By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 47 pages
of 47
Scottish, English
"the gates"
Admirers of the haunting works of esteemed Irish poet and playwright William Butler Yeats might consider this surname-style name, especially for the middle spot. Ultimately derived from the Old…
English literary name
Alas, poor Yorick, your name is fated to remain locked forever as a skull in Hamlet .
English
"from the yew estate"
Brisk, preppy York is an underused classic with the potential to really shine in the 21st century. It's most familiar as a place name — York is a city in England — and surname. New York City and…
"winter solstice"
A possible Christmas name for a baby boy, if you find Noel too mundane. But we fear it doesn't sound very festive.
"grain farm"
Perfect choice if your baby has grandpas named Barry and Eric, but also a bit military.
English contraction of "baron's home"
"baron's home"
Inevitable circus association.
"place cleared by burning"
Has some creative credibility via abstract painter Barnett Newman, but we'd prefer his nickname, Barney.
"a rented estate"
A fresher alternative to Dalton.
"beech tree"
If you prefer the woods to the ocean, you'll want to name your son (or daughter) Beech instead of Beach.
"grower or seller of barley"
A bit too bad-boy (think bars, beer, Harley) for us, as well as being the name of a grain.
English occupational name
"tanner"
Barker may be appealing to parents looking for a name with many layers - not only does it share a meaning with the more common Shepherd and Tanner, it also brings to mind the bark of a tree, making…
English word name
"bird"
The name of the teenaged son on the dear departed television show "Huff."
English, from German
"son of intelligence"
All the Fitz names are hard to carry, but this one has a wonderful meaning and might be a good middle name choice to honor a brilliant lineage.
"axe-wolf"
Shakespeare's classic drunken fool. In fact, this name, carried to Britain by the Normans, was quite popular until it was brought into disrepute by the low-life character who haunts taverns with…
"den of the boar"
A neglected surname name that could substitute for the more common Gordon, which has in the past associated with the milk company and Elsie the Cow.
"female goat"
Cheever has a nice, cheery sound, literary ties to novelist and short writer John Cheever and also, sideways, to the Edward Arlington Robinson narrative poem "Miniver Cheevy," as well as a subliminal…
English "barley valley"
"barley valley"
Rarely heard last-name-first choice with nice gardenlike feel.
English and Scottish
"where birches grow"
Americans may not realize Barclay is the phonetic spelling of the British Berkeley -- though both sound like old-fashioned butler names.
"field of beans, dweller near the bean farm"
An upper-crusty-sounding name with humble origins, Bancroft is a surname and a place name that may appeal to those who like Banks and Banner but prefer something rarer (or who've found Bancroft in…
English, diminutive of Philip
"lover of horses"
The original Pip was the main character in Great Expectations (full name Philip Pirrip). Cute for a tike, maybe too cute for an adult.
