There are many beautiful old English baby names for girls but they've been so popular recently it's hard to find an old fashioned name that's truly unique.
However, there are some unbelievably lovely old British and English girl's names that really are rare and ripe for re-discovery.
So if you want a gorgeous old fashioned English name for your baby girl that is genuinely different have a browse of this list.
You'll find forgotten gems Victorians loved but also long lost beauties from Medieval times and even earlier in British history.
Use the index below to find old English girls names from a specific period in history or browse the alphabetic list.
I hope you find something you love. Let me know your favourites.
And do bookmark or save on Pinterest for quick reference later.
Old English Girls Name Index
Simply click the links in the index to read more about the meanings, origins and diminutives of these lovely old girls names :
- Victorian Girls Names
- Edwardian Girls Names
- Medieval Girls Names
- Anglo Saxon Girls Names
- Old British Girls Names
Victorian English Girls Names
Many old English girls names from the Victorian or gilded age are super popular now but there are still uncommon and rare Victorian names to choose from including :
The Victorians adored everything Anglo-Saxon and revived these old English girls name from one thousand years earlier :
Edwardian English Girls Names
The Edwardians in the early 20th century revived old medieval English girls name and borrowed new ones from the French :
Medieval English Girls Names
There was a big change in English girls name after the Norman conquest with French names becoming most fashionable. Some of these old names have been revived but others are still beautifully rare :
- Adela
- Alodia
- Annis - Annice
- Avella
- Aveline
- Cecily
- Eleanor
- Elspeth
- Felicia
- Joan
- Marjorie
- Matilda
- Sibley
- Sybil - Sybilla
Uncommon Anglo Saxon Girls Names
As we have seen the Victorians revived lots of old Anglo Saxon girls names and made them super popular but these beautifully rare old English names escaped their attention and are wonderfully unique now :
Rare Old British Girls Names
There are some very pretty but rare old British girls names that go back before the Anglo-Saxons to Roman and Celtic Britain and give you a choice of something unusual but traditional for your daughter :
Beautifully Rare And Uncommon Old English Girls Names
Adela
Meaning : Noble, Serene
Adela was a popular medieval girl's name in England after Princess Adela the daughter of King William I and the mother of King Stephen. Diminutives: Addie, Della
Adelia
Meaning : Noble One
Adelia is a lovely rare alternative to the ever popular Amelia. It had a burst of popularity in the 19th Century after Donizetti's opera Adelia. Diminutives : Addie, Delia
Adelaide
Meaning : Noble
Popular in the early 19th Century in Britain after the coronation of Queen Adelaide in 1830 after whom the Australian city Adelaide was named. Diminutives : Addie, Della
Adeline or Adelina
Meaning : Noble
Adeline and Adelina first became popular in Wales in the 18th Century but really took off across the British Isles in the 1830s. Adeline, Countess of Cardigan was a famous British society beauty in the 1850s. Diminutives : Addie, Lina
Afrella
Meaning : Pure
Afrella was an early British princess back in the 5th Century and the name has not had a revival since!! So if you want a beautiful but truly unique old British name for your baby girl, Afrella is a great choice. Diminutives : Frella, Affie
Agatha
Meaning : Good & honourable
Agatha has been a girl's name in Britain since Saint Agatha right back in Roman times. Popular with medieval aristocrats, it came back into fashion in the 1880s. Diminutives: Aggie
Aisley
Meaning : An ash tree meadow
Aisley is a pretty Anglo-Saxon version of the more well known name Ashley. It pops up in British and American records back to the 16th Century but is still delightfully rare. Diminutives : Ley
Alodia
Meaning : Other riches
Alodia is an old English version of the French girl's name Alodie. It had a little wave of popularity in the 1600s but has been forgotten since so is a pretty name ripe for a revival. Diminutives : Ally, Loddie
Alys - Alyse - Alyce
Meaning : Exalted
Alys, Alyse and Alyce are old English spellings of Alice and a lovely way to give an unusual twist to a popular girls name. Diminutives : Allie
Elsweth - Elswith - Aelswith
Meaning : Spiritual Strength
Elsweth is a rare old version of the name Elizabeth. The most famous Aelswith was wife of King Alfred the Great and now a star of Last Kingdom. Diminutives : Ellie
Alyssum
Meaning : Worth Beyond Beauty
Sweet Alyssum is the old name for the pretty little pink & white flower sweet Alison and makes a lovely unusual alternative to the more common Alison. Diminutives : Allie
Alwyn
Meaning : Joyful spirit
Alwyn was popular old English girl's name in Anglo-Saxon times but didn't come back with the Victorians so makes a beautifully unique choice today. Diminutives : Allie
Annis - Annes - Annice
Meaning : Pure
Annis or Annice was a traditionally popular girl's name in England and other parts of Britain that had faded away but is now having a revival. Diminutives : Annie
Anora
Meaning : Honour
Anora is a sweet version of the girl's names Onora and Honora that became very popular in Britain and Ireland in the 19th Century. Diminutives : Annie
Arilda
Meaning : Pure
Arilda was the name of one of the first old English saints. Long forgotten, it was revived by the Victorians who adored Anglo-Saxon names. Diminutives : Rillie, Rilda
Audra - Audrey
Meaning : Steadfast honour
Audra is an old fashioned version of the English name Audrey first popularised by pre-WW1 model Audrey Munson and then by Audrey Hepburn. Both were nicknames for Princess Etheldreda an old British saint.
