English First Names: What English Parents Really Choose, and How to Say Them

Here is the official English ranking, followed by a selection of boy and girl names with their pronunciation and origin, the nicknames that became first names, the difference from American names, and the pronunciation pitfalls in France.

What English parents are choosing in 2024

The British statistics office, the ONS, publishes the names of babies born the previous year in England and Wales every summer. The 2024 ranking, released in July 2025, gives these top ten:

Muhammad, in first place with 5,721 births, ranks first in five of the nine regions of England but only 57th in Wales. Olivia leads for girls with 2,761 births.

English boy names

We have kept names that are very popular in England and that remain easy to read in France. The pronunciation is an approximation for a French ear, as with Irish names:

• Arthur (ar-seur): the king of legend, fourth in England;
• George (djordj): from the Greek georgos, one who works the land;
• Theodore (si-o-dor): from the Greek, "gift of God," often shortened to Teddy or Theo;
• Oscar (os-keur): very popular on both sides of the Channel;
• Archie (ar-tchi): a former nickname for Archibald;
• Harry (ha-ri): a familiar form of Henry;
• Alfie (al-fi): a nickname for Alfred;
• Freddie (fré-di): a nickname for Frederick;
• Henry (hén-ri): the name of eight kings of England;
• Edward (èd-weurd): a royal name, which gives Ted or Ned.

English girl names

For girls, England loves flower and plant names, and old names brought back into fashion. Our favorite, Florence, evokes both the Italian city and the nurse Florence Nightingale, who owed her name to her city of birth.

• Florence (flo-reunss): sixth in 2024;
• Ivy (aï-vi): the climbing plant;
• Poppy (po-pi): the red wildflower;
• Lily (li-li): the flower, third in 2024;
• Isla (aï-la): the s is silent;
• Freya (fré-ya): the Norse goddess of love;
• Elsie (èl-si): a former nickname for Elizabeth;
• Matilda (ma-til-da): a medieval name back in fashion;
• Imogen (i-mo-djeune): from a Shakespeare play;
• Harriet (ha-ri-eut): the feminine form of Harry.

Names that used to be nicknames

In English, long names almost always get shortened, and many of these short forms have ended up becoming full-fledged names in their own right:

Choosing Archie rather than Archibald means directly choosing the form you will hear every day. Choosing the long name, on the other hand, leaves the child several possible nicknames.

In this short video in French, Zed On shows that the same English name often has an affectionate nickname and a more clipped one: Johnny and Jack for John, Charlie and Chuck for Charles, Maggie and Peggy for Margaret.

English or American?

The two are often mixed up, but the rankings differ markedly. England keeps very British names, Arthur, George, Florence, Poppy, Elsie, which are rarely heard in the United States. For American names, the list is not the same.

Looking for a name that sounds "English" to a French ear? Plant names (Ivy, Poppy) and nicknames ending in -ie (Archie, Elsie) are the most recognizable.

The pronunciation pitfall in France

An English name given to a child in France will be read by people who don't all speak English. Arthur, Oscar, Lily or Matilda pass without difficulty, because French already has them. Others will change sound.

Test the name with your last name

Write down two or three names from these lists, say them out loud followed by your last name, and ask someone to read them without help. If they come out the way you hear them, the name will do well in France.

Sources

• ONS (Office for National Statistics), "Baby names in England and Wales: 2024," July 2025
• Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford University Press

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