Names That Mean Settlement

More user-friendly, though less substantial, than Bartholomew.

Ever- names are currently red-hot, but surname-style Everston is still waiting to be discovered.

The most popular variation of this name for baby girls is Leighton, as in Leighton Meester, the actress who introduced her name to the mainstream when she rose to fame on Gossip Girl.

Braxton has been a major hit of the 21st century for boys, and now parents are looking at it with fresh eyes for their daughters.

Arrington originated as a habitational surname for those from a town of the same name in Cambridgeshire, England. According to the etymology of the name, the town was settled by an Earn or Earna — nicknames that meant "eagle."

Butler name, and also that of the rat in Charlotte's Web.

A surname name, most popularly associated with actor Heston, has a blue-blooded ring to it. Charlton is also a more unusual pathway to evergreen nickname Charlie.

A WASPy surname that fits in with names like Clayton, Layton, and Payton. Drayton peaked in 2012, when it was given to 78 baby boys in the US.

In Wuthering Heights, Cathy's milquetoast husband; Heath is so much more appealing.

Quirky and cute.

Knowlton is a habitational surname, indicating one's ancestors lived in Knowlton, England. There were two historical English towns called Knowlton, one in Kent and the other in Dorset.

Unless it was your grandmother's maiden name, and you're using it in the middle place, we don't think so. Could be confused with Hazelden, a leading rehab facility.

All names ending in ville are in nowheresville.

Love Quinn but find it too popular? Quinby is a rare spin on names in the Quinn and Quincy constellation, familiar as a surname and a fresh nonbinary choice.

Sweet and southern-feeling, maybe thanks to Horton Foote, author of Tender Mercies and The Trip to Bountiful, not to mention the Dr. Seuss connection.

If Hunter just isn't full enough for you, place name Huntington might be a better option.

Surname and place name with two separate derivations. It can derive from the Norman place name Auby, with d'Auby meaning "from Auby" later Anglicized to Dalby and Delby. It can also have Norse roots, meaning "valley settlement".

Quinby is a fresh surname-y spin on the popular -- for some, too popular -- Quinn. A familiar surname, it was used for no baby boys or girls in the US in 2021, but could easily work for either.

A more feminine take on Braxton.

Slightly less stiff and small if spelled Lytton.