Names That Mean Son

Widespread popularity in the Latino community has propelled this name up the charts in the US. Ximena is the more popular version, given to about three times as many baby girls as Jimena, maybe because of that edgy initial X.

Lansing is perhaps best known as the state capital of Michigan, which was named after the town of Lansing, New York. The original Lansing was named in honor of John Lansing Jr., a Chancellor of New York and mayor of Albany. He was of Dutch parentage.

There are lots of grandpa Daves and Davids out there, and Dawes can make an original honor name. It's right in step with the current craze for surname names that end in S: Brooks, Wells, Rhodes etc. Given to just 31 boys since it first appeared in the US stats back in 1924, it is a very rare choice, perhaps owing to the fact it sounds like doors.

Thomas Edison’s surname is an inventive take on Addison when used for girls. It's an English surname deriving from either Adam or Eda, a medieval diminutive of Edith.

Not your typical jovial Irish surname; but has a dark, craggy appeal, and Tag as a nickname.

Royce is a grandpa name with an upscale link to Rolls Royce, and a surprising rise for girls since the early noughties. Rebel Wilson has a daughter named Royce Lillian.

Benuel is an Amish name that has only ever appeared on the Pennsylvania charts.

Branson is a fairly recent addition to the Top 1000, first breaking in at Number 988 in 1995. While it may not be a common sighting yet, it fits the trend of more popular cousins Mason, Grayson, Hudson, and Carson.

Actor Pierce Brosnan made his sharp-sounding name famous, and now it's given to a couple dozen baby girls per year too.

MacRae -- or McRay or McCrae -- is a Scottish surname-name whose meaning is most often given as son of grace or sometimes son of luck. The hero of Lonesome Dove's last name was McCrae. A good honor name for a Ray or Rae, it can also be shortened to Mac.

Popular in the African American community, the De- prefix makes this a choice for sons of Marcuses.

This attractive Scottish surname-name is found in Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove, as the surname of hero Augustus/Gus McCrae. Also spelled MacCrae or McRay among other variations, the meaning is variously given as son of grace or luck.

Stylish surname way to go if you want to name a girl after a James, and is more substantial than the passé Jamie; it was chosen for their daughter by Chynna Phillips and Billy Baldwin.

Author Colson Whitehead put his name on the map, and now variations such as Colsen and Colsyn are shooting up along with it. With its cowboy style, Colsen was one of the fastest rising boy names of 2024, when it was given to 442 boys — more than four times the number of babies who were given it previous year.

An energetic Japanese name that would make for an on-trend choice in the English-speaking world. Especially appropriate for a first-born son.

McCartney is a widely familiar surname that is infrequently given as a first name. It first appeared on the charts for girls in 1996 but has never been given to more than 21 baby girls in a single year. McCartney meets our definition of a unisex name, although it used more often for girls.

The possibility of the nickname Maddy (or the even spunkier Moxie) makes this have some potential as a modern, unisex name for a girl - if you can get past the strongly masculine meaning.

Too tied to those well-publicized twins.

A case in which the son is now more attractive than the father. There have been Colonial settlers surnamed Dennison on this side of the Atlantic since 1623.

The number one surname in Denmark could make a sophisticated and stylish girl's name. Jensen Huang is the (male) cofounder of AI giant Nvidia.