By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 47 pages
of 47
English
"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.
English occupational name
"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.
One occupational name unlikely to find a single taker.
"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.
English surname
"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…
"shorn head"
Clumsy when used as a first name.
"dweller by the apple orchard"
This is an English surname dating back to 1086, but we don't see it having much of a first name future in the twenty-first century.
"land near the port"
There are two lovely Portlands, in Maine and Oregon, but not many babies with their name.
"maker of drinking and storage vessels"
Could join such up-and-comers as Miller and Gardener, though the "potty" and Harry Potter associations are strong and potentially unappealing these days.
"shrub farm"
A busby is the English name for the fur military headdress originally worn by the Hungarian hussars . As a first name, Busby is also the unique name of iconic movie choreographer Busby Berkeley.
