Names Categorized "modern English"

This is a list of names in which the categories include modern English.
gender
usage
Aaliyah f Arabic, English (Modern), African American (Modern)
Feminine form of Aali. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by the singer Aaliyah Haughton (1979-2001), who was known simply as Aaliyah. This name received a boost in popularity after she released her debut album in 1994, and also in 2001 after her untimely death in an airplane crash.
Adalyn f English (Modern)
Variant of Adeline using the popular name suffix lyn.
Adalynn f English (Modern)
Variant of Adeline using the popular name suffix lynn.
Addilyn f English (Modern)
Variant of Adeline using the popular name suffix lyn.
Addyson f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of Addison.
Adelyn f English (Modern)
Variant of Adeline using the popular name suffix lyn.
Adelynn f English (Modern)
Variant of Adeline using the popular name suffix lynn.
Aidan m Irish, English (Modern)
Anglicized form of Aodhán. In the latter part of the 20th century it became popular in America due to its sound, since it shares a sound with such names as Braden and Hayden. It peaked ranked 39th for boys in 2003.
Ainsley f & m Scottish, English (Modern)
From an English surname that was from a place name: either Annesley in Nottinghamshire or Ansley in Warwickshire. The place names themselves derive from Old English anne "alone, solitary" or ansetl "hermitage" and leah "woodland, clearing".... [more]
Aisha f Arabic, Urdu, Western African, Eastern African, Hausa, Swahili, Kazakh, African American
Means "living, alive" in Arabic. This was the name of Muhammad's third wife, the daughter of Abu Bakr. Some time after Muhammad's death she went to war against Ali, the fourth caliph, but was defeated. Her name is used more by Sunni Muslims and less by Shias.... [more]
Akane f Japanese
From Japanese (akane) meaning "deep red, dye from the rubia plant". Other kanji or combinations of kanji can form this name as well.
Akira m & f Japanese
From Japanese (akira) meaning "bright", (akira) meaning "bright" or (akira) meaning "clear". Other kanji with the same pronunciation can also form this name. A famous bearer was the Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998), given name written .
Alaia 2 f English (Modern)
Probably a variant of Alayah. It is likely also influenced by the fashion brand Alaïa, named for the Tunisian-French designer Azzedine Alaïa (1935-2017). His surname in Arabic is عليّة ('Alayyah), meaning "lofty".
Alaina f English (Modern)
Variant of Alana, probably influenced by Elaine.
Alani f English (Modern)
Possibly a variant of Alana, or possibly from Hawaiian ʻalani meaning "orange (tree or fruit)".
Alannah f Irish, English (Modern)
Variant of Alana. It has been influenced by the affectionate Anglo-Irish word alannah, from the Irish Gaelic phrase a leanbh meaning "O child".
Alaya f English (Modern)
Variant of Alayah. It coincides with a Buddhist term (meaning "dwelling" in Sanskrit), which refers to the eighth level of human consciousness.
Alayah f English (Modern)
Probably a variant of Aaliyah based on names such as Amaya and Anaya.
Aleyna f Turkish (Modern)
From Arabic علينا ('alayna) meaning "on us", a word from the Quran.
Alondra f Spanish (Latin American)
Derived from Spanish alondra meaning "lark".
Amaia f Basque
Means "the end" in Basque. This is the name of a character in the historical novel Amaya, or the Basques in the 8th century (1879) by Francisco Navarro-Villoslada (Amaya in the Spanish original; Amaia in the Basque translation).
Amani f & m Arabic
Means "wishes" in Arabic.
Amare m African American (Modern)
Variant of Amari. This name is borne by basketball player Amar'e Stoudemire (1982-).
Amari m & f African American (Modern)
Meaning uncertain, perhaps from Arabic Ammar. This name has risen in popularity in America at the same time as similar-sounding names such as Jamari and Kamari.
Amberly f English (Modern)
Elaboration of Amber, influenced by the spelling of the name Kimberly.
