Names That Mean Descendant
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Flannery
Irish
"descendant of Flannghal"
Long before the vogue of using Irish surnames for girls, writer Flannery O'Connor gave this one some visibility. It has a warm (flannelly) feel and the currently popular three-syllable ee-ending…
Hewitt
English, Scottish, and Irish surname
"descendant of Hugh; one who lives near the wood clearing"
Modern way to honor an ancestral Hugh.
Lohan
Irish surname, or variation of Elouan, Breton and French
"descendant of Leochán; light"
Americans may consider Lohan a surname name forever tied to Lindsay but in France, it's a modern variation of the Breton saint's name Elouan.
Aulay
Scottish
"ancestor's descendant"
An Anglicization of Amhlaidh, the Scottish Gaelic form of the Scandinavian Olaf, Aulay is uniquely popular in Scotland where a recent year saw it in the Top 300, ranking alongside Kit, Greyson,…
Neyland
Irish surname
"descendant of Niallán"
Neyland has been used as a first name for a handful of boys each year since 2002. It's most popular in Tennessee, where it's associated with The University of Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium. The stadium…
Mariott
English
"descendant of Mary"
Medieval nickname for Mary that became a surname and then the name of a hotel chain, making it an unlikely modern choice for either gender.
Coltrane
Irish surname
"descendant of Coltarán"
The great sax player John Coltrane could be a cool naming inspiration for a jazz fan. Plus, it gives you stylish nickname Colt, if you didn't love Colton or Colter. From it's Irish roots, it means…
Flynn
Irish
"descendant of the red-haired one"
A winning last-name-first Celtic choice, Flynn is still mostly used for boys, such as the son of Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr. Though Flynn is definitely one of the Irish surname names, from Quinn…
Auley
Scottish and Manx
"ancestor's descendant"
Also spelled Aulay in Scotland, this is an attractive form of the Scandinavian name Olaf that blends several currently fashionable sounds.
Flannery
Irish
"descendant of Flannghal"
Flann variation that's most familiar as the name of writer Flannery O'Connor. It derives from the Irish surname Ó Flannghaile , meaning "descendant of Flannghal".
Carmody
Irish
"descendant of Cearmaid"
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Cearmada, which is reminiscent of other jaunty Irish surnames like Cassidy and Connolly.
Ellery
English
"island with elder trees; descendant of Hilary; cheerful, happy"
In the past few years Ellery has gone from middle-aged male detective -- from old school fictional hero Ellery Queen -- to a plausible girls' name, a la Hillary. Ellery is one of the golden names…
Erling
Norwegian
"descendant of the chief"
This old-school Nordic name derives from the Old Norse word jarl , meaning "leader, chief". While it has been out of the Norwegian Top 100 since the 1960s, a recent ⁰notable bearer is footballer…
Quinlan
Irish
"descendant of Caoinlean, slender "
Quinlan is an Irish surname name given to a few dozen baby girls in the US each year. With the success of Quinn as a girls' name, Quinlan and its variant spellings Quinlin and Quinlyn might follow…
Crowley
Irish
"descendant of the hardy warrior"
Although it looks like an English placename, the surname Crowley is an anglicization of the Irish O Cruadhlaoich. A famous bearer was the occultist Aleister Crowley, and it also appears on characters…
Bannon
Irish
"descendant of the small white one"
This two-syllable Irish surname is as appealing as Nolan, Keegan et al, but much less common.
Carmody
Irish
"descendant of Cearmaid"
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Cearmada, which is reminiscent of other jaunty Irish surnames like Cassidy and Connolly.
Dignan
Irish surname
"descendant of the dark haired one"
An Irish surname — the Anglicized form of O’Duibhgeannáin — that would make a one-of-a-kind first name, unless you count the character in Wes Anderson's first film, Bottle Rocket . For fans of the…
Ellery
English
"descendant of Hilary"
Ellery is a rhythmic three-syllable boy's name that is familiar and yet rarely used--and just waiting to be discovered. It's long been identified with Ellery Queen--which was both the pen name of two…
Mariott
English
"descendant of Mary"
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.