Updated October 2026
Across 65 pages
of 65
English
"dark stone"
A two-syllable surname feel puts this name of an important English saint in the running -- though it could sound like a confused cross between Duncan and Dustin.
English occupational name
"doorkeeper"
Literary, occupational, and very neglected.
"grace protector"
Eastman is a solid, old-style Atlantic seaboard surname. But as a first name, we think Easton works better.
"riverside"
Eaton's similarity to Eton gives it an upscale Old School feel, though in the U.S. a name that sound like eatin' could have teasin' potential. Eaton could also sound like the much-more-familiar Ethan…
English spelling variation of Eberhard
"hardy"
An older form of Everett that stays closer to its Germanic roots. Distinguished Everard is the name of several historical figures and literary characters, including a minor hobbit in The Lord of the…
"old counsel"
This marvelously medieval name had a moment in the 1910s and 1920s but has dropped completely off the radar now.
"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…
"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…
"beyond the cottage"
Upstanding New England patrician name.
"highborn, shining"
A Middle English form of Adalbert (and therefore of Albert), which was the name of several Saxon kings. Nowadays, Ethel plus Bert is not a fashionable sound, but Albert is feeling fresh again.
"wild boar in woodland clearing"
Evokes 1960s brotherly close harmony. The Red Hot Chili Peppers' Anthony Kiedis named his son Everly Bear, and it is also an explosively popular choice for girls. We predict that all the "Ever" names…
"bank along the pathway"
Alaska's second most populous city makes a baby name with a preppy, even aristocratic, flavor.
"fair-haired child"
Only if it's a family name, and even then, better in the middle.
"blond"
If this name makes you think of Victorian novels, it's because Fairfax was part of Mr Rochester's name in Jane Eyre , and the surname of a minor character in Jane Austen's Emma . It has a distinctly…
"falconer"
Faulkner is an old occupational surname that was used for someone who kept and trained falcons when falconry was a popular sport in medieval Europe. Anyone using it in contemporary America would…
"happy, joyous"
Fane, used as a nickname in the Middle Ages for someone with a cheerful disposition, is one of the more offbeat members of the Zane-Kane family.
"fern clearing"
Actor Farley Granger set it in motion, now could be a gentler alternative to Harley.
"blacksmith, metalworker"
Farrar has two separate origins: an occupational name meaning "smith", and a Scottish river name, from a Pictish word meaning "to wind". Barely ever recorded as a first name, Farrar is a blank slate…
"hair"
A rare place name and surname, with possible potential as an alternative to Jaxon. Famous wearers of the surname include biologist brothers Charles Edward and Walter Faxon, and composer Nancy Plummer…
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.