Posh. It’s a term I dread, and try to avoid whenever I can. You see, it’s a very tetchy and subjective word that brings up all sorts of connotations. To call something “posh” can equally be a compliment of elegance and refinement as much as it can be a derogatory slur of aloofness and pomposity.

　　But, if I avoid the word to avoid offence, I’m in the minority. “Posh” is so bandied around in Britain, it can mean anything from “pertaining exclusively to the aristocracy” to “a little bit fancy.” Though ironically, the aristocracy to which it usually refers don’t actually use the word.

　　

Posh Names in the UK

The fact is, Britain has an upper class, a social elite, who have their own set of habits, preferences and even names. Some names are so indicative, that you may assume as person is aristocratic just from their names. I didn’t need to know anything about fashion editor Pandora Sykes, to guess that she was upper class (sure enough, she is the granddaughter of Lord Buxton of Alsa) because Pandora is one of those delightfully eccentric names from classical mythology that has been used by the aristocracy for centuries

　　Almost legendary in recent years are the likes of twins Biggles George Fittleworth and Posie Betsy Winifred and their big sister Tuppence; Wulfstan Wallace and his sisters Dorothy, Cleopatra and Elektra; sisters Mimi Magenta Poodle and Ruby Rhapsody Panda; Samuel Badger, who goes by Badger ….  I could go on and on, they’re so delightfully eccentric.

　　The following 100 names are the names most indicative of the upper class in Britain over the last thirty years based on peerage birth announcements compared with national statistics. In other words, these names are uncommon choices in Britain except for among the upper class where they are well used.

　　

Posh British Girl Names

Allegra

　　Anoushka

　　Antonia

　　Atalanta

　　Arabella

　　Araminta

　　Artemis

　　Augusta

　　Calypso

　　Camilla

　　Candida

　　Cecily

　　Claudia

　　Clarissa

　　Coco

　　Cordelia

　　Cosima

　　Flora

　　Hebe

　　Henrietta

　　Hero

　　India

　　Iona

　　Jemima

　　Kinvara

　　Kitty

　　Leonora

　　Lettice

　　Loveday

　　Lucinda

　　Marina

　　Maud

　　Miranda

　　Octavia

　　Oenone

　　Olympia

　　Ophelia

　　Ottilie

　　Pandora

　　Perdita/Purdy

　　Primrose

　　Romilly

　　Rosalind

　　Rosamund

　　Tabitha

　　Tatiana

　　Theodora

　　Venetia

　　Verity

　　Xanthe

　　

Posh British Boy Names

Algernon/Algy

　　Archibald

　　Aubrey

　　Augustus

　　Barnaby

　　Benedict

　　Bertram

　　Casper

　　Caspian

　　Cosmo

　　Digby

　　Fabian

　　Felix

　　Fergus

　　Giles

　　Guy

　　Hector

　　Horatio

　　Hugo

　　Humphrey

　　Inigo

　　Ivo

　　Jago

　　Jocelyn

　　Jonty

　　Kit

　　Leopold

　　Ludovic/Ludo

　　Lysander

　　Magnus

　　Marmaduke

　　Montague

　　Montgomery

　　Mungo

　　Orlando

　　Otto

　　Ralph/Rafe

　　Rollo

　　Rufus

　　Rupert

　　Tarquin

　　Tobias

　　Torquil

　　Tristan

　　Tristram

　　Sholto

　　St John

　　Wilbur

　　Wilfred

　　Willoughby

　　Disclaimer: These names aren’t exclusively used by the British upper classes, and the upper classes don’t only use these names. However, these names have been statistically more common among the peerage compared with nationally in the last thirty years.

　　

About the Author

　　

Eleanor Nickerson

FacebookEleanor Nickerson on Facebook

　　TwitterEleanor Nickerson on Twitter

　　LinkEleanor Nickerson's Personal Website

　　Eleanor Nickerson, better known to Nameberry message board visitors as Elea, is a primary school teacher living in Coventry, England and author of the blog British Baby Names.

　　View all of Eleanor Nickerson's articlesChevron - Right