Amora f English (Modern)
Apparently a modern coinage based on Latin amor meaning "love".
Amoura f English (Modern)
Variant of Amora (perhaps based on French amour).
Angeline f French
French diminutive of Angela.
Angélique f French
French form of Angelica.
Angelique f Dutch
Dutch form of Angélique.
Aniyah f African American (Modern)
An invented name, probably based on the sounds found in names such as Anita and Aaliyah.
Annabella f Italian, English (Modern)
Latinate form of Annabel. It can also be interpreted as a combination of Anna and Latin/Italian bella "beautiful".
Annalee f English (Modern)
Combination of Anna and Lee.
Annalise f Danish, English (Modern)
Combination of Anna and Lise.
Anya f Russian
Russian diminutive of Anna.
Aria 1 f English (Modern)
Means "song, melody" in Italian (literally means "air"). An aria is an elaborate vocal solo, the type usually performed in operas. As an English name, it has only been in use since the 20th century, its rise in popularity accelerating after the 2010 premier of the television drama Pretty Little Liars, featuring a character by this name. It is not traditionally used in Italy.
Ariana f Portuguese, English (Modern)
Portuguese form of Ariadne. This name steadily grew in popularity in America in the last few decades of the 20th century. A famous bearer is the American pop singer Ariana Grande (1993-).
Ariella f English (Modern)
Strictly feminine form of Ariel.
Arielle f French
French feminine form of Ariel.
Armani m & f English (Modern)
From an Italian surname meaning "son of Ermanno". It has been used as a given name due to the fashion company Armani, which was founded by the clothing designer Giorgio Armani (1934-).
Ashanti f & m Various
From the name of an African people who reside in southern Ghana. It possibly means "warlike" in the Twi language.
Ashlea f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of Ashley.
Ashlee f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of Ashley.
Ashleigh f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of Ashley.
Ashlie f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of Ashley.
Ashlyn f English (Modern)
Combination of Ashley and the popular name suffix lyn.
Ashton m & f English (Modern)
From an English surname, itself derived from a place name meaning "ash tree town" in Old English. This was a rare masculine name until the 1980s, when it gradually began becoming more common for both genders. Inspired by the female character Ashton Main from the 1985 miniseries North and South, parents in America gave it more frequently to girls than boys from 1986 to 1997. Since then it has been overwhelmingly masculine once again, perhaps due in part to the fame of the actor Ashton Kutcher (1978-).
Asia 1 f English (Modern), Italian (Modern)
From the name of the continent, which is perhaps derived from Akkadian asu, meaning "east".
Aspen f English (Modern)
From the English word for a variety of deciduous trees in the genus Populus, derived from Old English æspe. It is also the name of a ski resort in Colorado.
Aubree f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of Aubrey.
Aubrianna f English (Modern)
Combination of Aubrey and Anna.
Aubrielle f English (Modern)
Combination of Aubrey and the popular name suffix elle.
Austyn m & f English (Modern)
Variant or feminine form of Austin.
Aviana f English (Modern)
Probably an elaboration of Ava 1, influenced by names such as Ariana.
Ayla 3 f Literature, English (Modern)
Created for the novel Clan of the Cave Bear (1980) by author Jean M. Auel. In the novel Ayla is an orphaned Cro-Magnon girl adopted by Neanderthals. Ayla is the Neanderthal pronunciation of her real name, which is not given.... [more]
Aylin f Turkish, Azerbaijani, Kazakh
Means "of the moon" in Turkish and Azerbaijani, from Turkic ay "moon".
Ayna f Kazakh
Alternate transcription of Kazakh Айна (see Aina 5).
Azalea f English (Modern)
From the name of the flower (shrubs of the genus Rhododendron), ultimately derived from Greek ἀζαλέος (azaleos) meaning "dry".
Bayley m & f English (Modern)
Variant of Bailey.
Baylor m & f English (Modern)
From a surname, possibly an Americanized form of the German surname Beiler, derived from Middle High German beile meaning "measuring stick".
