TEFLChina Teahouse: Teaching: General:
Popular western names handout
To make a helpful handout of Boy's and Girl's English names, cut and paste the following two lists of names into your word processor (or just print them out with your browser's print button and snip snip with scissors) and make double sided copies (girl's names on one side and boy's on the other). Often there is more than one spelling for a name but I kept the list simple by including only one spelling for each name. Students can find more names in the appendix of some of the English - Chinese dictionaries published in China.
Many Chinese students choose English nicknames in primary or middle school, oh, you know, Grape, Windy, Firecracker, Cleaver, etc. I consider these names too childish for my students now that they are in university and heading for careers. So if they have a name like that, I explain that it is fine as a child's nickname but that it really does lack the maturity they will want to convey with their names in many English language social encounters they will have with westerners, as university students and in business.
Abby Abra Adelaide Adriene Aimee Alexa Alexis Alice Alicea Alison Allyson Amanda Amber Amy Andrea Ann Annette Anise Anita Ariel Ashley Aurora Autumn Aviva Barbara Belinda Bianca Brenda Briana Bridget Brooke Caitlin Camille Camille Carina Carla Carol Cecelia Celeste Carmine Carolin Caroline Casey Cassie Catherine Celia Chanda Charlotte Chelsea Cheryl Christina Claire Clara Claudia Constance Corinne Courtney Cybil Cynthia Danielle Darby Dawn Dayle Deanna Debora Della Diana Diane Donna Dorothy Echo Eden Eleanor Elizabeth (Liz) Ellen Eloise Emily Erica Erin Estelle Eva Evelyn Faith Fiona Frances (Fran) Frieda Gabrielle Gail Genealle Geneva Georgia Geraldine Geri Gina Gladys Glenda Gwendolyn (Gwen) Haley Hannah Harmony Heather Helen Hester Heidi Hilary Holly Ingrid Irene Isabel Ivory Jackie Jacqueline Jade Jamie Jane Janet Janna Jean Jena Jennifer (Jenny) Jessica Jill Jo Joan Joanna Joanne Jolene Johna (Jonna) Jordan Josephine (Jo) Josie Joy Judith (Judy) Juliet (Julie) June Justine Karen Katherine Kathleen Katie Kayla Kelly Kimberly (Kim) Kirsten Kristen Lacy Lana Lane Lark Laura Laurel Lauren Leah Leona Lisa Lillian Linda Loretta Lorraine Louise Lucille Lydia Lynn Madeline Maia (Maya) Maisie Mandy Mara Margaret Margery Margo Maribel Marilyn Marissa Marlo Martha Mary Maureen Mavis May Meara Megan (Meg) Melanie Melba Melina Melinda Melissa Melody Mercedes Michelle Mindy Minna Mirabel Miranda Miriam Moira Molly Mona Monica Muriel Muriel Myra Nadia Nadine Nancy Nanette Naomi Natalie Natasha Neona Nerissa Niabi [-N. Amer. Indian: a fawn] Nicole Nina Nita [-North American Indian: bear] Nora Noreen Olivia Paloma Pamela Pamona Patience Patrice Patricia Paula Pearl Perry Phaedra Phoebe Phyllis Polly Rachel Rae Ramona Raquel Rebecca Rhea Rhonda Riane Richelle Rihana Risa Rita Roberta Robin Rochelle Rosalind Rose Roxanne Ruth Sabina Sabrina Salena [-salty] Sally Salome Samala Samantha Sammy Sandra Sandy Sara Sasha Selena [-moon] Shannon Sharon Sheila Shelley Sheryl Shirley Sibyl Silvia Simone Solana Sondra Sophie Stacey Stella Stephanie Sue Sunny Susan Sydney Sylvia Taffy Tamara Tammy Tanya Tara Taryn Tasha Taylor Tess Tessa Thea Theresa Tia Tiffany Tina Tirza Toby Toni Tracy Tricia Trudy Ulani Ursula Valerie Vanessa Venus Vera Veronica Victoria (Vicki, Vicky) Vivian Virginia Wendy Wesley Winifred Winifree Winnie Winona [-N. Amer. Indian: 1st born] Wren Wynne Xanthe Xenia Xena Yolanda Yonica Yvette Yvonne Zelda Zoe Zola
