Top Surname Names
Updated Fri Feb 02 2024
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The top surnames that are baby names have been on the rise for a couple of decades now. The early generation saw surnames like Tyler and Blake for boys, Taylor and Morgan for girls. Those names are still used today, but they’re not as widespread as they once were.
What are the most popular surname names? This list includes all the surnames that are on the US Top 1000 popular names list.
Along with Taylor and Tyler, other top surnames that are first names among on the US popular names list include Harper, Madison, Carter, Lincoln, Everly, Hudson, Colton, and Kennedy. Up-and-coming surnames include Colter, Foster, Banks, and Ellison.
Surnames as first names appeal to contemporary parents and are an elusive blend of traditional and novel.
If you’re searching for well-liked surnames to use as baby names for your son or daughter, consult our list of surnames that are commonly used as first names, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.
RELATED:
- Addison
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Adam"
- Adley
Origin:
Variation of Hadley
- Anderson
Origin:
English from ScandinavianMeaning:
"son of Anders"
- Archer
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"bowman"
- Bailey
Origin:
Occupational nameMeaning:
"law enforcer, bailiff"
- Baker
Origin:
English occupational surname
- Banks
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"one who lives on the hillside or riverbank"
- Beckham
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"homestead by the stream"
- Bellamy
Origin:
English and Irish from FrenchMeaning:
"fine friend"
- Benson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Ben"
- Blair
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"dweller on the plain"
- Blake
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"fair-haired, dark"
- Boden
Origin:
English or German surnameMeaning:
"hill shaped like a bow or floor"
- Bowen
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"son of Owen"
- Brady
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"broad meadow or large-chested"
- Branson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of the raven"
- Brantley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"sword, fiery torch"
- Bronson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of brown-haired one"
- Brooks
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"of the brook"
- Cameron
Origin:
Scottish surnameMeaning:
"crooked nose"
- Carson
Origin:
English and Scottish surnameMeaning:
"son of the marsh dwellers"
- Carter
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"transporter of goods by cart"
- Chandler
Origin:
English from French occupational nameMeaning:
"candle maker"
- Clark
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"scribe, secretary, cleric, scholar, clerk"
- Cohen
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"priest"
- Collins
Origin:
Surname derived from Nicholas or ColinMeaning:
"people of victory or pup"
- Colson
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"son of Nicholas"
- Colter
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"colt herder"
- Colton
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"from the coal or dark town"
- Cooper
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"barrel maker"
- Crosby
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"village with crosses"
- Damon
Origin:
English variation of Damian
- Davis
Origin:
Surname derived from David, HebrewMeaning:
"beloved"
- Dawes
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"son of David"
- Dawson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of David"
- Delaney
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"dark challenger"
- Dylan
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"son of the sea"
- Easton
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"east-facing place"
- Edison
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Edith or Adam"
- Ellis
Origin:
English surname derived from Elijah or Elias or WelshMeaning:
"benevolent"
- Ellison
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Ellis"
- Emerson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Emery"
- Everly
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"wild boar in woodland clearing"
- Finley
Origin:
Irish and ScottishMeaning:
"fair-haired hero"
- Finnegan
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"fair"
- Fisher
Origin:
Occupational nameMeaning:
"fisherman"
- Fletcher
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"arrow-maker"
- Ford
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"dweller at the ford"
- Foster
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"forester"
- Franklin
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"free landholder"
- Grayson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"the son of the bailiff"
- Harley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"the long field"
- Harlow
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"rock hill or army hill"
- Harper
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"harp player"
- Harrison
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Harry"
- Hayden
Origin:
English place nameMeaning:
"hay valley"
- Hayes
Origin:
English surname and nature nameMeaning:
"hedged area"
- Hendrix
Origin:
Dutch and German, from first name HendrikMeaning:
"estate ruler"
- Henley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"high meadow"
- Hudson
Origin:
English place-name and surnameMeaning:
"Hugh's son"
- Hunter
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"one who hunts"
- Huxley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"inhospitable place"
- Jackson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Jack"
- Jameson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of James"
- Jefferson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Jeffrey"
- Jensen
Origin:
Spelling variation of Jenson and Danish surnameMeaning:
"son of Jens"
- Jordan
Origin:
English from HebrewMeaning:
"flowing down"
- Judson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Jordan"
- Kaiser
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"Emperor"
- Keaton
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"shed town"
- Kelvin
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"narrow or wooded river"
- Kendall
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"valley of the river Kent"
- Kennedy
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"misshapen head"
- Kingsley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"king's meadow"
- Kingston
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"king's town"
- Landon
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"long hill"
- Landry
Origin:
French and EnglishMeaning:
"ruler"
- Lawson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Lawrence"
- Ledger
Origin:
English surname
- Lennon
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"lover"
- Lennox
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"elm grove"
- Lincoln
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"town by the pool"
- Logan
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"small hollow"
- Mackenzie
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"son of Kenneth"
- Madden
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"little dog"
- Maddox
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"son of Madoc"
- Madison
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Matthew"
- Mckenna
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"son of Kenneth"
- Mckinley
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"son of the fair hero"
- Miller
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"grinder of grain"
- Monroe
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"mouth of the Roe river"
- Morgan
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"sea-born, sea-song or sea-circle"
- Paige
Origin:
English, occupational nameMeaning:
"page to a lord"
- Palmer
Origin:
English surname and occupationalMeaning:
"he who holds the palm"
- Parker
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"park-keeper"
- Payton
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"fighting man's estate"
- Peyton
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"fighting-man's estate"
- Porter
Origin:
English from French occupational nameMeaning:
"doorkeeper or carrier"
- Presley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"priest's meadow"
- Quinn
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"descendent of Conn"
- Remington
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"place on a riverbank"
- Riley
Origin:
English, IrishMeaning:
"rye clearing; courageous"
- Royce
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of the king"
- Ryan
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"little king"
- Ryland
Origin:
Old EnglishMeaning:
"place where Rye is grown"
- Sander
Origin:
Dutch and Scandinavian, diminutive of AlexanderMeaning:
"defending men"
- Sawyer
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"woodcutter"
- Shepherd
Origin:
Occupational nameMeaning:
"sheep hearder"
- Sterling
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"of the highest quality"
- Stetson
Origin:
American surname
- Sullivan
Origin:
Irish surnameMeaning:
"black-eyed one"
- Sutton
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"from the southern homestead"
- Tanner
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"leather tanner"
- Tate
Origin:
English from NorseMeaning:
"cheerful"
- Tatum
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"Tate's homestead"
- Taylor
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"tailor"
- Thatcher
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"roof thatcher"
- Tucker
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"fabric pleater"
- Turner
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"works with a lathe"
- Tyler
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"maker of tiles"
- Walker
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"cloth-walker"
- Wallace
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"foreigner, stranger"
- Watson
Origin:
English and Scottish surname related to WalterMeaning:
"son of Wat"
- Wesson
Origin:
Variation of Weston, EnglishMeaning:
"from the western town"
- Weston
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"from the western town"
- Wilder
Origin:
Surname or word name
- Wilson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Will"