Names Categorized "rare English"

This is a list of names in which the categories include rare English.
gender
usage
​
Rosaleen f English (Rare), Irish
Variant of Rosaline. James Clarence Mangan used it as a translation for Róisín in his poem Dark Rosaleen (1846).
Rosalin f English (Rare)
Medieval variant of Rosalind.
Rosalynne f English (Rare)
Variant of Rosalyn.
Rosamund f English (Rare)
Derived from the Old German elements hros "horse" and munt "protection". This name was borne by the wife of the Lombard king Alboin in the 6th century. The Normans introduced it to England. It was subsequently interpreted as coming from Latin rosa munda "pure rose" or rosa mundi "rose of the world". This was the name of the mistress of Henry II, the king of England in the 12th century. According to legends she was murdered by his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Rosannah f English (Rare)
Variant of Rosanna.
Rowanne f English (Rare)
Feminine variant of Rowan.
Rowina f English (Rare)
Variant of Rowena.
Royale f & m English (Rare)
Variant of Royal.
Rudyard m English (Rare)
From a place name meaning "red yard" in Old English. This name was borne by Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), the author of The Jungle Book and other works, who was named after Rudyard Lake in Staffordshire.
Ryanne f English (Rare)
Feminine variant of Ryan.
Sacheverell m English (Rare)
From a now extinct English surname that was derived from a Norman place name. It was occasionally given in honour of the English preacher Henry Sacheverell (1674-1724), especially by the Sitwell noble family.
Saffron f English (Rare)
From the English word that refers either to a spice, the crocus flower from which it is harvested, or the yellow-orange colour of the spice. It is derived via Old French from Arabic زعفران (za'faran), itself probably from Persian meaning "gold leaves".
Salome f English (Rare), German (Rare), Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
From an Aramaic name that was related to the Hebrew word שָׁלוֹם (shalom) meaning "peace". According to the historian Josephus this was the name of the daughter of Herodias (the consort of Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee). In the New Testament, though a specific name is not given, it was a daughter of Herodias who danced for Herod and was rewarded with the head of John the Baptist, and thus Salome and the dancer have traditionally been equated.... [more]
Sammi f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Samantha.
Sandford m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Sanford.
Satchel m English (Rare)
From an English surname derived from Old English sacc meaning "sack, bag", referring to a person who was a bag maker. A famous bearer was the American baseball player Satchel Paige (1906-1982). In his case it was a childhood nickname acquired because he sold bags.
Saxon m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the name of the Germanic tribe the Saxons, ultimately deriving from the Germanic word *sahsą meaning "knife". This name can also be given in direct reference to the tribe.
Seanna f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Seán.
Sefton m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "town in the rushes" in Old English.
Sela f English (Rare)
From the name of a city, the capital of Edom, which appears in the Old Testament. It means "rock" in Hebrew.
Selby m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was from a place name meaning "willow farm" in Old Norse.
Selwyn m English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally derived from an Old English given name, which was formed of the elements sele "manor" and wine "friend".
September f English (Rare)
From the name of the ninth month (though it means "seventh month" in Latin, since it was originally the seventh month of the Roman year), which is sometimes used as a given name for someone born in September.
Sequoia f & m English (Rare)
From the name of huge trees that grow in California. The tree got its name from the 19th-century Cherokee scholar Sequoyah (also known as George Guess), the inventor of the Cherokee writing system.
Sera f English (Rare)
Either a variant of Sarah or a short form of Seraphina.
Seraphina f English (Rare), German (Rare), Late Roman
Feminine form of the Late Latin name Seraphinus, derived from the biblical word seraphim, which was Hebrew in origin and meant "fiery ones". The seraphim were an order of angels, described by Isaiah in the Bible as having six wings each.... [more]
Serrena f English (Rare)
Variant of Serena.
Sevyn f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Seven.
Shanene f English (Rare)
Combination of the phonetic elements sha and neen.
Shannah f English (Rare)
Variant of Shanna.
Shantae f English (Rare)
Variant of Chanté.
Shantelle f English (Rare)
Variant of Chantel.
Shaquila f African American (Rare)
Variant of Shakila.
Sharise f English (Rare)
Variant of Charisse.
Sharona f English (Rare)
Elaborated form of Sharon.
Shaw m English (Rare)
From a surname. As an English surname it is derived from Old English sceaga meaning "thicket". As a Scottish surname it is derived from the Gaelic byname Sitheach meaning "wolf".
Shaye f & m English (Rare)
Variant of Shea.
Shaylyn f English (Rare)
Invented name, based on Shayla and using the popular name suffix lyn.
Sheard m English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally from a place name meaning "gap between hills" in Old English.