Bear m English (Modern)
From the English word for the animal, derived from Old English bera, probably derived from a root meaning "brown".
Beauden m English (New Zealand, Modern)
Elaboration of French beau "beautiful" using the popular phonetic suffix den, found in such names as Hayden and Aidan. This name has become popular in New Zealand due to rugby player Beauden Barrett (1991-).
Beckett m English (Modern)
From an English surname that could be derived from various sources, including from Middle English bec meaning "beak" or bekke meaning "stream, brook".
Bellamy f & m English (Modern)
From an English surname derived from Old French bel ami meaning "beautiful friend".
Beyoncé f African American (Modern)
Popularized by the American singer Beyoncé Knowles (1981-) whose given name came from her mother's maiden name (which was originally Beyincé, of Louisiana Creole origin). This name appeared on the United States top 1000 list in 2001, around the time her group Destiny's Child was at the height of their popularity.
Blakely f English (Modern)
From an English surname that was derived from Old English blæc "black" and leah "woodland clearing".
Branson m English (Modern)
From an English surname that meant "son of Brandr".
Brayden m English (Modern)
Variant of Braden. This is currently the more popular spelling of the name.
Braylon m English (Modern)
An invented name, using the same sounds found in names such as Braden and Jalen.
Breann f English (Modern)
Feminine form of Brian.
Breanne f English (Modern)
Feminine form of Brian.
Brianne f English (Modern)
Feminine form of Brian.
Briar m & f English (Modern)
From the English word for the thorny plant.
Brielle f English (Modern)
Short form of Gabrielle. This is also the name of towns in the Netherlands and New Jersey, though their names derive from a different source.
Briley f English (Modern)
Modern name, probably based on the sounds found in other names such as Bryson and Riley. It also coincides with the surname Briley.
Brinley f English (Modern)
Combination of Bryn and the popular phonetic suffix lee. It also coincides with an English surname, which was derived from the name of a town meaning "burned clearing" in Old English.
Bristol f English (Modern)
From the name of the city in southwest England that means "the site of the bridge".
Britney f English (Modern)
Variant of Brittany. This name is borne by the American pop singer Britney Spears (1981-).
Caden m English (Modern)
Sometimes explained as deriving from the Irish surname Caden, which is an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Mac Cadáin, itself from the given name Cadán (of unknown meaning). In actuality, the popularity of this name in America beginning in the 1990s is due to its sound — it shares its fashionable den suffix sound with other trendy names like Hayden, Aidan and Braden.
Cadence f English (Modern)
From an English word meaning "rhythm, flow". It has been in use only since the 20th century.
Cairo m English (Modern)
From the name of the city in Egypt, called القاهرة (al-Qahirah) in Arabic, meaning "the victorious".
Camden m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was derived from a place name, perhaps meaning "enclosed valley" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the English historian William Camden (1551-1623).
Camélia f French
French form of Camellia.
Camelia f Romanian
From camelie, the Romanian spelling of camellia (see Camellia).
Camryn f & m English (Modern)
Variant (typically feminine) of Cameron.
Capri f English (Modern)
From the name of the picturesque Italian island of Capri. It is likely from Greek κάπρος (kapros) meaning "wild boar", though it could also be of Etruscan origin or from Latin capri meaning "goats".
Carley f English (Modern)
Feminine form of Carl.
Casandra f Spanish, Romanian
Spanish and Romanian form of Cassandra.
Case m English (Modern)
Short form of Casey.
Cason m English (Modern)
An invented name, based on the sound of names such as Mason and Jason. It also coincides with the English surname Cason.
Casper m Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Dutch and Scandinavian form of Jasper. This is the name of a friendly ghost in an American series of cartoons and comic books (beginning 1945).
Cassidy f & m English (Modern)
From an Irish surname (Anglicized from Irish Gaelic Ó Caiside), which is derived from the byname Caiside. Very rare as a given name before the 1970s, it established itself in the 80s and then surged in popularity during the 90s.
