Nameberry's Favorite Last Names as First Names

Energetic Willoughby is a familiar last name, but, as yet, makes for a unique choice in the first spot. An unexpected way to get to popular short forms Will and Billy, Willoughby could make an interesting alternative to William.
 
Despite its similarities to the popular classic, Willoughby has a different meaning and origin to the Germanic William. Derived from Old English and Old Norse, it means "farm near the willows" or perhaps "willow town" if you interpret the second element of the name as meaning "settlement". Outdoorsy and nature-connected, Willoughby may appeal to those who like Barnaby and Zebedee. 
 Willoughby Patterne is the protagonist of the George Meredith novel, The Egotist, while Willoughby Sharp was a contemporary artist, curator, critic and founder of the seminal art magazine, Avalanche. There is a classic 1962 British children's novel titled The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken that was made into a film in 1989.
 
The name was also selected by British reality TV star, Lucy Watson, for her son born in 2023.

Willoughby

Nameberry's favorite last names as first names are not your typical Madison, Sawyer, and Tatum. All of the names on this list are popular on Nameberry but do not rank in the US Top 1000.

Berries are paving the way for a new wave of last names as first names that are fresh and fashionable. Our viewers love

 are particularly loved by Berries as well, including Calder, Hawthorne, Bronte, and Auden.

Last names as first names that rank in the Nameberry Top 1000 but outside of the US Top 1000 — including Greer and Reeve — with meanings, origins, and popularity (Page 4)