Lucy Atkins - First-Time Parent and Gem Babies’ Names Bundle

If you still have not decided on a name for your baby by the time the limit for registration is up, you must still register the birth, but the name can be left blank. You then have up to one year from registration to make up your minds, although in Scotland any correction to the records after registration is likely to attract a fee. If your baby is baptised, the baptismal certificate can be produced at the registrar’s office as evidence of the child’s name. (Extra names given at baptism can also be added in this way.) Otherwise you need to ask the registrar’s office for a Certificate of Naming, and use this to have the names inserted. You can give your child any forenames or surname that you like. In Scotland the registrar has the power to refuse to record a name if he or she deems it to be potentially offensive, although in practice a name is rarely objected to. In England and Wales, the registrar has no right to refuse your choice, although if your choice is too outrageous you may find that you are asked to think of the effect on the child before confirming it is what you want. Modern registrars are trained to be friendly and helpful, and you can always phone your local office for any advice you need; alternatively, contact The General Register Office, Smedley Hydro, Trafalgar Road, Birkdale, Southport PR8 2HH (tel. 0870 2437788) or The Registrar General’s Office for Scotland, New Register House, Edinburgh (tel. 0131-334 0380).

Aakash see Akash

Aaliyah see Ali

Aamena, Aaminah see Amina

Aaron m.

In the Old Testament, Aaron was the brother of MOSES and the first High Priest of Israel. The traditional interpretation links this name to the Hebrew for ‘high mountain’, but like Moses, Aaron is probably an Egyptian name of unknown meaning. It is connected with the Arabic names Harun and Haroun, and has been in use since the Reformation. In the past it was pronounced with a first sound as in ‘air’, but now it is also found with a short ‘a’, a pronunciation reflected in the spelling Ar(r)on.

Abdullah m.

A Muslim name from the Arabic for ‘servant of Allah’. The short form Abdul also occurs.

Abe, Abie see Abel, Abraham

Abel m.

In the Old Testament, Abel was the second son of ADAM and EVE and murdered by his brother Cain. The name may come from a Hebrew word for ‘breath’, but like so many of the earliest names, its meaning is doubtful. The name has been used in England since before the Norman Conquest. The short forms include Abe and Abie.

Abigail f.

From the Hebrew, meaning ‘father rejoiced’. It was the name of one of King David’s wives and was much used in England during the 16th and 17th centuries when many Old Testament names were popular. It was so popular for working-class women that it degenerated into a term for a lady’s maid and so became unfashionable; but it has now come back into favour. It is sometimes spelt Abagail or Abigal. The short forms include Abbie, Abb(e)y and GAIL.

Abner m.

From the Hebrew words for ‘father of light’. In the Bible it is the name of King Saul’s cousin, who was commander of the army. In England it came into common use, together with other biblical names, after the Reformation in the early 16th century. It is still found occasionally in North America.

Abraham m.

This is the name of the Old Testament patriarch who, for the first 90 years of his life, was called Abram, ‘high father’, but then was told by God that he should be called Abraham, ‘father of many nations’. It was used in England regularly after the Reformation and became popular in North America where the abbreviation Abe, as in President Abe Lincoln (1809–65), was widely used. Other short forms are Abie, Ham and Bram. (See IBRAHIM.)

Ada f.

A name which started life as a pet form for ADELA, ADELAIDE and ADELINE, and so means ‘noble’. It was fashionable in Britain in the late 18th and 19th centuries, but is now rare. Adah is often confused with Ada, but is in fact derived from the Hebrew word for ‘ornament’ or ‘brightness’.

Adam m.

From the Hebrew, meaning ‘red’, possibly referring either to skin colour, or to the clay from which God formed the first man. The name was adopted by the Irish as early as the 7th century, when St Adamnan, ‘Little Adam’, was Abbot of Iona. It was very common in the 13th century and has been in use ever since, particularly in Scotland. It is currently one of the most popular boys’names. Adamina is a rare feminine form.

Adeel see Adil

Adela f.

From the Old German, meaning ‘noble’. It was common among the Normans, who brought it to England. One of William the Conqueror’s daughters had this name. It died out but was later revived and became fashionable in the French form Adèle. Addie or Addy is used as a pet form for the names derived from this root (see also ADELAIDE and ADELINE). Adela can also be spelt Adella, which gives us the name DELLA, now more popular than its source.

Adelaide f.

Derived from the Old German words meaning ‘noble and kind’. The name was common for centuries on the Continent but only came to Britain in 1830 when Adelaide of Saxe-Coburg became queen. Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, was named after this popular queen. It can be shortened to ADA, and ALIDA is a Hungarian pet form (see also HEIDI).

Adeline f.

Like ADELAIDE, this name is derived from the Old German for ‘noble’. It was first cited in England in the Domesday Book and was common during the Middle Ages. After that it disappeared until the Victorian Gothic revival. It is best known from the song Sweet Adeline. ADA is sometimes used as a pet form, and Alina and Aline, now used as separate names were also once short forms.

Adil m.

An Arabic name meaning ‘just, honest’. It is also spelt Adeel.

Adnan m.

An Arabic name of uncertain meaning. According to tradition, Adnan was the ancestor of the North Arabians.

Adrian m., Adrienne f.

From the Latin meaning ‘man from Adria’, and a form of the name of the Roman Emperor Hadrian, who built the wall across northern England. It has been used since Roman times; a St Adrian was the first British martyr in the 4th century. Adrian and Adrien are now sometimes used as girls’ names. Adriana is a rare female form, the French Adrienne being more popular. Adria and Adrianne are also found.

Aeneus, Aengus see Angus

Afra see Aphra

Agatha f.

From the Greek for ‘good woman’, this was the name of a 3rd-century martyr and saint. The short form is Aggie.

Agnes f.

From the Greek meaning ‘pure’. There was an early Christian martyr called Agnes, whose symbol is a lamb, since the name also sounds very like the Latin agnus, ‘lamb’. Old forms still occasionally used include Annis, Annice and Annes. Agneta is the Swedish form and Inez is the anglicised form of the Spanish Inés. Agnes was popular in Scotland where it also became Nessie and Nessa. In Wales it became Nest and Nesta. Aggie is a short form shared with AGATHA (see also INA).

Ahmad m.

This Arabic name is often spelt Ahmed. It is one of the names applied to the Prophet Muhammad and means ‘more praiseworthy’.

Aidan m.

An ancient Irish name which means ‘little fire’. It was the name of a 7th-century Irish missionary who founded the monastery of Lindisfarne in Northumbria. The name was revived during the 19th century and is popular at the moment in Ireland. It is sometimes anglicised as Edan.

Ailbhe see Elvis

Aileen see Eileen

Ailis, Ailish see Alice, Eilis

Ailsa f.

From the Scottish island, Ailsa Craig. First used in Scotland where it can also be a pet form of ALICE, it has now spread through Britain.

Aimée see Amy, Esmé

Ainsley m. and f.