Chandra m & f Hinduism, Bengali, Indian, Assamese, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Nepali
Means "moon" in Sanskrit, derived from चन्द (chand) meaning "to shine". This is a transcription of the masculine form चण्ड (a name of the moon in Hindu texts, which is often personified as a deity) as well as the feminine form चण्डा.
Channing m & f English (Modern)
From an English surname of uncertain origin.
Chanté f English (Modern)
Means "sung" in French.
Charlee f English (Modern)
Feminine form of Charles.
Cheyanne f English (Modern)
Variant of Cheyenne probably influenced by the name Anne 1.
China f English (Modern)
From the name of the Asian country, ultimately derived from Qin, the name of a dynasty that ruled there in the 3rd century BC.
Ciara 2 f English (Modern)
Variant of Sierra. Use of the name has perhaps been influenced by the brand of perfume called Ciara, which was introduced by Revlon in 1973.
Codie m & f English (Modern)
Variant or feminine form of Cody.
Connor m Irish, English (Modern)
Variant of Conor, based on the usual spelling of the surname that is derived from the name. This is currently the most common way of spelling it in the English-speaking world, apart from Ireland.
Crew m English (Modern)
Either from a surname that was derived from the English town of Crewe (from Old Welsh criu meaning "weir"), or from the English vocabulary word for a group of people.
Cristina f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Romanian
Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan and Romanian form of Christina.
Dahlia f English (Modern)
From the name of the flower, which was named for the Swedish botanist Anders Dahl.
Dakota m & f English (Modern)
From the name of the Native American people of the northern Mississippi Valley, or from the two American states that were named for them: North and South Dakota (until 1889 unified as the Dakota Territory). The tribal name means "allies, friends" in the Dakota language.... [more]
Daquan m African American (Modern)
Combination of the popular phonetic elements da and quan. It can be spelled Daquan or with a capitalized third letter as DaQuan.
Dariel m English (Modern), Spanish (Caribbean, Modern)
Probably an elaborated form of Darrell, with an ending similar to biblical names such as Daniel.
Davon m African American (Modern)
Combination of the phonetic elements da and von.
Deion m African American (Modern)
Variant of Dion. A notable bearer is retired American football player Deion Sanders (1967-).
Delaney f English (Modern)
From a surname: either the English surname Delaney 1 or the Irish surname Delaney 2.
Deonte m African American (Modern)
Combination of Deon and the common phonetic suffix tay.
Devan m & f English (Modern)
Variant of Devin.
Devyn f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Devin.
Diamond f English (Rare), African American (Modern)
From the English word diamond for the clear colourless precious stone, the traditional birthstone of April. It is derived from Late Latin diamas, from Latin adamas, which is of Greek origin meaning "unconquerable, unbreakable".
Dream f English (Modern)
From the English word dream referring to imaginary events seen in the mind while sleeping or a hope or wish.
Easton m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was derived from place names meaning "east town" in Old English.
Eden f & m Hebrew, English (Modern)
Possibly from Hebrew עֵדֶן ('eden) meaning "pleasure, delight", or perhaps derived from Sumerian 𒂔 (edin) meaning "plain". According to the Old Testament the Garden of Eden was the place where the first people, Adam and Eve, lived before they were expelled.
Eithan m English (Modern), Hebrew (Rare)
Variant of Ethan or (rarely) Eitan.
Eliana 1 f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, English (Modern)
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Éliane.
Elle f English (Modern)
Diminutive of Eleanor and other names beginning with El. This name can also be given in reference to the French pronoun elle meaning "she".... [more]
Elora f Popular Culture, English (Modern)
Probably an invented name. This is the name of an infant girl in the fantasy movie Willow (1988). Since the release of the movie the name has been steadily used, finally breaking into the top 1000 in the United States in 2015.
Ember f English (Modern)
From the English word ember, ultimately from Old English æmerge.
