Hot young actor Alden Ehrenreich, the new Han Solo, gives this formerly-stodgy surname name an attractive new image, making it a fresh successor to Aiden or Holden. Before it got this fresh shine, Alden was among the classic <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/645/delicious-thanksgiving-names">Thanksgiving baby names</a>.

Alden

Almer

A favorite of British novelists including Evelyn Waugh and P. G. Wodehouse, Ambrose has an air of blooming well-being and upper-class erudition. It comes from the same Greek root as 'ambrosia', the food of the gods, said to confer immortality.
 Ambrose was the name of one of the important doctors of the early Christian church, the fourth century St. Ambrose. It also belonged to one of the four great Latin teachers of Christianity, who also developed the use of music in church services. TV fanatics might be interested to know that in 1961, Ambrose was designated the patron saint of educational television by Pope John XXII.
 Ambrose's only problem is finding a nickname. Am? Rosie? Bro? We're still thinking....

Ambrose

Arline

Aubine

Acil

Aldery

Andelucia

Arlaine

Asenath

Ashel

Beecher

This name has a nicely fragrant woodsy feel, bringing it into the nature-tree name category. Its only well known bearer, folk singer and Oscar-winning actor Burl Ives, had the full birth certificate name of Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives--nothing compared to his two siblings named Argola and Lillburn. 


Burl

Bertral

Beylea

Birdina

Blynn

Brackel

Calesta

A less-used cross between Clifford and Clinton. 

Clifton

Crissie

Cyris

Cetreina

Colie

Dellwyn

Demery

Edra

Edweena

Rarely used in the last two centuries, but might be worth dusting off and holding up to the light. 

Elihu

Elmyra

Elva is the anglicized version of Ailbhe, growing more popular in Ireland. 

Elva

Emerson is a dignified, somewhat serious name associated with transcendental thinker Ralph Waldo Emerson. Much more popular now for girls since Desperate Housewife Teri Hatcher used it for her daughter, it is definitely still a viable <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys name</a>.

Emerson

A matronymic surname derived from Emonie and Emeny, which are of uncertain origins.

Emmons

An old-school great-grandpa name, like Irving and Ernest, that may just be ready for revival. It's also a well-known name in Hungary and elsewhere in central and eastern Europe. As a surname, it's associated with jazz sax player Booker Ervin.

Ervin

Eveline

Easther

Ecla

Edman

Eliona

Etly

Ettena

Evard

Fayette

Fenton is the kind of surname name that's starting to sound almost like a normal first name these days.  While it made a brief appearance on the Top 1000 in the late 1800s, today it's distinctive but in step with the times.  And Fen as a nickname is undeniably cute -- a Ben of the future.

Fenton

Fernee

Fernette

Galena is the feminine of the Galen, which means calm. Galena is also a mineral-related name, a type of lead.

Galena

Gardiner

Honoring a male relative. Be bold and go with Glenn. 

Glenna

Georgie-Anna

Goldena

A name from medieval romance with an endearingly clunky sound, à la Sherlock. The most famous modern wearer was twentieth-century psychologist/sexologist Havelock (born Henry) Ellis.

Havelock

Hollis is a rugged, gentle and quietly used name, given to over 200 boys and 150 girls each year in the US. In 2023, it became one of the newest entries to the US Top 1000, where it fits in with the surnames-as-first-names trend, and other familiar choices like Ellis, Silas, and Holden. 
 
Derived from the English surname meaning "near the holly bushes", it has a number of notable connections. Hollis Thompson is a professional basketball player; Hollis Watkins is a Civil Rights activist in Mississippi; Pete Hollis was a community folk hero; and "The Ballad of Hollis Brown" is a popular Bob Dylan song.
 Combining woodsy sounds and outdoorsy vibes with a surname-y and smart style, Hollis feels sleek and preppy, but adventurous and spirited too.

Hollis

Hughie

Halson

Harrette

Hugenia

Ida is one of those terminally old-fashioned names that suddenly sounds fresh again, especially given how fashionable it is in Europe. Ida, usually pronounced ee-da, is a Top 100 name in Scandinavia and German-speaking countries, and is rising more gently in the US.

Ida can't get much shorter, so its nicknames get longer, like the elaborated Idella.

Idella

This name of a small island off the coast of Scotland is trending upwards along with other I names. 

