Occupational Names

Painter is among the most creative choices in this very fashionable category of names, with a particularly pleasant sound. Whereas most occupational names conjure up physical labor, this one feels like a gateway to the arts.

Unusual, serious, no-nonsense occupational surname that could be borrowed from the boys.

Mailer is one of the more unusual of the on-trend occupational surnames. Recommended for fans of the macho writer Norman Mailer.

The surname of the influential early Scottish inventor of logarithms could make an inspiring middle name choice for a mathematically inclined family.

This occupational choice is less appealing than such brethren as Baker and Baxter.

Plummer might be an occupational name for someone who works with pipes -- yes, like a plumber -- or with feathers, from the Olde English (from the French) plume. Or it could indicate someone who lived near a plum tree.

Literary, occupational, and very neglected.

A huve is 40 acres of land, so the occupational name Hoover refers to the farmer who owned and worked it. Hoover also relates to the rock band, the vacuum cleaner, the dam, and former FBI head J. Edgar.

No kid would want to be open to all those burger jokes.

Governor is far from one of the established occupational names such as Porter or Cooper, but with babies names King and Prince, Governor certainly wouldn't seem as outlandish today as it once might have.

Might make a good middle name for the child of a musician, though people could think you were honoring your BMW.

Male name from Irish mythology makes stylish-sounding choice for girls.

Would be an obscure but winning entry in this category, except for its similarity to the word brassiere, which would certainly arouse unwanted attention in grade school.

One occupational name unlikely to find a single taker.

A child named Peale may have to endure more than a few banana jokes, but the Peales were a distinguished family of artists.

The kind of occupational name with an inspirational feel that's new now.

Has a fresh occupational name feel, combined with old-fashioned Currier & Ives charm.