By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 47 pages
of 47
English word name
Dancer feels like a name ready to leap into the charts with its sense of life and joy; and if names like Hunter and Archer can be used, why not Dancer. There will be some danger of other kids…
English
"nobleman's estate"
One of the many El- names for boys that boomed in the 1910s and 1920s, but has long been out of fashion. This surname/place name has an aristocratic flavor, and a creative namesake in the artist…
"island of linden trees"
Lindsay is one of the few truly unisex names (rather than being a name that has changed genders). Over time the ey ending was usually reserved for women and the ay ending reserved for men, although…
"flax settlement"
In Wuthering Heights, Cathy's milquetoast husband; Heath is so much more appealing.
"settlement on the hill"
Slightly less stiff and small if spelled Lytton.
"shining forest"
Forever the hapless cartoon husband of Blondie.
"shelter"
This English surname offers an interesting mix of images: it sounds upper-crusty yet macho, and also conjures up the coziness of a wintery ski lodge. As a surname it is associated with the…
"moor with elm trees"
Boys' names beginning with "El" were all the rage in the 1910s, but today Elmore - along with Elwin, Ellsworth and others - has barely been used for decades. It has literary connections through…
"tall one"
Longfellow is the first name of the eponymous hero of the classic 1936 film Mr. Deeds Goes to Town , later remade with Adam Sandler. But it's hard to imagine a modern parent using it except as a…
"hedged area"
Could be difficult to grasp: Hoss. The "Bonanza" cowboy.
"ruler's hill"
Rarely heard surname name that lacks the lightness of other o-ending names.
"famous, brilliant"
Years ago we might have said that this name was unthinkable, but with clunky, old-fashioned names being so popular right now — consider Augustus, Stanley, Wilfred, etc — what's to stop Cuthbert from…
English occupational surname
"person who dressed leather after it was tanned"
Has a fresh occupational name feel, combined with old-fashioned Currier & Ives charm.
English variation of Columba
"dove"
In the currently popular solid, serious, two-syllable mold.
Bulgarian, English
"raspberry; little warrior"
An international and unisex choice, Malin is a rare northern English name associated with the city of Sheffield. In this case, it would mean "little warrior". As a Bulgarian choice, it is a masculine…
"shared wood"
Not manly enough.
"the crane town"
A surname associated these days with Breaking Bad actor Bryan Cranston.
English, Scottish, and French place-name
Some definite downsides: Massive, Messy.
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…
"from the meadow"
Undiscovered single-syllable surname option, a friendly alternative to Reed.