Emberly f English (Modern)
Elaboration of Ember, influenced by the spelling of Kimberly.
Emerald f English (Modern)
From the word for the green precious stone, which is the traditional birthstone of May. The emerald supposedly imparts love to the bearer. The word is ultimately from Greek σμάραγδος (smaragdos).
Emmalyn f English (Modern)
Variant of Emmeline, or else a combination of Emma and the fashionable name suffix lyn.
Esmae f English (Modern)
Feminine form of Esmé.
Everly f English (Modern)
From an English surname that was from a place name, itself derived from Old English eofor "boar" and leah "woodland, clearing". Notable bearers of the surname were the musical duo the Everly Brothers, Don (1937-2021) and Phil (1939-2014).... [more]
Fallon f English (Modern)
From an Irish surname that was an Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic Ó Fallamháin, itself derived from the given name Fallamhán meaning "leader". It was popularized in the 1980s by a character on the soap opera Dynasty.
Fox m English (Modern)
Either from the English word fox or the surname Fox, which originally given as a nickname. The surname was borne by George Fox (1624-1691), the founder of the Quakers.
Freya f Norse Mythology, English (Modern), German
From Old Norse Freyja meaning "lady". This is the name of a goddess associated with love, beauty, war and death in Norse mythology. She claims half of the heroes who are slain in battle and brings them to her realm of Fólkvangr. Along with her brother Freyr and father Njord, she is one of the Vanir (as opposed to the Æsir). Some scholars connect her with the goddess Frigg.... [more]
Gael m Breton, English (Modern), Spanish (Modern)
Probably from the ethno-linguistic term Gael, which refers to speakers of Gaelic languages.
Genesis f English (Modern)
Means "birth, origin" in Greek. This is the name of the first book of the Old Testament in the Bible. It tells of the creation of the world, the expulsion of Adam and Eve, Noah and the great flood, and the three patriarchs.
Gianna f Italian, Greek, English (Modern)
Italian short form of Giovanna and a Modern Greek variant of Ioanna.
Gibson m English (Modern)
From an English surname meaning "son of Gib".
Giselle f French, English (Modern)
Derived from the Old German element gisal meaning "hostage, pledge" (Proto-Germanic *gīslaz). This name may have originally been a descriptive nickname for a child given as a pledge to a foreign court. This was the name of both a sister and daughter of Charlemagne. It was also borne by a daughter of the French king Charles III who married the Norman leader Rollo in the 10th century. Another notable bearer was the 11th-century Gisela of Swabia, wife of the Holy Roman emperor Conrad II.... [more]
Gracelyn f English (Modern)
Elaboration of Grace using the popular name suffix lyn.
Gracelynn f English (Modern)
Elaboration of Grace using the popular name suffix lyn.
Graeme m Scottish, English
From a surname that was a variant of Graham. This particular spelling for the given name has been most common in Scotland, New Zealand and Australia.
Grayson m English (Modern)
From an English surname meaning "son of the steward", derived from Middle English greyve "steward". It became common towards the end of the 20th century because of its similarity to popular names like Jason, Mason and Graham.
Grey m & f English (Modern)
Variant of Gray.
Griffin m English
Latinized form of Gruffudd. This name can also be inspired by the English word griffin, a creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, ultimately from Greek γρύψ (gryps).
Gwyneth f Welsh, English
Probably a variant of Gwynedd. It has been common in Wales since the 19th century, perhaps after the Welsh novelist Gwyneth Vaughan (1852-1910), whose real name was Ann Harriet Hughes. A modern famous bearer is the American actress Gwyneth Paltrow (1972-).
Haley f English (Modern)
Variant of Hayley. This spelling gained some popularity in the United States in 1977, possibly due to the author Alex Haley, whose book Roots was adapted into a popular miniseries that year. This was the most common American spelling from then to 2001, when it was eclipsed by Hailey.
Halle 2 f English (Modern)
In the case of American actress Halle Berry (1966-), it is from the name of a department store in Cleveland where she was born (the store was founded by brothers bearing the German surname Halle, a cognate of Hall).
