Updated October 2026
Across 65 pages
of 65
Scottish and English
"town by the sea"
A perfectly fine Anglo surname, though we'd prefer Keaton. Oscar-winning writer-director George Seaton ( Miracle on 34th Street, The Country Girl ) was actually born George Stenius.
English
"seaman"
Associated with archetypal folksinger Pete Seeger.
"from the house on the hill"
Seldon was seldom heard as a first name but that may change now that Elon Musk has used it for his 14th child, his fourth with Shivon Zilis. Little Seldon Musk's middle name is Lycurgus, the name of…
"bold in victory"
New twist on Bennett. Mack Sennett was the early movie director known as the innovator of slapstick comedy.
"sea defender"
Double whammy: the expression "Seward's folly" and inevitable sewer jokes.
"from the crooked field"
One place-name that doesn't make the cut as a person name, associated with several commercial enterprises. We've seen it used by Chicago Cubs fans — Sheffield is the name of a major street bordering…
"clearing on a bank"
Despite its poetic associations, almost as dated as Sheldon, and more feminine.
"fair-haired"
If ever there was a one-person name, it's probably Sherlock. But Sherlock Holmes the character has arguably never been hotter: he's been played by Robert Downey Jr., Ian McKellen, Jonny Lee Miller…
"bright forest"
Unfashionable surname, best left in the forest with Robin Hood and his Merry Men.
Selvyn is a masculine name of English origin, likely developed as a variant of Selwyn, which combines the Old English elements 'sele' (hall, manor) and 'wine' (friend), meaning 'friend from the manor…
English, phonetic spelling of St
See ST.
English saint's name
St. JOhn is mainly (but rarely) used by Catholics in England -- there's one in Jane Eyre. This would probably be too cumbersome for most American kids.
"swift"
Kind of a combination of scoot and fleet, brought into public domain by actor Skeet (born Brian) Ulrich. We would recommend looking into the unsavory slang meaning of this name before choosing it for…
English and Scottish
"divided field"
Has diverse links to a Groucho Marx character, a bouncing ball, and late performance artist Spalding Gray.
English word name, German surname
"speck; one from Speck, bacon, butcher"
Not only did rocker John Mellencamp name his son Speck, but he appended the middle name Wildhorse to it.
English word name
A video-game name ("Final Fantasy VII") with an unappealing sound and meaning.
"owner of a farmstead"
Most people's sole association with this name is Oprah companion Stedman Graham -- cool and sophisticated.
"from the southern cliff"
Climbing a mountain somewhere with Radcliff and Heathcliff.
"knight's attendant"
Old-fashioned, conjuring up an ardent suitor in a bow tie and straw boater.
"strong bear cub"
Variously spelled as Swithun or Swithin, this distinctive sounding name is belonged to St. Swithun, an Anglo-Saxon bishop known as the patron saint of Winchester and of the weather — making him the…