figure who resisted the Norman invasion, this name means "army guard" or "army guardian."
Gareth — With Welsh origins, Gareth means "gentle" or "kind." In Arthurian legend, Sir Gareth was a knight known for his bravery and virtue.
Edmund — Meaning "wealthy protector" or "rich protection," this name combines the Old English words ead, meaning "wealth, prosperity," and mund, meaning "protection, guardian."
Cedric — Originating from Old English, this name means "kindly" or "loved," and originating from Wels,h this name means "bounty."
Emerson — Derived from an English surname and means "son of Emery."
Baldrick — This name can mean "brave ruler" or "bald." It is also the name of a wide, strapped belt worn over the shoulder to carry a sword.
Alfred — Means "wise counsel." Alfie is a common nickname for Alfred.
Gaheris — Widely known as a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend, Gaheris is also thought to have Welsh origins, meaning "may hawk."
Hugh — From the German word for hug, this name means "heart," "mind" or "spirit" and is associated with intelligence and being thoughtful.
Willard — Stemming from the Old German name Willhard, meaning "bravery" or "will."
Chadwick — the meaning of Chadwick is "dairy farm of Ceadda," and a common nickname is simply Chad.
Guy — Of German and French origins, this name means "wood" or "wit."
Addison — Means "Adam's son."
Harold — Meaning "army ruler" or "army power," this name is originally spelled Hereweald in Old English.
Kendrick — From the Old English given name Cyneric, meaning "royal power."
Beowulf — In Old English, this name means "bee wolf" or "bee hunter" and is associated with a bear, as they raid beehives for honey.
Alfege — Also spelled Alphege, this name means "noble" or "elf high" and is famously associated with Saint Alphege, an English bishop and martyr.
Galahad — Meaning "pure," "noble" and "selfless," Galahad is associated with virtue and success.
Alban — Associated with Saint Alban, Britain's first Christian martyr, this name means "white/bright."
Bedevere — A variant of the Welsh name Bedwyr (meaning "birch men" or "living among birch trees"), Bedevere comes from Arthurian legend and means "blessed hands."
Oscar — Osgar was a popular name variation in Old English, and this name is derived from the Gaelic words meaning "deer" and "friend."
Agravain — Meaning "brother of Gawain," this name is associated with pride and strong hands.
Humphrey — Combining hun meaning "bear cub" or "warrior," and fried meaning "peace," this name means "peaceful warrior."
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Unusual Old English Names
Cuthbert — This name comes from Saint Cuthbert, a prominent figure in the 7th century, known for his piety and healing abilities and it means "bright and famous."
Warren — Derived from the Old French word warenne or varenne, which includes the German root war, this name means "to protect" or "defense."
Kenelm — Meaning "brave helmet," this name can also be interpreted as "bold protector" or "defends the family."
Odilia — Associated with Saint Odilia, a 7th-century abbess venerated as the patron saint of Alsace, this name means "wealth in battle" or "heritage of a warrior."
Adney — Meaning "from the island of the nobleman," this name would be perfect for those who love to vacation on the beach.
Braxton — This name translates to "Brock's town" or "badger town," as brock means badger in Old English.
Wulfric — Associated with strength, leadership and authority, this name means "wolf ruler" or "wolf power."
Manton — Meaning "hero's town," Manton is a Viking-Scottish last name and comes from the Gaelic word manntach, which means "toothless."
Botolph — Associated with Saint Botolph, an English abbot and missionary from the 7th century, who was considered the patron saint of travelers, Botolph means "messenger wolf" or "helper wolf."
Nelda — Meaning "from the alder trees," this is an alternative to the name Nell. (And what a lovely nickname that would be!)
Godfrey — Stemming from Germanic roots, this name means "God's peace" or "peace of God."
Ackerly — Means "from the clearing of oak trees." Another rendition of this name is Ackley.
Quinton — Derived from the Old English words cwene, meaning "woman or queen," and tun, meaning "settlement or estate," the name Quinton means "queen's town."
Dallin — With German and Gaelic origins, this name means "from the valley."
Corliss — From the Old English words corne meaning "happy" and lis meaning "free of care," Corliss means "carefree," "cheery" or "benevolent."
Rudyard — This name means either "from the red yard" or "red enclosure."
Ethelburga — Meaning "noble protector" or "noble fortress," the name was borne by notable figures in Anglo-Saxon history, including a queen of Northumbria and an abbess of Barking Abbey.
Wulfstan — Symbolizing strength and resilience, this Old English name means "wolf stone."
Clovis — From Old German origins, this name means "famous battle" or "renowned warrior."
Radella — This name means "elfin counselor" or "wise guidance."
Oswin — Derived from the Old English elements os, meaning "god" and wine, meaning "friend, protector," this name means "God's friend" or "friend of the gods."
Alcott — This name means "from the old cottage" and fits perfectly into the grandpa chic style.
Leofric — Meaning "deer ruler" or "beloved kingdom," this name is most widely known from Leofric, Earl of Mercia, Lady Godiva's husband in the 11th century.
Carlotta — A version of the name Karl, this name means "free man."
Kipp — This name means "from the pointed hill."
Barden — Derived from the Old English words bere, meaning "barley," and denu, meaning "valley," Barden means "barley valley."
Charlton — This name means "settlement of free men."
Fenmore — Combining the Old English words fen, meaning "a low-lying wetland or marsh," and moor, referring to a heathland or wasteland, Fenmore means "dear love."
Giles — Of Greek, Latin and French origins, Giles can mean "protection," "young goat" or "kid."
Lincoln — Meaning "lake settlement" or "town by the pool," Lincoln is a beautiful gender-neutral name.
Almer — From the Latin word almus, meaning "nourishing" or "kind," or from the Spanish word alma, meaning "soul."
Up Next:125 Beautiful 'Old English' Names for Your Little Boy or Girl first appeared on Parade on Jul 31, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
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