Aurelia
Meaning : Golden one
Aurelia has Latin origins but became fashionable in England during the Renaissance as a feminine version of Aurelius. Diminutives : Relia
Avella - Aveline
Meaning : Hazel
Aveline was originally a French girl's name derived from Avella the pretty Italian name for Hazel but Aveline became fashionable in both Tudor and late Victorian Britain. Diminutives : Vella, Lina
Blanche
Meaning : Pure
Blanche is another old British girls name originating in France that was popular with medieval aristocrats and then had a big revival in Britain & America in the gilded age with fashionable stars such as Blanche Sweet. Diminutives : Bee, Annie
Bliss - Blisse
Meaning : Blessed, Grace
The origins of the word Bliss are found in old English in the Kingdom of Northumbria but Bliss and Blisse only took off as English girls name with the Victorians.
Cecily - Secily
Meaning : For St Cecilia
Cecily is an English version of Cecilia, popular amongst the aristocracy of Medieval England such as Cecily of York mother of King Edward IV.
Cicely - Cicily
Meaning : Spirit lifting
The beautiful old fashioned name Cicely comes from the flowering herb Sweet Cicely which was found in old English gardens and was believed to lift spirits and bring joy.
Clarice - Clarisse - Clarissa
Meaning : Clear and bright
Clarice is an English version of the traditional French and Italian girls names Clarisse and Clarissa. Clarice became popular in the 1890s. Diminutives : Clarrie.
Clementine
Meaning : Gentle one
Clementine has been an English girls name since at least the 1500s but hit peak popularity in Britain in the Victorian era influenced by Princess Clementine of France. Diminutives: Clemmie, Clem.
Cwen
Meaning : Queen
Cwen is a very old British girl's name with roots in the old Welsh spoken in Roman Britain before the Anglo-Saxons arrived in the British Isles. Diminutives : Cwennie
Daisy
Meaning : The day's eye
A beloved old English girl's name since the Anglo-Saxons, Daisy never truly goes out of fashion and is a lovely simple girl's name to combine with something more unusual.
Eawynn - Ewynn
Meaning : River, joy
Ewynn is another old English name popular in Anglo-Saxon times that missed the Victorian revival so a lovely choice for a rare old name. Diminutive : Winnie
Edith
Meaning : To prosper
Edith is an ancient Anglo-Saxon name that never truly went out of fashion in England but became super popular with the Victorians. Famous Ediths include Queen Edith of Wessex, novelist Edith Wharton and silent movie stars Edith Roberts and Edith Johnson. Diminutive : Edie, Eddie
Edna - Edina
Meaning : Essence, true heart
Edna and Edina become popular in Victorian Britain as derivations of both the old English name Edwin and the Gaelic name Eithne. Famous Edna's include Edna May a celebrated music hall star. Diminutives : Eddie, Dina
Elfwen - Elfwyn
Meaning : Elf like
Elfwen is a beautifully rare old Anglo-Saxon name which like many old English names pays tribute to the mystical strengths of the elf folk : beauty, wisdom and bravery. Diminutives : Ellie, Wen, Winnie
Elvina - Elwyna
Meaning : Elf friend
Elvina is another lovely old English girl's name that celebrates - curiously to us - the elves. Elvina was still in use in Tudor times and had a Victorian comeback but is now super rare. Diminutives : Ellie, Vina
Elda
Meaning : Protected & protector
Elda is a rare old English name for girls from the West Country. It celebrates a belief in the mythical powers of the elder tree to protect the home. Diminutive : Ellie
Ellen
Meaning : Bright light, protector
Ellen is another old fashioned British girls name popular since Saxon times. Ellen Terry was the most famous actress of the 19th Century. Diminutive : Ellie
Enid - Ened
Meaning : Pure life spirit
Enid is a very old British girls name found in Welsh stories of King Arthur that became fashionable in late Victorian and Edwardian times in Britain and the USA.
