By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 73 pages
of 73
English variation of Columba
"dove"
In the currently popular solid, serious, two-syllable mold.
English word name
"pointed top of the mountain; highest point of achievement"
An ambitious geographical name, associated with mountains and success. In the UK, however, this is a slang term, meaning "bad, disappointing".
English occupational name
"bell ringer"
A child named Peale may have to endure more than a few banana jokes, but the Peales were a distinguished family of artists.
English
"tower, stockade"
Peel may seem at first like a cool name, until you consider the inevitable teasing. A peel was a tower that sheltered humans and animals against attack, though these days it's better known as the…
"the crane town"
A surname associated these days with Breaking Bad actor Bryan Cranston.
"tannery town"
Pelham, a place-name surname, could work well as a first, despite its slightly arrogant air. It's what the P in P.G. Wodehouse stands for.
"dealer in furs"
Pell makes an unusual middle name choice. And if grandpa Seymour was a fur trader, you might do better to honor him by naming the baby Pell.
"bluff, headland"
Better suited to a stuffy school than a little boy, but it nevertheless has a preppy air that may appeal to some.
"overhanging settlement"
Pembroke's brother.
"enclosed meadow"
And if it's triplets: Pembroke, Pendleton, and Penley.
English, diminutive of Roderick and Rodney
Macho-er than thou.
English surname
"crane"
This elegant surname has great potential to turn into an unusual first name, especially with its literary associations to both Stephen and Hart Crane. Crane is a surname that originated for a tall…
"little Peter"
Perkin sounds a bit Hobbit-ish as a full name, but it might make a good honor name or nickname for a boy called Peter.
"wine bearer"
Palin, as in, yes, one-time VP candidate Sarah, has emerged as a hot new first name, usually for girls.
"son of Philip"
Solid Philip middle name alternative.
Possible middle name to honor an ancestral Philip.
"from the ford at the peak"
One surname name unlikely to cross over to first.
"one who plays the pipes or flute"
Piper's rising popularity for girls makes it an unlikely masculine choice.
"island, dry ground in moss"
A name you would probably want to use only if it's in your family history. The first syllable moves it miles away from the softer Whitney.
"pit, ditch"
Despite two distinguished surname-bearers -- the great British statesman William Pitt and actor Brad -- this would be a tough name to pull off in first place. William Thackeray used it for two…
