English Girl Names That Might Be in Your Family Tree

Do you have English heritage? If so, your grandmothers, great-grandmothers, and beyond might have English names. Popular English girl names come from a variety of sources. Whether you are learning about these names to connect with your ancestors or to find names for your future children, knowing where the names come from can help you connect with your family—past, present, and future.

Check out the list of popular English girl names below! You can also learn about English boy names and English surnames.

English Boy Names in Your Family Tree

By  FamilySearch

January 7, 2020

Your name is a significant part of your personal identity. It’s likely that your ancestors felt the same way about their names. If you have …

More

Popular English Surnames: Origins and Meanings

By  Alison Ensign

January 3, 2020

Names are an integral part of personal and family identities. They can also illuminate your cultural heritage or your ancestors’ lives. If y…

More

45 Popular and Unique English Girl Names

English girl names are some of the most elegant of English names. Think of class and beauty as you read them.

1. Ada (ā-də)

   1. Origin: German or Hebrew
   2. Meaning: Noble and happy or beautiful

2. Alberta (al-ˈbər-tə)

   1. Origin: German
   2. Meaning: Noble and bright

3. Alexis (ə-ˈlek-səs)

   1. Origin: Greek
   2. Meaning: Defender, protector, or helper

4. Alecia (ə-ˈlī-shə)

   1. Origin: French or German
   2. Meaning: Noble

5. Amelia (ə-ˈmēl-yə)

   1. Origin: Latin or Germanic
   2. Meaning: Hardworking

   

6. Andrea (än-drā-ə)

   1. Origin: Italian or Greek
   2. Meaning: Manly and strong

7. Anne (an)

   1. Origin: Hebrew or Greek
   2. Meaning: Gracious and merciful

8. Averill (ā-və-ril)

   1. Origin: English
   2. Meaning: Boar battle

9. Blakesley (blāks-lē)

   1. Origin: English
   2. Meaning: Black wolf’s meadow

10. Brenda (bren-dä)

    1. Origin: Gaelic
    2. Meaning: Sword

    

11. Celestia (sə-lest-ē-ə)

    1. Origin: Latin
    2. Meaning: Heavenly

12. Charlotte (shär-lət)

    1. Origin: French
    2. Meaning: Free man

13. Clara (kler-ə)

    1. Origin: Latin
    2. Meaning: Clear and bright

14. Cleo (klē-o)

    1. Origin: Greek
    2. Meaning: To praise or glory

15. Darcie (därsē)

    1. Origin: English or Irish
    2. Meaning: Dark

    

16. Edith (ē-dəth)

    1. Origin: English
    2. Meaning: Prosperous war

17. Eleanor (e-lə-nər)

    1. Origin: French, Greek
    2. Meaning: Famous wealth, bright shining one

18. Elizabeth (i-ˈli-zə-bəth)

    1. Origin: Hebrew
    2. Meaning: Oath to God

19. Elmira (el-ˈmī-rə)

    1. Origin: English, Arabic
    2. Meaning: Noble, princess

20. Emma (e-mə)

    1. Origin: German
    2. Meaning: Complete or universal

    

21. Erin (er-ən)

    1. Origin: Gaelic
    2. Meaning: Ireland

22. Eve (ēv)

    1. Origin: Hebrew
    2. Meaning: Life

23. Freya (frā-ə)

    1. Origin: Scandinavian or Norse
    2. Meaning: Lady or goddess of love, fertility, and beauty

24. Georgianna (jȯr-jan-ə)

    1. Origin: English or Greek
    2. Meaning: Farmer

25. Gertrude (gər-trüd)

    1. Origin: German
    2. Meaning: Strong spear

    

26. Isabella (iz-ə-belə)

    1. Origin: Italian
    2. Meaning: God is my oath

27. Joanna (jōˈ[h]anə̇)

    1. Origin: English, Polish, Greek, or Hebrew
    2. Meaning: God is gracious

28. Katherine (ka-th(ə-)rən)

    1. Origin: Greek
    2. Meaning: Pure

29. Kelsey (kelsē)

    1. Origin: English
    2. Meaning: From the island

30. Leanne (lē-an)

    1. Origin: English
    2. Meaning: Clearing or gracious
       

       

31. Lily (li-lē)

    1. Origin: English
    2. Meaning: Lily flower, a symbol of purity

32. Louisa (lü-ē-zə)

    1. Origin: English or German
    2. Meaning: Famous warrior

33. Matilda (məˈtildə)

    1. Origin: English or German
    2. Meaning: Strong in battle

34. Myrtle (mər-tᵊl)

    1. Origin: English, Greek
    2. Meaning: Myrtle bush

35. Olivia (o-ˈli-vē-ə)

    1. Origin: English, French, Latin, or Norse
    2. Meaning: Descendant, olive tree, peaceful, affectionate, or warrior

    

36. Penelope (pə-ˈne-lə-pē)

    1. Origin: Greek
    2. Meaning: Weaver

37. Pippa (pipə)

    1. Origin: English or Greek
    2. Meaning: Horse lover

38. Queenie (kwē-nī)

    1. Origin: English
    2. Meaning: Queen

39. Rosemary (rōz-mer-ē)

    1. Origin: English, Latin
    2. Meaning: Rosemary herb

40. Ruth (rüth)

    1. Origin: Hebrew
    2. Meaning: Compassionate friend

    

41. Tate (tāt)

    1. Origin: English, Norse
    2. Meaning: Pleasant and cheerful

42. Tamsin (tam-zin)

    1. Origin: English or Greek
    2. Meaning: Twin

43. Tara (ter-ə)

    1. Origin: Irish
    2. Meaning: A reference to the Hill of Tara, the legendary seat for the High King of Ireland

44. Whitney (hwit-nē)

    1. Origin: English
    2. Meaning: From the white island

Did any of these names stick out to you? Did we miss one of your favorites? Now that you have learned about English girl names, try searching your tree to see which ones are in your family. You might learn something new!

Alison Ensign and Laurie Bradshaw contributed to this post.

Discover More about Your English Heritage

English Genealogy: Finding English Historical Documents

By  Sunny Jane Morton

November 11, 2019

If you have English roots, you can search a variety of English historical documents to learn about your ancestors’ identities and stories. S…

More

36 British Sayings

By  Alison Ensign

November 22, 2019

Have you ever stopped to wonder where phrases such as “have a gander” come from or what they mean? There are hundreds of British sayings, id…

More

Traditional English Dishes and the History of English Food

By  Alison Ensign

February 21, 2020

“I still think it's essential for a parent to cook with their children. Weighing out the ingredients and learning where the food comes from …

More

Page of 2