Sheelagh f English (Rare)
Variant of Sheila.
Shelagh f English (Rare)
Variant of Sheila.
Shelena f African American (Rare)
Combination of the phonetic prefix sha and the name Lena.
Sherill f English (Rare)
Variant of Cheryl.
Sherisse f English (Rare)
Variant of Charisse.
Sherley f English (Rare)
Variant of Shirley.
Shevaun f English (Rare)
Variant of Shavonne.
Shevon f English (Rare)
Variant of Shavonne.
Silver m & f English (Rare)
From the English word for the precious metal or the colour, ultimately derived from Old English seolfor.
Simonette f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Simone 1.
Sinclair m & f English (Rare)
From a Scottish surname that was derived from a Norman French town called "Saint Clair". A notable bearer was the American author Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951).
Sindy f English (Rare)
Variant of Cindy.
Sinjin m English (British, Rare)
Phonetic variant of St John.
Skylynn f English (Rare)
Elaboration of Sky using the popular name suffix lyn.
Sonnie m English (Rare)
Variant of Sonny.
Sophy f English (Rare)
Variant of Sophie or a diminutive of Sophia.
Sorrel f English (Rare)
From the name of the sour tasting plant, derived from Old French sur "sour", a word of Frankish origin.
Sparrow m & f English (Rare)
From the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English spearwa.
Spirit f English (Rare)
From the English word spirit, ultimately from Latin spiritus "breath, energy", a derivative of spirare "to blow".
Stacee f English (Rare)
Feminine variant of Stacy.
Sybella f English (Rare)
Variant of Sibylla.
Sydne f English (Rare)
Variant of Sydney.
Symphony f English (Rare)
Simply from the English word, ultimately deriving from Greek σύμφωνος (symphonos) meaning "concordant in sound".
Taegan f English (Rare)
Variant of Tegan.
Tahnee f English (Rare)
Variant of Tawny.
Talbot m English (Rare)
From an English surname, of Norman origin, possibly derived from an unattested Germanic given name composed of the elements dala "to destroy" and bod "message".
Tallulah f English (Rare)
This is the name of waterfalls in Georgia. Popularly claimed to mean "leaping waters" in the Choctaw language, it may actually mean "town" in the Creek language. It was borne by American actress Tallulah Bankhead (1902-1968), who was named after her grandmother, who may have been named after the waterfalls.
Tammara f English (Rare)
Variant of Tamara.
Tamsen f English (Rare)
Variant of Tamsin.
Tamzen f English (Rare)
Variant of Tamsin.
Tansy f English (Rare)
From the name of the flower, which is derived via Old French from Late Latin tanacita.
Tanzi f English (Rare)
Variant of Tansy.
Tarina f English (Rare)
Perhaps an elaborated form of Tara 1.
Tatton m English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "Tata's town" in Old English.
Tawnee f English (Rare)
Variant of Tawny.
Tawnie f English (Rare)
Variant of Tawny.
Teal f English (Rare)
From the English word for the type of duck or the greenish-blue colour.
Tempest f English (Rare)
From the English word meaning "storm". It appears in the title of William Shakespeare's play The Tempest (1611).
Temple m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that originally belonged to a person who was associated with the Knights Templar, a medieval religious military order.
Tennyson m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that meant "son of Tenney", Tenney being a medieval form of Denis. A notable bearer of the surname was the British poet Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892), commonly called Lord Tennyson after he became a baron in 1884.
Theobald m English (Rare), Germanic
Means "bold people", derived from the Old German elements theod meaning "people" (Old High German diota, Old Frankish þeoda) and bald meaning "bold, brave". It was borne by a 6th-century Frankish king of Austrasia. The Normans brought the name to England, where it joined an existing Old English cognate. The medieval forms Tibald and Tebald were commonly Latinized as Theobaldus. It was rare by the 20th century.
Thorburn m English (Rare)
From a Scottish and English surname that was derived from the Norse name Þórbjǫrn (see Torbjörn).
Thorley m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "thorn clearing" in Old English.
Thurstan m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the Norse name Þórsteinn (see Torsten).
Tiffiny f English (Rare)
Variant of Tiffany.
Tiger m English (Rare)
From the name of the large striped cat, derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek τίγρις (tigris), ultimately of Iranian origin. A famous bearer is American golfer Tiger Woods (1975-).
Tigerlily f English (Rare)
From tiger lily, a name that has been applied to several orange varieties of lily (such as the species Lilium lancifolium). Tiger Lily is also the name of the Native American princess in J. M. Barrie's play Peter Pan (1904).
Timotha f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Timothy.
Topaz f English (Rare)
From the English word for the yellow precious stone, the traditional birthstone of November, ultimately derived from Greek τόπαζος (topazos).
