Names That Mean Village

America has fallen in love with Hayes and Brooks and Banks and Rhodes, and now, parents are turning to Townes. With its fashionable S ending and image that can read as preppy or country or cowboy, depending on the context, Townes feels destined for mainstream success.

Crosby is an attractively laid-back Irish surname with retro musical associations to Bing and Crosby, Stills, and Nash, and with a jaunty air. Crosby Braverman was the name of a character on the TV show Parenthood, played by Dax Shepard.

This choice feels more familiar than other hall-related English surnames, thanks to designer Halston, the single-named disco-era society playmate of Liza and Elton.

Trevor, a British standard, took a long time to cross the Atlantic, but finally began its rise here in the 1980s. It is now a thoroughly naturalized citizen, though it still retains a touch of Anglo class.

This artistic and aristocratic surname is a bold and daring choice, but with nature inspired names like Wren on the rise, and surnames-as-first-names being in vogue, Wyndham was a fast riser in 2023.

A distinguished sounding place and surname borne by religious leader Brigham Young, second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Proper Bostonian.

Vicus, an unusual ancient Roman place-name, is used for modern-day boys in Africa.

Legitimizes the newly coined Denim, as does the Scottish place-name Denholm (both pronounced DEN-um).

This name's buttoned-up British vibe is what makes it cool - that, and the fact that it was chosen by Anne Bronte as her pseudonym - Acton Bell. That's quite the literary - and may we add feminist - credential for a name. For those with an adventurous edge, Acton is one of the highest peaks in Antarctica.

This musical surname, associated with Bing Crosby and David Crosby of Crosby, Stills, & Nash could easily be used for girls, as names like Jagger and Bowie have been.

A preppy surname and place name derived from the Anglo-Saxon personal name Ælfweard "elf guardian" + the -by suffix, meaning "village, homestead". Ellerby feels like a quirkier Ellery or Emery.

Japanese surname occasionally heard as a first.

Tyra would be a more modern pick.

Unusual name that's close -- possibly too close -- to several more familiar choices.

Historically interesting via the 1917 Balfour Declaration, which supported the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine.

Selby, a rarely heard British surname, feels sleeker and more distinctive than Shelby. Todd Selby, known primarily by his last name, is a hip photographer of interiors.

Brusque and charmless, two things you don't want your son to be.

There were various villages called Edgecombe (and Edgcumbe and Eggcumbe) in Old England, particularly in present-day Cornwall and Devon. Local families adopted it as a surname — habitational surnames were extremely common among the English.

Canada is an undiscovered but attractive place-name possibility, up till now a masculine territory.