English Last Names
- Larimer
Origin:
English and Scottish surnameMeaning:
"maker and seller of spurs"Description:
This cowboy-ish surname has an equine connection — Larimer originally denoted someone who made and sold spur bits, along with other hardware needed for riding horses.
- Alston
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"dweller at the old town"Description:
Dropping the H off hot surnames gets you a whole new name. The trend is multiplying: Hadley becomes Adley, Harley become Arley, Harlow becomes Arlowe, and now Halston becomes Alston.
- Hammett
Origin:
English surnameDescription:
A possibility for fans of the mystery writer, but most parents would prefer Dashiell.
- Poe
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"peacock"Description:
Hip new middle-name choice, conjuring up the gothic tales of Edgar Allan, and current single-named pop singer Poe. As a first name, it's radically underused, given last year in the US to only five baby boys and no baby girls.
- Luckey
Origin:
Word name, EnglishMeaning:
"having good fortune; son of Luke, man from Lucania"Description:
Luckey can be considered an alternative spelling for the felicitous word name Lucky, or as an English surname derived from Lukey, a diminutive of Lucas or Luke. This option was chosen by (disgraced) former Congressman Matt Gaetz and his wife Ginger in 2025, to honor her maiden name.
- Bevan
Description:
Bevan is traditionally a masculine Welsh surname that has crossed over to become a given name for both genders, though it remains more common for boys. It derives from the Welsh 'ab Evan' meaning 'son of Evan,' with Evan itself meaning 'young warrior' or 'youth.' As a feminine name, Bevan offers a distinctive, gender-neutral quality that appeals to parents seeking less traditionally feminine options. The name has a strong, concise sound with its two clear syllables. Bevan has never been widely popular in English-speaking countries, remaining a relatively rare choice that carries Celtic heritage. The name's uncommon status combined with its straightforward pronunciation makes it appealing for parents seeking something unique yet accessible. Bevan projects qualities of strength and heritage.
- Knowles
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"one who lives by the knoll"Description:
Beyoncé's surname could be considered for a less-obvious honorific.
- Pennington
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"penny town"Description:
An unconventional route to the nickname Penny. Pennington debuted on the charts for girls in 2015.
- Page
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"page, attendant"Description:
Sleek and sophisticated single-syllable choice that has NEVER been in the Top 1000, though sister name Paige has ranked since the mid 1950s. Though off her peak, Paige is still in the Top 200. Along with Poppy, Patience, and Plum, Page is one of the girl names that start with P that are also words.
- Mellon
Origin:
English and Irish surnameMeaning:
"from Meulan; descendant of Meallán"Description:
It's too close to the fruit "melon" to make a good first name, but if there are Mellons on your family tree, why not put it in the middle? The English form of this surname is habitational, and at one time denoted someone from Meulan-en-Yvelines, a commune outside of Paris.
- Sommer
Origin:
German and Danish variant of SummerDescription:
You occasionally see the German and Danish word for "summer" pop up as a first name -- 16 girls were given it in 2016 -- and that trend may continue, now that the original has risen to Number 202 on the American popularity list.
- Walters
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"son of Walter"Description:
Still heavily associated with journalist Barbara Walters, whose Jewish family changed their name from Warmwater (Warmwasser) upon emigrating to the UK from Poland.
- Livingston
Origin:
English and Scottish surnameMeaning:
"dear friend's place"Description:
A new crop of gender-neutral English place names have suddenly become trendy — those ending in -ton. Multi-syllabic but not dramatic, these names are rising quickly for girls and boys. Think Charleston, Lexington, and Kensington. Livingston isn't as hot as some of the others, but its time will soon come. For a girl, Livingston boasts the nickname Liv.
- Lindley
Origin:
English and German surnameMeaning:
"from Lindley"Description:
Updates Lindsey for the 21st century.
- Mariott
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"descendant of Mary"Description:
Medieval nickname for Mary that became a surname, then the name of a hotel chain, which makes it unlikely to be adopted as a baby name in modern times.
- Joplin
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"son of Job"Description:
Used as a first name for a handful of girls every year, Joplin could be seen as a distant cousin of other -lin names, like Caitlin, Brooklyn and Braelynn. We think it works even better as a musical middle name possibility for fans of Janis... or Scott. Both great connections — albeit very different from one another.
- Redell
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"counsel, advice; red valley"Description:
A last name as a first name, Redell began to appear in England after the Norman invasion. Likely connected to the names Raymond and Radulf, it could mean "counsel, advice, decision". Another possible interpretation is that it merges the word red with the word dell to form the meaning "red valley". This could also mean it borrows from land feature in the Lake District of England, known as Red Dell.
- Simmons
Origin:
Hebrew or Norse, variation of Simon or SimundDescription:
Simmons is one of the S-ending popular American last names that are starting to be used as firsts.
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