Topsy f English (Rare)
From a nickname that is of unknown meaning, perhaps deriving from the English word top. This is the name of a young slave in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852).
Trafford m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "fish-trap ford" in Old English.
Tranter m English (Rare)
From a surname meaning "wagoner" in Old English.
Travers m English (Rare)
From the surname Travers.
Trecia f English (Rare)
Variant of Tricia.
Tresha f English (Rare)
Variant of Tricia.
Tressa f English (Rare)
Contracted form of Theresa. It may also be associated with the English word tress meaning "long lock of hair".
Trevelyan m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a Cornish place name meaning "homestead on the hill".
Tria f English (Rare)
Perhaps a short form of Demetria and other names ending in a similar sound.
Trini f Spanish
Short form of Trinidad.
Trueman m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Truman.
Tuesday f English (Rare)
From the English word for the day of the week, which derives from Old English tiwesdæg meaning "Tiw's day".
Tylar m & f English (Rare)
Variant of Tyler.
Ulric m English (Rare)
Middle English form of the Old English name Wulfric. When it is used in modern times, it is usually as a variant of Ulrich.
Ulyssa f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Ulysses.
Unice f English (Rare)
Variant of Eunice.
Unity f English (Rare)
From the English word unity, which is ultimately derived from Latin unitas.
Upton m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "upper town" in Old English. A famous bearer of this name was the American novelist Upton Sinclair (1878-1968).
Ursella f English (Rare)
Variant of Ursula.
Valary f English (Rare)
Variant of Valerie.
Vale f English (Rare)
From the English word meaning "wide river valley".
Venetia f English (Rare), Greek
From the Latin name of the Italian region of Veneto and the city of Venice (see the place name Venetia). This name was borne by the celebrated English beauty Venetia Stanley (1600-1633), though in her case the name may have been a Latinized form of the Welsh name Gwynedd. Benjamin Disraeli used it for the heroine of his novel Venetia (1837).
Vere m English (Rare)
From a Norman surname, which was from a French place name, which was itself derived from a Gaulish word meaning "alder".
Veva f Spanish, Portuguese
Short form of Genoveva.
Vianne f English (Rare)
Meaning unknown, perhaps a combination of Vi and Anne 1 or a short form of Vivianne.
Vinal m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "vine hall" in Middle English.
Viona f English (Rare)
Possibly a variant of Fiona influenced by Viola.
Viviette f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Vivienne. William John Locke used this name for the title character in his novel Viviette (1910).
Vivyan f English (Rare)
Variant of Vivian.
Wallis m & f English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Wallace. Wallis Simpson (1895-1986) was the divorced woman whom Edward VIII married, which forced him to abdicate the British throne.
Wenda f English (Rare)
Variant of Wendy.
Wenona f English (Rare)
Variant of Winona.
Whitaker m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "white field" in Old English.
Wilfreda f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Wilfred.
Willoughby m & f English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "willow town" in Old English.
Windsor m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was from a place name meaning "riverbank with a windlass" in Old English (a windlass is a lifting apparatus). This has been the surname of the royal family of the United Kingdom since 1917.
Winslow m & f English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from an Old English place name meaning "hill belonging to Wine". A famous bearer of this name was American painter Winslow Homer (1836-1910).
Winthrop m English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally taken from town names meaning either "Wine's village" or "Wigmund's village" in Old English.
Wisdom f & m English (Rare)
Simply from the English word, a derivative of Old English wis "wise".
Wisteria f English (Rare)
From the name of the flowering plant, which was named for the American anatomist Caspar Wistar.
Wolf m German, Jewish, English (Rare), Germanic
Short form of Wolfgang, Wolfram and other names containing the Old German element wolf meaning "wolf" (Proto-Germanic *wulfaz). It can also be simply from the German or English word. As a Jewish name it can be considered a vernacular form of Zeev.
Wolfe m English (Rare)
Variant of Wolf, influenced by the spelling of the surname (which is also derived from the animal).
Wynne 2 m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Wine.
Wynonna f English (Rare)
Variant of Winona.
Wystan m English (Rare)
From the Old English name Wigstan, composed of the elements wig "battle" and stan "stone". This was the name of a 9th-century Anglo-Saxon saint. It became rare after the Norman Conquest, and in modern times it is chiefly known as the first name of the British poet W. H. Auden (1907-1973).
Xaviera f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Xavier.
Zavanna f English (Rare)
Variant of Savannah.
Zavia f English (Rare)
Modern feminine form of Xavier.
Zenia f English (Rare)
Variant of Xenia.
Zinnia f English (Rare)
From the name of the flower, which was itself named for the German botanist Johann Zinn.