Iona

Ivo is an unusual, catchy name with the energetic impact of all names ending in 'o'. Hardly heard in the U.S., it is used a bit more frequently in England, as is the related Ivor, a favorite of such novelists as Evelyn Waugh and P.G. Wodehouse. Ivo is currently most popular in the Netherlands.

Isola

Ivanora

Jasper originated as a variation of the Latin Gaspar, which ultimately derived from the Persian word ganzabara, meaning "bringer of treasure." As a given name, Jasper’s etymology is unrelated to that of the gemstone, which comes from a Semitic word meaning "speckled stone." Jasper is the usual English form for one of the Three Wise Men who brought gifts to the infant Christ according to medieval tradition and appears in the Bible as a reference to the stone itself in Revelations 4:3.
 
Jasper has a lot going for it—it's been rocketing up the ranks in the US, after long being considered a posh and charming name in England. Distinctly masculine, Jasper represents a variety of quartz—one of the few gem <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">names for boys</a>—and is the first name of the great modern artist Jasper Johns. Our only caveat: Jasper is a favorite of a lot of hip parents, and has gotten even more popular since its strong appearance in the Twilight books and movies.
 Jasper has considerable literary cred as well, appearing in works by Sir Walter Scott, James Fenimore Cooper, Thackeray, and Thomas Hardy--as well as Stephenie Meyer. 
 Casper/Caspar is the German version.

Jasper

Jerrold

Judson remained in the US Top 1000 every year until it dropped off in 1987. In 2014, the named rejoined the list. With Hudson gaining in popularity, Judson—a possible alternative to Justin—could follow its path. 

Judson

Josa

Katie-Sue

Laverna was the Roman goddess of thievery, cheating, and the underworld. The original meaning of her name in unknown, however, there are several theories. One such theory states that Laverna is related to the Latin word for theif, laterniō, while another connects the name to levare, meaning "to lift," as in shoplifting. In the case of the latter, Laverna would mean "goddess of gain".

Laverna

Leatha

Leath

Leavina

Leversa

Loana

Obscure Old Testament name -- he was the son of Naomi and the husband of Ruth -- that's become even more obscure over the past century, perhaps due to its unappealing meaning.

Mahlon

Margorie

If you're looking for a presidential first name, keep looking. 

Millard

Intriguing derivation, though people will assume it's a simplified form of Maura. 

Mora

Mapelet

Marcea

Mari-Beth

MarieAnge

Merilla

Millie Maude

Minnetta

Minniegrey

Musa

Noreen's in limbo, especially now that Nora has made a comeback. 

Noreen

Nelsena

Norden

Oratia

Soft and sensitive name often heard in Israel. 

Oren

Otha

Rilla dropped out of the US Top 1000 in 1915, but it's starting to feel like an intriguing possibility again in this age of short, sweet, a-ending names for girls. It is traditionally a short form for names ending in -rilla, like Marilla from the Anne of Green Gables books (Anne's youngest daughter is Bertha Marilla, called Rilla for short). Rilla may also derive from the German word Rille, meaning "brook; stream".

Rilla

Fairly popular a hundred years ago but out of sight now, the quirky Roscoe deserves a place on every adventurous baby-namer's long list. It joins Rufus, Roman, Remy, Romulus, and Ray as one of the R names that sound fresh again after too many years of Robert, Richard, and Ronald.
Originally a place and surname, Roscoe had its glory days in the 1880s, when it reached as high as Number 138, then gradually declined, possibly damaged by the scandals surrounding silent star Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, and then the hillbilly image it acquired thanks to Sheriff Coltrane on The Dukes of Hazzard. 
Roscoe has been out of the Top 1000 since 1978 but feels very much in step with the trending o-ending boy names popular now, such as Milo, Hugo, and Otto.
Trivia tidbit: The R in Edward R. Murrow stands for Roscoe; the distinguished newsman's first name was really Egbert.

Roscoe

While the Rowan spelling is in the Top 1000 for both boys and girls, this spelling is much more unusual and more heavily weighted toward the boys' side. That may be because of its spelling similarity to stylish brothers Owen and Bowen.

Rowen climbed onto the Top 1000 for boys in 2010 and is trending upwards.

Rowen

Rayson

Rebirtha

Rejeanne

lynsiejo's list "Old Northern Maine Names" of 137 great name ideas: Alden - Ziba!

Old Northern Maine Names

Historic, vintage, and retro names collected from headstones found in graveyards throughout Northern Maine, including Aroostook Country and the Allagash. Some interesting spellings and unique family names.