Everilda
Meaning : For Saint Everilda
The old English girl's name Everilda honours the Anglo-Saxon saint Everilda who established a religious community in Yorkshire. The name was very rare in England as a whole but found in Yorkshire until the Victorians. Diminutives : Evie, Rilda
Esme
Meaning : Beloved
Esme has been popular recently but first came into fashion in Edwardian times. It's another good old fashioned name to combine with something more unusual.
Edwina
Meaning : Fortunate friend
Edwina sounds like an old English girls name but is really a Victorian invented feminine version of Edwin. Famous Edwinas include Countess Mountbatten and movie star Edwina Booth. Diminutives : Eddie
Eleanor
Meaning : Shining light
Eleanor has been a popular English baby name for girls ever since the arrival of Queen Eleanor from France in medieval times. Diminutive : Ellie
Elspeth - Elsbeth - Elesabeth
Meaning : God's promise
Elspeth is an old British version of Elizabeth most commonly found in Scotland and Northumberland. Diminutive : Elsie, Beth
Fearn
Meaning : Tree of spring
Fearn is a very old British girl's name which comes from the Gaelic for the Alder tree a symbol of protection and new life for babies born in spring from March 18th to April 14th.
Felicia - Felicity
Meaning : Happy, fortunate
Felicia was a Roman saint and both Felicia and Felicity have been used as girls names since early medieval times. Diminutives : Flick, Flissie
Freda
Meaning : Peaceful
Freda is an old English girls name fashionable in the gilded era from the 1890s to WW1. Famous Fredas included Freda Dudley Ward the socialite mistress of King Edward VIII who featured in Downton Abbey. Diminutives : Freddie
Hasel - Hazel
Meaning : Wisdom, authority
Hasel or hazel trees had great power in Celtic and Anglo Saxon myths and Hasel has been used as a rare girl's name ever since but became very fashionable in the 1920s and 30s in Britain and America.
Hilda
Meaning : Mother, teacher, leader
The name Hilda was first made popular by Hilda of Whitby a Northumbrian princess and beloved old English saint, but fell out of fashion until the 1880s. Famous Hildas included silent movie stars Hilda Bayley & Hilda Anthony.
Joan
Meaning : Gracious
Joan became a popular girls name among the medieval nobility with a long line of English princesses called Joan but fell out of fashion in the 1800s until a huge revival in the 1920s & 30s with film stars such as Joan Crawford & Joan Fontaine
Lettice - Letecia - Letitia
Meaning : Joy
Originally a Latin name, Lettice and Letecia were fashionable British girls names from the 17th to the 19th centuries but fell out of fashion after WW1 so a good choice if you want something rare. Diminutive : Lettie
Lewina
Meaning : Serenity
Lewina was one of the very earliest British saints associated by tradition with many miracles. Lewina never completely disappeared from records of English and Welsh girls names but now makes a beautifully rare choice for your baby daughter. Diminutive : Lina
Linnet - Linetta
Meaning : Of the lake, Small bird
Linnet is an old British girls name with Celtic origins that can be found continuously in birth records but has always remained delightfully unusual. Diminutives : Lin, Nettie
Mabel
Meaning : Adorable
The girl's name Mabel came to England from France with Norman nobility. It became super popular and glamorous - think Mabel Lane Fox from Downton Abbey - in Edwardian England and Gilded Age America with early silent film stars such as Mabel Poulton, Ballin and Taliaferro.
Maerwynn - Merewen
Meaning : Fair light
Merewen is another popular Anglo-Saxon girls name - after Maerwynn who founded a great seat of learning at Romsey Abbey - that is now long forgotten. It is obviously an unusual choice but it does have - the ever safe - Mary as a diminutive.
Marigold
Meaning : Mary's gold / splendour
If you love Downton Abbey you could opt - like Edith - for Marigold a traditional flower in English gardens.
