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Surname Names for Baby Girls

Surname names for girls are one of the hottest baby naming trends, now that arguably the most famous woman in the world, Taylor Swift, has a last name for a first name.

Celebrity parents Hillary Duff and Matthew Koma have daughters named Banks and Townes. Actor Nico Tortorella and wife Bethany Meyers have a little girl named Kilmer Dove.

Plus surname names like Quinn and Riley, Sutton and Parker are all well established as last names turned popular first names for baby girls.

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Girl Names

Last Names as First Names

  1. Harper
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "harp player"
    • Description:

      You might think of Harper as the hottest name of the last decade, jumping from obscurity to the Top 10, where it remained until last year.
  2. Madison
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of Matthew"
    • Description:

      Since we wrote a book called Beyond Jennifer & Jason, Madison & Montana, encouraging parents to move beyond overused names, it's no secret what we think of this trendy surname name, inspired by a mermaid named Madison in the 1980s movie Splash.
  3. Riley
    • Origin:

      English, Irish
    • Meaning:

      "rye clearing; courageous"
    • Description:

      Riley—an upbeat, friendly surname name—is red hot for girls and still going strong for boys. If you haven't been spending much time around babies recently, you may be surprised to learn that Riley is the most popular girls' name starting with R and also the Number 1 Irish name for girls in the US.
  4. Paisley
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "church, cemetery"
    • Description:

      For a name related to a Scottish town, a patterned Indian fabric, and a country singer named Brad, Paisley has seen remarkable success. After appearing, seemingly out of nowhere, it is now an American favorite.
  5. Addison
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "son of Adam"
    • Description:

      Newly fashioned but familiar and with an on-trend, unisex feel, Addison seems like the perfect solution for anyone who can't decide between Madison, Adeline, and Alison.
  6. Quinn
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "descendant of Conn, chief leader, intelligence"
    • Description:

      Quinn is one of the most popular Irish unisex surnames out there, a strong and attractive choice on the rise for girls but still popular for boys. A recent year saw it used for nearly 2690 girls along with 615 boys in the US, meaning its split 80:20 across the sexes.
  7. Parker
    • Origin:

      English occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "park keeper"
    • Description:

      Indie actress Parker Posey put a female imprint on this sophisticated surname that's still about three times as common for boys but rising for both sexes. Parker has the advantage of its nature connection, relating it to such occupational names as Gardener and Forester.
  8. Sloane
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "raider"
    • Description:

      Sloane is a sleek, sophisticated surname name that has gradually morphed over to the girls' side. With its distinctive and intriguing sound, Sloane has been in the US Top 1000 since 2009, and in 2022, it made its first appearance in the UK charts, jumping more than 400 places in a single year.
  9. Skylar
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Schuyler, Dutch
    • Meaning:

      "scholar"
    • Description:

      Skylar is a name with a hint of both edginess and whimsy and it makes for a nature-inspired choice that is neither too wordy nor too floral. Popular since the 90s, Skylar has remained in the US Top 100 for over a decade and is the most popular spelling of the name for girls.
  10. Sutton
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "from the southern homestead"
    • Description:

      Sutton is a habitational surname propelled to popularity by Tony-winning Broadway actress Sutton Foster, who's also the star of Hulu's Younger -- based on a novel written by Nameberry co-creator Pamela Redmond.
  11. Tatum
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "Tate's homestead"
    • Description:

      Tatum is strong, distinctive, energetic, and recommended, especially if your last name is as congenial as O'Neal. The name is now used for both genders, with the balance running about two to one in favor of the girls.
  12. Blakely
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "dark wood or clearing"
    • Description:

      Blakely, along with Blakeley, Blakelee and Blakeleigh, is one of the post-Ashley surname names that end with the lee sound so stylish today. Reality stars Trista and Ryan Sutter named their daughter Blakesley. These surname-names are among the most stylish English names for girls.
  13. Peyton
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "fighting-man's estate"
    • Description:

      Peyton is a unisex surname that rose to fame in the 90s, with parents drawing inspiration from football star, Peyton Manning, and, oddly enough, from "Peyton Flanders", the villainess of the 1992 film, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle. Combining gentle sounds with contemporary style and the naughtiness of Peyton Place, the name remains a popular choice in the US today.
  14. Saylor
    • Origin:

      Surname-name or spelling variation of Sailor
    • Meaning:

      "ropemaker; dancer, acrobat; boatman"
    • Description:

      Currently in the US Top 300, Saylor finds the middle ground between the popular and unisex Taylor, and the more unexpected, wordier Sailor. In fact, it is currently used more often than either of its sound-alikes.
  15. Presley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "priest's meadow"
    • Description:

      Presley is a much more popular name for little girls than you might think, entering the charts as a girls' name in 1998 and hovering around Number 200 for the last decade.
  16. Collins
    • Origin:

      Surname derived from Nicholas or Colin, Greek or Irish and Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "people of victory or pup"
    • Description:

      Collins is a surname name that has made the girls' Top 1000 thanks to its use for the daughter of the real-life Blind Side heroine. As of 2022, Collins climbed into the US Top 300. This derivation of the Greek Nicholas—which means "people of victory"—or the Irish and Scottish Colin—which may itself be a Nicholas derivation or an Anglicization of the word for pup—has a stylish feel made more so by that final s.
  17. Reagan
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little king"
    • Description:

      A strong, straightforward Irish unisex surname, with a merry glint in its eye, Reagan has been leaping up the popularity lists, to become one of the top girl names starting with R. Some will inevitably link it to President Ronald, but spell it Regan and it's a Shakespearean name: a daughter of King Lear.
  18. Sawyer
    • Origin:

      English occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "woodcutter"
    • Description:

      Sawyer is one of the top unisex names, used for their daughters by such parents as Sara Gilbert, co-host of The Talk and former actress on Roseanne, currently on The Conners.
  19. Taylor
    • Origin:

      English occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "tailor"
    • Description:

      Taylor is one of the prime unisex surnames used for girls and has also been a soap opera favorite. Taylor was in the Top 10 for the last several years of the twentieth century, so that now it tends to feel a little nineties – though Taylor Swift is keeping it in the spotlight and Tay is a charming nickname. Garth Brooks and Bryan Cranston have daughters named Taylor; Taylor Schilling portrays lead Piper Chapman in Orange is the New Black.
  20. Payton
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "fighting man's estate"
    • Description:

      Rarely used until the 90s, Payton rose up the charts when it was popularized by the football star, Peyton Manning, and, interestingly, by the character of "Peyton Flanders", the villainess of the 1992 film, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle.

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