Updated October 2026
Across 105 pages
of 105
English
"wedge-shaped object"
Surname from a landscape feature, associated with author Gore Vidal and Bill Clinton's Vice President Al Gore. Its alternative meaning - as in gory - may explain why it's never made it into the…
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.
"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.
"pock-marked face, scarred"
English surname that's very rarely found as a first name. The Colorado city was named after Horace Greeley, the nineteenth-century congressman and founder of the New-York Tribune .
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…
"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.
English "barley valley"
"barley valley"
Rarely heard last-name-first choice with nice gardenlike feel.
"hay meadow"
Young actor Haley Joel Osment to the contrary, this name in all its variations has become too popular for girls to survive as a boys' choice. Hailey, Haily Halley, Hallie, Hayley.
"hallowed island"
Although this was the surname of rugged World War II admiral William Halsey, these days it's more closely identified with uninamed female singer-songwriter Halsey. Five baby boys were named Halsey in…
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…
"scarred"
Though we usually think a name's image in contemporary culture supersedes its ancient meaning, this is a case where the definition could undermine a child's self-esteem.
English from German
"mountain home"
A cross-cultural possibility, but a bit heavy and somber.
English surname
A possibility for fans of the mystery writer, but most parents would prefer Dashiell.
"son of Barbara"
Only if he actually is.
"shellfish-gatherer"
Surname of Declaration signer sure to present playground complications.
"boar battle"
One of the rare English surname names originally derived from a female given name: Eoforhild, meaning "boar battle". Also spelled Averill, it's an extremely rare choice today, but shares sounds with…
Averill is an ancient name, most properly spelled Averil, that has a Boston Brahmin air – probably due to the image of statesman Averill Harriman. It's of the rare English surname names that…