Aaron Abel Abner Abraham Adam Adrian Albert Alex Alexander Allan Andrew (Andy) Anthony (Tony) Art Arthur Austin Avery Ben Benjamin Bert Bill (William) Blake Brad Bradley Brandon Brendan Brendon Brett Brian Bruce Burke Byron Caleb Calvin Camden Carey Carl Casey Cecil Chad Channing (Chan) Charles Chase Christopher (Chris) Clayton Cody Cole Colin Conan Connor Conrad Cory Craig Curtis (Curt) Cyril Cyrus Dale Damian Dan Daniel Darcy Darrel Darren Dave David Dean Dell (Udell) Demetri Dennis Derek Devan Donald (Don) Douglas (Doug) Drake Duncan Dustin Dwight Dylan Earl Earnest Edmond Edsel Edward (Ed) Edwin Eldon Eli Elias Elliot Ellis Elton Elwin Emanuel Eric Erin Errol Esmond Ethan Eugene Evan Every Fabian Floyd Flynn Forest Francis Frank Fredrick (Fred) Gareth George Gerald Gilbert Glenn Gregory (Greg) Guy Harold Harry Harvey Henry Hershel Howard Hugh Ian Iran Irving Irwin Isaac Ivan Jack Jacob Jake James Jared Jarvis Jason Jeb Jeffrey (Jeff) Jeremy Jerry Jesse Jim Joe John Jonas Jonathan Jordon Joseph Joshua (Josh) Judah Justin Kelvin Kenneth (Ken) Kent Kerry Kevin Kim Kirby Kirk Knox Kyle Lance Lane Laurence Lee Leo Leon Leonard Leslie Lester Levi Luke Lindsay Lionel Lloyd Loran Loren Lou Louis Lucas Luther Lynn Malcolm Mallory Marchall Mark Marlow Martin Marvin Mason Matthew (Matt) Maurice Max Merlin Merrick Michael (Mike) Mitchell Morgan Myron Nathan Nathaniel Ned Neil Nevin Nicholas (Nick) Niels Noah Nolan Norman (Norm) Nuri Odell Oliver Omar Oren Orion Orson Oscar Otis Owen Pablo Palmer Parker Patrick (Pat) Paul Percy Perry Peter Phillip (Phil) Preston Price Quinn Ralph Raymond (Ray) Reed Rex Reynard Reynold Richard (Rich) Rick Rob Robert Robin Rodney Roger Roman Ronald (Ron) Roy Rudy Russell (Russ) Rusty Ryan Samson (Sam) Samuel (Sam) Scott Sean Selby Seth Shane Shannon Sheldon Sheridan Sidney (Sid) Simon Skip Spencer Stanley (Stan) Stephen (Steve; Steven) Stuart Sven Tab Taylor Terence Terry Theodore (Theo; Ted) Thomas (Tom) Timmothy (Tim; Toby) Todd Tony (Anthony) Travis Trent Trevor Tristan Tucker Turner Tyler Udell (Dell) Ulric Valentine Vance Vernon Vincent Virgil Vladimir Wade Walden Walker Wallace(Wally) Walter (Walt) Warren Waverly Wendell Wesley (Wes) William (Will; Bill) Winslow Winston Woody Wynn Zachary
The meanings of girls names, in square brackets, are from Lansky, Bruce (1984). The Best Baby Name Book in the Whole Wide World, Revised Edition. New York: Meadowbrook/Simon & Schuster, ISBN 0-915658-83-6 (buy abroad).
Chinese students will ask what their English names mean because unlike English names most Chinese names have obvious meanings. Lansky has meanings for lots of English names.
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