Halo f English (Modern)
From the English word halo meaning "luminous disc or ring", derived from Greek ἅλως (halos). Haloes often appear in religious art above the heads of holy people.
Heaven f English (Modern)
From the English vocabulary word meaning "paradise". It is derived via Middle English hevene from Old English heofon "sky".
Heavenly f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "of the heavens, celestial, divine".
Hendrix m English (Modern)
From a Dutch surname that was derived from the given name Hendrik. A famous bearer of the surname was the American rock musician Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970).
Iesha f African American (Modern)
Variant of Aisha. It was popularized by the song Iesha (1991) by Another Bad Creation.
Iman f & m Arabic, Persian, Indonesian
Means "faith", derived from Arabic أمُنَ (amuna) meaning "to be faithful". It is typically feminine in Arabic and typically masculine in Persian.
Imani f & m Eastern African, Swahili, African American
Means "faith" in Swahili, ultimately of Arabic origin.
Ireland f English (Modern)
From the name of the European island country, derived from Irish Gaelic Éire, which may mean something like "abundant land" in Old Irish.
Jaden m & f English (Modern)
An invented name, using the popular den suffix sound found in such names as Braden, Hayden and Aidan. This name first became common in America in the 1990s when similar-sounding names were increasing in popularity. The spelling Jayden has been more popular since 2003. It is sometimes considered a variant of the biblical name Jadon.
Jadyn f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Jaden.
Jaiden m & f English (Modern)
Variant of Jaden.
Jalen m African American (Modern)
An invented name. In America it was popularized in the 1990s by basketball player Jalen Rose (1973-), whose name was a combination of those of his father James and maternal uncle Leonard.
Jaliyah f African American (Modern)
An invented name, based on the sound of Aaliyah.
Jamari m African American (Modern)
Elaborated form of Jamar, sharing a sound with names such as Amari and Kamari.
Janae f English (Modern)
Elaborated form of Jane.
Janessa f English (Modern)
Elaborated form of Jane, influenced by Vanessa.
Jaquan m African American (Modern)
Combination of the phonetic elements ja and quan. It can be spelled JaQuan or Jaquan.
Jaslene f English (Modern)
Combination of the popular phonetic elements jaz and lene. It was brought to some public attention in 2007 by Puerto Rican-born model Jaslene Gonzalez (1986-), the eighth winner of the reality television series America's Next Top Model.
Javonte m African American (Modern)
Combination of the phonetic elements ja, von and tay.
Jax m English (Modern)
Short form of Jackson. It appeared in the video game Mortal Kombat II in 1993. It first registered as a given name in the United States in 1995 (when it was used only five times) but steadily grew in popularity for two decades, probably inspired by similar names like Max and Dax and helped by a character of this name on the American television series Sons of Anarchy (2008-2014).
Jaxton m English (Modern)
Elaboration of Jax influenced by similar-sounding names such as Paxton and Braxton.
Jaycee f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Jacey.
Jayden m & f English (Modern)
Variant of Jaden. This spelling continued to rapidly rise in popularity in the United States past 2003, unlike Jaden, which stalled. It peaked at the fourth rank for boys in 2010, showing tremendous growth over only two decades. It has since declined.
Jayla f English (Modern)
An invented name, using the phonetic elements jay and la, and sharing a sound with other popular names such as Kayla.
Jaylen m & f African American (Modern), English (Modern)
Variant of Jalen (masculine) or Jaylynn (feminine).
Jaylene f English (Modern)
An invented name, a combination of the popular phonetic elements jay and lene.
Jaylin m & f African American (Modern), English (Modern), Dutch (Modern)
Variant of Jalen (masculine) or Jaylynn (feminine).
Jaylinn f Dutch (Modern)
Variant of Jaylynn popular in the Netherlands.
Jazlyn f English (Modern)
Combination of the popular phonetic elements jaz and lyn.