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Occupational Names
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About this list
Most occupational baby names were originally surnames that described a person's job. Names related to jobs have taken on significant style value over the past years and are destined to rise even further.
Harper is the top occupational name for girls while Mason is the most popular occupational name for boys.
Along with Harper, occupational names ranking in the US Top 300 for girls include Skylar, Piper, Parker, Bailey, Taylor, Sawyer, and Saylor.
Along with Mason, occupational names ranking in the US Top 100 for boys include Carter, Hunter, Carson, and Cooper.
While technically gender-neutral, occupational names have traditionally been used more often for males and still are more often given to baby boys. Unique occupational names we like for either gender include Baird, Booker, Dancer, Drummer, Fielder, Fifer, Mercer, Painter, Poet, Sailor, Shepherd, and Whistler.
Occupational names can work as a nod to parents' or grandparents' professions or a family business. Or you can choose them, of course, because you simply like the sound and feel.
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The names
Harper
English
"harp player"
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. Victoria and David Beckham's choice of Harper for their…
Cooper
English occupational name
"barrel maker"
The genial yet upscale and preppy Cooper was one of the first occupational last names to catch on -- and Cooper remains a pleasing option. Cooper began his rapid climb in 1982 and is a popular choice…
Carter
English occupational name
"transporter of goods by cart"
Carter has ranked in the Top 100 since the the turn of the millennium, but despite its recent popularity, it's not a trendy new name. In fact, Carter is one of those names that just misses ranking in…
Walker
English occupational name
"cloth-walker"
Walker is both a Waspy surname name—as in the W in George W. Bush—but it also has a gentle ambling quality and a creative connection to such greats as writer Walker Percy and photographer Walker…
Archer
English
"bowman"
Archer is an Anglo-Saxon surname that feels more modern than most because of its on-target occupational and Hunger Games associations. And it's a nice way to bypass the clunky Archibald to get to the…
Parker
English occupational name
"park-keeper"
One of the first generation of surname names, along with Porter and Morgan, Parker's still one of the most appealing and remains firmly in the Top 100 for boys. About three times as many boys as…
Sawyer
English
"woodcutter"
Sawyer is a surname with a more relaxed and friendly feel than many others, and is one of the hottest occupational names right now, with the Nameberry seal of approval. Sawyer is becoming one of the…
Dean
English
"church official"
Dean may sound to some like a retro surfer boy name, but it is once again climbing up the popularity chart in the USA. For decades it was associated with Dean (born Dino) Martin; more recent…
Hunter
English
"one who hunts"
Hunter has been dropping a bit for the past few years but is still one of the leaders of a distinctive band of boys' names that combines macho imagery (Hunter, Austin, Harley) with a softened…
Piper
English occupational name
"pipe or flute player"
Piper is a bright, musical name that entered the list in 1999, one year after the debut of the TV series Charmed , which featured a Piper, and it's been a consistent riser since. Piper Kerman is the…