Margery - Marjory - Marjorie
Meaning : Pearl
Marjorie is another old British girls name that came over with the Normans. It became common in Scotland in honour of Marjorie Countess of Carrick mother of King Robert the Bruce and then super fashionable in England and the USA in 1890s and early 1900s with silent movie stars such as Marjorie Daw.
Matilda - Mathilda
Meaning : Strength
Matilda was very popular amongst medieval English nobility with numerous Queen Matildas in both England and Scotland after the Norman Conquest. It was super fashionable again with the early Victorians. Diminutive : Tilda, Tilly
Maud - Maude
Meaning : Strength
Maud is a variation of Mathilda that became popular after the birth of Princess Maud of Wales in 1869. The name fell out of fashion but in 2013 the Royal family welcomed a new Maud Windsor.
Mildred - Mildrith
Meaning : Gentle Strength
Mildred is an old British girls name that goes back to the Anglo-Saxon princess Saint Mildred. It had a big revival in Edwardian times led by stage and silent movie stars such as Mildred Davies and Mildred Harris. Diminutive : Milly, Millie
Molly
Meaning : Beloved
A diminutive of Mary, Molly had big wave of popularity in Britain in the 1700s and has been having a comeback since the 1990s. It is a lovely old-fashioned British girls name to combine with something more unusual.
Nelda
Meaning : Protected, new spring
Nelda is another old British girl's name tied to the mystical powers of the Alder tree as a symbol of protection and new life in spring so is a wonderful old-fashioned name for babies born in March and April. Curiously super popular in Texas in the 1930s. Diminutive : Nellie
Odilia - Odelia - Odella
Meaning : Fortune, beautiful song
A lovely and very rare name Odilia was a British princess back in the 500s who became a beloved Saint in France. Diminutives : Dillie, Delia, Della
Odette
Meaning : Fortune
Odette is more common as a girl's name in France but you can find it in English baptism records back to the Tudors and beyond. Diminutives : Dettie
Orelia - Orella
Meaning : Golden one
Orelia and Orella were Victorian adaptations of the old Tudor favourite Aurelia. Diminutives : Relia, Rella
Ottilie - Ottoline
Meaning : Prosper
Ottolie and Ottoline are feminine versions of Otto that were super popular in Denmark in the 19th Century but came to Britain in the late 1800s with Queen Alexandra and everything Danish. Diminutives : Ottie
Ora
Meaning : Golden, prayer
Ora is a rare British girls name but can be found in old birth records going back hundreds of years.
Oakley
Meaning : Growing strength
Oakley is an old English surname that makes a beautifully rare, nature inspired baby name that works wonderfully for girls and boys. Diminutives : Ley
Rowena
Meaning : Protecting
Rowena was the Anglo-Saxon heroine of Walter Scott's popular novel Ivanhoe. The name came from the rowan tree which had magical protective powers in British myths. Diminutives : Rena
Steorra
Meaning : Star, Shining Light
Steorra is an old English word for star or bright guiding light.
Sidwell - Sidwella
Meaning : Virtuous one
Sidwell is the patron saint of Exeter - remembered for her kindness to the poor - and Sidwell and Sidwella were used as girls name in Devon and Cornwall right up until the 20th century. Diminutives : Sid
Sybil - Sybilla - Sibilla
Meaning : Prophetess, blessed sight
The name Sybil goes back to the Greeks but was popular in the British royal families after the Norman Conquest with many medieval princesses called Sybilla including Queen Sybilla of Scotland. Diminutive : Sybbie
Sibley
Meaning: Blessed sight
Sibley is believed to be a shortened version of Sybilla and can be found in old English birth records from medieval times and the Tudors right through to the Victorians. Diminutive : Sibbie
Winifred - Winefride
Meaning : Peaceful friend
Winefride was a Welsh saint in the 600s who became a favourite for English pilgrims and Winifred was a popular English girls name right up until WW1 when it fell out of fashion. It is just starting to comeback so a good old British girls name that is still unusual but on trend. Diminutives : Winnie, Freddie
Wynflaed
Meaning : Joy, beauty
If you'd like a really unique old English girls name, Wynflaed is an alternative to Winifred that was used by Anglo-Saxon noble women. Diminutives : Winnie
I do hope you found some beautiful uncommon old english girls names you love for your baby.
Do bookmark or save on Pinterest to come back to.
And for more ideas and simple pregnancy tips check out my other baby & pregnancy posts and follow me on Pinterest.
[…] others were forgotten old British names revived with a modern twist […]