Middle Names, Surnames, and Nicknames · Unisex Baby Names
Nameberry's Favorite Surname Names
Across 7 pages
of 7
Blake
English
"fair-haired, dark"
The unisex Blake, which indeed has two conflicting meanings, has a briskly efficient image when used for a girl. Though in the eighties it was seen very much as a boys’ name , epitomized by the…
Remington
English
"place on a riverbank"
Remington Steele was the perfect name for an upper-crust action hero on 1980s television. Now, Remington is catching fire along with a new generation of predatory baby boy names such as Hunter,…
Harlow
English surname
"rock hill or army hill"
Jean Harlow (born Harlean Carpenter), the original platinum blonde bombshell, was a symbol of 1930s glamour, a factor that first Patricia Arquette and then Nicole Richie and Joel Madden probably had…
Banks
English surname
"one who lives on the hillside or riverbank"
Banks is a topographical surname that refers not to those places where people keep their money but to riverbanks or hillsides, and specifically the people who live and work on them. A name with two…
Colson
English surname
"son of Nicholas"
Author Colson Whitehead introduced this surname-name to the lexicon, perfect for a son or grandson of a Nicholas, a Nicole, or a Colin. Or anyone else who likes the sound for that matter, since there…
Morgan
Welsh
"sea-born, sea-song or sea-circle"
Morgan has long been a traditional Welsh male name, a variant of the Old Welsh name Morcant, from the Welsh elements mor , meaning "sea" and cant , "circle." The female Morgan is unrelated to the…
Sullivan
Irish surname
"black-eyed one"
Sullivan is a jaunty Celtic three-syllable name, with a real twinkle in its eye. It was immortalized in the 1930s classic film Sullivan's Travels and was chosen for one of Patrick Dempsey's twin…
Brady
Irish
"broad meadow or large-chested"
The Irish name given to Miranda Hobbes's son on the dearly departed Sex and the City is a friendly and energetic choice. You well might want to make your son part of the Brady bunch. Brady has been a…
Kendall
English
"valley of the river Kent"
Originally an English surname, borrowed from the place name, Kendale, Kendall was given almost exclusively to boys until the 40s when it began to be used for a small number of girls each year. By the…
Sterling
English
"of the highest quality"
A name with some sterling qualities, most associated with the British currency and silver markets, though it could easily be seen as a virtue-adjacent choice, like Merit, Chosen, or Hero. It has been…
Paige
English, occupational name
"page to a lord"
Paige is more name, and less word than the occupational Page. Paige is also sleek and sophisticated a la Brooke and Blair and reached as high as Number 47 in 2003, when there was a very popular…
Hendrix
Dutch and German, from first name Hendrik
"estate ruler"
Hendrix is one of those hip rock and roll names, like Lennon, Jagger and Presley, that have been used by fellow celebs and others, to honor the seminal guitarist/singer/songwriter Jimi. And this one…
Franklin
English
"free landholder"
A doubly Presidential name, via Pierce and Roosevelt, Franklin was given an initial boost via the fame of Benjamin Franklin. It also has a literary tie to the main character of the Wilkie Collins…
Anderson
English from Scandinavian
"son of Anders"
Rugged and tough, Anderson shot up quite a bit on the pop list in the 2000's, no doubt in large part due to the prominence of white-haired cable newsman Anderson Coopers, more recently, it has…
Miller
English occupational name
"grinder of grain"
Miller is an up-and-coming choice in the stylish occupational genre, among the fastest-rising names for both boys and girls in the US in 2023. Miller is also among the most common last names in the…
Clark
English
"scribe, secretary, cleric, scholar, clerk"
Clark seemed to have been Gone with the Wind , but parents looking for a short, strong boy's name are now beginning to appreciate its cool combination of Gable charm with Superman power. Clark has…
Lawson
English
"son of Lawrence"
Appealing way, à la Dawson, to honor an ancestral Lawrence. Lawson is also an English pop rock band. Lawson has history or use that dates far back, but it fell off of the charts in 1950. The name…
Taylor
English occupational name
"tailor"
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…
Mckenna
Irish
"son of Kenneth"
Mackenzie begat McKenna - a catchy but very trendy choice. While the Mc or Mac prefix means "son of," this is much more popular as a girl name in the US, peaking at #177 in 2002.
Finley
Irish and Scottish
"fair-haired hero"
This was Irish name was once used exclusively for boys, and remains so in England and Wales where it's a Top 50 choice. In the US, however, celebs Jason Sehorn, Angie Harmon, and Lisa Marie Presley…