Names That Mean Settlement

Virtually never heard in this country, with a quirky quality.

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.

Down-to-earth surname name with a drawl, also associated with cereal and dog food.

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.

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.

Pembroke's brother.

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.

Quirky and cute.

Carleton has a great meaning behind it, and should really have more popularity than it has found to date. You can shorten it to Carl or keep it upscale and formal in the longer form. Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk lends the name some sporty credentials, while American artist Carleton Wiggins confirms this name's Victorian earnestness.

Do you really want to name your baby after a hotel? Or a famous-for-being-famous starlet?

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.

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.

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."

Brock plus.

Quincy may be unisex, but Quimby is decidedly feminine — at least according to the stats, it's never been used for boys. Perhaps it's because of Beverly Cleary's children's book heroine Ramona Quimby, or the queen-related meaning. In either case, Quimby is a quirky, unexpected choice for a daughter.

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.

To honor Roy's son...or grandson.

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.

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.