By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 73 pages
of 73
English variation of Blythe
Too tightly associated with the real-life villainous Captain Bligh of The Mutiny on the Bounty.
English, French, German
"elf ruler, bright elf; noble bear"
Rarely heard in the US, Auberon has a gentle autumnal feel rare in a male name. A Shakespeare-adjacent choice, Auberon started out as as a pet form of Auberi, the French form of German Alberich.…
English and Scottish
"small dwelling place, shed"
Short but not particularly sweet surname.
English
"meadow near the woods"
Another servile surname, this one connected to the go-between character in "Charlie's Angels."
"well near the woods"
Waspy-sounding choice, well known in literature for Boswell's Life of Johnson .
"he who lives in a broad valley"
Hitting bottom.
"one who lives near a stream"
A surname with more force than most.
"the brook"
Has a certain fiery charm.
English and French
"bow-maker, cattle herder"
Two completely different images come from its national pronunciations -- BOY-err or boy-AY -- the latter giving it an effete French accent.
"dweller at the rabbit lake"
A strong, distinctive surname with a quaint meaning and rugged air, Arledge is associated with American sports broadcaster, Roone Arledge. It may hold contemporary appeal thanks to its similarities…
"dweller near the wood fort"
Possibility for fans of science fiction writer Ray.
"broad forest"
Currently connected to football Hall of Famer turned actor Terry Bradshaw.
"courageous raven"
We can hear the kids teasing him from here.
"well where the gorse grows; bramble well"
An unexpected route to nicknames Bram or Wells, this English surname derives from a historical hamlet in England, whose exact location has been lost to time. It comes from the Old English word for…
"firebrand, sword"
Rugged and straightforward brand-new name, though you might not like the idea of branding your son.
"clever warrior"
This name has been off the USA Top 1000 list since before 1900, but it has some great musical credentials: consider American blues singer Alger "Texas" Alexander and country music legend Pat Alger.
"raven meadow"
The suffix Bran is familiar as raven-related since Game of Thrones , and the -ley suffix has been popular since the 1990s heyday of Ashley.
"meadow at the slope of the hill"
A rowdy name nobody ever heard of, till Nick Nolte gave it to his son.
English occupational name
"female brewer"
With its slightly cocky feel, this well-used surname is not often heard as a first.
"dweller at the old cottage"
Alcott evokes shades of nineteenth-century New England, and memories of the author of the books Little Women and Little Men . Louisa May Alcott was the daughter of Amos Bronson Alcott, noted…
