Names That Mean Son
Across 20 pages
of 20
Gibson
English
"Gilbert's son"
An undiscovered patronymic surname, Gibson blends the cool, rugged feel of names like Bridger, Riggs, and Hudson with the clunky charm of names like Gilbert, Wilbur, and Digby. Associated with the…
Manzo
Japanese
"third son"
Strong and vital Asian birth order name.
Mcewan
Scottish
"son of Ewan"
Shows some promise via its connection to the growing interest in Ewan.
Mies
Dutch, diminutive of Bartholomeus
"son of the earth"
Apt choice for an architect's child, honoring German-born Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a central figure in modern design, and universally referred to as Mies.
Morrison
English
"son of Morris"
Morrison is one of the more uncommon patronymics; it could be used to honor an ancestral Morris, or one of the well-known surnamed Morrisons: Toni, Jim or Van.
Nansen
Swedish
"son of Nancy"
Feminist twist on Hansen and Jansen.
Garrison
English
"son of Garret"
As Harrison is to Harry, Garrison is to Gary: both of the longer versions sound more modern and appealing. NPR's Prairie Home Companion's Garrison Keillor was born Gary.
Benaiah
Hebrew
"built by God"
Benaiah is an unusual Biblical choice that can get you to Ben.
Fitz
Scottish
"son of"
Any number of Fitz names -- Fitzgerald, Fitzpatrick, Fitzroy, Fitzwilliam -- have been used as Christian names, in fact Fitzwilliam was the given name of the dashing Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice…
Bartleby
English surname, probably related to Bartholomew
"son of the furrow"
Bartleby (that's his last name) the Scrivener is a famous Herman Melville character whose surprisingly powerful refrain was, "I would prefer not to." Or, in the immortal words of any two-year-old:…
Ferguson
Scottish surname
"son of Fergus"
This would make an interesting name for a boy, if it weren't for the fact that the two most well known Fergies are female.
Bartlett
Diminutive of Bartholomew, Hebrew, "son of the earth"
"son of the earth"
This one may well be an undiscovered choice for many parents - it has a fabulous meaning, a sturdy surname-name appeal that is very on trend right now and several great namesakes including the…
Jamison
Variation of Jameson
"son of James"
For girls, this would more likely be spelled Jameson.
Ellison
English
"son of Ellis"
Updates Ellis -- but also has a lot of feminine potential thanks to Allison/Ellie similarity.
Eames
English
"son of the uncle"
An upscale surname with a nice modern design connection to the creators of the Eames chair and other midcentury furniture classics, Charles and Ray Eames.
Bartholomew
Aramaic
"son of the furrow"
Bartholomew is an apostle's name that's been out of favor for centuries but might appeal again to the parent in search of an old but rare choice. The challenge could be to avoid the Simpson-ish…
Pearce
English and Irish
"son of Piers"
The spelling Pearce softens the name's sharper edges, though we prefer the original Piers. That "pear" snippet could confuse pronunciation, which is just like Pierce.
Paterson
English
"son of Peter"
Paterson is a surname-name to continue a line of Peters and also the name of a city in New Jersey, hometown of poets William Carlos Williams and Allen Ginsberg.
Patterson
English
"son of Peter"
Patterson is an upscale name worth considering if you're looking to continue a line of Peters, but soundalike Paterson is a downscale city in New Jersey.
Parry
Welsh
"son of Harry"
Parry is quite common in Wales, often as a surname, but would inevitably be misunderstood as Perry or even Harry.